A toddler using the Bahasa Sug Mobile Learning Applications. Image Source: Pexels.

Bahasa Sug, also known as Tausug, remains one of the major languages of the Sulu Archipelago. The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) identifies it as the language of the Tausug people and records its use in Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Zamboanga and northern Palawan, as well as among Tausug communities in Sabah, Malaysia, and North Kalimantan, Indonesia. The KWF classifies Bahasa Sug as “Ligtas,” or safe. Its list of Philippine Indigenous Languages records a Tausug population of 1,615,823 based on 2020 Philippine Statistics Authority data. Glottolog also currently classifies Tausug as not endangered and describes it as a language used across generations and domains.

These classifications provide an important starting point. Bahasa Sug cannot simply be described as a language disappearing from Sulu. The more relevant question concerns how its transmission is adapting to an increasingly multilingual environment, particularly for children growing up with Bahasa Sug alongside Filipino and English. Research conducted in Jolo provides a concrete example. A 2023 study involving 160 toddlers and 160 parents from eight barangays examined whether a Bahasa Sug mobile learning application could support mother-tongue development. The researchers reported better learning results with the mobile application than with the traditional teaching method, although the level of statistical significance varied across the eight barangays.

A Living Language In A Changing Environment

The continued presence of Bahasa Sug across several provinces and neighboring countries demonstrates the language's strength. The KWF identifies Jolo and other parts of Sulu as important areas of use and notes its presence among Tausug communities beyond the Sulu Archipelago. At the same time, Tausug speakers operate in a multilingual environment. The KWF notes that residents of Sulu also learn Filipino and English, which have important roles in education and wider communication. This does not necessarily mean that Bahasa Sug is being replaced. Instead, it creates a language environment in which young speakers encounter several languages for different purposes.

“The continued presence of Bahasa Sug across several provinces and neighboring countries demonstrates the language's strength.”

The availability of written material presents another part of this picture. A USAID-supported linguistic profile reported that there were no known commercially available Tausug-language books, newspapers, or magazines at the time of its research, and noted that Tausug was widely used on the Internet. The report therefore documented a contrast between limited commercially available written material and the widespread use of Tausug online.

Learning Bahasa Sug In New Ways

The study conducted in Jolo offers one documented example of a new approach to mother-tongue learning. Researchers worked with 160 toddlers and 160 parents across eight barangays and compared a Bahasa Sug mobile learning application with a traditional teaching method. The results showed a statistically significant difference in favor of the mobile application. The researchers concluded that the application could support mother-tongue development among toddlers and identified it as a potentially useful educational tool.

The importance of the study lies in its practical focus. Rather than treating language preservation only as the documentation of vocabulary, the research examined how children can actively learn Bahasa Sug through a format designed for their contemporary environment. New learning tools can support Bahasa Sug development without replacing the roles of parents, teachers and community speakers.

“New learning tools can support Bahasa Sug development without replacing the roles of parents, teachers and community speakers.”

The study also provides a concrete example from Jolo itself rather than relying on assumptions about how young Tausug people communicate. It shows that language development can be examined through measurable educational outcomes and that new learning tools can form part of that process.

Education And The Next Generation

Education has become particularly relevant following changes to Philippine language policy. Republic Act No. 12027, enacted in October 2024, discontinued the mandatory use of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3. Under the new framework, Filipino and English became the primary media of instruction, while regional languages may be used as auxiliary media. The law still allows mother-tongue instruction in qualifying monolingual classes, provided specific requirements are met. These include an official orthography, documented vocabulary, literature, and culture materials, grammar resources and appropriately trained teachers.

DepEd Order No. 020, issued in 2025, implemented the policy for School Year 2025–2026 and confirmed Filipino and English as the primary media of instruction in Kindergarten to Grade 3, while allowing regional languages to serve as auxiliary media. For Bahasa Sug, these requirements make existing linguistic documentation particularly relevant. Orthographies, vocabulary, literature and teaching resources can help establish the conditions needed for mother-tongue instruction where the requirements are met.

“The law still allows mother-tongue instruction in qualifying monolingual classes, provided specific requirements are met.”

The available evidence therefore presents a more nuanced picture of Bahasa Sug. The language remains widely spoken and is classified as safe, while research from Jolo shows that new learning approaches can support young children's mother-tongue development. The future of Bahasa Sug does not necessarily depend on choosing it over Filipino or English. Sulu communities have long existed within a multilingual environment. The challenge is ensuring that Bahasa Sug continues to have opportunities for transmission, learning, and use as that environment changes. For younger generations, language preservation can therefore be understood not simply as protecting the past, but as maintaining access to a language that remains part of Sulu's living cultural identity.

REFERENCES

KWF Wika at Kultura. (2023, December 5). Tausug. KWF Wika at Kultura. https://kwfwikaatkultura.ph

KWF Wika at Kultura. (2025). Listahan ng mga Katutubong Wika ng Pilipinas. KWF Wika at Kultura. https://kwfwikaatkultura.ph

Glottolog. (2025). Spoken L1 Language: Tausug. Glottolog. https://glottolog.org

International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research. (2023, November). Preserving and nurturing Tausug language: The Bahasa Sug mobile learning application tool for enhancing mother tongue development for toddlers. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research. https://www.ijlter.org

RTI International. (2021, February 14). Characteristics of select Philippine mother tongue languages used in basic education teaching and learning. RTI International. https://ierc-publicfiles.s3.amazonaws.com

Lawphil. (2024, October 10). Republic Act No. 12027. Lawphil. https://lawphil.net

Department of Education. (2025, July 24). DepEd Order No. 020, s. 2025: Policy on the medium of instruction for Kindergarten to Grade 3 effective School Year 2025–2026. Department of Education. https://depedtagbilaran.org