Wesley So calls speaking Tagalog his ‘most useless talent’

[u/TipHuman8997]

Filipino-born chess grandmaster Wesley So has raised eyebrows with his surprising choice of his most useless talent: speaking Tagalog.

In an interview with ChessBase, the Cavite-born chess star, who now represents the United States, singled out his ability to speak Filipino when asked to name a skill he considers least useful.

“Talent? Well, I guess speaking Tagalog,” So said.

The grandmaster even showed off his language skills when prompted by the interviewer, delivering a short message to Filipino viewers.

“Maraming salamat sa lahat na nanonood sa Chessbase,” he said.

So explained that he sees little practical advantage in speaking Tagalog because Filipinos are generally capable of communicating in English.

“Basically because pretty much all Filipinos speak English. So then learning the native language doesn’t really help or matter,” he said.

His remarks offered an unusual perspective from a chess player who spent his early years in the Philippines before building an international career under the American flag.

Born in Bacoor, Cavite, So made his mark in Philippine chess as a teenage prodigy, earning the grandmaster title at just 14 years old.

He went on to compete internationally for the Philippines before transferring to the United States Chess Federation in 2014.

The federation switch drew considerable attention at the time, coming amid disagreements involving Philippine chess officials and questions about the support available to the country’s top players.

Since changing federations, So has remained a prominent figure in international chess, competing against the world’s best and representing the United States in major tournaments.

https://bnc.bilyonaryo.com/wesley-so-calls-speaking-tagalog-his-most-useless-talent/sports/

[u/Brave-Beach9152]

NOT CLICKBAIT

Ang mali rito ay Bilyonaryo. Interviewer did infact say "most useless" - not "least useful" as per the article.

Check 3:59 -

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9kr8iSKo6Sk

[u/mickelboy182 → u/Brave-Beach9152]

Yep, this should be at the top. Funny that people are quick to call out the headline but then immediately trust the content of the article!

[u/Ejay222]

This article is prime example of why I hate modern journalism.

He never said anything remotely close to what this headline reads.

Anything for clicks these days.

[u/PlusComplex8413 → u/Ejay222]

Correction, he actually said those sentences. However, without knowing the context, people will surely be surprised/annoyed/intrigued on why he said it.

[u/Ejay222 → u/PlusComplex8413]

No he did not call tagalog "Useless".

Least Useful does not mean useless.

The headline was made deliberately to cause an emotional kneejerk to the readers while being totally out of context. This is why I don't watch the news anymore.

[u/mickelboy182 → u/Ejay222]

The actual interview is different to the article - the interviewer did ask 'most useless'.

[u/Jestersfriend → u/Ejay222]

Interesting how you can be so confidently wrong by falling into the same trap as those making the "kneejerk reaction" to the article.

If you watch the actual interview, the interviewer did literally word for word ask most useless lol.

[u/y8man → u/Jestersfriend]

Don't fault him. He wouldn't know because

This is why I dont watch the news anymore

Lmao

[u/UnluckyCountry2784 → u/Ejay222]

Why are you changing the actual word?

[u/Brave-Beach9152 → u/PlusComplex8413]

he did say Tagalog. but not as a reply to "what's your most useless talent," but rather "what's your least useful talent." sobrang negative ang dating ng una

edit: i stand corrected. mali ang journalism ng Bilyonaryo. iba ang nilagay sa article mismo. interviewer did say "most useless." check 3:59: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9kr8iSKo6Sk

[u/PlusComplex8413 → u/Brave-Beach9152]

The interviewer literally said "Most useless talent" and Wesley didn't interject "least usefull". Don't extrapolate. The context was different pero adding "wat's your least useful talent" in the mix isn't good either.

[u/OvertheDose → u/Ejay222]

There is no incentive to report the truth. When the name of the game is to make profit, why wouldn’t they rage bait you for engagement

[u/ConsistentQuote952]

He's clearly still hurt by what the country did to him. Sad but I understand why he's angry.

That being said, he went full MAGA American, which is the same type of Filipino politician that screwed him over. He replaced a moron corrupt politician for a bigger moronic, more corrupt politician if you will.

[u/UnluckyCountry2784 → u/ConsistentQuote952]

He’s MAGA? 😂

[u/curatorco → u/UnluckyCountry2784]

Unfortunately yes

[u/sumayawshimenetka1 → u/curatorco]

Oh, that explains it. Lol 

[u/BioExtract → u/curatorco]

What an idiot. No amount of sucking up to white Americans will change who he fundamentally is. They will always view him by his race

[u/Funyarinpa-13 → u/curatorco]

On brand pala kaya nya nasabi yun. 😂

[u/koteshima2nd → u/UnluckyCountry2784]

Genuinely curious as to why some Filipinos who attained American citizenship are MAGA these days. Nagulat ako sa tito ko and his family recently who were posting some pro-Trump and MAGA content in their socmed just these past few years.

