Filipino is a language under the Austronesian language family. It is the national language of the Philippines, and one of the two official languages of the country, with English. It is a standardized variety of Tagalog based on the native dialect, spoken and written, in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region, and in other urban centers of the archipelago. The 1987 Constitution mandates that Filipino be further enriched and developed by the other languages of the Philippines.
Samar, officially the Province of Samar, formerly named Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Catbalogan. It is bordered by Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte and Leyte Gulf, and includes several islands in the Samar Sea. Samar is connected to the island of Leyte via the San Juanico Bridge.
Filipinoorthography specifies the correct use of the writing system of the Filipino language, the national and co-official language of the Philippines.
The Commission on the Filipino Language (CFL), also referred to as the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), is the official regulating body of the Filipino language and the official government institution tasked with developing, preserving, and promoting the various local Philippine languages. The commission was established in accordance with the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. It is the overall policy making body, coordinating, and grants giving agency for the preservation, development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture; an executing agency for the policies it formulates; and task to administering the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA) – fund exclusively for the implementation of culture and arts programs and projects.
Virgilio Senadren Almario, better known by his pen name Rio Alma, is a Filipino author, poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher, and cultural manager. He is a National Artist of the Philippines. He formerly served as the chairman of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), the government agency mandated to promote and standardize the use of the Filipino language. On January 5, 2017, Almario was also elected as the chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
Louie Jon Agustin Sanchez, a poet, fiction writer, critic, and journalist, hails from Flora, Apayao, Philippines. He lives in Novaliches, Caloocan, in Metro Manila.
Herminio Jose Lualhati "Ogie" Alcasid Jr. is a Filipino actor, singer, songwriter, comedian, director and producer. He is best known for his songwriting and collaboration with other musical artists. He has appeared in films and television shows, notably as a cast member of Tropang Trumpo (1994–1995) and Bubble Gang (1995–2013), and a host and main performer of SOP (1997–2010) and ASAP Natin 'To (2017–present). He is currently married to Regine Velasquez, with whom he has one child.
Francisco "Soc" Aldana Rodrigo was a Filipino playwright, lawyer, broadcaster, and a Senator of the Philippines from 1955 to 1967.
The Talaang Ginto, formerly known as the “Talaang Ginto: Gawad Surian sa Tula-Gantimpalang Tamayo”, is a sought-after annual literary award in Philippine poetry. The Talaang Ginto is perhaps the longest-running state-run literary contest that began in 1963 by the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa. The Surian was later replaced by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino in 1991. The Commission organizes the contest at present.
Merlie M. Alunan is a Filipina poet.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, formerly known as the National Waterworks and Sewerage System Authority (NAWASA), is the government agency that is in charge of water privatization in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Cavite and Rizal in the Philippines. It split the water concession into an east and a west concession with Manila Water being awarded one contract and Maynilad Water Services being awarded the other.
Michael M. Coroza is a Filipino poet, educator, and S.E.A. Write Award laureate.
David Michael M. San Juan is a Filipino Marxist writer, researcher, activist, and professor. He was chosen Mananaysay ng Taon in 2009 and Makata ng Taon in 2010 by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino.
The Sentro ng Wikang Filipino, also known the Sentro, is a language academy, research center, and university-based publishing house that is part of the University of the Philippines System (UP). It has offices in various autonomous universities of UP System, the most notable of which is the one housed at the University of the Philippines Diliman that won the Philippine National Book Award for Publisher of the Year by the Manila Critics' Circle. The Sentro is active not just within the UP system due to its mission of "developing and disseminating" the Filipino language according to the provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Zeus Atayza Salazar is a Filipino historian, anthropologist, and philosopher of history, best known for pioneering an emic perspective in Philippine history called Pantayong Pananaw, earning him the title "Father of New Philippine Historiography." He is a major player in the indigenization campaign in the Philippines. Salazar spent 30 years teaching at University of the Philippines Diliman and held both history department chair and college dean positions.
Carlos Mapili Padilla was a Filipino politician who served as the Governor of Nueva Vizcaya from 2016 until his death in 2023. Padilla was elected to his first term as Governor in 2016 and was re-elected in 2019 and 2022.
Nemesio “Totoy” S. Baldesco Sr. is a Filipino poet and pedicab driver from Calbayog, Samar who primarily does literary works in Waray. He is a recipient of Gawad Parangal of UMPIL. He is known as the “Father of Waray Poetry”.
Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, simply known as Buwan ng Wika, is a month-long annual observance in the Philippines held every August to promote the national language, Filipino. The Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) is the lead agency in charge of organizing events in relation to the observances.
Siyokoy is a term coined by Virgilio Almario that refers to Filipino-language hybrid words seemingly derived from both English and Spanish. The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino under the administration of Almario has considered siyokoy words to be improper and therefore its use discouraged.
Filipino