Editing Language revitalization (section)

==== Spanish ====
{{Main|Spanish language in the Philippines|Philippine Spanish}}
In the Philippines, a local variety of Spanish that was primarily based on [[Mexican Spanish]] was the ''lingua franca'' of the country since Spanish colonization in 1565 and was an official language alongside [[Filipino language|Filipino]] (standardized [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]) and [[Philippine English|English]] until 1987, following the ratification of a new constitution, where it was re-designated as a voluntary language.

As a result of its loss as an official language and years of marginalization at the official level during and after American colonization, the use of Spanish amongst the overall populace decreased dramatically and became moribund, with the remaining native speakers left being mostly elderly people.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://lgpolar.com/page/read/119|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604061553/http://lgpolar.com/page/read/119 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-06-04 |title=La Guirnalda Polar - Artículo por Guillermo Gómez Rivera [Educadores y sabios adredemente olvidados] |website=www.webcitation.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2016/04/12/actualidad/1460464651_728256.html |title=Los últimos del español |trans-title=The last of the Spanish |first=José Manuel Abad |last=Liñán |newspaper=El País |date=May 9, 2016 |via=elpais.com |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oneworld.org/ips2/june98/05_37_013.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991009202835/http://www.oneworld.org/ips2/june98/05_37_013.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 9, 1999 |title=PHILIPPINES: Torn Between Two Colonisers -- Spain and America |date=October 9, 1999}}</ref>

The language has seen a gradual revival, however, due to official promotion under the administration of former President [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.congress.gov.ph/download/ra_12/RA09187.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604061454/http://www.congress.gov.ph/download/ra_12/RA09187.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-06-04 |title=Republic Act No.9187 |website=congress.gov.ph}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ulap.gov.ph/reso2006-28.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070902192237/http://www.ulap.gov.ph/reso2006-28.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 2, 2007 |title=Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines Website |date=September 2, 2007}}</ref> Schools were encouraged to offer Spanish, French, and Japanese as foreign language electives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=June 4, 2009 DO 55, s. 2009 – Guidelines On Offering Foreign Languages Like Spanish, French, And Nihongo (Japanese) As Elective Subjects in the Third and Fourth Year Levels of High School {{!}} Department of Education |url=https://www.deped.gov.ph/2009/06/04/do-55-s-2009-guidelines-on-offering-foreign-languages-like-spanish-french-and-nihongo-japanese-as-elective-subjects-in-the-third-and-fourth-year-levels-of-high-school/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-05-12 |language=en-US}}</ref> Results were immediate as the job demand for Spanish speakers had increased since 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20081119-173154/Demand-for-Spanish-speakers-growing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905182822/http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20081119-173154/Demand-for-Spanish-speakers-growing |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-05 |title=Demand for Spanish speakers growing - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos |website=www.webcitation.org}}</ref> As of 2010, the [[Instituto Cervantes]] in Manila reported the number of Spanish-speakers in the country with native or non-native knowledge at approximately 3 million, the figure albeit including those who speak the Spanish-based creole [[Chavacano Language|Chavacano]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.elcastellano.org/noticia.php?id=505 |title=El Castellano: Noticias - el retorno triunfal del español a las Filipinas |access-date=2018-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100629084919/http://www.elcastellano.org/noticia.php?id=505 |archive-date=2010-06-29 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Complementing government efforts is a notable surge of exposure through the [[Mass media in the Philippines|mainstream media]] and, more recently, [[Music streaming|music-streaming]] services.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20071206-105314/Spanish_on_comeback_trail_in_Philippines |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619103528/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20071206-105314/Spanish_on_comeback_trail_in_Philippines |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-06-19 |title=Spanish on comeback trail in Philippines - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos |website=www.webcitation.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_en/contenido?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/spanish+language+culture/ari27-2009 |title=Inicio}}</ref>