Search results
It was first introduced to the Philippines in 1565, when the conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi founded the first Spanish settlement on the island of Cebú. The Philippines, ruled first from Mexico City and later from Madrid, was a Spanish territory for 333 years (1565–1898). Schooling was a priority, however.
Officially regulated by the Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language (AFLE), up to a million people in the Philippines are claimed to be either proficient in or have knowledge of Spanish, with around 4,000 people claiming Spanish as their native language, although estimates vary widely.
- Native: 4,000 (2020), Proficient: 400,000 (2020), Total: 1 million (2014)
Emilio Aguinaldo speaks Spanish in 1929. Spanish was the only official language of the Philippines for over 300 years when it was ruled by Spain, from the late 1500s to 1898. After that, it became a co-official language with English when the USA ruled the country.
May 24, 2017 · Spanish Fails to Become Widely Spoken in the Philippines. When Spanish rule of the Philippines came to an end in 1898 Spanish was the first language of around 10-15% of the population. In the countrys capital, Manila, approximately 50% of people spoke Spanish.
When the Spanish had first arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century, Old Malay was spoken among the aristocracy. It is believed that Ferdinand Magellan's slave Enrique of Malacca could converse with the local leaders in Cebu Island, confirming to Magellan his arrival in Southeast Asia.
History and Origin. The history of the Spanish language in the Philippines is not an illustrious one, even though Spanish first reached the Philippines in the second half of the sixteenth century, and the country remained a Spanish territory for over 300 years.
During the Spanish period, which lasted from the 1500s to the 1800s, Spanish was the official language of the Philippines. It was used in government offices, schools, church and by the populace. While not all Filipinos spoke Spanish fluently, it was nonetheless a language of prestige and power, with its influence pervading all aspects of society.
