My Dad’s job with the Philippine National Railways brought us to Sorsogon. I was only three years old when my family migrated to Sorsogon, Sorsogon (Sorsogon City today) from Kamuning, Quezon City. At that age, I only spoke English as was the practice then. When I went to school at the nearby Colegio dela Milagrosa, it was expected that I will learn to speak the local dialect, Sorsoganon. Since my elementary years, I speak Sorsoganon very fluently even if my family went back to Quezon City after ten years in Sorsogon.
Bisakol is the Bicol dialect spoken in Sorsogon and Masbate. It differs from the other Bicol dialects as it has a scattering of Visayan words. It cannot be helped as Sorsogon and Masbate are located at the gateway of the Visayas. My husband will always tease me that my dialect is not Bicol but Visayan. He insisted that his dialect (the one spoken in Naga City and most of Camarines Sur) is the true Bicol dialect.
My grandmother came from Bacon, Sorsogon and her dialect is the same one being spoken in Legaspi City and neighboring towns. Bacon used to be part of Albay. Because I was always in the house of my grandmother then, I began speaking with words from her dialect. Batag and saging both refer to banana and I used them interchangeably.
When I got married to a Bicolano from Naga City, I learned that sugok is egg. Before that, egg is bunay. Kupya is a hat in Camarines Sur while it is called kalo in Sorsogon. A lot of different words referring to a thing but luckily for me I understand them all. My story telling sessions with my grandmother did me good so with my one year stint in Naga City during my Manulife days.
What about you? Do you understand the other versions of the Bicol dialect?
Bicol Express 