!like e0wh ph0z teh!

#lol

Exploring Filipinos Little Languages in the 21 st Century

Ramos, Malvin Daniel C.
Grade 11 Muhammad Yunus
September 16, 2014
Concept Paper: Final Draft

After the war in Mactan in 1521, one of the shipmates of Magellan, Antonio Pigafetta
wrote down and described the Visayans to be illiterate people. In 1567, Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi stated that the Visayans have their own letters and characters just like the Malays, and
it was called the Baybayin.1 In the year 1897, Tagalog was introduced by the Spaniards to spread
Catholicism around the Philippines. Spanish and English were taught in schools along with
Tagalog in 1935. Two years after, 1937, Tagalog was declared as their national language. Then
in 1959, Tagalog was renamed to Pilipino to separate indigenous people and ethnic identity. In
the 1973 Constitution, Pilipino and English were used while Filipino was being mandated and
developed. Then in the 1987 Constitution, Filipino was declared as our national language and
was specified that Filipino language should evolve by being developed and enriched based on
other existing languages.2
People wondered about the differences among Tagalog, Pilipino and Filipino. According
to the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino and one professor in the field of the Filipino language,
Professor Rowell Madula, stated that Tagalog and Pilipino both use native words like bughaw
and pamantasan and were used by native people like the Cebuanos, Ilocanos, Waray,
Kampampangan and many others, while the Filipino used modern words like asul and
unibersidad, which were used by most of the people living in Manila.3 4
Now, in the 21st century, the Filipino and the English language are still being used.
However, this is also the century wherein little languages emerged. These little languages
branched out from the Filipino and English language. The use of words, spelling, grammar and
aesthetics were modernized depending on what little language is being used. Jejemons,

1
2
3
4

Morrow, Paul. "Baybayin: The Ancient Script of the Philippines." www.mts.net. N.p., 14 July 2010. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.
Valencia, Patrick. "Wikang Filipino, Sagisag ng Pagka-Pilipino." TomasinoWeb. TomasinoWeb Beta, 10 Aug. 2014. Web. 07 Sept. 2014.
Remit Home Corporation. "The Philippines: Celebrating Diversity." Tagalog, Pilipino, Filipino. Remit Home Corporation, Apr. 2010. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.

Bandila. "Jeproks to Jejemon: How the Filipino Language Evolves." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

Swardspeak, Netspeak, and Taglish/Englog are some known little languages that are
predominantly used by Pilipinos.5 6

According to the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, these little languages are the new
languages invented in the Philippines for easy communication; either personally or through
social media (Facebook, Twitter, or even texting). These little languages are now being
predominantly used by teenagers and middle-aged people in the country. What were the
modifications done in inventing these little languages? 7
1. Jejemons: A mixture of the Filipino and English language, this was first used in
texting. They categorize levels on how the texting is done: mild, moderate, severe and terminal.
They call their alphabet the Jejebet which is based on Leet. Jejebet is known for mixing letters in
a word, either in small or big letters, and using the letters H, X or Z many times. Symbols and
numbers are also used in the Jejebet. The Philippine Daily Inquirer describes Jejemons as the
new breed of hipsters not only creating their own language but also their own subculture and
fashion. Jejemons was first used in the internet message board or internet forums. Due to the
sudden existence of Jejemons, Jejebusters were also created. They are people who disagree with
the use of the Jejemon language.
From 2010 to 2011, the Department of Education discourages the use of Jejemons,
especially in texting and communication, because it is not helping young Filipino students
language skills. In the year 2013, smartphones began to dominate the stores overtaking feature
phones, and Jejemon started to decline in popularity.
(example: Hello po! !eWoh pH0z!)
5
6
7

Contreras, Antonio P. "Betraying the Filipino Language." GMA News Online. GMA, 17 June 2014. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.
GMA News. " Jejemon, Bekimon, Patunay Na Buhay Ang Wikang Filipino?" YouTube. YouTube, 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
GMA News. " Jejemon, Bekimon, Patunay Na Buhay Ang Wikang Filipino?" YouTube. YouTube, 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

2. Swardspeak: This is being used by gays through texting but more on communicating
personally. Similar to the Jejemons, it is an alteration of the Filipino and English language.
People who use swardspeak are commonly called as the bekimons. This slang uses suffixes like
ey, h, er, lls, -ch, and more. The word swardspeak was coined by a columnist named Nestor
Torre in the 1970s. On the other hand, according to Ayn Vernica de Jesus, swardspeak is the
modernization of jologsification of the Shakespearean language. Swardspeak is still being used
until today by gays and gay. According to Professor Rowell Madula, swardspeak is categorized
as part of the sociolect wherein a language is made by a group of people depending on the
same gender, age and interest.8
(example: mother, father, sister, brother mudra, pudra, sistereth, brothereth)
3. Netspeak: This is now being used worldwide and even in the Philippines and people
who use this little language are called netizens. Netspeak is also called the Internet slang and it is
the use of abbreviated words wherein the first letter of each word is attained and all following
words are omitted like gtg for got to go, ttyl for talk to you later, brb for be right back, and
so on and so forth. It is used again for easier and faster communication. One common trend also
in the Netspeak nowadays is the word hashtag. The use of # is to categorize keywords easily and
when the hashtagged word is clicked, it will also show other pictures, posts or tweets that used
the same keyword. Hashtag is mainly used in social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram. 9 Netspeak originated in the early days of the Internet and mainly used in chat rooms,
social network services, online games and other online community services.
(example: laughing out loud lol)

