SWS: 75% of Pinoys competent in Filipino language, 47% in English

At least three out of four or 75% of adult Filipinos can competently use the Filipino language while around 47% are competent in the English language, a recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showed.

Around 1,200 adults participated in the face-to-face poll conducted from March 26 to March 29, 2023. It has a sampling error margin of ±2.8%.

According to SWS, 96% of the respondents can read in Filipino; 93% understand and write using the language and 87% can speak Filipino; 75% think in Filipino while 1% do not apply any of the said skills.

The survey also said 80% of Filipinos understand spoken English; 80% can read; 69% can write; 55% can speak; and 47% think using the language. Only 9% do not use any of the skills.

Further, the poll showed Filipinos’ use of both languages in March 2023 was the highest since September 2000, with 53% of the participants using Filipino; 29% fairly using it; 15% partially using it; and only 4% almost not using the language.

Around 9% of adult Filipinos use the English language; 35% fairly use it; 41% partially use it; and 14% almost do not use it.

In 2020, international language training company Education First placed the Philippines 27th in the Proficiency Index, lower by seven spots in its 2019 rankings.—LDF, GMA Integrated News