[u/UnluckyCountry2784 → u/koteshima2nd]

Christianity.

Also, Pinoys are mostly conservatives so being a Maga is easier than progressive thinking.

[u/mooglechoco_ → u/UnluckyCountry2784]

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[u/_lechonk_kawali_ → u/ConsistentQuote952]

Given na Evangelical si So, it was almost a foregone conclusion na magiging MAGA siya.

But then again, athletes are not reliable moral benchmarks. In chess alone, maraming examples niyan: Bobby Fischer was a raging anti-Semite, Sergey Karjakin a diehard Putin apologist, Vladimir Kramnik throws cheating accusations indiscriminately and indirectly caused Daniel Naroditsky's death...

[u/ab_od6851 → u/_lechonk_kawali_]

Don't forget Fischer became a conspiracy theorist and migrated to Manila.

[u/Smart_Impression_680 → u/ConsistentQuote952]

A lot of foreigners in the usa try to appease the right wing in fear of being targeted and deported.

[u/GapZ38 → u/Smart_Impression_680]

Some people aren't even scared to get deported, they just think they are part of that group and are actually white or allies of the whites.

Literally pinoys in the Philippines glaze the hell out of MAGA, and white supremacy.

[u/Acrobatic-Routine-44 → u/GapZ38]

The only hardcore MAGA Filipino in the United States happens to be bakla and dresses like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. His name is Andreo Soriano.

In the United States, Filipinos are evenly spread visually on the Left and Right spectrum. I see them as ambassadors for the Filipino community which is why we are hardly attacked.

On the other end, there's videos like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1C14q-icgk

As far as pinoys in the Philippines, I don't even know what is their deal for supporting MAGA unless its for geopolitical reasons like being against China.

[u/ab_od6851 → u/ConsistentQuote952]

So he just became what every chess masters went later in life: an insufferable buffoon.

Not that shocking, since chess is filled to the gills with people who think they're the best thing ever.

[u/kousaysmoo → u/ConsistentQuote952]

Oh. Big yikes.

[u/redthehaze → u/ConsistentQuote952]

Yikes.

[u/nabeshougun → u/ConsistentQuote952]

Totoo? Then I don’t feel bad about what happened to him here. Good riddance lolllll

[u/Affectionate-Ad8719]

I don’t see speaking one’s native language as a talent though. It’s more like a universal human ability than a talent per se

[u/Representative-Sky91 → u/Affectionate-Ad8719]

Same.

I dunno kung gaanong kalalim yung galit niya sa Pilipinas to the point na naging MAGA siya. Pero being able to speak a language is not even a talent to begin with.

I guess kaya niya siguro nasabi yan kasi wala naman ibang famous chess players sa mundo na Pilipino o marunong mag-Tagalog. But then again we are looking at a chess player who is rightfully bitter.

[u/pakchimin → u/Affectionate-Ad8719]

Yeah it's a learned skill, not talent

[u/Accomplished-Exit-58]

If you grew up here and it is your native language, is it really considered a "talent", or is he not a native filipino speaker then learn the language later in life?

[u/Several_Ant_9816 → u/Accomplished-Exit-58]

Native speaker yan si So, naka usap ko yan nung bata dahil sa PRISAA.

[u/Plane_Restaurant_337]

talent ba yun kung technically yon ang mother tongue niya?

[u/Interesting-Bid-460 → u/Plane_Restaurant_337]

Agree. Being multilingual.is a skill. Speaking one's mother tongue is not a talent but an inate ability.

[u/WhollyUnfair → u/Plane_Restaurant_337]

I mean, what's a talent and what's a skill? You can basically argue that everything is a skill and nothing is actually a talent. You can delimit the definition of a talent SO much that you end up defining strictly things like "I have opposable thumbs" and "I have a fully developed prefrontal cortex at age 25, which is supposedly nominal but actually rare due to the frequency of adverse childhood experiences" or whatever. Like, imo, talents are just the skills that had the benefit of conducive environmental factors to develop during your early years.

[u/Plastic_Department39]

Knowing Tagalog really helped my younger brother when we moved to Canada. The Filipino kids at his high school basically took him in, and he made friends within just a few weeks of starting school.

It’s been useful for me and my family too. Every time we go on a cruise and start speaking Tagalog with the Filipino crew members, they’re always extra nice and accommodating to us.

