November 2, 2025 

The Honorable Members of the Senate and House of Representatives

Senate of the Philippines 
GSIS Building, Financial Center
Jose W. Diokno Boulevard
Pasay City, Philippines 1307

House of Representatives 
Batasang Pambansa Complex
IBP Road, Batasan Hills
Quezon City, Philippines 1126

SUBJECT: URGENT PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION OF THE LINGUISTIC DEFINITION OF THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE AND THE PROMOTION OF TRUE CULTURAL EQUITY

Dear Esteemed Lawmakers,

We, the undersigned, petition this esteemed legislative body to fundamentally reconsider the constitutional and pedagogical designation of “Filipino” as a distinct national language. Based on overwhelming linguistic evidence and historical context, the current distinction represents a political fiction that undermines national unity and institutionalizes linguistic hierarchy. This constitutional sham, pushed by proponents and adherents of cultural imperialism, actively diminishes all the other languages of this archipelagic nation.

The danger of this hierarchy is amplified by recent high-level statements that reinforce an outdated linguistic agenda. Specifically, the incumbent President, in his inaugural address, advocated for a linguistic direction prioritizing the National Language alongside “equal emphasis and facility in a global language; which we had and lost.” This statement is inherently exclusivist, ignoring the vast majority of Filipinos whose native tongues are neither Tagalog nor a major global language, cementing a policy that values only one local dialect and one foreign tongue.

The Scientific Verdict: Filipino is Standardized Tagalog

Linguistically, the language codified as “Filipino” is irrefutably a standardized dialect of Tagalog, not a separate language. The most definitive evidence rests not on vocabulary, but on structure. As noted by leading Filipino linguists, “Filipino,” “Pilipino,” and “Tagalog” are identical in fundamental grammar. They share the same verbal affix systems (the –in, -an, i-, –um- affixes), the same set of grammatical markers, and the same inventory of pronouns. The minor differences in dialectal conjugation, such as Nainom versus Umiinom, are merely surface turbulence atop a colossal, unified structure. The scientific consensus is clear: “Magkaparehong bararila, magkaparehong wika” (Same grammar, same language).

The Historical Refutation of “Purity”

The argument that Tagalog became “Filipino” by absorbing non-Tagalog words is a historical red herring. Tagalog has always been a syncretic language. Its lexicon is a testament to cultural dynamism, having absorbed dozens of words through maritime trade with, for example, early Hokkien merchants, providing terms like susi (key), pancit (noodles), and ate (elder sister). This extensive commercial exchange was paired with profound cultural influence from Sanskrit and Arabic. From Sanskrit, terms covering education, philosophy, and law were introduced, including guro (teacher), mukha (face), and diwa (essence, spirit). The impact of Arabic is equally undeniable, providing words central to communication and spiritual life, such as salamat (thank you, from salam meaning peace) and alam (knowledge, from 'ilm).

This massive, pre-colonial linguistic borrowing, coupled with later influences, proves that Tagalog has always been a syncretic language. The argument that borrowing defines a new language is a linguistic red herring. If this were true, every language on Earth—including Cebuano, which seamlessly adopted words like brayt, damids, and, dilibiri buy—would need constant reclassification.

Borrowing is evolution; it is not revolution.

The Call for Cultural Equity and Inclusivity

The constitutional fiction that elevates “Filipino” to a separate status, while actively diminishing the standing of over 180 other Philippine languages, perpetuates inequality.

The notion that national identity requires linguistic singularity is a relic of 19th-century nation-building that has been demonstrably refuted worldwide. Countries such as Switzerland (four official languages), Canada (two official languages), and India (two official languages and twenty-two scheduled languages) have achieved robust national unity and economic dynamism not despite their linguistic diversity, but because of their constitutional commitment to equity and multilingualism. Even a superpower like China, with its immense diversity, exercises sensitivity by officially designating Mandarin as the national standard for communication without declaring it the sole “soul” of the nation, allowing major regional languages like Cantonese and Tibetan to thrive and be taught in their respective territories.

The true “diwa” (spirit) of the Filipino nation is not found in a single, officially sanctioned dialect, but in the totality of its rich linguistic and cultural mosaic.

We urge you to champion an inclusive, egalitarian, and democratic Filipino identity that acknowledges the strength of our diversity. The true role of Tagalog should be acknowledged as the efficient and widely-used lingua franca for communication and official business, rather than the singular symbol or soul of the nation.

Proposed Plan of Action for Linguistic Equity

To dismantle the existing linguistic hierarchy and promote true national cohesion, we respectfully and urgently petition the legislature to mandate the following actions:

1. Abolish Linguistic Hierarchy: Mandate the Commission on the Filipino Language (KWF) and Congress to officially recognize all indigenous languages of the Philippines as “National Languages of the Republic of the Philippines,” thereby dissolving the hierarchical status currently enjoyed by Tagalog.
2. Mandate Multilingual Education: Require the Department of Education (DepEd) to conduct a nationwide, updated linguistic census to identify the three to five most widely spoken major regional languages (including Tagalog). These languages shall be mandated for inclusion in the curriculum of all primary and secondary schools as elective linguistic heritage courses, promoting true national multilingualism.
3. Institutionalize Reciprocity in Education: Instruct the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to overhaul its pedagogical mission and language policy to institutionalize the principle of “I study and speak your language, you study and speak mine,” fostering linguistic reciprocity and inter-ethnic understanding across all levels of education.

Therefore, we respectfully and urgently petition the legislature to initiate a review that acknowledges the scientific fact:

• That ‘Filipino’ is just another supremacist socio-political semantic construct wrapped in the pretext of national unity.
• That ‘Filipino’ as our national language, though standardized and renamed, it is structurally, scientifically, and historically Tagalog.

To conflate one language with the entirety of the national soul is to render invisible the multitude of cultures that define our archipelagic heritage.

We thank you for your commitment to truth and equity in building a truly unified national identity.

Sincerely,

(SGD) Emeniano Acain Somoza, Jr.
Concerned Citizens Linguistic Advocacy Group