Why Philippines Speak English Well Compared to Other Neighboring Countries

Do people in the Philippines speak English? 

This is a common question asked by business people, especially those who know this country as a travel destination. The 2023 survey conducted by the Social Weather Station revealed that 47% of Filipinos are highly fluent English speakers.

This Southeast Asian country holds the #2 rank next to Singapore in terms of English proficiency, but remember that Singapore’s population is 6M while the Philippines has over 119M. This means over 55M Filipinos outshine Singapore’s 2M English speakers.

When it comes to English proficiency of countries that are top destinations for outsourced jobs, the Philippines also ranks higher. Here’s a comparison:

But, why is English fluency among Filipinos high? This article covers the factors that enabled this country to rank #20 worldwide in terms of English competency.

1. English is the Philippines’ medium of instruction.

Historically, the Philippines was colonized by the United States from 1898 to 1946. One of the heaviest influences of the Americans was integrating English into all educational systems. While Spanish and Filipino are taught in classrooms, the dominance of the English language was ingrained in society. 

Even public documents like The Philippine Constitution or the laws of the land are in English. Of course, they have the Filipino version, but it’s uncommon to hear legislation in the country’s native tongue. 

Later on, English fluency signaled a more favorable bearing in terms of educational stature, including the workplace. In this country, being well-versed in English translated to being professional and even marketable.

2. Media uses English alongside the Filipino language.

It’s very common for both traditional and digital media to deliver information and entertainment in English. Interestingly, the top-ranking movies, series, and even online content in the Philippines are very comparable to English-speaking countries like the United States. The top nine broadsheets in the Philippines are in English. Talk to a Filipino in any central business district and most likely, you’d strike a common ground, be it about pop culture or trending news around the world.

3. Globalization allowed Filipino professionals to be more contextual.

Since English media is part of the Filipino culture, Filipino professionals are more able to hone the language. The country is also a hub of overseas workers and outsourced professionals. In fact, leading global businesses work for Filipinos which include Google, Amazon, American Express, and Accenture.

One of the driving factors that allowed the Philippines to be a BPO capital of the world is how Filipinos are able to contextually communicate through English. While the size of this country is smaller than India, this “tech tiger” is superior when it comes to the voice and call center industry, in terms of dollar value. 

4. Cultural factors enable Filipinos to use English daily.

Go to any street in the Philippines and surely you won’t get lost in translation. Why so? Filipinos use English as part of their everyday lives. Signs in the streets, shopping malls, and public places are mainly in English. Slang terms are also dominated by English mixed with Filipino language and dialects. 

Parents who are part of the workforce train their children to speak English at an early age. This is carried over to their school and eventually, all the social spaces they take part of. At times, not being able to speak English fluently is a sign of being less educated as well.

5. Business is predominantly conducted in English.

Most of the workplaces be it onsite, hybrid, or remote use English. Interestingly, even when the team is composed of all Filipinos, English is the predominant language during casual and formal meetings. More importantly, since Filipinos are immersed in contextual English, foreign counterparts who have business meetings find it effortless when collaborating with a Philippine team. Documents and presentations are in English as well which is favorable to Western counterparts.

Now that you know why English proficiency is high in the Philippines, it might also be good to explore how you can maximize your business goals through teaming up with Filipino workers, a breed of professionals who don’t only know how to speak English but communicate effectively through it.