It is spoken mainly in the Central Visayas by the Bisaya people, and is also spoken in northeastern parts of Negros Occidental province, in southern parts of Masbate, in most of Leyte and Southern Leyte, in western portions of Guimaras, in parts of Samar, Bohol, Luzon, the Biliran islands, and in most parts of Mindanao. It is most often referred to by most of its speakers simply as Bisaya. It is most often referred to by most of its speakers simply as Bisaya.Cebuano, ( AKA Bisaya / Sinugbuanon / Binisaya nga Sugbuanon) belongs to the Philippine branch of Malayo-Polynesian languages and is spoken by about 20 million people in the Philippines. Cebuano, ( AKA Bisaya / Sinugbuanon / Binisaya nga Sugbuanon) belongs to the Philippine branch of Malayo-Polynesian languages and is spoken by about 20 million people in the Philippines. You will find that many of the words in the Filipino language have Spanish origens and many are of English origen with phonetic and Filipino dialect spellings. Generally the pronunciation of Filipino words follow Spanish sounds and emphasis.
Following the American occupation of the Philippines and the imposition of English, the use of Spanish declined gradually, especially after the 1940s. Luciano de la Rosa established that Spanish was spoken by a total of 60% of the population in the early 20th century as a first, second or third language. National hero Jos� Rizal wrote most of his works in Spanish. It was also the language of the Philippine Revolution, and the 1899 Malolos Constitution effectively proclaimed it as the official language of the First Philippine Republic.
In 1863 a Spanish decree introduced universal education, creating free public schooling in Spanish. Spanish and Arabic are to be promoted on an optional and voluntary basis.Spanish was the national and official language of the country for more than three centuries under Spanish colonial rule, and became the lingua franca of the Philippines in the 19th and early 20th centuries.