SENATORIAL candidate and broadcaster Ben Tulfo is calling for urgent efforts to preserve and protect the Chavacano language, warning that the Spanish-based creole is at risk of disappearing among younger generations in Zamboanga City and parts of Mindanao.

Tulfo expressed concern over the declining use of Chavacano, particularly among school-age children.

He cited complaints from parents in Zamboanga City, claiming that private schools are reportedly discouraging the use of Chavacano in favor of English, further contributing to its decline.

“I find it insulting when they say that Chavacano is a broken Spanish. No, it is not,” Tulfo said.

“It’s an amalgamation of Spanish and Filipino dialects. It must be preserved. Efforts must be aggressively initiated by the Commission on the Filipino Language to protect the Chavacano language. Otherwise, it will be extinct,” he added.

Chavacano is primarily spoken in Zamboanga City but is also used in parts of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and the Zamboanga Peninsula, as well as in Ternate, Cavite.

Tulfo underscored the need for collaboration among local government units, the Department of Education, and the Commission on the Filipino Language to promote Chavacano in schools and communities.

He also shared a personal connection to the language, recalling how he and his siblings grew up speaking Chavacano and listening to it on the radio.

“When we were kids, still in elementary school, we would listen to announcers and their guests on the radio. Their language was 80 percent Spanish and 20 percent mixed with local dialects. We were captivated by the sound of it,” he said.

“It’s sad that Chavacano is now starting to vanish in the next generation. It’s about time we do something. The action begins now,” Tulfo emphasized.