Malay Relation with Kapampangan Language and Culture
by Alejandro S. Camiling, CPA with Teresita Z. Camiling, BSE, MA

Some modern-day linguistic researchers and archeologists claim that Filipinos including Kapampangans originated from China via Taiwan. However, based on oral traditions, it is believed that the early Kapampangan settlers along the river banks of the Rio Grande de la Pampanga in the Island of Luzon of the Philippine Archipelago were descendants of Malayan pioneers from the Malay Peninsula and from Singarak Lake of West Sumatra. These Malayan adventurers brought their advanced civilzation, their unique culture, their traditions and a language of their own and founded their dynasty based on the social foundations of freedom and economic prosperity.

The aforementioned belief based on tradition, is strengthened by Juan Francisco de San Antonio's Cronicas de la Apostolica Provincia de S. Gregorio (Manila 1738) and Francisco Colin's Labor Evangelica, Madrid 1663 (Native Races and their Customs) that Pampangos (according to tradition) originated from the largest island of the Orient, which is that of Sumatra or Trapobana.

It was indicated that in the midst of the island of Sumatra there was a large lake, on whose surrounding marge many different peoples had their abodes. A Kapampangan who had lost his way reached that place who was interviewed by Fr. Colin himself, and having discovered that there were men there of his own build, language, and clothing, approached, and entered into conversation with them in his own elegant Kapampangan tongue. They answered him in the same speech, and one of their men said: "You are descendants of the lost people who in former times, left here to settle other lands, and have never been heard of since."

Based on what is written in "The Philippine Islands -1493 - 1898", a 55-volume series English translation from the originals by Emma Blair and James Alexander Robertson in the early 1900s, it is difficult to determine whether the Kapampangans came directrly from Sumatra, or settled first in Borney, because of the nearness of its lands and domains, and thence passed on to settle the islands of this archipelago although it appeared from the statements of some who had been in Borney for a time that they even found there sufficient indications that the Kapampangan people, some came from Sumatra and some from Malayo.

The fact that many islets are lying in a row and near one another, with which Borney is closely connected, there is less difficulty in changing their abodes from one to the other; and it is believable that the Tagalogs,  Kapampangans and other civilized races who were found in this archipelago, and who were almost alike in language, customs, bodily proportions, and clothing, came immediately from Borney, some from some provinces and some from others. This may be the reason for the little difference that is found among these Philippine ethnic groups.

The similarities in ancient customs, clothings, religion, food and languages seem to validate the connection between Malays and Kapampangans. However, over the years, contact with other nationalities made it difficult to preserve the purity of both languages and culture. Bahasa Malay and culture had been influenced by people from China, Portugal, Spain, Great Britain, Netherlands, India and other foreigners.

Kapampangan language and culture just like other Philippine languages and culture were also greatly influenced by Spaniards, Britons, Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Hindus,Arabs and other nationalities. As proof of the similarity of the old Malay and Kapampangan languages, here is a listing of Malay words taken from a standard Bahasa Malay - English Dictionary which are also Kapampangan words with the same meaning:

Malay and Kapampangan Words With Similar Meaning

Facts about the authors:

Andro and Tess Camiling are conscientious students and researchers of Kapampangan history, language and culture. They wrote "The Province of Pampanga and Its People" and other articles including "Spanish Relation with Kapampangan Language and Culture", "President Diosdado P. Macapagal - In Retrospect" and the history of the towns of Apalit, Lubao, Masantol, Mexico, Minalin, San Fernando and Santo Tomas. Andro is a native Kapampangan based in Southern California where he is employed as an accounting/financial director at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and practices his CPA profession as a management and tax consultant. His wife and co-author of this article, the former Teresita Manalansan Zuniga of Lubao, Pampanga, Philippines is a public school teacher in Pasadena, California.