Chabacano Caviteño: El Legacia del Ciudad de Cavite

In the heart of Cavite City, the Chabacano Caviteño language continues to echo the vibrant history of the galleon trade. Centuries ago, Cavite Puerto thrived as a crossroads of Filipino workers, Spanish settlers, and mestizos, each contributing to the birth of a creole language unique to our shores. Chabacano Caviteño is not merely a set of words. It is the voice of our ancestors, a living testament to resilience, survival, and unity.

Our journey to preserve this heritage began humbly. What started as the dream of a single book, with merely a cover designed during the pandemic in 2020, became reality to a real book in 2024. Since then, that spark has grown into dozens of children’s books and zines in ways I never imagined. None of this was planned, yet all of it felt meant to be.

Yesterday, we reached a milestone: the very first book entered its trial phase in a barangay class. 

What made it extraordinary was that those who brought it to life were not native speakers. They proved that with heart, creativity, and belief, even non-speakers can move mountains. They showed us that preserving Chabacano is not only the work of those who grew up speaking it, but of anyone who recognizes its value.

This has taught me a powerful truth: in advocacy, we don’t need everyone to have the same background or skill. What matters is a team’s willingness to work together, to challenge each other, and still meet at the same goal in this case the welfare and growth of every Caviteño. Differences will spark debates, but unity is forged when we hold on to a shared vision.

I always believe everything begins with one small voice and a handful of believers. Over time, that voice gathers strength, grows into a movement, and becomes a flame. And once ignited, that flame has the power to inspire generations to come.

#Chabacano #Chavacano #ChabacanoCaviteño 

Exploring the Varieties of Chabacano

Chabacano, a Spanish-based creole language with deep roots in the Philippines, showcases a fascinating array of dialects shaped by unique historical and cultural influences. Each variety reflects the regions where it flourished, offering a glimpse into the linguistic heritage of its speakers. Below, we delve into the distinct characteristics of the major Chabacano dialects, from the bustling ports of Cavite to the distant shores of Mindanao.

Caviteño (Cavite City)

The Caviteño dialect, spoken in Cavite City, stands out for its strong influence from Tagalog, the dominant language of the region. Known for its conservative nature, Caviteño preserves the older speech patterns of Cavite Puerto, a historic port area. This retention of archaic forms, such as the use of "niso" for "we," distinguishes it from other dialects and ties it to the city’s maritime past.

Ternateño (Ternate, Cavite)

Often referred to as “Bahra” by its speakers, Ternateño carries a rich blend of influences from Tagalog and Portuguese creoles, introduced by soldiers and settlers from Asia and Latin America. This dialect retains some unique, archaic words that hint at its diverse origins, reflecting Ternate’s history as a melting pot of cultures. Its distinct flavor adds to the linguistic diversity within Cavite province.

Zamboangueño (Zamboanga City)

Zamboangueño is the most widely spoken Chabacano variety today, thriving in Zamboanga City. Its strong Visayan (Cebuano) influence shapes its vocabulary and grammar, setting it apart from its northern counterparts. Popular songs like Vamos a Zamboanga have cemented its cultural significance, making it a vibrant symbol of regional identity and a key player in modern Chabacano preservation efforts.

Ermitaño (Manila, Extinct)

Once known as Ermitense, the Ermitaño dialect was spoken in Ermita, Manila, but is now extinct. Sharing a close resemblance to Caviteño, it was built on a Tagalog base, reflecting the linguistic exchange in the Manila Bay area. Though no longer heard, its historical connection to Caviteño highlights the shared heritage of these early creoles.

Cotabateño Chabacano (Cotabato, Mindanao, Nearly Extinct)

The Cotabateño variety, nearly extinct in Cotabato, Mindanao, lacks written records but bears the marks of heavy influences from Cebuano, Maguindanaon, and Tagalog. This blend reflects the region’s multicultural history, though its scarcity today poses challenges to its preservation.

Davaoeño Chabacano (Davao, Nearly Extinct)

Similarly, Davaoeño Chabacano in Davao is on the brink of extinction, with no written documentation. Influenced by Cebuano and other Mindanao languages, this dialect mirrors the linguistic diversity of the south. Its fading presence underscores the urgent need to document and revive these endangered varieties.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨? 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐚?

