A new blog by the London School of Economics’ Southeast Asia Centre highlights Metro Manila as home to at least 217 local and international languages, yet warns many indigenous Philippine languages are disappearing amid social and institutional pressures.
Despite the city’s linguistic diversity, heritage languages are fading due to stigma, migration, and the dominance of Filipino and English in education and media.
The loss of these languages also threatens cultural identity, oral history, and ecological knowledge, with 59 of the country’s 175 indigenous languages now endangered.
However, efforts like bilingual education and digital tools are providing hope for revitalization, promoting mother-tongue literacy and cultural preservation.
The article calls for stronger multilingual policies and community initiatives to safeguard the Philippines’ rich linguistic heritage for future generations.
Source: PhilNews24 | August 7, 2025
