Written By: Dek S. at Foster City Library
There are nearly 200 different languages used in the Philippines. Languages, not dialects. An eighth of them are already endangered, while a couple of them are continuously evolving. So, how do you unite a country of 7,641 islands with 200 different languages and subcultures of their own? August is Filipino Language Month, making it the perfect time to learn more about Filipino languages and culture.
A Brief History of the Philippines
The Philippines was under Spanish rule for over 300 years. The only way they could unite the archipelago was to enforce Spanish as the primary language for official government and trade transactions. But even after 300 years, the locals held on tightly to their languages, which played a huge part in the uprising of 1898.
Have you seen the eight rays of the Philippine flag? These rays represent the first eight provinces that fought the colonial rulers: Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Laguna, Tarlac and Batangas. Five of those provinces are part of what we now call The Greater Katagalugan area where Tagalog means both the language and the people.
Since Pampanga and Tarlac use the Kapampangan language, and Nueva Ecija uses Ilocano, it was decided that Tagalog would be used as the primary language of the revolution. From August 24, 1896, to June 12, 1898, they fought an intense war against the Spanish colonizers, the locals were led by Andres Bonifacio, a Tagalog from Tondo, Manila, who helped them win that war.
In 1899, the Republic of the Philippines was established with Emilio Aguinaldo, a Tagalog from Kawit, Cavite, as the very first president. In 1935, the Philippines' second president was elected, Manuel L. Quezon, a Tagalog from Baler, Nueva Ecija. It was this president who, in 1937, proclaimed that Tagalog would be the basis of the Philippines' national lingua franca, which would then be called Filipino, becoming a standardized variety, or dialect, of Tagalog that incorporates Spanish, English, Hokkien, Malay and many other languages that were adapted during pre-colonial trading.
In 1946, the Philippines' fourth president, Sergio Osmeña—not a Tagalog, but a Bisaya from Cebu City, Cebu—proclaimed that the country celebrates Tagalog, or Filipino, one whole week a year to promote the national language. They called it Linggo ng Wika, or Language Week.
In 1997, the Philippine's twelfth president, Fidel Ramos—also not a Tagalog, but a Pangasinense from Lingayen, Pangasinan—declared August as Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, or National Language Month. Since school is in session, students can participate in promoting the importance of Filipino, the national language, Tagalog and other indigenous languages of the Philippines.
Learn More about Tagalog
Happy Filipino Language Month! Tagalog is spoken by 5.7% of San Mateo County Residents, so San Mateo County Libraries is proud to introduce you to our newest collection: books and resources in Tagalog. Children's and adult Tagalog books are now available at all 13 of our libraries. See our list, borrow the books, and if you're not familiar with Tagalog, there's no better time to begin studying the language.
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