Buenas mga Kalutong Cavite !

Kamakailan ay may ginanap na poetry reading sa ating ciudad pero ang nakakalungkot titulo pa lang mali na agad ang ginamit ng mga bumuo nito. 

Ano nga ba ang tamang tawag sa lengwahe ng ating ciudad?

Ang Chabacano ay isang wika na ipinamana sa ciudad ng Cavite ng mga ninuno nito. Ito ay isa sa mga uri ng lengwaheng kreol at nag-iisang Indo-European of origin na sinasalita sa iba't ibang rehiyon ng bansa.

Sa lahat ng mga iba't ibang bersyon nito, ang sa ating ciudad ang pinakapuro dahil ito ay halong Kastila at Tagalog lamang. Chabacano o Chavacano ay parehong tama subalit alam mo ba mula noon pa sa ating ciudad, ang ginagamit na ay Chabacano na may titik "B" at hindi "V".

Isa sa mga pangunahing grupo na nagpanukala ng pagsulong sa preserbasyon ng Chabacano ay itinatag noong dekada singkwenta hanggang sisenta na kilala bilang Circulo Chabacano Caviteño. 

Binuo ito ni Mr. Ilustre Reyes at ang isa sa mga pinakakilalang miyembro nito ay si Eliodoro Ballesteros, isang makata. 

Si Nyol Doro, ang sumulat ng tatlong magagandang soneto para sa Our Lady of Porta Vaga, ngunit ang pinakatanyag niyang likha ay ang El Chabacano Caviteño na ginamit sa inagurasyon ng grupo.

Makikita na mula sa pamagat ng grupo, sa event decoration hanggang sa kanyang pinaka popular na tula, ang lahat ay Chabacano na titik "B."

Matapos ang ilang dekada si Sir Enrique Escalante naman ang naging isa sa mga masidhing nagtulak ng preserbasyon ng ating Chabacano. 

Naglathala si Sir Ike ng ilang aklat na nagsisilbing gabay sa tunay na lengwahe ng ating ciudad hanggang ngayon. 

Sa kanyang panahon, nagkaroon tayo ng Dia De Chabacano na isang taunang pagdiriwang. 

Nagkaroon din ng mga klase para sa mga bata at sa interesadong matuto. 

Ang lahat ng mga poster at backgrounds ng kanyang ganap, pati na mga pamagat ng kanyang aklat, Chabacano na titik "B."

Nang panahon ni Mayor Tim Encarnacion at kasagsagan ng City Library, nagkaroon din ng grupo na layuning itaguyod ang ating Chabacano. 

Ito ay tinawag na Asociacion Chabacano del Ciudad de Cavite sa ilalim ni Mr. Jose A. dela Rosa. Ang pinaka-importanteng proyektong pamana ng grupo sa ciudad ay ang pagbuo ng Diccionario Chabacano. 

Suportado noon ng parehong lokal na gobierno pati ng administrasyon ng pinakamalaking pribadong eskwelahan ng lungsod na San Sebastian College Recoletos de Cavite sa pamumuno ni Rev. Fr. Emilio Jaruda Jr. ang pagsusulong ng preserbasyon ng Chabacano. 

Makikita ulit na mula sa pangalan ng grupo hanggang sa pamagat ng libro, lahat ay Chabacano na titik "B." 

Nagkaroon din noon Chabacano classes sa St. Joseph College na kolaborasyon ng eskwela at San Roque Parish Church sa pagsusulong ni Fr. Dominador Medina. Makikitang sa t-shirts na suot ng isang klase na pinangungunahan ng isa sa naging guro nito na si Mr. Dave Salivio ay Chabacano na titik "B." 

Maging ang karatula sa harap mismo ng San Roque Parish Church na pinakahuling nagsulong ng preserbasyon sa pamamagitan ng mga misa ay Chabacano na titik "B." 

Sa mga nakaraang iilang online seminar ng ito ay mauso, lahat ng mga nag-organisa tulad ng Cavite State University para sa ating lengwahe ay gumamit ng Chabacano na titik "B." 

