Faddish

Filipino culture as it pertains to the indigenous language is highly aural-oral. It's not just Tagalog, as there are regional and local languages, as well. English as fizzy faddish words is part of the common code-switching of the masses, whilst Spanish loanwords sit in feeling at home in the stew. It's a linguistic hodgepodge. Most just enjoy long hours of chitchat or watching television, videos, or cinema commonly in the indigenous language. English sounds and text don't really appeal to the masses, but English is a hesitantly established piece of furniture, useful for understanding the outside world. Filipinos generally are not known as avid readers, except for elite people maybe entrenched in the margins of the Anglosphere. Literature in the indigenous language is still relatively scarce.

The layman could have been forgiven for wondering if it was not just a faddish change from old-fashioned steam to cleaner, vaguely faster and more fashionable electric traction.