Who Are the Bisaya or Visayan People?

 

 

First of all it is very important to know how the word Bisaya came about

 

The word Bisaya came from the word Visayas, the islands.

 

Visayas --->  Visayan ---> Visaya ----> Bisaya

 

BISAYA (Visayans) really means people originally from VISAYAS, who live in different parts of the VISAYAS Islands, who speak different VISAYAN  languages such as Cebuano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Aklanon, Capiznon, Kinaray-a, Bantoanon, Romblomanon, Cuyonon, Waray, Surigaonon, Butuanon, Tausog, etc.

 

The BISAYA Islands and their Languages:

1. Panay = The Bisaya languages spoken are: Hiligaynon, Karay-a, Capiznon, Aklanon
2. Negros = The Bisaya languages spoken are: Hiligaynon and Cebuano
3. Cebu = The Bisaya language spoken is: Cebuano
4. Bohol = The Bisaya language spoken is: Cebuano
5. Leyte = The Bisaya languages spoken are: Waray and Cebuano
6. Samar = The Bisaya languages spoken are: Waray and Cebuano
7. Cuyo = The Bisaya language spoken is: Cuyonon

8. Romblon = The BISAYA language spoken is Asi also known as Bantoanon, Calatravanhon, Odionganon, Sibalenhon, Simaranhon

 

Heavy migration to Mindanao of people from Cebu and Dumaguete etc in 1940's, spurred by government-sponsored resettlement programmes,is the reason why 90% of Mindanao people speak the Cebuano language. Cebuano is a part of the Visayan language Family. 

 

Also Ilonggo people from Iloilo who speak Hiligaynon migrated in Mindanao and most of them settled in Pigkawayan and Midsayap North Cotabato areas.

 

 9. Surigao = The BISAYA language spoken is Surigaonon. This langauge is also spoken  in the province of Surigao del Norte, and some portion of Agusan del Norte especially those towns near the Mainit Lake. It is related to Butuanon and Tausug.

 

10. Davao, Cagayan De Oro, Iligan, Dipolog, Ozamis, Gensa, Pagadian and its provinces = The Bisaya language spoken is: Cebuano

 

12. Pigkawayan and Midsayap North Cotabato = The Bisaya language spoken is: Hiligaynon

 

Sources: 

University of the Philippines Library Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines http://www.up.edu.ph/  

Who Are the Bisaya People http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/visayans.html

The Visayan Languages http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayan_languages

The Visayans http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayans

Visayan People http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Visayan_people

 

 

Related Links:

Early Ilonggo-Bisaya identity

Some great Ilonggo-Bisaya writers in history

 

 

 

We did a survey to people who speak the Cebuano language in Mindanao, Cebu, and Dumaguete and we asked the following question,

 

"What is the language you are speaking?" and "Are Hiligaynon, Waray, Aklanon languages BISAYA?"

 

95% of the people answered "the language they are speaking is called BISAYA" and that "Hiligaynon, Waray, Aklanon are not BISAYA". 

 

Their answers are all WRONG. This means that 95% do NOT know what BISAYA really means. They do not know the history of languages in the Philippines particularly in Visayas and Mindanao.

 

The correct answers are:

 

1.  The language they are speaking is called CEBUANO. Cebuano is part of the Bisaya family language.

2.  Hiligaynon, Waray, Aklanon languages are also called BISAYA because they are from the VISAYAS islands.

 

 

The main point is that,  everyone from VISAYAS  are called BISAYA.  

Why? it is simply because the word BISAYA means VISAYAS

 

 

Let us look at the evolution of the word BISAYA.

 

Visayas --->  Visayan ---> Bisayan ----> Bisaya

 

BISAYA (Visayans) really means people from VISAYAS, who live in different parts of the VISAYAS Islands, who speak different VISAYAN  languages such as Cebuano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Aklanon, Capiznon, Kinaray-a, Bantoanon, Romblomanon, Cuyonon, Waray, Surigaonon, Butuanon, Tausog, etc.

 

 

 

Heavy migration to Mindanao of people form Cebu and Dumaguete etc in 1940's, spurred by government-sponsored resettlement programmes,is the reason why 90% of Mindanao people speak the Cebuano language. Even Ilokano and Tagalog from Luzon are speaking the Cebuano language even though they are not originally from Visayas islands. 

 

Cebuano is a part of the Visayan language Family. Also Ilonggo people who speak Hiligaynon migrated in Mindanao and most of them settled in Pigkawayan and Midsayap North Cotabato areas.

 

 

There are many BISAYA languages in VISAYAS or BISAYAS islands.

BISAYA Language Family are:

Cebuano is BISAYA language  spoken most of Mindanao, Cebu, Dumaguete, and part of Samar.

Hiligaynon or Ilonggo is BISAYA language  spoken in Bacolod, Iloilo, and Roxas.

Aklanon is BISAYA language  spoken in Aklan.

Capiznon is BISAYA language  spoken in Capiz.