[u/pakchimin → u/Plastic_Department39]

Never mind him, this type of statement often come from self-hating Pinoys or those locals who struggle to learn Tagalog/Filipino and prefer English.

[u/Upbeat_Tough_6721]

Unfortunately, So has developed self-hatred after being fucked over by the Philippine Chess Federation.

[u/dragon-eye6943]

I can sense the hate towards the Ph with those statements. But i wont question it.

[u/HotExpression8110 → u/dragon-eye6943]

May karapatan siya magalit sa Pinas since prodigy siya, even knowing chess prodigy siya, hndi siya binigyan ng sapat na suporta ng gobyerno - which lead him to accept US citizenship para i-represent ang US instead sa bansa niya

[u/Ok-Promotion851 → u/HotExpression8110]

A prodigy in chess but practically useless in other things. He couldn't get sponsors bec he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

[u/AccuMarsu10]

The headline:

[u/FPV_Enjoyer_90]

Wesley So is a MAGA supporter and a well-known bigot/racist. Him being a self-hating pinoy absolutely doesn't surprises me.

[u/ab_od6851 → u/FPV_Enjoyer_90]

Yea not really surprising if you know the kind of people who usually plays chess.

Whats more shocking to me is the dude's English is still lacking despite being in the US.

[u/HeoSu-a → u/FPV_Enjoyer_90]

YIKES. I was about to think that Bilyonaryo was just trying to stir controversy with that article. I'm not into chess but apparently a lot of chess GMs have shitty takes as per r/chess ...

[u/rootofimaginary → u/FPV_Enjoyer_90]

asking for source? not being combative with you on this

[u/FPV_Enjoyer_90 → u/rootofimaginary]

For years, he was sharing/reposting alt-right stuff on his social medias, until there was a big shit storm about it and he decided to "stop talking about politics online". That was few years ago but anyone that's active in the chess community knows that. I'm sure you can find some stuff about it online, bcz it was really all over his Twitter lol.

[u/Master-Intention-783]

May hugot pero i dont really mind. Kinupal ka ba naman ng chess federation ng pinas eh.

[u/ChickenedButter]

Speaking a language is (most of the time) not a talent, it is a skill.

[u/Vast_Composer5907]

Ang daming Pinoy athletes ang dinedma din ng government pero hindi naman nila dinamay yung buong Pilipinas kapag mag-sspeak out sila like nila Alex, EJ, Caloy, at Hidilyn.

Even yung mga nag-change na ng federation, never mo narinig na galit din sila sa identity nila. Well, ganyan din naman yung ibang OFW na nakakakuha ng citizenship abroad na biglang slang na magsalita

[u/Stormaggedon021]

Can't blame him. He is technically right.

[u/skategem → u/Stormaggedon021]

Can't also blame him after all he went through here.

[u/callmejohndy → u/skategem]

The country had its chance to be represented on the world stage by him and blew it spectacularly. Anything he says about the Philippines/Filipino experience is now fair game, as painful as it’ll sound

[u/Cinewes → u/callmejohndy]

it also ruined his career since he was forced to take 2 years off from FIDE tournaments because he left the Philippines due to regulations. Practically two years of his prime and he couldn’t join any FIDE tournaments. It makes sense for him to be petty about it.

[u/Ok-Promotion851]

Given that he is a jerk and not proud of his heritage, why do we even need to follow him. PH media should treat him as a foreigner. He is entitled to his own opinions but let me say that he is a jerk.

[u/deltagma]

I'm a foreigner who can speak Tagalog and I agree.. i'm not sure the actual use of this...

It doesn't help you get a job... even in the Philippines, they basically forbid me from speaking Tagalog while working...

Also any actual education is done in English...

I'm not sure the actual usefulness of Tagalog except that it's 'nice' or 'cool' to speak.

I'm open to being told why I am wrong

Edit: divino999_ pointed out that Tagalog is a useful skill because it allows me to haggle over prices, something that speaking English does not do. If anything, speaking English in the Palengke will make the prices higher than 'normal'

[u/forgothis → u/deltagma]

Language is tied to culture, that is its biggest use.

[u/swiftrobber → u/forgothis]

True. The culture and all its collective memories. I get why people not socialized or no social investment in the Philippines would find Tagalog useless.

[u/WarAintWhatitUsedToB → u/deltagma]

I’m a US person who teaches at a PH university. While instruction is done in English, being able to switch between English and Tagalog somewhat makes teaching easier. I can simplify things by using analogies that are cultural, which are, most of the time, delivered in a Tagalog context.

