Languages

Filipino, formerly known as Pilipino, is the national tongue of the Philippines and is derived from Tagalog. Despite being the country's official language, only roughly 55% of Filipinos can speak it. There are around 111 other indigenous languages and dialects in addition to Filipino, only about 10 of which are significant regionally.

Since it is the language of teaching in schools, English is typically used for educational, governmental, and commercial purposes. It is also widely understood. After the US and the UK, the Philippines has the third-largest population of English-speaking persons in the world.

It is common to hear Filipinos use "Taglish," or a blend of English and Tagalog, in their everyday conversations because English is a language that is widely spoken in the Philippines. Even though it used to be an official language, a less and smaller percentage of people still speak Spanish.