COPING WITH BISAYA ACCENT BY ETHNIC GROUPS

PHILIPPINES: A CASE STUDY

I. INTRODUCTION

There are 7, 640 islands in South East Asia's Philippines islands and is geographically separated
into the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The nation is home to numerous ethnic groups, each of which
has its own unique culture and heritage. In addition, the Philippines contains over a hundred different
dialects, including Tagalog, the official language. As a result, the Philippines is regarded as one of
South East Asia's most multicultural and diversified nations, which makes it more enjoyable to travel
there. Some of these languages include Cebuano, Bisaya, Waray, Batangeo, Hiligaynon, and Bisaya; a
list of the regional dialects that exist throughout the nation. Based on these dialects, Tagalog, the
country's official language, was created. Tagalog speakers primarily reside in Metro Manila, which
serves as the nation's capital. However, when it comes to the languages that the people speak,
Visayas and Mindanao share certain commonalities. So, it's interesting to note that the Philippines has
a diverse language population in addition to its rich cultural heritage.

But we were unaware that the Philippines also experiences internal ethnocentrism. Due to the
country's diversity of languages, accent degradation is rife, particularly in urban areas. One of the
most well-known dialects, Bisaya, develops a slur when a speaker of Tagalog's accent starts to show
on their tongue. Native Bisaya speakers are subjected to mockery and insults, which makes them feel
ashamed and embarrassed. Even though diversity is being addressed in schools, this problem still
exists. Discrimination takes many different forms in the Philippines. Everyone is aware of the terrible
discrimination and misconceptions that are applied to the Bisaya people. When telling a joke or
attempting to make someone laugh by emulating the regional accent, the Bisaya language is
frequently utilized. The fact that the Visayan people are being made fun of simply because some
people believe they are superior to them is even more upsetting. Even though it is far from the
nation's capital, the Visayas and Mindanao islands are prosperous parts of the nation. Due to the
stunning beaches in the provinces' surrounding areas, travelers choose to visit notable locations in the
region over those on Luzon.

II. OBJECTIVES OF THE CASE STUDY

Study with nearly 20 million native speakers throughout the nation, the Visayan language has
long played a significant role in Filipino society. But for many individuals who can't stand the way
Visayan people pronounce their Tagalog, the Bisayan accent has become a source of ridicule.
However, we ought to refrain from making fun of Bisayans simply because they have a unique and
peculiar accent compared to us. Because of their dialect and accent, Bisayans are distinctive. Because
they are people just like the rest of us with feelings, not some object we can exploit to make fun of,
everyone should learn to respect them and their cultural identity.Because we are all Filipinos, we
should lift up and accept everyone, including its culture, to create us a complete and cohesive
country.

The objectives of this study are:

III. PRESENTATION OF THE CASE

This study is a case study which focuses on Coping with the Bisaya Accent. According to Lustik
(2021) a case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. In a case study, nearly every
aspect of the subject's life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes of behavior.
Case studies can be used in a variety of fields including psychology, medicine, education,
anthropology, political science, and social work.
The Visayan language, also known as Bisaya or the Visayan dialect, is widely spoken throughout the
nation, especially in areas where Tagalog is the predominant language. Depending on the location,
bisaya is spoken in a variety of dialects. Every speaker has an accent, a method of saying things that
reflects their social or geographic background. Additionally, cultural stereotypes have a drawback. It
can be used to discriminate as well as to justify. Many people who can't stand the pronunciation
difference when Visayan people speak Tagalog make fun of the Bisayan accent. Certain instances
proving accent-shaming is real are very much prevalent in the contemporary times. One of the
victim is Lisa who suffered from the same experience. She and her husband only wanted to move to a
big city to give their children the good education they deserve but people mocked her and pointed
out her quirky Tagalog pronunciations. She was often misunderstood when buying a product from the
store and even heard a disparaging remark that Bisaya is ‘low-class’ compared to Tagalog (Ethnic
Groups Philippines, 2013).

These incidents demonstrated how callous some Tagalog speakers are. They overestimate their ability
to speak Tagalog well, but the truth is that Visayans can grasp both languages, whereas Tagalog
speakers struggle to understand Bisayan. In actuality, some people have inferiority complexes that
have convinced them that they are inferior to people outside of their own society. We should be
proud of how exceptional and diverse our nation is, not ashamed that a multilingual and culturally
rich nation like ours nevertheless struggles with internal language ethnocentrism. Bisayan individuals
have been the target of inside jokes, memes, and even some media representations that make fun of
their dialect and word pronunciation. These kinds of tragedies often place as a result of
misunderstanding and disrespect for the Bisayan people. We ought to stop making fun of Bisayans
because we find their accent strange and unique. Because of their dialect and accent, Bisayans are
distinctive. Because they are people just like the rest of us with feelings, not some object we can
exploit to make fun of, everyone should learn to respect them and their cultural identity.

IV. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This is not only a matter that should be taken for granted. It should be
deeply address to resolve and get rid of this in our culture. Listed below are the
the researcher's suggestions and solutions for the problem are as follows:

1. EDUCATE
-for the people to understand the certain issue, the state must educate them to
make them knowledgeable of the area

2. BE SENSITIVE
-Bullying and discrimination are not new to us. Being sensitive does not only benefit
not only to stop the bullies but also to remind everyone to watch what they say. Grammar and accent
corrections should be made in a suitable manner to avoid humiliating someone in front of a large
audience. Think before you talk, be thoughtful, and be compassionate.

3. SPEAK UP
-Speak up if you feel discriminated against or treated with contempt. Don’t
Keep it inside of you and tell them it's inappropriate. Increase the loudness of your voice to make
them aware of the things they do and express yourself so that they understand that their remarks
harm you.

We need to keep in mind that this country has many different languages and cultures.
that each of us is unique, that we are not all alike, and that we each have rights. The state should be
the first to raise awareness of this issue rather than simply taking it for granted. We are discussing
the erosion of one's own culture and language; this is not a minor matter. Those who are going
 through this should not be afraid; instead, they should be strong and fearless and show them that
they are wrong because they are Filipinos.

V. REFERENCES

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-write-a-psychology-case-study-2795722

https://budapestpe.dfa.gov.ph/about-the-philippines

http://www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com/coping-with-the-bisaya-accent/

Prieto, A.(2018)."Bisaya 101: Learning The Basics Of The Cebuano Language".