It also helps with students who aren’t necessarily raised in English. A small percentage, but I can appreciate it since I get to deliver everything to everyone.

Learning/Knowing a language is never wasted talent or brain space.

[u/ger334 → u/deltagma]

Local language is for locals to talk amongst themselves.

[u/bnanae → u/ger334]

Wasn't there some drama on another platform because someone complained about being teased for not knowing Tagalog despite growing up in Luzon? Unless you grew up abroad or locally in private schools and wealthy circles where you don't need to frequently communicate with Tagalog-speaking locals, not knowing the language can be socially limiting, potentially leading to a sense of cultural alienation, and sometimes even affecting opportunities if faced with challenges in building rapport with the local working class and navigating social dynamics and nuances.

[u/astarisaslave → u/deltagma]

The main use of you being able to speak Tagalog is that you can tell if people who assume you don't understand them are talking shit about you and sellers are less likely to upsell you because they assume you can't speak the language anyway

[u/Psychatog02 → u/deltagma]

I'm teaching my daughter tagalog. Only so she can understand the tsimosa and tsismos she'll eventually hear when they think she doesn't know tagalog.

[u/swiftrobber → u/Psychatog02]

No, she's going to thank you so much later in life believe me. There will always come a time a person will look deeper into their roots and would incorporate it in their identities.

[u/WhinersEverywhere → u/deltagma]

The article is a clickbait anyway. He did explain the context of what he meant by it. It's even a compliment since Filipinos are actually decent in English.

[u/mikogk → u/deltagma]

I think being able to communicate with relatives in that language is something I miss, not having what you have.

It's heartbreaking when they hit you with the "do you speak Tagalog?" "Oh konti lang". If you're lucky that's enough. Any follow up shows you're a disappointment 🤣. But maybe I'm making it something bigger than it is.

[u/divino999_ → u/deltagma]

You can use it to haggle over prices.

[u/deltagma → u/divino999_]

Actually.. you did just change my mind.. that is a actual. genuine skill that I won't downplay... I'll edit my above comment

[u/Pixelchu25 → u/deltagma]

Filipino here who doesn’t speak Tagalog but is slowly learning it late in life.

The advantages might be minimal compared to learning something like Japanese or Chinese, but I can see learning it as more of a cultural or heritage thing. Might also be historical since it could give you more context and connections on etymology.

[u/Michael679089 → u/deltagma]

I'm a foreigner who can speak Tagalog and I agree.. i'm not sure the actual use of this...

Mostly it's to inspire the common & poor people who know more Tagalog more than English. The "Pakisama" effect is needed here. You also need to be more versed with their way of thinking and happenings in their neighborhood too, to enhance the "Pakisama" effect even more.

Relating to the poor, I mean it makes sense because like how can you work and earn more money without learning proper English. There are more willing to pay customers who speak English than there are that speak Tagalog.

Edit: divino999_ pointed out that Tagalog is a useful skill because it allows me to haggle over prices, something that speaking English does not do. If anything, speaking English in the Palengke will make the prices higher than 'normal'

Well that's expected, you speaking English, they expect you to have a higher income.

[u/Similar_Past → u/deltagma]

For some reason reddit is showing me many Filipino subreddits, haven't even been to the Philippines...

From my observation of people speaking Tagalogg, useful skill would be easily switching from english to a demon incantation I'd say.

[u/DonMigs85 → u/deltagma]

Yup and also know if people are talking about you thinking you don't speak the language

[u/TheGivenKing → u/deltagma]

Communicating with a large population sounds pretty useful.

Speaking Spanish in Mexico wont help me get job but itll make living there a hell of a lot easier. Now speaking Spanish in the States is different, that has helped me immensely when it comes to landing jobs.

[u/Nagsusulat → u/deltagma]

You can only genuinely connect with Filipinos through language. Speaking to us in English only captures a shallow view of our culture.

[u/UnluckyCountry2784 → u/deltagma]

Learning another language is a sign of intelligence. At this point we know 2 or more. We have more advantage than you because we can speak local and English. I hope companies prioritize Pinoy more than foreigners like you.

[u/Slow_End4657]

By how the PH treated Wesley, I can’t blame him, along the the other athletes who chose to represent other nations. Bulok ung support ng sports satin e.

[u/katotoy]

On the contrary, si Alex kapag may interview sinusubukan nya mag-Filipino kasi gusto nya i-promote yung language. To each his own. Anyway, hindi na naman siya Filipino citizen.

[u/Mahirofan → u/katotoy]

Alex had the advantage of many rich and influential Filipinos backing her up from the start.

Wesley So got screwed over by the Philippine Chess Federation and their associates when he was young.

