Tagalog is one of the main languages spoken in the Philippines. Its native speakers are from the Tagalog region along the Pasig River in Central Luzon, also more commonly known as Metro Manila.
In 1937 the president of the Commonwealth Republic declared that Tagalog was to be the basis for the national language.
In the 1900s when the United States of America took over the country from Spain, English became the official language and was the leading medium of instruction in schools, the press and communication. Eventually, the Philippines, seeking independence reclaimed their language and made it the country’s national language to recover collective identity after years of colonization. Nowadays Filipino and English are the country’s official languages.
Maria, a native Filipino living in the UK chats to Amelia and Albert about her experiences with the language and her efforts to keep it a part of her life and her community in the country.
