Tagalog

## Overview

**Tagalog** is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named *Filipino*, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.

It is related to other Philippine languages, such as the Bikol languages, Ilocano, the Visayan languages, Kapampangan, and Pangasinan, and more distantly to other Austronesian languages, such as the Formosan languages of Taiwan, Malay (Malaysian and Indonesian), Hawaiian, Māori, and Malagasy. Tagalog is the predominant language used in the *tanaga*, a type of Filipino poem and the indigenous poetic art of the Tagalog people.

## Official Status

Tagalog was declared the official language by the first revolutionary constitution in the Philippines, the Constitution of Biak-na-Bato in 1897.

In 1935, the Philippine constitution designated English and Spanish as official languages, but mandated the development and adoption of a common national language based on one of the existing native languages. After study and deliberation, the National Language Institute, a committee composed of seven members who represented various regions in the Philippines, chose Tagalog as the basis for the evolution and adoption of the national language of the Philippines. President Manuel L. Quezon then, on December 30, 1937, proclaimed the selection of the Tagalog language to be used as the basis for the evolution and adoption of the national language of the Philippines. In 1939, President Quezon renamed the proposed Tagalog-based national language as *Wikang Pambansâ* (national language). Under the Japanese puppet government during World War II, Tagalog as a national language was strongly promoted; the 1943 Constitution specifying: The government shall take steps toward the development and propagation of Tagalog as the national language."

In 1959, the language was further renamed as "Pilipino". Along with English, the national language has had official status under the 1973 constitution (as "Pilipino") and the present 1987 constitution (as Filipino).

### Controversy

The adoption of Tagalog in 1937 as basis for a national language is not without its own controversies. Instead of specifying Tagalog, the national language was designated as *Wikang Pambansâ* ("National Language") in 1939. Twenty years later, in 1959, it was renamed by then Secretary of Education, José Romero, as *Pilipino* to give it a nationalrather than ethnic label and connotation. The changing of the name did not, however, result in acceptance among non-Tagalogs, especially Cebuanos who had not accepted the selection.

The national language issue was revived once more during the 1971 Constitutional Convention. Majority of the delegates were even in favor of scrapping the idea of a "national language" altogether. A compromise solution was worked out—a "universalist" approach to the national language, to be called *Filipino* rather than *Pilipino*. The 1973 constitution makes no mention of Tagalog. When a new constitution was drawn up in 1987, it named Filipino as the national language. The constitution specified that as the Filipino language evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages. However, more than two decades after the institution of the "universalist" approach, there seems to be little if any difference between Tagalog and Filipino.

Many of the older generation in the Philippines feel that the replacement of English by Tagalog in the popular visual media has had dire economic effects regarding the competitiveness of the Philippines in trade and overseas remittances.

## Tagalog excerpt from Wikipedia article "Wikang Tagalog"

Ang *Doctrina Cristiana* (Doktrinang Kristiyano) ang pinakaunang aklat na naisulat sa Tagalog, na inakdaan noong 1593. Nakasulat ito sa Kastila at dalawang uri sa Tagalog: nakasulat ang una Baybayin habang ang sa mga titik ng Latin naman ang isa. Pinaniniwalaang hinango rin ang *Tagalog* mula sa salitang *taga-irog* dahil kilalá ang pangkat ng mga kayumangging ito sa pag-irog sa sinisintang kabiyak at sa pagiging tapat din sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa pinili niyang makakasáma sa búhay. Batay ito sa isang nakaraang kaganapan, noong may higit pang katinuan at takot sa Diyos ang mga tao. May kaugnayan ang salitang ito sa isang kasabihang Tagalog na "mahirap mamangka sa dalawang ilog (o *irog*). Wala pang nailathalang aklat na nagsasabi kung gaano katanda ang wikang Tagalog, subalit may dokumento o kasulatang nakalimbag sa tanso na nagpapatunay na ang isang matandang uri ng wikang pinagmulan ng wikang Tagalog ay umiiral at ginagamit na mahigit sa isang libong taon nang nakalipas. Ito ang Inskripsiyon sa Binatbat na Tanso ng Laguna ng taong 900 A.D., isang bagay na patuloy pang inuusisa at pinag-aaralan ng mga nagdalubhasa sa wika. Ipinapalagay na sangay na kauri ng wikang Tagalog ang iba pang mga katutubong wika sa Pilipinas, at patuloy pa ring ginagamit ang mga ito sa bawat rehiyon at mga lalawigan ng bansa. Nang dumagsa ang mga Kastila sa kapuluan ng bansang ito, nasumpungan nila na may kabihasnan na dito: na may wika, panulat na baybayin, at mga payak na lipunang may pinunong tinatawag na datu ng bawat pangkat o barangay. Sa pagtuturo ng mga dayuhan ng kanilang kaalaman mula sa Europa, nahubog ang kaisipan at kalinangan Pilipino sa kaisipang dayuhan, na nagpatuloy hanggang sa pagdagsa sa bansa ng mga Amerikano at mga Hapones sa paglipas ng mga panahon. Sa kabila ng impluwensiyang ito, nakilala ang wikang Tagalog bílang isang pambansang wika na nakalalamang sa ibang mga diyalekto, at naging higit din sa mga wikang Ingles at Kastila.