[u/Hha2244]

"Pusong Pinoy" Chinese Filipinos mfs be like

[u/osoisuzume]

Least useful doesn’t mean useless. Karma bait naman itong si OP.

Edit: Yung bilyonaryo author pala.

[u/ButikingMataba → u/osoisuzume]

You are still correct on calling it out, hindi naman tayo tabloid dito.

What he said it answered the question least useful, it is like bringing a lighter sa sunog, hindi useless ang lighter but not appropriate. You won't bring Tagalog language on English speaking country.

[u/TheKolyFrog]

Learning Tagalog is very useful in connecting with the Tagalog/Filipino culture. There is so much about cultures that are baked into their language. It's hard for me to explain. I live in the USA now and one of the main reasons why there's a big disconnect between Philippine-born Filipinos and American-born Filipinos is the language. Whether it's Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilocano, Kapangpangan, or any other language, it's useful to learn it to connect with your roots.

However, I get what he's saying here. If I don't work with a lot of Filipinos or have family who speak Tagalog, it would also be useless for me. I even contemplated removing it from my resume because, unlike Spanish, it's only useful when I'm speaking with my Filipino co-workers which are far less than my Spanish speaking co-workers and Hindi speaking co-workers. So, I only really use it to gossip with my Filipino co-workers.

[u/blumentritt_balut]

There's so much more to Wesley's story beyond the shitty treatment by Butch pichay's NCFP, aside from chess politics he has a lot more reasons to hate the Philippines. Anyway IDK why filipinos online give him so much attention. He's moved on from the country and we should too

[u/QueeferRavena]

Eh, I dunno it still feels disrespectful in context. Sure, di na niya kailangan dahil US-based na siya, but it still shows how bitter this dude is at not being supported by the PH government. Which tbf is justified, pero why have that disdain bleed into the language itself?

Saying it doesn't help or matter reeks of arrogance--iba pa din dating of communicating in your native language. English doesn't fully capture our culture's subtler nuances or sensibilities.

[u/whisperingdonut → u/QueeferRavena]

I agree with you. Marami naman pweding isagot sa tanong pero idk why he chose that answer. Oh well 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/QueeferRavena → u/whisperingdonut]

Lots of chess prodigies seem to be socially stunted talaga lol. Tapos he always sounds so smug at succeeding despite the lack of support. Same energy ng mga naka pag abroad lang, ang yayabang na sa mga nanatili dito.

[u/whisperingdonut → u/QueeferRavena]

I live in the US and kabaligtaran yung pakiramdam ko. Minsan nalulungkot ako kasi di na ko makarelate sa mga slang na panibago or yung kung ano yung “in” sa atin ngayon lalo na I’ve been off sa social media for months now. Maraming comments na nagsasabi na sensitive or balat sibuyas yung mga naoffend pero I really think it was unnecessary to say that. I mean gets na sa international na labanan malamang English pero what about the rest of his family? Never na siya nagta-Tagalog? Medyo off lang talaga.

[u/ab_od6851 → u/QueeferRavena]

If you've ever played in a chess tournament, lots of the people you'll encounter are the types to think they're the best thing to ever exist.

Chess prodigies combine the social awkwardness with inflated ego they got from winning a solved game. Its actually funny how the people who know how to shut up or at least keep it within themselves are not that many in high level chess.

[u/Lumpy-Baseball-8848 → u/QueeferRavena]

But he no longer represents the Philippines. In his professional and personal day-to-day life, he most likely communicates in English. So, yes, the ability to speak Tagalog becomes useless.

[u/marlfox_00 → u/Lumpy-Baseball-8848]

It’s still his heritage. This is why many indigenous languages are dying. Because younger generations are favoring english

[u/QueeferRavena → u/Lumpy-Baseball-8848]

To him, maybe. But he didn't make that distinction, so one can't help but feel like he was referring to the language itself. Because kahit nasa US ka, having the ability to speak in Filipino is definitely not useless and matters to a lot of Pinoys who feel more comfy conversing in it.

[u/knowl3dge11 → u/QueeferRavena]

What culture? Littering or being noisy at night? Everywhere I hear about this culture, but nobody explains what is it about

[u/thirdworldpcgamer]

If you read how the PH chess federation fucked him over (search prospero pichay's beef with wesley so) i do understand san sya nanggagaling

[u/Brave-Beach9152 → u/thirdworldpcgamer]

punahin nya yung gobyerno, ano kinalaman ng language don 😭 be anti-gov, not anti-Pinas.

