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: 

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.

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. 

Samples of  Bisaya Songs:

Waray = Waray-Waray

Kinray-a = Mauli ako sa Antique

Hiligaynon (ilonggo) = Kuring - Pirot

Cebuano = BUWAD SUKA SILI 

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