Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language

The Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language is the group that helps keep the Spanish language correct and beautiful in the Philippines. It is known in Spanish as Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española and in Filipino as Akademyang Pilipino ng Wikang Espanyol. This special group makes sure that people speak and write Spanish properly in the Philippines.

The academy is very important because it is one of the founding members of the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (ASALE). This means it works together with other Spanish language groups around the world to protect and improve the Spanish language.

Before moving to its new home, the academy was located in the Casino Español de Manila in Ermita, Manila. Today, you can find the academy in Makati, a busy city in the Philippines.

History

The Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language was created in Manila on July 25, 1924. It was the eleventh academy for the Spanish language in the world. At that time, Spanish was very important in the Philippines, even though other cultures, like from the United States, were also influencing the country.

Even though Spanish became less common compared to English, the academy kept going, even with some people criticizing it. In 2008, it was reported that the academy’s official registration was revoked because they did not file necessary papers on time. But people still think the academy can help bring back the Spanish language and culture in the Philippines. In 2017, a leader from the Royal Spanish Academy visited and praised the Philippine Academy for its work.

Status of Spanish in the Philippines

Main article: Spanish language in the Philippines

The current 1987 Philippine Constitution says that Spanish (and Arabic) should be encouraged, but it is not required for everyone to learn.

For many years, from the time the Spanish Empire ruled the Philippines until the early 1900s, Spanish was the main language used in government, schools, and business. In 2007, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a rule to bring Spanish back into schools in Spain. Schools were asked to start teaching basic and advanced Spanish classes.

Projects

In 2021, the Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language shared news in a special book about the Spanish language. They finished work on a dictionary linking Spanish and Chavacano, thanks to support from a group of Spanish language academies. The academy also shared plans to create a book to mark its 100th year in 2024 and started publishing its newsletter again in October 2021.

Administration

Directors

The Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language is led by a group of directors called the Board of Directors. This group includes a director, two honorary directors, a vice-director, a secretary, a treasurer, a coordinator, and the organization's librarian. Since August 22, 2016, the academy has been led by Father Emmanuel Luis Romanillos, a Recollect priest. Romanillos is also a teacher of Spanish, Italian, and Latin at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where he has taught for 30 years.

Among the academy’s members are important people such as former leaders, religious leaders, cultural figures, and other academics. The most recent group of members joined the academy on November 15, 2025, during a special event for the Academy’s 100th year.