Your letters about Zamboanga and chabacano
language
Subject: Saludos a todos
Aunque No puedo hablar bien en espanol, quiero enviar mis saludos a todos, de Texas, a mis paisanos de Filipinas en Espana especialmente los que vienen de la bella Ciudad de Flores, la Ciudad de Zamboanga.
Naci en Zamboanga en 1947, estudiando en el Normal School hasta 1958 y mi High School en la escuela jesuita de Ateneo de Zamboanga hasta 1962. Fui a Manila para el Colegio estudiando el Primer ano en Ateneo de Manila y los siguiente anos en La Universidad de Santo Tomas acabando mi curso de Medicina en 1970. En 1971, fui a los Estados unidos para continuar mi estudio en Medicina. Vivia en Chicago en el primer ano de 1971.Nueva York ( Manhattan) por dos anos y en Washington D.C por otro mas dos anos. Estoy aqui en Texas desde 1977.
Soy casado con 2 hijas y dos hijos. Mi esposa viene de Nueva Ecija y somos casados por veinte cuatro anos.
Vivimos aqui en la Ciudad de Midland, una ciudad de Texas a la sudoeste de Dallas.
Por que estoy escribiendo en espanol? Mi lengua natal es Chavacano, como quisas el patois de Haiti? mezcla de espanol y varios dialectos de Filipinas.Por mayor parte, el vocabulario consiste de espanol (aunque yo creo muy limitado), usando solamente la tercera persona de la conjugation de los verbos (presente indicativo) para la primera y segunda persona y usando los adverbos de tiempos para determinar tiempos y los pronombres para determinar si uno esta hablado de Yo, Usted, tu, el (elle), nosotros (Kita), ellos, ellas (sila) o ustedes (kamo).
Un dia,Yo deseo hablar, practicar y mejorar mas mi Espanol.
(28/Febrero/2002)
Subject: Chavacano in New York (10/Noviembre/2001)
I am from Zamboanga City and working with the Spanish population here in Brooklyn,New York. My clients are from Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, Central & South America. I could say that my dialect came very handy as I was counseling them and helping them meet their needs. I could say then, that with my Chavacano I could easily converse with these people.It does'nt matter so much if it's Creole, the important thing is, you can understand them and you can be understood.
Saludos desde Nueva York,
EVANGELINE
FERNANDEZ CARINO
Subject: Pilipino en Barcelona
Ako ay si Iosep, kumustá ka´?
Ang personas barcelonesas ay buenas (salamakpó).
Ako ay trabajando acá para ganar dinero para mi familia y poder enviárselo a Zamboanga.
(11/Octubre/2001)
I came across your website and found it very interesting. The propogation of Spanish
in the Philippines is a subject that intrigues me very much.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm 23, born and raised in Brea, Orange County, California, just graduated from UCLA and will be attending law school in August. Both of my parents are from Zamboanga, and thus understand all (and speak a little) Chavacano, the Zamboangueno dialect, despite growing up in the States. Spanish classes in high school were
easy because of my knowledge of Chavacano. My grandfather, before his death a last year,
was a public advocate in Zamboanga for the continued teaching of Spanish. In fact, all my grandparents have a better command of Spanish than they do of Tagalog!
My grandfather publised several books, and some contain articles from Zamboanga newspapers specifically dealing with Chavacano, like its history, development, etc. I have copies of
those articles on my computer and can easily send them to you if you're interested in posting them on your website and maybe expanding your "La Pagina de Zamboanga." Let me know if
you're interested.
Rafael 'Ace' Climaco
Again, great job with your site!!!
See more
(24/abril/2000)
Falta atencion raman este si Lakay Gago. Quiere lang manda mira con el mundo - mundo chabacano hablante pa gayot-cay sabe le conversa un poquito Tagalo de orilla y sinti un poco de bugal na
su pecho tibijun.
Mucho ahora ansina na Zamboanga especialmente aquellos 'ta sale de provincia como del Sur o del Norte. Na! Ampara ya lang! Todo quiere man pa tagalo con todo el tono o acento gana pa na de un Moro pollo enchilau.
Maga tagalo alegre lang con ila mira como un espectaculo 'ta baila y canta sila como un chonguito 'ta man pa tagalo. No hay mas otro carnaval na mundo gana pa gayot con este.
Quiere ustedes compra ticket? Eh no mas ya - libre lang se y ese pestilencia jende 'ta merece ni un pago de peseta!
Un amigo
(11/Enero/2000)
My interest of Chabacano results of my hobby with the Spanish history of the Philippines and Micronesia. In this case I see parallel of the developing of the Chamorro language on the
Mariana Islands.
History, economy, languages and culture have a common background of all separate communities of the world. Big distances between countries, different social structures and many other criteria gives any community its own base for developing.
The history of colonization all over the world made only some aspects equal between different countries. Spanish is the common language in Latin America (except Brazil), but the cultures
have different touches produced by different population in each single country. In the Philippines all (ethnic) populations groups have there own culture and language, but this was influenced by the Spaniards 3 centuries ago and the last years by the United States.
Two years ago I was over a year in the United Arab Emirates. A lot of Filipinos are working there. In some bars I saw Philippines music and dancing groups. A lot of dances and the
clothing were a result of the Spanish era in the Philippines. I can compare it, because a lot
of my holidays I spent in Spain.
(...)
In my studies I find, that only the Zamboanga region have the deepest Spanish (Castilian) heritage of the Philippines. I think you have a good possibility for establishing real Spanish with your own developed culture. It is no a copy of western colonization and gives you the
chance to open your view to Latin America and Europe (Spain).
(...)
My Spanish is very limited, but I understand that educated Spanish and Philippine people feel sorry for the loss of the Spanish language in the Philippines.
My address:
Andreas
Herbig
D-12687 Berlin/Germany
(11/Enero/2000)
Subject: El dialecto Chabacano en Zamboanga y Cavite
Para conservarlo el chabacano, hay un necesidad que los gentes que hablan
este dialecto, lo que en Filipinas es mas cerca de la lengua espanol,
formen organizaciones con la intencion de lo propagar y lo ensenar a los
juventud. Sea necesario tener juntas periodicas para discutir varias vias a
usarlo en los escritores y publicaciones.
De otra manera, este dialecto lindo desaparecera como una extincto cosa.
Jess Mendoza
(29/Diciembre/1999)
Salud!
Prospero Año Nuevo y Nuevo Milenio a todos los amigos de
la ciudad de Zamboanga en España.
(Zamboanga, 30/diciembre/1999)
