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Is learning Tagalog necessary if one is living in the Philippines? Would it be better to learn another dialect if living in the provinces?
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Filipino based on Tagalog is the most widely known language which is why many people across the archipelago know it. You could go to Ilocos in the far north and a lot of people would understand it, likewise you could go to the South and you would still find people who would understand it, but it's really up to you if you want to learn regional languages, there's no problem with that either, that would be great especially if you're staying in a province long term. You could also read my related article. Dayang C Marikit, Philippine History ProfessorAnswered February 16When Manilenyos travel to regions like Bikol, Ilocos, or Pampanga, in which language do they communicate with the locals, English or Tagalog, assuming the person does not know the local language? We mostly use Filipino based on Tagalog. This is the language that is mostly used in education and entertainment so it's quite widely understood… I've visited my grandparents' home provinces of Ilocos, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Ilo-Ilo and Lanao del Sur. In my opinion, I have to say that Filipino based on Tagalog is widely understood across the island of Luzon, I spoke with Ilocanos from the far north using this language without any problems… however in the Visayas and Mindanao, you would have a higher chance of meeting someone who doesn't understand Tagalog, usually older people. Last time I visited Ilo-Ilo and Lanao del Sur, it was kind of a "hit or miss" some people understood it while some people didn't, especially in Lanao, but this was way back in 2006, so I'm not sure if things have changed now… all I could say is that, back in high school I had teachers from the Visayas and Mindanao and they all spoke to us in Tagalog. Then when I was in college from 2012 to 2016, I had classmates from the Visayas and Mindanao and they moved here to Manila for the first time to study, they also communicated with us in Tagalog… lastly, when I watch the news, I also see a lot of people from the Visayas and Mindanao answering questions in Tagalog when being interviewed, so I'll assume that Filipino based on Tagalog is quite understood in large portions of the Philippines.By the way, "Manilenyo" isn't an ethnic group, just like how "Parisian", "Londoner" or "New Yorker" aren't ethnic groups. Some people seem to think that being "Manilenyo" is equivalent to being an "ethnic Tagalog" which isn't true at all. If you have successfully "assimilated" here, then you are automatically considered a "Manilenyo" despite your background. In fact a lot of Manilenyos could trace their ancestries back to different provinces. I'm going to give a comparative example… if a Scottish couple moved to London, had a child there, and that child grew-up absorbing the local culture of London as his or her own identity, then that child is in fact a Londoner in every bit of way, despite being of Scottish background. It's also an added "bonus" for "assimilation" if the Scottish parents lose their Scottish accents and adopt a local "Londoner accent"… this is a similar concept to being a "Manilenyo".As I said in some of my previous posts, I have grandparents who migrated here from different provinces, in fact my paternal grandparents are quite "mixed"… my paternal grandmother is half Kapampangan and half Ilocano, while my paternal grandfather is half Pangasinense and half Cebuano, but he grew up in Lanao del Sur because his father was a teacher who taught Muslim Princes and Princesses how to speak in English… while on the other hand my maternal grandparents are both from Ilo-Ilo, however they moved to Tarlac province, in central Luzon when my mother was only two years old. Obviously all of my grandparents eventually migrated to Manila later on and what I found to be interesting is that they've lost their regional accents when speaking in Tagalog… they literally sound like local Manilenyos who were born and raised here. Basically they've "successfully assimilated" and that's what makes them 'Manilenyo'… so like I said, being 'Manilenyo' isn't equivalent to being an "ethnic Tagalog".715 views · 12 upvotes
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Almost all Filipinos use Filipino, which was based in Tagalog. All places are using Filipino, so Tagalog people can go anywhere. But, learning the dialect in your locality gives you knowledge of what they talk about. Me, I am using both Filipino and Tagalog in Bulakenyo accent, also fluent in Southern Sorsogon dialect, and can understand but speak broken Ilocano. Foreigners can use English, as Filipinos were known to understand English. But foreigners learning Filipino is an advantage. Look at BecomingFilipino and the Hungry Syrian Adventurer.