COPING WITH THE BISAYA ACCENT

(CASE STUDY)

PROPONENTS: JESSA MAE MONTERON

MA. STEPANIE SOY

ROMELYN PINOLIAD

MARY JANE PABATAO

I. Introduction.

The Philippine society is full of discrimination. Crazy

as it may seem but it is very rampant that it becomes
a hobby for other people. People discriminate without
even realizing that they are committing a serious
mistake. What’s sad about this prejudicial treatment is
that it exists everywhere and can happen anytime.
Generally, Philippine television has been very
problematic through the years. Actresses in dramas
unnecessarily change the way they talk and mock
Bisaya people to depict maids. This act has been
done multiple times in TV shows. Every maid in every
drama speaks Bisaya accent which is very
discriminating. Bisaya people are more than just
maids. The said profession shouldn’t be discriminated
either but the issue here is that Bisaya people are
being stereotyped as servants.

Ethnologue estimated that 22.5 million people, or one-

fourth of the country's population, speak Tagalog,
compared to the Visayan language's 16 million
speakers, who come in second to the aforementioned
local dialect.
II. Objectives of the Case Study

Specific issues demonstrating that accent-shaming is

widespread in modern times. This study concentrated
on the issues associated with ethnocentrism in terms
of language accent. Issues concerning ethnic diversity
issues confronting Bisayas were also addressed.

This investigation will:

i. Determine the common ethnocentric problems

concerning language and accent.
ii. Develop strategies to reduce implicit
discrimination and accent shaming against
Visayan accents.
iii. Determine why Visayan accents are
considered inferior to Tagalog accents.
III. Presentation of the Case

We know that discrimination can affect a person's life

and, worse, it can lead to depression and anxiety in
individuals. In this case, we read an article about
language or accent discrimination, and we want to
make a case study about it. The Bisayan people were
bullied because of their stiff accents and quirky
pronunciation. And some people tend to hide their
regional accents to prevent discrimination. In the
article we read, a woman in her 30's has a story to
tell. As we all know, there are a lot of different
opportunities that you could get in Manila, which is
why people choose to take a risk and live there. Lisa's
her name, and she's from Davao. In the year 1997,
she decided to move to Manila together with her
family to seek a better future for her children. But
unfortunately, she got hate comments from others
because of the way she speaks. She realizes that
Manila is not an easy place to live in and wants to go
back to her hometown. She experienced humiliation
that made her decide to hide her original accent. And
it is costing her problems because she has lost
confidence in interacting with others. Lisa stated that
every time she converses in Tagalog, it gives her a
headache. She was often misunderstood when
buying an item at a store, and she would often hear
mocking comments about her quirky pronunciation.
By then, it gives her perseverance to study and to
adjust to the environment. 
Filipinos in Luzon, particularly in Manila, think that
they are superior because they are Tagalog. They
think that the Bisayans are low-class and that their
accents are funny. They are even judged to be
gullible and easily fooled. Many people, not just Lisa,
experience this kind of discrimination. Primarily to
those who aren't fluent in the Tagalog language. But,
you know what’s funnier than a bisaya person trying
to speak Tagalog? A Tagalog speaker who is unable
to follow a Bisaya conversation, and you know who’s
Bobo? People who assume they’re automatically
smarter because they were born in a place whose
people speak a particular language. We would not
take this deal seriously if it could not affect a person's
lifestyle. However, it's not right to discriminate against
someone, whether it's because of their accent,
lifestyle, the way they dress, their culture, or beliefs,
because no one deserves discrimination.

IV. Proposed Solutions and Recommendations

Understanding accents is a skill that people must
learn. This skill demonstrates that a person can
communicate effectively with others and has
extensive experience interacting with others. Finally,
as it discusses ethnocentrism and discrimination
against their dialect, there is a need to address the
issue of accent-shaming experienced by the Bisayan
people.

By solving this issue, a Filipino must:

• Know the significance of appreciating the Bisaya

culture and its dialect accent.

• Learn how to embrace ethnic diversity and respect

it.

• Be proud of their usage of native dialect.

• Mitigate discrimination among others as it includes

the attitude towards promoting their own culture.

• Think in a cultural relativism perspective to. Better

understand the society.

V. References

Berry, J. W. (2006). "Mutual attitudes amongst

immigrants and

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https:// www.wheninmanila.com/ read-netizen-speaks-

up-about-the-discrimination-against-bisaya-people/

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Bruce L, Dunton J. Newton C. (2001]. "Investigating
the impact of unfamiliarspeaker accent on
auditorycomprehension in adulta with aphasia,
International Journal of Language & Communication
Disorders 2011:46:63-73". Retrieved
at/publication/221457007 Accenton. Comit unication
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comprehent. ion in_adults_with aphasia