Chapter 5

Global English in multilingual Philippines

English has been used in the Philippines since the American occupation in 1898. Since its transplantation from the US through the American teachers who came and established the University of Santo Tomas, it has consistently been given a privileged position by the Constitution and in the national language policies alongside Filipino, the national language. Over the years, research on English as part of the Philippine linguistic ecology has largely encompassed four streams: the role of English alongside local languages in specific domains; the features of English as a localized language; the role of and attitude towards English in education; and critical views towards the hegemonic position of English. Research in these areas indicates the variable positioning and valuing of English in the country’s multilingual ecology. This study contributes to existing knowledge by answering a fundamental research question: what is the role of English alongside local languages in government communications? To answer this question, this paper analyses two data sets: the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data which outline language use across the 17 regions in the country and the local government Facebook posts of 15 of these 17 administrative regions and their comments over a five-year period (2018–2022). Findings from the analysis reveal two things: the perception or social construction of language and the discursive construction of a status of a language. There is a clear disjunction between policy and practice. While policy mandates the use of Filipino in government communications, data show an overwhelming use of English and in some cases the employment of English and Filipino. This affirms the perception of English as a local language with which even the government identifies itself and shows that English continues to hold a privileged status despite an Executive Order that stipulates the use of Filipino in government communications.