Philippine News Agency
DARAGA, Albay – If you’re one of the many who often say “Tagalog” when you actually mean “Filipino” when asked about the national language of the Philippines, you are not alone.
In fact, according to Filipino teacher Melanie Golosinda, a recurring question in her classroom every semester is whether Filipino and Tagalog are the same.
In a country where many Filipinos use the two terms interchangeably, Beverly Siy, book author and officer-in-charge of the Intertextual Division of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, said clearing up the long-standing confusion necessitates understanding the history of the country’s national language.
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Retired professor and textbook author Paz Belvez wrote that as early as 1935, during the presidency of Manuel L. Quezon, there were already efforts to lay the groundwork for the creation of a national language that could unify the entire archipelago.
In 1937, Tagalog, a regional language spoken in many parts of Luzon, was chosen as the basis of the national language by virtue of Executive Order No. 134.
In 1959, this Tagalog-based national language was officially called “Pilipino.”
But given the country’s diverse ethnolinguistic landscape, the growing regional resistance against the dominance of Tagalog in the national language policy opened the path for the development of a new and more inclusive national language to be called “Filipino.”
Pursuant to the 1973 Constitution, Filipino was to be developed from the fusion of the existing native languages in the country. This shift from “Pilipino” to “Filipino” was meant to reflect the multilingual context of the country.
In 1987, Filipino was officially declared the national language of the Philippines.
Drawing the line
To set the record straight, experts agree that the distinction between the two languages lies in their linguistic status, nature, and scope.
“Legally, Filipino is our national language as defined by the 1987 Constitution. It is a language that will still be developed coming from the different Philippine languages.”
“On the other hand, Tagalog is one of the eight major languages in the country, spoken mainly by native speakers from Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Southern Tagalog provinces,” Nestor Castro, cultural anthropologist, explained.
But while the distinction between the two might be easier to recognize in theory, the real challenge, however, is observing their difference in actual use.
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“In practice, what we call the Filipino language at present is a variant of the Tagalog language specifically spoken by the local population of Metro Manila and other regional urban centers.”
“Thus, it is understandable that many foreigners as well as Filipinos use the terms Filipino and Tagalog interchangeably.”
“Visayan critics even refer to ‘Filipino’ as a ‘Tagalog language pretending to be another language,’” Castro said.
He further explained that the fact that there is mutual intelligibility between the two, as Tagalog speakers can understand Filipino, and Filipino speakers can also follow Tagalog as spoken in Metro Manila, proves that Filipino and Tagalog belong to the same language.
Golosinda, however, stressed that while their resemblance in grammar, structure, and vocabulary might cause confusion, it is important to underscore that Filipino is not solely Tagalog, as the language represents the Filipino people as a whole.
It is this inclusivity, as well as its evolving nature, that makes the country’s national language distinct from Tagalog, according to Siy.
“Filipino is more widely spoken compared to Tagalog. It has more flexibility as it incorporates words from other Philippine languages and foreign languages,” she said in Filipino.
“Our language, like all other languages in the world, undergoes changes. It is dynamic; it adapts and continuously grows alongside civilization and with us as a people,” she added.
Filipino pride
As the country celebrates this year’s Buwan ng Wika (Language Month) this August, Castro stressed the importance of language in instilling national pride.
“We are Filipinos. Our national language is not Spanish or English; it is Filipino. We inherited this language from our ancestors, and thus, it is an important part of our cultural heritage.”
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For Siy, Buwan ng Wika should remind the people of the vital role of language in shaping the Filipino national identity.
“This is a means for us to understand ourselves and to express our thoughts, feelings, and dreams,” she said.
So the next time someone gets these two languages mixed up, remind them of their main difference as a fitting tribute to the inclusive and evolving nature of Filipino as the country’s beloved national language. (with a report from Connie Calipay/PNA)
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