Manila: 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.
According to Philippines News Agency, Filipino teacher Melanie Golosinda frequently encounters the question of whether Filipino and Tagalog are the same in her classroom each semester. 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, stated that understanding the history of the country’s national language is necessary to clear up this long-standing confusion.
Retired professor and textbook author Paz Belvez noted that efforts to create a national language began as early as 1935 during the presidency of Manuel L. Quezon. 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. By 1959, this Tagalog-based national language was officially called “Pilipino.”
However, the country’s diverse ethnolinguistic landscape and growing regional resistance against Tagalog’s dominance led to the development of a more inclusive national language, “Filipino.” Pursuant to the 1973 Constitution, Filipino was to be developed from the fusion of existing native languages in the country. This shift was meant to reflect the multilingual context of the Philippines, and in 1987, Filipino was officially declared the national language.
Experts agree that the distinction between Filipino and Tagalog lies in their linguistic status, nature, and scope. Nestor Castro, a cultural anthropologist, explained that legally, Filipino is the national language as defined by the 1987 Constitution, while Tagalog is one of the eight major languages spoken by native speakers from Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Southern Tagalog provinces.
In practice, the challenge lies in observing the difference between the two languages. “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,” Castro said. This mutual intelligibility contributes to the interchangeable use of the terms by both Filipinos and foreigners.
Golosinda emphasized that while Filipino and Tagalog share similarities in grammar, structure, and vocabulary, Filipino is not solely Tagalog. Filipino represents the inclusivity of the Filipino people as a whole, incorporating words from other Philippine languages and foreign languages, according to Siy. She highlighted that Filipino is more widely spoken and continues to evolve alongside civilization and the people.
As the Philippines celebrates Buwan ng Wika (Language Month) in August, Castro underscored the importance of language in instilling national pride, stating, “We are Filipinos. Our national language is not Spanish or English; it is Filipino.” Siy added that Buwan ng Wika should remind people of the vital role of language in shaping the Filipino national identity.
So the next time someone confuses these two languages, remind them of their main difference as a tribute to the inclusive and evolving nature of Filipino as the country’s national language.
