Languages of the Philippines

Rare card · No. 35246

Some 130 to 195 languages are spoken in the Philippines, depending on the method of classification. Almost all are Malayo-Polynesian languages native to the archipelago. A number of Spanish-influenced creole varieties generally called Chavacano along with some local varieties of Chinese are also spoken in certain communities. Tagalog and Cebuano are the most commonly spoken native languages. The 1987 constitution designates Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog, as the national language and an official language along with English. Filipino is regulated by Commission on the Filipino Language and serves as a lingua franca used by Filipinos of various ethnolinguistic backgrounds. Republic Act 11106 declares Filipino Sign Language or FSL as the country's official sign language and as the Philippine government's official language in communicating with the Filipino Deaf. While Filipino is used for communication across the country's diverse linguistic groups and in popular culture, the government...

Read on Wikipedia · Image KWF - Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino - Republika ng Pilipinas - Tanggapan ng Pangulo (Commission on the Filipino Language - Republic of the Philippines - Office of the President), Public domain