Filipino food ABCs and 123s

Filipino food ABCs and 123s

September 3, 2022

In my latest art I combined things I learned about Filipino languages and Philippine cuisine lately into new alphabet art. Like my Filipino food alphabet of vegetable dishes and ingredients, I made another set of illustrations not only highlighting the ABCs, but also the 123s!

I was able to finish the artwork in time for Buwan ng Wika, or National Language Month in the Philippines, and posted numbers 1 to 10 all throughout August. You can see the entire set at my Filipino Food Art blog here, where I add information about some of the more widely-spoken languages in the country.

Filipino numbers 123, 1 to 10
Filipino numbers 1 to 10 in Filipino or Tagalog. I also have them listed at my Filipino Food Art blog here with more information about several major languages in the Philippines.

Some Filipinos don’t know a Filipino language

Having grown up outside the Philippines, it shouldn’t be surprising that I felt inadequate when it came to speaking or understanding Bisaya or Cebuano, the language of both my parents. With that, I had an even more distant understanding of Filipino or Tagalog, one of the national languages of the country.

When I moved to the Philippines, I was surprised to meet Filipinos with varying degrees of understanding of either their “mother tongues” or any of the national languages of the country. The Philippines has three official languages: Filipino or Tagalog, English, and Filipino Sign Language – the national sign language of the Filipino Deaf.

Every Sunday, a book about sign language
“Every Sunday” or “Tuwing Linggo”, a book about sign language, with Tagalog and English translation.

Despite Filipino or Tagalog being a national language, not many Filipinos can speak it. This is because the Philippines has more than 180 different languages, and people obviously prefer to converse in the language of their town or region. Which also means many Filipinos don’t know any language other than their home language, and English.

I’ve even met Filipinos in Tagalog regions who couldn’t speak Filipino or Tagalog. And in many areas, children are being raised to only speak English alone.

What are the benefits to learning more than one Filipino language?

First of all, studies continue to show the benefits of learning more than one language in general. Learning a new language…

Economic and career opportunities is probably one of the main reasons Filipino parents in the Philippines and abroad, encourage their children to speak English, or the language of their adopted regions or countries.

Bakuna brochure covid-19 coronavirus design for seniors
“Bakuna” or vaccine brochure in Tagalog about COVID-19, designed for seniors (aka our “lolos and lolas”). Learning Tagalog while in Manila has enabled me to expand my design work to help more communities.

So if a child only knows one Filipino language, or none at all, why should they bother learning a new Filipino language?

Other than the reasons above, additional reasons include:

  • Appreciation of local literature and oral history.
  • Finding common ground.
  • Appreciation of neighboring communities and cultures.
  • Preventing the extinction of “endangered” languages.
  • Discovering untapped knowledge and history from elders and others.
  • Consuming local media, news, and information.
  • Learning new skills, recipes, and perspectives.

In addition to the above, learning your local sign language like Filipino Sign Language has additional benefits:

  • Learn about your local Deaf community (the capitalized ‘D’ refers to deaf people who consider themselves culturally Deaf and belonging to the Deaf community).
  • Understand how hearing people marginalize Deaf people.
  • Appreciate visual communication.
  • Increase attentiveness to visual cues and gestures.
  • Provide inclusive settings and workplaces for deaf people.
  • Communicate quietly while at a solemn event, birdwatching, and other settings where noise is prohibited.
  • “Talk” without using your mouth or voice!

Where can I learn different Filipino languages?

If you live abroad, or in an area far from a location where the language you want to learn is spoken, you can always look for online resources as an introduction. Italki.com is an example of a website where you can search for tutors that are native speakers of many languages, including those spoken in the Philippines.

Here are a few other places where you can learn a Filipino language:

After being in the Philippines for 10 years, I still have much to learn. As I learn I hope to share more about Bisaya, Tagalog, Pangasinense, Filipino Sign Language, and the many more languages I come across in the country.

Meantime, check out the downloadable printable of my artwork highlighting Filipino food ABCs and 123s!

Filipino food ABCs and 123s printable on Etsy and Gumroad

A simple printable of both the Filipino food ABCs and Tagalog or Filipino numbers 1 to 10 are available on Etsy and Gumroad.

Get the digital files below, then print and frame them as a gift for your kids, nieces, nephews, or “pamang-kids”:

See a simple timelapse of the art on YouTube

See a short timelapse of this artwork on YouTube!

Filed Under: Art, Food