Tagalog people
The Tagalog people are an ethnic group primarily located in the Philippines, with a significant population residing in Luzon, the largest island of the archipelago. Their name derives from the words "tagá-ílog," meaning "people who live by the river," highlighting their historical connection to waterways. With an estimated thirty-six million worldwide, over twenty-nine million Tagalogs live in the Philippines, particularly in provinces such as Batangas, Cavite, and Bulacan. The Tagalog population has a rich cultural heritage influenced by migrations from Malaya, Borneo, and Sumatra dating back to the tenth century.
Historically, they established barangays (communities) that engaged in trade with various Asian cultures, contributing to a unique blend of customs, languages, and religious beliefs. While the Tagalog traditional religion included animistic elements and reverence for deities like Bathara, the arrival of Spanish colonizers in the sixteenth century led to the widespread adoption of Roman Catholicism, intertwined with indigenous practices. The Tagalog language is vital to Filipino identity and serves as the basis for the national language of the Philippines. Throughout history, Tagalogs have played key roles in the fight for independence and national identity, with many notable heroes emerging from this ethnic group.
Tagalog people
The Tagalog people are an ethnic group in the Philippines that make up the country's largest cultural-linguistic group. Although Tagalogs have emigrated around the world, they predominantly reside on Luzon, the largest of the Philippine islands. Many live outside the Manila Metro area in the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Rizal, Tarlac, and Zambales. The name Tagalog comes from the words tagá-ílog, meaning "people who live by the river." The worldwide Tagalog population is estimated at over 40 million, with more than 33 million living in the Philippines.
Tagalog heritage has merged with other Filipino groups, but it maintains a unique role in the history and culture of the region.
History and Culture
The Tagalogs migrated to the Philippine islands from Malaya, Borneo, and Sumatra beginning in the tenth century. The first migrants settled in the area of modern Manila, central and south Luzon, and the islands of Mindoro and Marinduque. They established their communities along rivers and on the coasts of the Philippines. Their barangays (communities) consisted of up to one hundred families who survived by hunting, fishing, agriculture, and trading. Many of the larger settlements established trade relations with China, Japan, India, and other southeastern countries. This interaction with primarily Asian cultures influenced Tagalog culture, language, and beliefs.
The traditional Tagalog animist religion centers around the chief deity, Bathara. This demonstrates an Indian influence, as Bathara Guru in Sanskrit means "the highest Gods." With the arrival of the Spaniards in the sixteenth century, missionaries converted many to Christianity. Roman Catholicism has blended with traditional beliefs. Belief in healers called albularyo and the supernatural, including ghosts and witches, exists, while at the same time people hire Catholic priests to bless the fields. A Tagalog minority follows Islam.
Taal, Batangas, is known as the birthplace and heartland of Tagalog culture. Though they had a written language, the Tagalog maintained their traditions and histories orally.
European Influence
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (1480–1521) reached the Philippine islands while on a mission for Spain in March 1521. He claimed the islands for Spain. In 1565, the Spanish established a settlement on the archipelago, which was named for King Philip II. The territory the Tagalogs inhabited, primarily modern Manila, became the center of colonial activity. Spanish missionaries began converting the Tagalogs to Christianity, although Indigenous Filipinos were not allowed to become priests themselves. During the late nineteenth century, Filipino rebels increasingly fought against Spanish rule and demanded independence.
Revolutionaries declared independence from Spain on 12 June 1898, four months after Spain declared war on the United States. After the United States won the Spanish-American War—in part by destroying the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay—it paid $20 million to Spain and acquired the Philippines as a US territory. The Filipino ethnic groups turned their attention to driving out the new occupiers and fought against US troops. Many Tagalog heroes were at the forefront of the rebellion. The fighting was largely over by 1902, and administration of the Philippines was under an American civil government. The Filipino population continued to demand independence, but despite promises saw little action from the United States.
Japanese forces occupied the Philippines during World War II (1939–1945). The Tagalogs again were in a fight for independence, allying with other ethnic groups until the Japanese surrendered.
The archipelago was recognized by the United States as an independent nation on July 4, 1946.
Many national Philippine heroes, including revolutionary leaders Emilio Aguinaldo and Apolinario Mabini, were Tagalogs. Other prominent Tagalogs include political figures such as Manuel L. Quezon and Joseph Ejercito.
Language
The indigenous language of the Tagalogs forms the basis of the Filipino language. Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken by millions across the Philippines and elsewhere. The Tagalog language that is spoken in and around Manila is viewed as the most standardized dialect. The four main dialects are Northern, Southern, Central, and Marinduque. Scholars know little about the Tagalog language before the sixteenth century and the arrival of the Spanish. Experts believe that the Spanish, in their mission to convert and colonize the Indigenous Filipinos, likely destroyed any language artifacts that may have existed.
The earliest known book in Tagalog is the religious work Doctrina Cristiana (Christian Doctrine). It was published in 1593 using a combination of Spanish and written Tagalog languages. The first Tagalog dictionary was published in 1613.
Written Tagalog uses a writing system called baybayin, which belongs to the Abugida family. Diacritics determine pronunciation, and experts believe that it likely developed from the Kawi script that was used in areas including Java, Bali, and Sumatra. This language group is descended from Pallaya from southern India. Baybayin is often replaced with the Latin alphabet, although the Doctrina Cristiana uses both systems. In the twenty-first century, Baybayin is mostly used for traditional works and decoration.
Filipinos traditionally spoke several regional languages, and by the 1930s, the government decided that Wikang Pambansâ, a national language, was needed. In 1937, President Manuel Quezon chose Tagalog as the national language. It was renamed Pilipino in 1958. In 1987, the language was again renamed and is known as Filipino.
In the twenty-first century, millions of Filipinos regard Tagalog as their primary language, even if they are not ethnic Tagalogs. The Filipino language also acknowledges the preference for using words from English and Spanish. Additionally, five Western letters—c, f, j, x, and z—were added to the Filipino alphabet.
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