Mr. Arnel Beruete ng sikat na Tony's Bakery ay umakda at naglunsad kamakailan ng Chabacano poetry book na pinamagatang Un voz caviteño. Ang ginamit sa lahat ni Mr. Beruete ay Chabacano na titik "B"

Ang mga kamakailang mga bagong facebook post na inilalabas ng Cavite National High School Library bilang pagpupugay sa Chabacano ay gumagamit din ng titik "B."

Sa konklusyon lahat ng mga naging tagapagtaguyod, mula noon, pati sa mga dokumentasyon, ay nagsasaad na Chabacano na titik "B" o mas kilalang "Chabacano Caviteño" ang lehitimong tawag sa Chabacano ng ating ciudad. 

Nakalulungkot na ang mga nag-organisa ng huling event ay nag-imbento ng sariling kataga na ni minsan ay di ginamit. 

Ang totoong adbokasiya, lalo na ang layunin ay pangangalaga sa isang buhay na kayamanan ng kultura ng ating ciudad tulad ng Chabacano Caviteño, hindi dapat ito basta-basta lamang. Ito ay dapat pinagplaplanuhan ng mabuti katulong ng mga totoong may alam sa lengwahe. Dapat tiyakin na tama ang lahat mula sa tawag hanggang sa nilalaman na ito ay sariling atin at hindi pinaghalo-halong ibang bersyon na mali-mali. 

Sa ganitong paraan maipapakita ang respeto at tunay na pagpapahalaga ng pagpapalaganap ng tamang impormasyon ukol sa Chabacano na yaman ng ciudad lalo karamihan ay hindi na nakakaunawa o sadyang hindi na alam ang halaga ng kasaysayan. 

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐙𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨

FB Video link to watch : Click Here

Si de mira tu aqui na video el mga jente na ta asi salva el Chavacano de Zamboanga como academia, estacion del telebisyon y radio, mayora, consejal todo ta platica fluido el lenguaje. Pati el mga maestra y estudiante ta manda ilo escribe na Chavacano todo año ta asi materyal cabando de usa para enseña el lenguaje. Un comunidad unida gobierno, escuela, barangay, oficinas el ta trabaja para salva. No de pudi y imposible salva si uno o dos jente numa. 𝐍𝐨 𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐚 𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐢 𝐧𝐮𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐠𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥.

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Towards the end of the video it has been cited they would not allow the extinction happening in Cavite Chabacano to happen to them. Que triste ejemplo pa niso No wonder after watching now it can be understood why former mayors Timoteo Encarnacion, Antonio Nazareno and Romeo Ramos are the ones who showed strong support, passion and programs for conservation because all of them has that same deep thing in common . A bind that most non-speakers will never feel the importance and understand the real value.

#SaveChabacanoDelCiudadDeCavite

Chavacano Alphabet

Chavacano words of Spanish origin are written using the Latin script with some special characters from the Spanish alphabet: the vowels with the acute accent (á, é, í, ó, ú), the vowel u with trema (ü), and ñ.

Chavacano words of local origin are also written using the Latin alphabet and are spelled in the manner according to their origin. Thus, the letter k appear mostly in words of Austonesian origin or in loanwords from other Philippine languages (words such as kame, kita, kanamon, kaninyo).

Some additional characters like the ñ (eñe, representing the phoneme /ɲ/, a letter distinct from n, although typographically composed of an n with a tilde), the digraph ch (che, representing the phoneme /tʃ/), the ll (elle, representing the phoneme /ʎ/), and the digraph rr (erre with strong r) exist in Chavacano writing.

The Chavacano alphabet has 29 letters including the special characters.

As a general rule, words of Spanish origin are written and spelled using Spanish orthography (i.e. fiesta, casa). Words of local (Philippine languages) origin are written and spelled using local orthography, but only when those words are pronounced in the local manner (i.e. manok, kanon). Otherwise, words of local origin are written and spelled in the native manner along Spanish spelling rules (i.e. jendeh, cogon).

In the old times, all Chavacano words, regardless of origin, were written according to the Spanish orthography (kita = quita, kame = came). Furthermore, some letters were orthographically interchanged because they represented the same phonetic values. (i.e. gente = jente, cerveza = serbesa)

It is uncommon in modern Chavacano writings to include acute accent and the trema in writing and usually these marks are only used in linguistic or highly-formalized text. Also, the letters ñ and ll are sometimes replaced by ny and ly in informal texts.

