with years of professional experience in the industry.
The real question is who is it significant for?
1. To be globally competent, being fluent in English is more important.
2. For visitors/tourists to the Philippines, being fluent isn’t a requirement.
So here are instances where I feel fluency in Filipino is a requirement:
1. The classical arts. If you are interested in deeply understanding, studying, and performing Filipino classical arts (singing, literature, etc.), you will need some degree of fluency.
2. If you like to travel around the Philippines. If you’re from Cebu, and you want to travel to Tacloban where they speak Waray, you’re better off speaking in Filipino (Tagalog). If you’re clearly a native Filipino and you speak English to your fellow Filipino in an informal setting, that’s a no-no.
3. When it’s your job. If you’re a Filipino historian, public speaker, or politician, your Filipino has to be tip-top.
