THE BIGGEST BISAYA CONFUSION
The Biggest Confusion among most Cebuano-speaking people in Cebu, Mindanao, Negros Oriental, Southern Leyte, and Southern Samar is that almost all of them think that their language is called Bisaya and that they are the only Bisaya people, which is totally False. Even Hiligaynon-speaking people from Iloilo, Negros occidental, and part of Cotabato started to believe th
at Bisaya is an exclusive language for Cebuano-speakers. This is like hijacking Bisaya term away from other Bisaya people like the Hiligaynon, Waray, Aklanon, Capiznon, Kinaray-a, Bantoanon, Romblomanon, Cuyonon, Surigaonon, Butuanon, Tausug, and many others, depriving them of the Bisaya identity. The reason for this misunderstanding, in my opinion, is that Cebuano speakers have consistently claimed to speak Bisaya and that other languages like Hiligaynon, Waray, and Aklanon are not Bisaya. Naturally, after hearing it for so long from Cebuano speakers, they eventually start to believe it, especially since they haven’t looked into the history of the Bisaya. The fact is that the Bisaya language family includes Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Waray, Aklanon, Capiznon, Kinaray-a, Bantoanon, Romblomanon, Cuyonon, Surigaonon, Butuanon, Tausug, and many others. For their census, the Philippine Statistics Authority divided Cebuano and Bisaya into separate languages, which adds to the confusion why there is a difference between the two when they are the same. The people who say their language is called Bisaya are actually speaking the Cebuano language. Many Cebuano speakers in Mindanao claim to be Bisaya but most of them are NOT. Bisaya is an ethnic identity; to know if you are a genuine or fake Bisaya, ask your parents their ancestry. If one or both of your parents’ ancestry or origin is from one of the Bisaya Islands, such as Panay, Romblon, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Guimaras, Masbate, Leyte, Samar, and others, then you can claim you are a Bisaya, and you may also speak any of the Bisaya languages, such as Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Waray, Aklanon, Capiznon, Kinaray-aray-a, and others. But if both of your parents’ ancestors or origins are not originally from the Bisaya Islands, and they are from Ilocos, then you are an Ilocano, not a Bisaya. Is Bisaya a language? No. It is a language family consisting of languages spoken in the Visayas and northern Mindanao. Bisayan languages include Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Karay-a, and Surigaonon, among others. By: Dr Jecon Dreisbach PhD
PhD in Critical sociolinguistics Politics of Philippine Languages, identity, migration, culture, & media. PhD in Sociolinguist and interdisciplinary social scientist
De La Salle University
WHAT IS BISAYA? Bisaya is a language family that consists of different Bisaya languages that are spoken in the Bisaya Islands (Visayas) and Mindanao. The different Bisaya languages are Hiligaynon, Waray, Cebuano, Karay-a, Capiznon, Aklanon, Surigaonon and many others which are examples of languages classified as belonging to the Bisayan linguistic family. How did Visayas get its name? Visayas is the Spanish term for Bisaya. They call these Islands Bisaya (Visayas) because their languages have very similar Bisaya words.
“But the proper name of these islands is the Bisayas. Many tongues are spoken in them, for there are many islands and many villages, and there is hardly a village that has not its own dialect. But the chief tongues are the Boholan, which is spoken in Sugbú, and the Hiligain, and they are very similar.” (Fray Juan de Medina, 1630). History of the Augustinian Order in the Filipinas Islands by Fray Juan de Medina a native of Sevilla, prior of the monastery of Santo Nio de Ceb and past minister to the communities of Ibahay, Aclán, Dumangas, Passi, and Panay. In 1630, he wrote the document himself. How did Mindanao get its name? The word Mindanao is a Spanish transliteration of the Maguindanao, the dominant ruling ethnic group in the Sultanate of Maguindanao of southwest Mindanao during the Spanish colonial period. From M(agu)indanao to Mindanao. HOW MANY BISAYA ISLANDS ARE THERE? Panay, Romblon, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Guimaras, Masbate, Leyte, and Samar
WHAT ARE THE BISAYA LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THE BISAYA ISLANDS (VISAYAS) AND MINDANAO? Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Waray, Aklanon, Capiznon, Kinaray-a, Bantoanon, Romblomanon, Cuyonon, Asi, Baybayano, Kinabalian, Bantayanon, Porohanon, Cuyunon, Caluyanon, Surigaonon, Butoanon, Tausug, Ratagnon, Inonhan, and other Bisaya languages. Bisaya Island of Panay:
Hiligaynon is the spoken Bisaya language in Iloilo and Roxas,
Kinaray-a is the spoken Bisaya language in Antique and parts of Iloilo. Aklanon is the spoken Bisaya language in Aklan
Capiznon and Hiligaynon are the spoken Bisaya languages in Capiz. Bisaya Island of Negros:
Cebuano is the spoken Bisaya language in Negros Oriental. Hiligaynon is the spoken Bisaya language in Negros Occidental. Bisaya Island of Cebu. Cebuano is the spoken Bisaya language in Cebu Province. Bisaya Island of Bohol
Boholano (local version of Cebuano language). Bisaya Island of Leyte:
Waray is the spoken Bisaya language in Northern Leyte. Cebuano is the spoken Bisaya language in Western and Southern parts of Leyte. Bisaya Island of Samar:
Waray is the spoken Bisaya language in Northern and Eastern Samar. Bisaya Island of Romblon:
Rombloanon is the spoken Bisaya language in Romblon. Other languages are Asi and Onhan
Bisaya Island of Masbate:
People of Masbate speak 4 Bisaya languages:
Masbateño
Hiligaynon
Cebuano
Waray
Bisaya Island of Romblon: Rombloanon is the spoken Bisaya language in Romblon. Mindanao
Cebuano is the spoken Bisaya language in Zambonga Del Sur, Zambonga Del Norte, Zambonga Sibugay, Lanao Del Norte, Lanao Del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Camiguin, Davao Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, Davao De Oro, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Dinagat Islands, Surigao Del Norte, Bukidnon. Hiligaynon is the spoken Bisaya language in Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Sarangani. Surigaonon is the spoken Bisaya language in Surigao Del Sur. Butuanon is the spoken Bisaya language in Butuan. Tausug is the spoken Bisaya language in Lanao Del Norte, Lanao Del Sur, Sulu, Basilan. HOW DID THE ILONGGO, KARAY-A, AND CEBUANO PEOPLE SPREAD IN MINDANAW? Many Cebuanos moved to Mindanao during President Elpidio Quirino’s proclamation No. 376, or Philippine resettlement program, on March 10, 1953. This is the reason why today 90% of Mindanao people speak the Cebuano language. Other Bisaya people who came to Mindanao were the Ilonggos and Kinaray-aand Kinaray-a from Iloilo in Panay; they settled around Cotabato and brought with them the Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a languages. Other Bisaya languages spoken in Mindanao are Surigaonon and Butuanon. The Ilocanos, Tagalogs, and other people of Luzon also settled in Mindanao and learned the Cebuano language. HOW DID THE ILONGGO PEOPLE ARRIVED IN NEGROS OCCIDENTAL ? Landlords from Iloilo brought Ilonggos to Negros starting in 1800’s , this branch have undergone transformations especially those who worked in vast haciendas
WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 MOST SPOKEN BISAYA LANGUAGES? (1.) Cebuano 21 million;
(2.) Hiligaynon 10 million;
(3.) Waray 3 million;
To Learn more about Bisaya Ethnicities and Languages read https://bsatech.wordpress.com/2023/03/05/bisaya/
