The Philippines is a country that has a long history, especially with Spain when it was a colonial power. The Spanish occupied the Philippines from 1565 to 1898. For over 300 years Spain ruled the Philippines you would expect that the Spanish language would be popular in the country. So do the Philippines speak Spanish?

There are around half a million Spanish speakers in the Philippines. Which is about 0.45% of the population. Spanish is an official language in the Philippines but Filipino and English are the main languages used in the country. Not everyone in the Philippines can speak English especially outside of the main cities and tourist spots.

In this post, we will go through whether the Philippines speak Spanish. Let’s get started!

Learn More About The Philippines

Do The Philippines Speak Spanish?

Not really, while Spanish is an official language in the Philippines only about half a million people speak Spanish in the Philippines. Which is about 0.45% of the population. Filipino and English are the main languages used in the country are used in government offices, airports, hotels, and businesses.

Fort Santiago in Manila

Why The Philippines Is Not A Spanish-Speaking Country?

Spanish was not mandatory during Spain’s colonial rule. While during American rule, English became the top foreign language, especially as English continued to rise in global dominance, simply Spanish declined.

Do The Philippines Speak English?

Filipino and English are the main languages used in the country and are used in government offices, airports, hotels, and businesses all around the country. When the Americans ruled the Philippines, English became the top foreign language, so as English continued to rise in global dominance, Spanish declined.

Is The Philippines Dangerous To Visit?

The Philippines is a safe place to visit as long as travelers use common sense. There are certain basic rules that travelers should follow to stay safe such as wandering into non-touristy at night-time, especially if alone. Crimes against visitors to the Philippines do happen.

In saying that you do need to local if there are any travel warnings to the Philippines. There are issues with terrorist groups and criminals in certain areas of the Philippines mainly on the second-largest island of Mindanao. You also need to listen for warnings on if any typhoons are going to hit the Philippines.

Busay Cebu

Is It Safe To Drink The Tap Water?

It is NOT advised to drink tap water in the Philippines this is due to their lack of infrastructure needed to clean the water that has been polluted with contaminants, agricultural waste, domestic waste, bacteria, viruses, and pathogens in the water. You should only drink bottled water.

When Is The Best Time To Travel To The Philippines?

The best to visit the Philippines is during the dry season which starts in late November to April.

Does The Philippines Have Decent WiFi?

The Philippines has decent WiFi in major cities but outside of the cities and on the islands it becomes less reliable to awful. Overall the WiFi in the Philippines is not the best.

Wrapping Up

Finally, there are around half a million Spanish speakers in the Philippines. Which is about 0.45% of the population. Spanish is an official language in the Philippines but Filipino and English are the main languages used in the country. Not everyone in the Philippines can speak English especially outside of the main cities and tourist spots.

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on do the Philippines speaks Spanish has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.

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Do The Philippines Speak Spanish