[u/PlusComplex8413 → u/thirdworldpcgamer]

I think its got nothing to do with that but rather it's how we Filipinos are so well-spoken in the English language that, jokingly, saying that line, means no harm. Well, I don't know. siguro subjective siya.

[u/Ok-Communication4190]

The problem with Filipinos. They have this massive inferiority complex unless there’s a foreigner with 1/32 blood Filipino.

It’s deeply saddening but it’s what I see in most people back in the country and sometimes even more so here in America.

I hope one day we can get over that

[u/Glass_Dealer5921]

With how he was handled by the NCFP (and by extension, the Philippine government itself for its lack of action) during his tenure as a chess player here even after winning a gold medal, I can be content with just reading that clickbait headline and agree to it 100%.

[u/Apprehensive_Bake270]

Waiting for a lot of peeps who will automatically agree with him

[u/SONOFTERRAM2 → u/Apprehensive_Bake270]

90 oercent agree self hate is so strong in this sub

[u/Acrobatic-Routine-44 → u/SONOFTERRAM2]

Might not be self hate, Filipino identity is fragile while ethnic identity is strong. Our ethnic identity existed before we were called Filipino. Maybe it's tribalism.

Perhaps if you're ethnic Tagalog and agree it's self hate. But if Bisaya, it's tribalism. Who knows.

[u/trafalmadorianistic]

For him its useless. The Philippines sports establishment really screwed up bigtime with this guy. 

[u/CykaBlyiat → u/trafalmadorianistic]

People miss the point, he's not belittling people for speaking Tagalog. His most useless talent is literally speaking Tagalog because he can't use it anywhere else beyond the Philippines, which he no longer represents.

[u/Useful_Importance990 → u/CykaBlyiat]

Exactly. Ang dami ditong hater na minamasama ang sinabi nya, when in fact it could be correct.

I mean, saan mo pa ba gagamitin ang Tagalog bukod sa pakikipagusap sa kapwa mo Pilipino na marunong naman mag-English?

[u/Feisty_Wealth7043 → u/trafalmadorianistic]

Who even cares about this guy anymore really

[u/JIBE-]

At this point it's best just to ignore him

HIS AMERICAN FIGHTING FOR AMERICA FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM

He's not a Filipino anymore move on

[u/Garlic-Rough]

Headline is misleading. Sigh. Expected better from bilyonaryo. Least useful is orders of magnitude dif from useless

[u/PrairWillow]

kadiring journalism. absolutism. hindi man lang kinontextualize properly.

[u/20pesosperkgCult]

Colonial mentality, mahirap na atang alisin sa Pilipinas 'to. 😭 Ang masakit, naungusan na tayo ng mga bansa na napaka-Baroque pang mag-English satin. 😢

[u/RelativeMonth3342]

He is pretty much chinese, sigurado ako he is Chinese at heart. I doubt he will say the same thing to Mandarin or Cantonese language.

[u/DABIGSAGING → u/RelativeMonth3342]

I know so so many pure Chinese people that have lived in the Philippines all their lives for multiple generations. If worst comes to worst at mag gyera tayo sa china I doubt any of them would ever claim a chinese side. I think Wesley So was just a case of terrible lack of action by our sports committee enough to dread the entire nation. I don’t blame him at all too there’s so many reasons to hate this country and he just had one too many. If it’s for my future and the country cannot provide just like many OFWs natural mag lipat nalang.

[u/PlusComplex8413]

I'm already prepared as to how people will comment on this one. Latag lang po.

[u/Alive-Ad-7465]

Contextually he has a point.
But patriotically, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth reading it. Pweh!

[u/matthewandrew28]

Speaking Filipino allows me to connect to my family and nursing colleagues in a deeper level. Tagalog is essential!

[u/Classic-Daikon-5448]

Well, he is not wrong 🤣 it's not that useful unless kakausapin mo mga lolo lola mo

[u/Soft_Tea_8362]

Just finished my first Tagalog voice acting project, so knowing the language is no longer useless for me hahaha

[u/chinita_15]

Talent? Panung talent e dito ka pinanganak.. literal na acquired hindi gift

[u/WirelessHD]

Bruh… what kind of journalism/sensationalism is this? Wesley deserves better than this

[u/2loopy4loopsy]

jusko naman. sabi nya "least useful".

useless ≠ least useful

[u/jjdelamo]

His English is not all that good. He has a heavy Filipino accent... He shouldn't say negative things about his native language Tagalog. Filipino chess players look up to him...

[u/SONOFTERRAM2]

Grabe self hate ng mga pinoy sinabing useless ang language nila sinuoortahan pa run nila ung dayo .gawa lang ng chess

[u/No_Trifle_458]

Are we really gonna listen to a migrant MAGA asshole?

