Last December, a group of Bisaya-speaking Americans behind the “Hey Joe Show”, caught the attention of Filipino netizens after their video singing Tagalog and Bisaya Christmas songs went viral.
Now, Sumner, Connor, Jake, Tylan and Davi are back in the Philippines for a series of fan conferences in malls like Cebu, Davao, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro.
Just recently, the group released a video enumerating the signs that identify one as Pinoy.
The group began making videos in order to promote and increase national pride specifically in the Visayan region where they served as missionaries for two years. During that time, these Americans spent great efforts in order to be fluent in Bisaya.
Currently, the group has a huge following of Filipinos in and out of the country.
“The channel now has a following numbering in the tens of thousands and attracts messages daily of Filipino fans thanking us for helping to provide clean entertainment in their native tongue.”
Harvard alumnus from Canada is fluent in Ilocano dialect
Another foreigner who became popular because of his ability to speak a local dialect is Firth McEachern.
A Canadian citizen who is a graduate of the Ivy league university Harvard, McEachern became well-known in social media after his video conversing in fluent Ilocano was uploaded on Facebook. In the video, McEachern was heard speaking in Ilocano while trying to get a tricycle ride in Walis, Ilocos Norte. Currently, the video has been viewed more than one million times on Facebook.
McEachern began taking interest in Philippine dialects like Ilocano, Kapampangan and Cebuano since he started working in the Philippines in 2010.
“In my own personal capacity, I will continue to learn the native tongue of the communities that I live in, based on respect, friendship, and intellectual development,” he said.