SKIRMISHER

No generation today can ever forget the horrible-, vile-, and tasteless-looking Chewbacca, the Wookiee superhero of Star Wars fame. Despite his evil features, surprisingly he’s a gentle and loyal furry giant. Of course, everybody knows that already.

But not everyone knows that the meaning of the noun Chavacano (or the adjective Chabacano) also means in the negative: “unpolished,” coarse,” or vulgar” — literally almost everything nasty in the Spanish language! However, when we are to refer to the said language (WARNING: it’s not a dialect!), culture, and people of the same terminology, that’s far from the truth.

If some people will say that the Spanish language has no more hopes of recovering, think again. As long as the Spanish Creole language exists, thrives, and pulsates in various parts of the Philippines (particularly in Zamboanga City, its largest concentration), we can never deny that the spirit of the Castilian language lingers on, and will continue to spit fire… igual como na principio, ansina ahora y para todo el tiempo.

For a brief overview, the Philippine Creole Spanish, or Chavacano languages, are spoken mostly in Mindanáo (Muslim?): Zamboanga City (¡Zamboanga Hermosa!), Basilan, Daváo, and Cotabato (again, Muslim?). Even parts of Northern Malaysia, a former Philippine territory during Spanish times, still has Chavacano speakers. (again, this time to the papansín members of the Mama, I Love to F*** club… friggin’ MUSLIM?!). There are also two versions of Chavacano spoken in the province of Cavite: one in Ternate and one in Cavite City.

A long time ago, there used to be even more Chavacano languages aside from those mentioned above: there used to be a Cebuano/Visayan Chavacano, a Chavacano Ermiteño in Ermita, Manila, one in Maguindanáo… there was even a version from Tondo! Among these extinct Chavacano languages, Chavacano Ermiteño is perhaps the one most remembered and missed (anyone still remember the fave Manileño song ¡Aray!? Uhhh, hello? Anyone hear me?). They used to flourish in large numbers during the pre-war years, until they were completely wiped out by the world’s stupidest “liberation” tactics in 1945 (yeah, the dumbest the world has ever seen, hands down). The great Filipino statesman and poet in Spanish, renaissance man Fernando Ma. Guerrero (1873-1929), as well as the Guerrero clan of yore, used to speak this language.

There have been occassional reports (sightings?) that there are still vestigial speakers of Ermiteño Chavacano remaining somewhere in Metro Manila (probably old timers — but why remain in hiding?). The report hasn’t really been confirmed yet (otherwise, it would have hit the local headlines – that is, if our local media are already fed up reporting about Her Royal Lowness). But I swear that if I’m lucky enough to have the free time, I won’t even consider looking for them as a screwed-up waste of precious time, nuh-uh. (what an urban adventure it would be!)

Sadly, it is true that Chavacano Caviteño might experience the same fate like what had happened to Ermiteño Chavacano. Yes, the Caviteño Spanish creole is dying; the speakers in Ternate and Cavite City are getting older and older, and are getting fewer and fewer. An alarmingly fewer number of young Caviteños speak the said language. But it’s happy to hear that the local governments are at least doing something to keep their patrimony –let alone their very own identity– alive and kicking by putting up various cultural projects to keep the language alive. In Zamboanga, there seems to be no problem with the language. Like the motley-colored flowers that Zamboanga City symbolize, it appears that this mystifying Creole language of Christian Mindanáo (Muslim, Nur? gimme a break).

Pure Spanish speakers in the Philippines number around 2,000. Like what many cultural heroes today are doing to conserve Chavacano, we must do the same with the Spanish language.

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