Kinaray-a is BISAYA language  spoken in Antique.

Asi also known as Bantoanon, Calatravanhon, Odionganon, Sibalenhon, Simaranhon, is BISAYA language  spoken in Romblon.

Cuyononis BISAYA language spoken on the coast of Palawan and the Cuyo Islands in the Philippines.

Waray is BISAYA language spoken in the provinces of Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte (eastern portion), and Biliran.

Surigaonon is BISAYA language  spoken in the province of Surigao del Norte, and some portion of Agusan del Norte especially those towns near the Mainit Lake. It is related to Butuanon and Tausug.

 

Sources: 

University of the Philippines Library Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines http://www.up.edu.ph/  

Who Are the Bisaya People http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/visayans.html

The Visayan Languages http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayan_languages

The Visayans http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayans

Visayan People http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Visayan_people

 

 

Related Links:

Early Ilonggo-Bisaya identity

Some great Ilonggo-Bisaya writers in history

 

 

 

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Waray, Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Kinaray-a, Aklanon,  Capiznon, Bantoanon, Rombloanon, Cuyonon, Surigaonon, Butuanon, and Tausug ARE ALL BISAYA people and ALL are part of the BISAYA Language family

 

 

The Biggest Confusion of most Cebuano speaking people in Cebu, Mindanao, and Dumaguete is that almost all of them  think that Cebuanos are the only Bisaya people,  and almost all of them  think that Bisaya is the Cebuano language which is totally False. This is like hijacking Bisaya term away from other Bisaya people like the Hiligaynons, Karay-a, Aklanon, Waray, etc and depriving them of the Bisaya identity.

 

 

Cebu is not the only island in Visayas therefore Cebuano is not the only Bisaya people in the islands and not the only Bisaya language. The people in Panay, Negros, Bohol, Leyte, and Samar are also Bisaya people and speak Bisaya languages because for the fact that they live in Visayas Islands  also

 

Sources: 

University of the Philippines Library Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines http://www.up.edu.ph/  

Who Are the Bisaya People http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/visayans.html

The Visayan Languages http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayan_languages

The Visayans http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayans

Visayan People http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Visayan_people

 

 

Related Links:

Early Ilonggo-Bisaya identity

Some great Ilonggo-Bisaya writers in history

Samples of  Bisaya Songs:

Waray = Waray-Waray

Kinray-a = Mauli ako sa Antique

Hiligaynon (ilonggo) = Kuring - Pirot

Cebuano = BUWAD SUKA SILI 

Bisaya is NOT a specific to Cebuano language only which most people from Mindanao, Cebu, Dumaguete think which is totally based on wrong assumption.

Bisaya refers NOT only to Cebuano but ALSO to Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Aklanon, Capiznon, Kinaray-a, Bantoanon, Romblomanon, Cuyonon, Waray, Surigaonon, Butuanon, Tausog, etc.

Bisaya or Visayas is one of the three island groups in the Philippines, along with Luzon and Mindanao. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea. Its inhabitants are referred to as the Visayans or Bisayans. 

What started this big confusion? I think the main reason this misunderstanding started by Max Surban and Yoyo Villame's songs who referred to Cebuano as Bisaya in some of their popular songs in which many people in Cebu and Mindanao listened and subconsciously absorbed the wrong terminology.

Suprisingly, if you ask the people in Panay, Negros, etc they know that their language is also Bisaya and they also know that they are Bisaya people because they live in the Visayas Islands.

Also you will be surprised  when you fill out a document to work overseas because you will not see a bisaya language among Filipino list of languages, that's because bisaya is a group of Visayan languages which includes Cebuano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Aklanon, Capiznon, Kinaray-a, Bantoanon, Romblomanon, Cuyonon, Waray, Surigaonon, Butuanon, Tausog, etc.

Visayans (also spelled Bisayans) generally refer to people who trace their roots to the Bisayan-speaking region in central Philippines. This region includes the islands of Panay, Romblon, Guimaras, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Leyte, Biliran and Samar.

However, because of migration over time, a large part of Mindanao (from Zamboanga up to northern Mindanao and down to Davao and Cotabato) is now largely populated by Visayans. Thus, it is not uncommon for people from Mindanao to call themselves “Visayan,” especially if they are native speakers of the Bisaya language.

Bisaya is a group of related languages belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family. Spoken in the central and southern Philippines, it is comprised of roughly 25 languages, some near extinction.

The origin of the term “Visayan “ is unclear. Some sources say it refers to Shri Vijaya, the ancient island Southeast Asian empire to which the original Visayans supposedly belonged. Others consider the term a literal rendering of the Visayan sadya or the Tagalog saya, meaning happiness. The latter version appears to stem from the stereotype that Visayans are a generally laid-back, fun loving and happy-go-lucky people. But as Visayans themselves would put it, they are a hardworking people who just know how to enjoy life. 

 

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Sources: 

University of the Philippines Library Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines  http://www.up.edu.ph/  

http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/visayans.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayan_languages