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Living Spoken Languages of the Philippines
A major
factor in the establishment and acceptance of English in the
Philippines is unquestionably related to the actual or perceived need for a
lingua franca – a common language that could both link the people of the
Philippines to each other and link the Philippines to the rest of the world.
With 167 distinct and identifiable spoken living languages currently spoken in
the Philippines, (SIL 2003) and perhaps an many as several dozen more that have
become extinct (non-living) over the past 2 centuries of colonization and
exploitation, the need for a lingua franca that could serve the economic and
social needs of an evolving nation is readily apparent. For many reasons, most
of which are a result of colonial opportunism and economic necessity, English
evolved largely to fulfill this function. Any attempt to understand or explain
the history and evolution of English in the Philippines is dependant upon a
basic understanding of the indigenous linguistic matrix that makes up this
archipelago of more than 7100 islands, the diverse religious and social
affiliations that identify her 86,000,000 inhabitants (2004), and the population
growth patterns that have occurred over the last century.
The 167 Distinct & Identifiable Spoken Living
Languages of the Philippines
Source: SIL
International Ethnologue Database 2003
|
|
Language Name |
No. of Native Speakers |
Dialects |
Location |
|
1 |
Adasen |
4000 |
Eastern Adasen |
Abra
Province,
Luzon |
|
|
|
|
Western Adasen |
Abra
Province,
Luzon |
|
2 |
Agta,
Alabat Island |
50 (1979) |
|
Quezon
Province
, Luzon |
|
3 |
Agta
Camarines Norte |
200 (1979) |
|
Camarines, Luzon |
|
4 |
Agta
Casiguran |
580 (1998) |
|
Aurora
Province,
Luzon |
|
5 |
Agta
Central Cagayan |
700-800 |
|
Northeast Luzon |
|
6 |
Agta
Dupaninan |
1200 (1998) |
|
Northeast Luzon |
|
7 |
Agta
Isarog |
1000 (1986) |
|
Bicol
Province,
Luzon |
|
8 |
Agta,
Mt. Iraya |
200 (1979) |
|
Bicol
Province,
Luzon |
|
9 |
Agta
Mt.
Iriga |
1500 (1977) |
|
Bicol
Province,
Luzon |
|
10 |
Agta
Remontado |
1000-2000 (1977) |
|
Rizal
Province,
Luzon |
|
11 |
Agta
Umiray Dumagat |
3,000 (1994) |
|
Quezon
Province,
Luzon |
|
12 |
Agta
Villa Viciosa |
Not available |
|
Abra
Province,
Luzon |
|
13 |
AGUTAYNEN |
10,384 (1990) |
|
Palawan, Taytay, Mindoro |
|
14 |
Aklanon |
394,545 (1990) |
|
Aklan
Province,
Northern Panay |
|
15 |
Alangan |
6000-7000 (1991) |
|
North
Central Mindoro |
|
16 |
Alta
Northern |
240 – (1992) |
|
Aurora
Province,
Luzon |
|
17 |
Alta
Southern |
1000 (1982) |
|
Quezon
Province,
Luzon |
|
18 |
Arta |
17 (1992) |
|
Quirino
Province,
Luzon |
|
19 |
Ata |
9 families (1973) |
|
Negros
Oriental, Visayas |
|
20 |
Ati |
1500 (1980) |
|
Panay,
Visayas |
|
21 |
Atta
Faire |
400-550 (1981) |
|
Cagayan
Province,
Luzon |
|
22 |
Atta
Pamplona |
1000 (1998) |
|
Cagayan
Province,
luzon |
|
23 |
Atta
Pudtol |
500-700 (1991) |
|
Kalinga-Apayao
Province |
|
24 |
Ayta
Abenlen |
6,850 (1985) |
|
Tarlac
Province,
Luzon |
|
25 |
Ayta
Ambala |
1657 (1986) |
|
Bataan
Province,
Luzon |
|
26 |
Ayta
Bataan |
572 (1986) |
|
Bataan
Province,
Luzon |
|
27 |
Ayta
Mag-anchi |
8,200 (1992 |
|
Tarlac
Province,
Luzon |
|
28 |
Ayta
Mag-indi |
5000 (1998) |
|
Bataan
Province,
Luzon |
|
29 |
Ayta
Sorsogon |
40 (1984) |
|
Sorsogon
Province,
Luzon |
|
30 |
Balangao |
6560 (1975) |
|
Bontoc
Province,
Luzon |
|
31 |
Bantoanon |
70,000-100,000 (1978) |
|
Masbate and Mindoro |
|
32 |
Batak |
2,041 (1990) |
|
Palawan, Visayas |
|
33 |
Bicolano Albay |
480,000 (1975) |
|
Albay
Province,
Luzon |
|
34 |
Bicolano Central |
2,500,000 (1990) |
Naga |
Southeastern Luzon |
|
35 |
|
|
Legaspi |
Southeastern Luzon |
|
35 |
Bicolano Iriga |
108,000 (1975) |
|
Southeastern Luzon |
|
36 |
Bicolano Northern Catanduanes |
65,000 (1975) |
|
Southeastern Luzon |
|
37 |
Bicolano Southern Catanduanes |
85,000 (198i) |
|
Southeastern Luzon |
|
38 |
Binukid |
100,000 (1987) |
|
North
Central Mindanao |
|
39 |
Blaan
Koronadal |
100,000 (1981) |
|
Catabato
Province,
Mindanao |
|
40 |
Blaan
Sarangani |
75,000-100,000 (1998) |
|
Catabato
Province,
Mindanao |
|
41 |
Bolinao |
50,000 (1990) |
|
Pangasinan
Province,
Luzon |
|
42 |
Bontoc
Central |
40,000 (1994) |
|
North
central Luzon |
|
43 |
Bontoc
Eastern |
5,000 (1998) |
|
|
|
44 |
Buhid |
8,000 (1991) |
|
Southern Mindoro |
|
45 |
Butuanon |
34,547 (1990) |
|
Butuan
Province,
N.E. Mindanao |
|
46 |
Caluyanun |
30,000 (1994) |
Caluyanune |
Caluya
Islands |
|
|
|
|
Semirara |
Caluya
Islands |
|
47 |
Capoznon |
445,716 (1975) |
|
Northeast Panay |
|
48 |
Cebuano |
|