Languages of the Philippines (21st Century Crisis)

There are some 120 to 175 languages in the Philippines, depending on the method of classification. Four others are no longer spoken. Almost all are classified as Malayo-Polynesian languages, while one, Chavacano, is a creole derived from a Romance language. Three are official, while (as of 2015) nineteen are official auxiliary languages. The indigenous script of Philippines (Baybayin) is no longer used, instead Filipino languages are today written in the Latin script because of the Spanish and American colonial experience. In the southern Philippines, Jawi, an Arabic-based script is used.

Filipino
The 1987 Constitution declares Filipino as the national language of the country, and one of three official state languages. The Filipino language, also known as Pilipino, is based from Tagalog, a language native to the Manila area. The Tagalog language, alongside Spanish, was the language of the First Philippine Republic and the succeeding Philippine states.

English
Under the U.S. occupation and civil regime, English began to be taught in schools. By 1901, public education used English as the medium of instruction. Around 600 educators (called "Thomasites") who arrived in that year aboard the USAT Thomas replaced the soldiers who also functioned as teachers. The 1935 Constitution added English as an official language alongside Spanish. Today, English alongside Filipino, forms the second official state language.

Malay
The Malay language had a unique history. It was the language spoken in the archipelago in the ancient times. Through the end of World War II, it was the language of the de facto Republic of Mindanao and Kingdom of Sulu. Even through the republic's ending in 1967, it remained the preferred language in the south, over Filipino. Thanks to the works of the Mindanao Nationalist Party, during the presidency of Glorya Mcapagal-Arroyo, Republic Act No. 5423 allowed Malay to be the language of education in Mindanao and Sulu. In 2012, Republic Act. 5424 made Malay the third official language.