Only One in Three Filipinos Speak English

One of the things I like about living in the Philippines, I told Shelly's colleagues this weekend, is that I didn't have to learn another language to live here.

(Don't get me wrong. There's something fun about learning Japanese, in my case, and being able to wow visiting friends and family, but it's also nice not to have to worry about communication when you're shopping or going out for dinner or hiring a housekeeper.)

But, according to a story in The Foreign Post, only one in three Filipinos now speak English.

The Manila-based Social Weather Stations said its March 8-14 nationwide survey of 1,200 Filipino adults illustrated a steep slide in English proficiency in less than six years.

While about two-thirds of those polled said they understood spoken English and an equal number said they read English, just 48 percent said they wrote English and about a third said they speak English.

About 27 percent said they thought in English while 14 percent said they were not competent in any way when it came to the English language.

The survey did not comment on what caused the sudden decline.

Still, it remains very easy for an English speaker to get around here. Everyone I'm in contact with on a regular basis speaks English perfectly well, with the exception of the guy who cleans the pool. Although we have yet to have a conversation beyond "good morning," it does make me wonder why my experiences don't match with the results of the survey.