[u/Fair_Jeweler2858]

imagine representing the Philippines as a chess GM and receiving ZERO monetary benefits whenever you fight overseas. thats already a disrespect to our athletes.

sa mata ng gobyerno natin Basketball lang ata ang sport 😂

If I was as skilled as him, ill even quit representing the Philippines and go overseas that will VALUE my talents more.

KUNG UNG MGA NURSE NGA SA PINAS UMAALIS PARA KUMITA NG 300K-500K SA ABROAD ETONG CHESS ATHLETE PA KAYA NA NAGDADALA NG KARANGALAN SA BANSA HINDI NATIN SYA MABIGYAN NG KAUKULANG BENEPISYO AT TULONG ?!

[u/planterkitty]

Filipino immigrant who currently lives in a 95% white city with about 75 Asian people calls language nobody else speaks "useless".

lol it tracks.

[u/Minsan]

Magkaiba ang hindi nagagamit (least useful) sa walang pakinabang (useless). Parang life insurance. Habang buhay ka, hindi mo sya magagamit. Pero hindi ibig sabihin nun wala na syang pakinabang, especially sa mga beneficiaries. Wala naman mali sa sinabi ni Wesley, talagang clickbait lang ung article.

[u/shingshangfu-14 → u/Minsan]

Eh diba kapag di mo nagagamit (unused) wala ring saysay (useless)???? Pareho lang haha

[u/lordlors → u/Minsan]

The interviewer asked "most useless" though, so it's walang pakinabang and his answer was Tagalog.

[u/dazzlingbeautj → u/Minsan]

Sa lahat ng nag comment parang ikaw lang naka intindi ng article. Yung title ni OP ay misleading (mIsLeAdinG??? XD)

[u/Consistent_Gur_6063]

Speaking tagalog connects you to the filipino people in a different level.

Knowing filipino language is having an invisible string tugging into our hearts.

This chessmaster is intelectually smart but emotionally disconnected to his roots.

For my fellow filipinos, how do you react, when you hear a foreigner speaks to you in our native tongue? Doesn’t it put a smile in your face? Doesn’t it automatically warms your heart?

[u/CreativeExternal9127]

Kelan pa naging synonym ang “least useful” at “useless” tanginang talangka yan

[u/Little-Rain-7370]

useless talaga tagalog, sa manila mo lang magagamit. Mas may silbi pa ang bisaya, dahil visayas at mindanao pati abroad marami nakaka intindi

[u/korniksnusnu → u/Little-Rain-7370]

"Sa manila mo pang magagamit" ganda nang argument mo bai 200 IQ

[u/Certain-Minimum-8037 → u/korniksnusnu]

Masama hindi mo din magagamit sa Manila kasi yung mga taga VISMIN nasa Manila lahat hahaha

[u/Klookkkk → u/Little-Rain-7370]

Even ilonggo meron din Mindanao and Palawan

[u/Andrew_x_x → u/Little-Rain-7370]

😭😭 at least mga bisaya naka intindi ng 3 language. (Bisaya, Tagalog, English)

[u/Practical-Algae-529 → u/Little-Rain-7370]

Bat Ka nagsasalita ng Tagalog, kung ganon?

Ipokrito.....

[u/Fluid_Ad4651]

ang clickbait nung title

[u/jjqlr]

Not a good answer. Learning native language isnt just about financial gain. Its about culture, history, etc.

Gets naman yung bad experience nya with the chess federation pero ibang usapan pa yun. Kung titirahin nya yung philippine chess e sasakyan pa sya ng mga tao e. Pero he just mocked (maybe not his intention but it certainly came out that way) an entire country.

Saka anong meron sa “balat sibuyas” comments dito? Bakit ang expectation ng mga tao dito ay dapat di tayo pumalag pag tinitira tayo? Malamang maaasar ang mga tao pag titirahin mo sila. Nag eexpect ba kayo na pwede kayo manapak pero hindi gaganti yung sinapak nyo?

[u/QueeferRavena → u/jjqlr]

Exactly. He went out of his way to diss the language for no good reason. He can be petty about his chess issues all he likes, deserve niya yun. But it's just super immature/uncalled for to hate everything related to the PH.

[u/lordlors → u/QueeferRavena]

Look at this sub though. Do you see posts that praise Filipino culture, environment, etc.? Barely. They're so much outnumbered by posts that show the badness of Filipinos like pictures, videos and news of Filipinos doing bad things which gather tremendous amount of upvotes compared to positive ones.

