Iloko

Iloko, also spelled Ilocano, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Ilocano people in the Philippines. It is one of the country’s most widely used languages, with most speakers in the Ilocos Region—Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and La Union—and with communities in Central Luzon, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and the Cagayan Valley, as well as a sizable diaspora in Metro Manila and abroad. It is part of the Philippine branch of the Austronesian language family, within the Northern Luzon languages.

There are several dialects, including Central Ilocano (often treated as the standard form), Northern Ilocano, and Southern Ilocano; speakers may differ in pronunciation and vocabulary across provinces. The language is written primarily with the Latin alphabet. Historically, Iloko used scripts such as Baybayin; today most writing and media use standard Latin orthography.

In education, Iloko is used in government, media, and culture, and under the Philippines’ mother tongue-based education policy, it is used as a medium of instruction in elementary schools in areas where it is the dominant local language. Iloko has a rich oral and literary tradition, featuring folk literature, poetry, and songs, and it is used in local media, theater, and everyday communication.

While not an official national language, Iloko holds significant regional status and is widely taught and learned as a first or second language in its core areas.