In the Philippines, the official language is technically called Filipino but most Filipinos simply call their language Tagalog (Filipino is based on Tagalog according to sources). Because of historical colonization of the country, the Philippines have many other languages that are commonly spoken including English, Spanish, and a wide variety of native dialects (such as Ilokano or Cebuano). Being the prominent world language that it is, English became widely popular in the Philippines and at one point ranked as an official language due to its usefulness in communicating with the world economy. However, Filipino businesses have noticed a trend in the decline of English proficient Filipinos; the offshore and outsourcing market, in particular, needs Filipinos that can speak English so they can work as call-center agents. Unfortunately employers in the industry say they have to deny 95 out of 100 applicants because their English proficiency does not meet the standards needed for the industry.
The economy of the Philippines creates so few jobs that one-tenth of the population work abroad. The institutionalization of Tagalog as the official language in the 1970s and the pride of the people caused Tagalog to become far more popular than English. Residents report that it is hard to find people under the age 40 who are comfortable speaking in English now. The government has reacted and implemented programs to keep English instruction in schools.
While I understand the economic benefits of having more English proficient speakers, I think it is great that most people in the Philippines have embraced their native language and that is more prominent than English. There is so much cultural pride tied to one's native language and I find it interesting that English decline is considered a "problem." Instead I think the Philippines should be further pushing Tagalog (or other native dialects) and preserving the cultural heritage that is embedded in the language.
I agree with you that reclaiming one's native language is very valuable. At the same time, I wonder if the increased decline of English proficiency will increase the power/socioeconomic gap in the country. I wonder, is there a higher rate of students learning English who are rich, rather than poor, because their parents want them to be marketable and successful in the job market? Will the decline of English proficiency lead to more inequities?
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