Comments on: A White Foreigner Trying to Speak Tagalog is an Insult to (Educated) Filipinos?

By: sage

sage — Tue, 10 May 2011 04:09:06 +0000

that is no not true! i’m a filipino and for me hearing foreign people try to use our language (in a not insulting way) is actually very cute, i’m so happy they would try to take time to learn our language. those two filipinos who told you that, must be really stupid or something.

By: Pampangan

Pampangan — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:02:20 +0000

It is never an insult to us Filipinos to see foreigners learning our languages. In fact, I admire foreigners who give effort in learning our language before visiting it.

But, you see, most educated Filipinos were taught English in school so if you’re language is English, there is seldom a need to speak English. Others will be mildly offended if someone who knows how to speak English speaks to them in Tagalog, since it is as if you insinuate that they would not understand English. They’ll speak with you in English; not in Tagalog.
But I don’t see how we would get insulted by someone who wants to learn about an aspect of our culture.

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:24:48 +0000

PS: Just to add to this Ionce had the greta opportunity to lend money to several of these people here with no charge and I mean MONEY in the thousands as they needed it for medical and also house repairs. I should have just burned it or given it away as they never pay back EVER and they always have money for Tuba and San Miguel or Red Horse. So where is the reality here? I see it as we are ATM machines and all called the bank of JOE and a target to be insulted and verbally abused as well as have a flock following us asking for money. I seen the Philippines as a great place and I still love it here, but the idiots that harass foreigners have to stop as it drives investors and good people away and that in turn means no improvement here as the money goes to other countries who appreciate tourists and or ex pats too. Please drop the JOE name OK the war was a long time ago and we are not all GI Joes OK.

By: Jake

Jake — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:15:41 +0000

I come here lots and I am sick and tired of the people calling me JOE as it is a real insult for a European to be called JOE as we are not Americans. It gets even worse when they call you joe and throw things at you telling you to leave their country. Yet before the insults it was Hey Joe give me money and hey Joe need a drink, you buy for me OK all about money and if you say anything to them they run around with an AUDIENCE yelling at you and say you insulted them. All the braindead ones keep saying JOE. I will now start calling them FLIP or BUMBAI as I hear it gets them pissed off as it is an insult. Now you jerks know how it feels to be insulted. When you people come to our country we usually say HELLO not hey FLIP like you yell HEY JOE and we never ask for money either. Have a good day FLIPS.

By: xtra0

xtra0 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:26:25 +0000

perhaps a bad experience led to their opinion.

i once had an encounter with a white foreigner who came up to me and said, ‘kantotan tayo’ (let’s f*^k) while smiling suggestively. i was insulted of course. and i know some guys who only want to learn bad Tagalog words and they like to practice on unsuspecting Filipinas.

personally, i appreciate the effort that goes into learning our language from foreigners and i don’t see it as an insult. the offense i think is when they use whatever they’ve learned to intentionally insult Filipinos.

By: still

still — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:26:25 +0000

If they think its an insult, then they are not truly educated….or they may be educated but not learned.

By: cherry

cherry — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:26:25 +0000

Nop, I would be more than happy if I hear a foreigner trying to speak my langauge because it shows that my language is being appreciated even by the foreigner.

By: Big P

Big P — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:26:25 +0000

That does not make any sense. There are many native filipino’s who never left the country want to practice speaking english with a foreigner.

By: Richie

Richie — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:26:25 +0000

A lot of Filipinos (educated or not) snicker at foreigners trying to speak Tagalog because of the accent. But the two people you spoke with seemed to be ultra sensitive. It is very much appreciated here if a foreigner tries to speak our language. I mean, just notice how when a foreign artist for instance guests on a TV show and says "mabuhay, mahal ko kayo", smiles and cheers all around.

By: guRl

guRl — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:26:25 +0000

I’m a Filipina, I don’t think so, what they told you is ridiculous?!?!
It’s really cute (and sexy) hearing my American husband speaking my native language. I found it amusing and really flaterring that he is speaking and have the determination to learn my native language.
I think it’s narrow-minded to think that only Filipinos in particular can be a polyglot. I think level of learning a language doesn’t depend on where a person came from…although Filipinos in general can twist and turn their tongues to easily learn other nations language (with the exact accent:)