Close
 


Question: Lone travel in the PH?

« Back
12»
Message Menu
Author Photo by: Kersheys
Aug 07 2021, 8:51am CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
Question: Lone travel in the PH?
 
Probably not the best website to ask this question but let's say there's no Covid and no restrictions. Where would be a good place to travel alone for someone whose Tagalog is good enough to get by in areas where nobody potentially knows English. I'm mainly interested in beach life and tranquility.
Reply
 
Message Menu
Author Photo AMBoy Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious SupporterBadge: VIP Supporter
Aug 07 2021, 12:41pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
There is no need to worry, there are basically no places in the Philippines where no one knows English to some level. Also, it's highly unlikely you will be speaking Tagalog better than they can speak English no matter how poorly they do. Anywhere in PH will be fine.
 
Message Menu
Author Photo Bituingmaykinang
Aug 07 2021, 7:34pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
Question: Lone travel in the PH? Probably not the best website to ask this question but let's say there's no Covid and no restrictions. Where would be a good place to travel alone for someone whose Tagalog is good enough to get by in areas where nobody potentially knows English. I'm mainly interested in beach life and tranquility.
 
Areas where English will be lesser understood will likely not be speakers of Tagalog or will not have a good grasp of Tagalog.
 
You're more likely to find places where people will have better grasp of basic English than Tagalog esp in indigenous areas (largely due to exposure to English-speaking missionaries)
 
Message Menu
Author Photo BoraMac Badge: Supporter
Aug 07 2021, 11:33pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
Bituingmaykinang AMBoy Totally agree.
 
Follow your interests. Connection happens wherever you open your mouth. Open your mouth often.
 
Phils and Tagalog is MORE FUN po!
 
Message Menu
Author Photo mrjustin Badge: Native Tagalog Speaker
Aug 11 2021, 10:47am CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@AMBoy There are some places where people (Filipinos) really can't speak English.
 
"it's highly unlikely you will be speaking Tagalog better than they can speak English"
He said his "Tagalog is good enough to get by in areas where nobody potentially knows English". Well there are definitely places where people are not as comparably good in speaking English. Those people wouldn't do as good communicating in America if they were somehow left there alone.
 
Not meaning to disrespect in any way
 
Message Menu
Author Photo Bituingmaykinang
Aug 11 2021, 12:03pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@mrjustin here's the reality: areas where people will not know English are likely not to know that much Tagalog as well. This is especially true in remote indigenous areas where the lingua franca is not even Tagalog.
 
If you go to the remote Cordilleras, people there will have a better grasp of basic English - largely due to exposure to missionaries - than Tagalog, and that the lingua franca of the region is Ilocano.
 
One thing everyone should bear in mind is: not all Filipinos are Tagalog speakers and proficiency and knowledge of Tagalog will vary all over the country.
 
OP is also looking for "beach life" and "tranquility". Areas where Tagalog is stronger than English are mostly urban and suburban areas.
 
And areas where people speak Tagalog often have decent command of English. Sure they don't sound like Anglophones and may have grammatical errors but they know enough English to be understood.
 
OP will be hard pressed to find an area where people don't speak English, just Tagalog. It is more likely that he/she will find an area where people don't speak any English or Tagalog but speak other native languages.
 
Message Menu
Author Photo mrjustin Badge: Native Tagalog Speaker
Aug 11 2021, 12:35pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@Bituingmaykinang Of course not all Filipinos are Tagalog speakers. It's just that even among Tagalog speakers there are some who can't speak English, even in areas of beach life and tranquility, at most perhaps to the extent that OP could potentially speak Tagalog such that if OP wanted to talk with someone their conversations might as well be in Tagalog. Maybe some other island like Mindoro or Palawan but I don't want to sound like I'm trying to insult the people in those places. In areas less developed for foreign tourism, that could still be the case. That's all I'm saying.
 
Message Menu
Author Photo PinoyTaj Badge: Supporter
Aug 11 2021, 1:54pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@mrjustin Thanks for the insight!
 
