Language barrier

One of the reasons why I was excited to visit Bicol is the fact that I get to speak Bicolano again. While we never lived in Bicol or formally trained in the language, I learned it from listening to my grandparents and cousins. After a few trips to Bicol, I found myself being able to speak it quite confidently.

So, the moment I arrived in Bicol yesterday, I tried to speak to people in Bicolano as much as possible. From the order taker at Biggs, to the terminal barker in Legazpi, to the jeepney driver in Tabaco. And after talking to these 3 people, I found one thing that was odd.

They would answer me in Tagalog.

No matter how much I speak to them in Bicolano, they'd always reply in Tagalog. I'm not sure if it's because I'm obviously not Bicolano, or is it because the residents just prefer to speak in Tagalog nowadays.

For the sake of regional pride, I do hope they start speaking their local dialect again.