8
9

Bandila. "Jeproks to Jejemon: How the Filipino Language Evolves." YouTube. YouTube, 26 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Matt, Samantha. "How to Properly Use the 'Hashtag'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

4. Taglish/Englog: This can either be a mixture of the Filipino words and English words
or vice versa in communication or in literary works. It is commonly used by the conyos,
described as the people who speak in an annoying tone using Taglish/Englog. Several versions of
this are the Jejemons and the Swardspeak. Taglish is referred as the usage of English words in
the Tagalog syntax, while Englog is referred as the usage of Tagalog words in the English
syntax. Taglish/Englog is used by Filipinos around the world, and it is stated that it is a faster and
easier way of communication.
(example: Good Morning po! Maaari niyo pong i-avail itong bag for just limang daan.)

Virgilio Almario, a National Artist of the Philippines, stated that the Filipino language is
not yet ripe, in a sense that most of the words were influenced by the Spaniards and Americans.10
He also stated that Jejemon and Swardspeak are cultured languages which tend to be
misconstrued and temporary. He coined the term siyokoy, pertaining to the words invented by
linguistics of the Filipino language which have wrong use but are popularly used and accepted.
He said that as years pass, the emergence of siyokoys will be seen, but its effect will be null
as long as we are united in using and understanding the significance and importance of the
Filipino language.11

10
11

Almario, Virgilio S. Filipino ng mga Filipino: Mga Asterisko sa Istandard ng Ispeling, Estilo sa Pagsulat, at Paraan ng Pagpapayaman sa Wikang Pambansa.
Manila: Anvil Pub., 1993. Print.
Jimenez, Fidel R. "Nauna pa sa Jejemon at Bekimon: Ang Siyokoy sa Wikang Filipino." GMA News Online. GMA, 19 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

WORKS CITED
Almario, Virgilio S. Filipino ng mga Filipino: Mga Asterisko sa Istandard ng Ispeling, Estilo sa
Pagsulat, at Paraan ng Pagpapayaman sa Wikang Pambansa. Manila: Anvil Pub., 1993.
Print.
Bandila. "Jeproks to Jejemon: How the Filipino Language Evolves." YouTube. YouTube, 26
Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Constantino, Pamela C. Filipino at Pagplaplanong Pangwika. N.p.: Sentro ng Wikang Filipino,
Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, 2005. Print.
Contreras, Antonio P. "Betraying the Filipino Language." GMA News Online. GMA, 17 June
2014. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.
Corpuz, Maria Florenda N. "Isulong Ang Wikang Ingles, Pagyamanin Ang Wikang
Filipino." Argus-Eyed (Tokyo Edition). Blogspot, 17 Sept. 2008. Web. 07 Sept. 2014.
Garcia, Lydia G. Mga Gramatikang Tagalog/Pilipino. Diliman, Lungsod ng Quezon: Sentro ng
Wikang Filipino, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas - Sistema, 1992. Print.
GMA News. "SONA Assignment Pilipinas - Jejemon, Bekimon, Patunay Na Buhay Ang Wikang
Filipino?" YouTube. YouTube, 30 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Gonzalez, Andrew B. Language and Nationalism: The Philippine Experience thus Far. N.p.:
Ateneo De Manila University Press, 1983. Print.
Jimenez, Fidel R. "Nauna pa sa Jejemon at Bekimon: Ang Siyokoy sa Wikang
Filipino." GMA News Online. GMA, 19 Aug. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. Ani ng Wika. Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2010. Print.
Lumbera, Bienvenido. Writing the Nation: Pag-akda ng Bansa. Quezon City: University of the
Philippines Press, 2000. Print.
Matt,

Samantha. "How to Properly Use the 'Hashtag'" The

TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.

Huffington

Post.

Morrow, Paul. "Baybayin: The Ancient Script of the Philippines." www.mts.net. N.p., 14 July
2010. Web. 30 Aug. 2014.
Remit Home Corporation. "The Philippines: Celebrating Diversity." Tagalog, Pilipino, Filipino.
Remit Home Corporation, Apr. 2010. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.
Valencia, Patrick. "Wikang Filipino, Sagisag ng Pagka-Pilipino." TomasinoWeb. TomasinoWeb
Beta, 10 Aug. 2014. Web. 07 Sept. 2014.