Is it true that Spanish will be reinstated as an official language in the Philippines?

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arribajoe

That's what it says according to this article from the source below!

After all, many Filipinos are working in Spain and Spanish is being promoted for economic reasons (ie. call centers, health workers, trade etc...). It's no longer the language of oppressors you know. The Spain of the 18th century ain't the Spain of today. And this is not about spending money. Actually, Spain will send over teachers just like in the turn of the century, when the U.S. brought the Thomasites (American teachers who boarded the S.S. Thomas), whose mission it was to spread the English language. I dont think that the Spanish promotion will be as aggressive since the Americans managed to teach it to a new generation within 40 years. By making Spanish official, students would be required to take it in the university. What's wrong with learning another foreign language? Before WWII, Manila boasted 3 major Spanish newspapers and we had a thriving Zarzuela culture (Spain and Cuba being the other two) and a dynamic Filipino literature written in Spanish.

Check it out and listen to a recorded speech first in English and then in Spanish Manuel L. Quezon (Philippine nationalist and president of the Philippine Commonwealth). Click on the Filipino Librarian link "Message to my People".
http://filipinolibrarian.blogspot.com/2006/08/talumpati-manuel-l-quezon.html

BTW, MLQ learned English when he was already older.
This is inspiring. There's nothing wrong with being able to speak foreign languages and studying them.

Rode|ette Û©

how can this country jump to learning spanish if we can't even master teaching english

tranquil

False. That "proposal" will not happen when the year 2008 is finished. Just another political move to divert the populace and media's attention from something more dire.

Juan C

really.....??? well..... that would be great....

now, Philippines will have three official languages...

Tagalog, English, and Spanish...

STL Biker

i do not think that will happen but im learning spanish now just in case

Kis

REALLY
yo no sabia!!!
Sorry
I didnt know that I thought it was Tagalog

Aref H4

For a statement to be verified as true, we need two or three reliable sources. We can perhaps inquire from DECS, from the Malacanang Palace, or from the CIA station in Manila.

? viena ?

that's not a problem to me habla espaÃ±ol!

Becky Go-Belmonte

The article has a citation from MSN Espanol, so this is pretty much true. It's fine with me. Wouldn't be awkward that the Philippines be the only former Spanish colony that DOESN'T speak Spanish?

fritz

si...es verdad (yes, it's true)

but just like most gov't projects, could be ningas cogon..blazing fire at the start but will quickly fizzle out

SlapShockJack

i also want to find out if it is true. Reinstating spanish as an official language does not necessarily mean that every government text from now on will be in spanish. I believe the plan will be for gradual re-integration. Weve had it before and i dont see any reason why we should have a hard time with spanish. If there is a language that a filipino can easily master, it is spanish. Why? Because most of the words we know as "Tagalog/Filipino" are actually loaned words from spain. Other major philippine dialects also borrowed words from spanish. Here is just a few examples (There are thousands more):

Kumusta is actually short for "como esta"
Kabayo is "caballo" (same pronunciation as in Tagalog)
uno, dos, tres, cuatro..and so on is spanish

Robinson Crusoe

Hablemos todos en espaÃ±ol. Tagalog is indecipherable.

blitzkrieg

sounds impossible. not many people really speak spanish.

NONAME

i have no idea.

but just in case, i better start practicing my spanish.

hasta la vista baby.

Country lover

I doubt it's gonna happen. and if it's true that's crazy.

anna m

pffsh! what are they thinking?!

there are better things to do & bigger problems to solve.

poverty! overpopulation! pollution! corruption!
why don't they just focus on the problems that need immediate attention?

mae

I heard they're only making it one of the official languages in school. Like as the students have to learn english, they now must learn spanish... but whether it is mandatory or optional.. is unclear.

Although I think they shoudnt do this because ppl havent even mastered proper english yet, I don't think it would do too much harm. Teaching it in college would be better though, as most ppl major in nursing hoping to go to US, where many hispanics are. It would look good in a resume if u knew spanish, it's the second most popular language in america.

avenus

It would be a really stupid move to take up a new official language. Spanish was only spoken by the elite classes and not by everyone (working class common folk like us). Most Filipinos were not educated in this language unlike English which the Americans taught for free after they took over the Philippines after the Spaniards. This is the reason why our grandparents were able to understand some English. I know for a fact that my great grandparents and grandparents did not know or even speak in Spanish. I did hear some Latin prayers, though.

Anyway, changing the official language means spending government money which should go to other worthwhile projects instead. Can anyone imagine having to translate mountains of paperwork into Spanish and then having to translate it back again (to Tagalog or whatever) for people to understand it? C'mon, this idea is ludicrous.

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