The use of inverted punctuations (¡! and ¿?) as well as the accent marks, diaeresis, and circumflex have become obsolete even in standard texts among modern dialects.

 

Alphabet

The Chavacano alphabet has 29 letters including /ch/, /ll/ & /ñ/:
a, b, c, ch, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, ll, m, n, ñ, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z

Letters and letter names

A a	a /a/	J j	jota /ˈxota/	R r	ere /ˈeɾe/
B b	be /be/	K k	ka /ka/	Rr rr	erre /ˈere/
C c	ce /se/	L l	ele /ˈele/	S s	ese /ˈese/
Ch ch	che /tʃe/	Ll ll	elle /ˈeʎe/	T t	te /te/
D d	de /de/	M m	eme /ˈeme/	U u	u /u/
E e	e /e/	N n	ene /ene/	V v	uve /ˈube/
F f	efe /ˈefe/	Ñ ñ	eñe /ˈeɲe/	W w	doble u /ˈdoble u/
G g	ge /xe/	O o	o /o/	X x	equis /ˈekis/
H h	hache /ˈatʃe/	P p	pe /pe/	Y y	ye /ɟʝe/
I i	i /i/	Q q	cu /ku/	Z z	zeta /ˈseta/ zeda /ˈseda/

Other letter combinations include rr (erre), which is pronounced /xr/ or /rr/, and ng, which is pronounced /ŋɡ/. Another combination was ñg, which was pronounced /ŋ/ but is now obsolete and is only written as ng.

Some sounds are not represented in the Chavacano written language. These sounds are mostly from words of Philippine and foreign origin. Furthermore, the pronunciation of some words of Spanish origin have become distorted or Philippinized in modern Chavacano. Some vowels have become allophonized ('e' and 'o' becomes 'i' and 'u' in some words) and some consonants have changed their pronunciation. (i.e. escoger became iscují in informal speech; tiene /tʃɛnɛ/; Dios /dʒɔs/; Castilla became /kastilla/ instead of /kastiʎa/).

Glottal stops, as in Filipino languages, are not also indicated (â, ê, î, ô, û). These sounds are present mostly in words of Philippine origin and are indicated only in dictionaries. (i.e. jendê = not; olê = again). When indicated, circumflex marks are used.

Other pronunciation changes in some words of Spanish origin include:

f ~ /p/

ch ~ /ts/

rr ~ /xr/

di, de ~ /dʒ/ (when followed or preceded by other vowels: Dios ~ /jos/ ; dejalo ~ /jalo/)

ti, te ~ /tʃ/ (when followed or preceded by other vowels: tierra ~ /chehra/; tiene ~ /chene/)

ci, si ~ /ʃ/ (when followed or preceded by other vowels: conciencia ~ /konshensha/)

Other sounds

-h /h/ (glottal fricative in the final position); sometimes not written

-g /k/; sometimes written as just -k

-d /t/; sometimes written as just -t

Sounds from English

“v” pronounced as English “v” (like: vase) (vi)

“z” pronounced as English “z” (like: zebra) (zi)

“x” pronounced as English “x” (like: X-ray) (ex/eks)

“h” like: house (/eitsh/); sometimes written as 'j'

Diphthongs

Letters	Pronunciation	Example	Significant
ae	aye	cae	fall, to fall
ai	ayi	caido	fallen, fell
ao	aow	cuidao	take care, cared
ea	eya	patea	kick, to kick
ei	eyi	rei	king
eo	eyo	video	video
ia	iya	advertencia	warning, notice
i.e.	iye	cien(to)	one hundred, hundred
io	iyo	cancion	song
iu	iyu	saciut	to move the hips a little
uo	ow	institutuo	institute
qu	ke	que	what, that, than
gu	strong gi	guia	to guide, guide
ua	uwa	agua	water
ue	uwe	cuento	story
ui	uwi	cuida	care, to take care
oi	oye	oi	hear, to hear

Source: Zamboanga Chavacano Facebook Page