Went to Palawan (PP, etc) before I knew how to speak Tagalog and yes while the English ability wasn’t near that of what I had experienced in Manila, I never had trouble communicating on the beaches(lots of panhandlers and bajaos there). I’d say this all depends on OPs Tagalog ability at the end of the day . (Not claiming to have spoken to everyone there either).
 
Message Menu
Author Photo AMBoy Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious SupporterBadge: VIP Supporter
Aug 11 2021, 9:36pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@mrjustin Sure but my point remains, it is very unlikely that the OP will ever speak and understand Tagalog to a level that is higher than the ability of any Filipino that he encounters to speak English.
 
Message Menu
Author Photo Bituingmaykinang
Aug 11 2021, 9:59pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@mrjustin And my point is, places where people will rather have "no English" are place where people don't speak Tagalog that much.
 
So OP will have a hard time to find a place where people could barely communicate in basic English and ONLY in Tagalog. It is more realistic to come upon a place that barely speaks Tagalog or English, but they speak other local languages.
 
Tagalog-speaking areas are the most urbanized and exposed to English.
 
Message Menu
Author Photo Bituingmaykinang
Aug 11 2021, 10:00pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@AMBoy Only a few foreigners speak Tagalog in a way they could have casual conversation with a Filipino and not resort to English.
 
Message Menu
Author Photo akosikoneho Badge: SupporterBadge: Serious SupporterBadge: VIP Supporter
Aug 11 2021, 10:02pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@Bituingmaykinang
 
Message Menu
Author Photo PinoyTaj Badge: Supporter
Aug 11 2021, 10:04pm CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
@Bituingmaykinang Define a “few”.
 
Message Menu
Author Photo roelands
Aug 12 2021, 7:44am CST ~ 2 years, 8 mos ago. 
Hi, I guess you have never been in the Philippines before?
 
Message Menu
Author Photo BoraMac Badge: Supporter
Sep 17 2021, 8:02am CST ~ 2 years, 6 mos ago. 
@Kersheys ANOTHERRR...POST where "OGs" hijack the original intent of the post "on behalf" of the "OP"...all the while talking about the human poteential of the OP in front of the OP. Well congrats. Not even sure what is an OP...so for sure I am NO OG.
 
Kersheys...what places have you already considered? Surely a language forum is not your FIRST STOP for potential living options ("Probably not the best website to ask this..." OHH db). IF it is...ano ba yaaaaaaaaaaaan?
 
So many great YouTuber resources...sharing living experience daily. See TimK for beach front in remote Leyte and his latest discovery of unspoiled surfer langit in Samar. Those are remote.
 
Baler is a gorgeous beach and really decent surf tides at about 40k in residents. La Union has a few more creature comforts (SM, Cine..if thosear still a thing, Beach Restos) but at a regional capital probably around 500k but it doesn't feel like that too me. Surfer Mark McCoy of San Juan La Union vlog is a resource for both places.
 
I spend a decent amount of time in Boracay...a bunch of improvements just before the Pandemic and now two steps back after the pandemic. Probably way too many OG foriegners for you there anyway (oppppppppppppsss). I'll keep a place but I am moving on to pristine beach too. Check out Peter at Property club for a great remote strip out Silangun Island way.
 
Well choosen 300 words and 20 sentence patterns and you should be good to go anywhere. Why all the language stress muna. You appear way past good to go already...GET THERE! GET OUT OF HERE!
 
Kita kits sa LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAS. Di sa loob.
 
Haring Araw!
 
Message Menu
Author Photo sabertooth
Sep 18 2021, 11:38pm CST ~ 2 years, 6 mos ago. 
@Kersheys this video will give you idea on where to go and where never to go---https://youtu.be/1ByK7LhdCnQ (not sure if i am allowed to give a link here)
 
12»
Post a Reply»




« Back to Main Page
Views: 447
See more of Tagalog.com by logging in
Join for the free language discussion group, flash cards, lesson tracking and more.