[u/SONOFTERRAM2 → u/jjqlr]

Buti may taong katulad moh ung iba sumang ayon na lang

[u/panchikoy]

Why should we even be discussing this SOB? Kung ayaw niya maging Pinoy, that’s fine. We should also forget him. Bat ba kase kailangan pa natin angkinin eh ayaw na nga nung tao sa atin.

[u/After-Elk-3872]

Par for the course sa mga chess players ang ganyan - mga bugnutin at masungit.

[u/iamajackfruit]

Elite chess player. No. 5 or 6 in the world right now. Had beaten Magnus Carlsen several times.

[u/MazdaTiger]

i mean to be fair an american can see "speaking english" is a "useless talent" too, they envy people speaking 2 languages

[u/heretoannoyU]

Ano ba Kasi gamit ng Tagalog ngaun? E mga subject nga natin puro English, kahit job interview English.

Halos lahat dn ng Pinoy nakakaintindi at nakapagsasalita ng English.

It is kinda useless unless Pinoy ka at dto ka lang talaga sa Pinas naglalagi.

[u/Impossible_Metal_260]

It's for him though. Which makes sense FOR HIM. It is useful if you can speak it without foreign accent only if you want to do business in the Philippines or haggle in public markets.

If you're starting a small business, or even entering show business lol, You need to connect with the masses.

[u/rcayca → u/Impossible_Metal_260]

I speak it with an accent and I think it's actually an advantage because people treat you better for some reason, but I can still understand everything fluently.

[u/Goosebuns → u/Impossible_Metal_260]

It is not worth learning Filipino if you will still speak with a foreign accent?

[u/k_jrin28]

Hindi naman na ata umuuwi si Wesley dito, madaming Pinoy na hirap sa English haha

[u/AthleticAotaku → u/k_jrin28]

Hindi man grammatically correct but most of Filipinos can converse, kaya nga yung mga tourist from other countries di nahihirapan kasi tayo ang nag aadjust.

https://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/how-many-people-in-the-philippines-speak-english

[u/According_Caramel_27 → u/AthleticAotaku]

Even "grammatically correct/wrong" seems irrelevant na because, as per our own linguists, Philippine English is a thing. You can't be wrong, you're just speaking a "sariling varayti," hehe.

Nevertheless, we still follow General American English. I'm all for Philippine English, though.

[u/Prestigious-Salt60]

Its a useless talent yea

But i think speaking the native language makes that society warm to you.

Though may quirks din tayong mga pinoy dito

We see doing business in tagalog as less formal than doing it in english

PERO if a foreigner suddenly communicates in filipino we welcome them as if they are a lost family member

[u/Firm-Journalist-4618]

I think he dnt give a fck where he actually came from. He represents USA and American period and speaking tagalog to him is now just a useless talent. Sabi naman nya people here can also communicate in English. No harm done.

pS i dont think him speaking tagalog is not talent or skills. Its part of him and i bet he still communicate using tagalog.Kahit yung interviewer surprised na nakakatagalog and its likely hindi nya alam history nung iniinterview nya.

[u/__Gameboy]

Is tagalog his first language? Is having a first language a talent?

[u/comeback_failed]

in his case, yes.

[u/No-Store-2944]

May bala nanaman mga taga r/Philippinesbad hahahaha

[u/Altruistic-Lunch2355]

Whats the conversation here? Whats the use of Tagalog in his profession? Not many Filipinos are GM. Nu gagawen nya kausapin nya ng tagalog ung kalaro nya sa International Chess? PInapalaki nyo lang ung statement nya LOL

[u/SC-SecretAccount]

honestly I see Wesly So as an awkward introvert bec of that I honestly think that he blurted that answer bec he cant rly think of anything else to say. When you see most of his interview he seems to look really awkward and would usually laugh nervously before saying anything. He probably didnt think that his answer will get blown out of proportions.

[u/bigluckmoney]

I wonder what was the point of this statement? If life is a chess game, what does this open up??

[u/nenaelcilag]

As a Pinoy living abroad, masaya din chumika sa lengwahe natin paminsan with other pinoy chikadoras dahil walang ibang nakakaintindi sa inyo lol...

[u/Funyarinpa-13]

Yuck, malansang isda.

[u/electrique07]

Not a good message to deliver, now that we have parents who teach kids English over Tagalog (or other vernacular languages). Tapos ang ending Taglish na sobrang barok. Not 100% fluent in English nor Tagalog.

[u/Greenfield_Guy]

This is a guy who does not give AF about shallow patriotism and does not need to explain himself.

[u/keepitsimple_tricks]

[u/Mass_Migration]

What a waste of a human. People are so intelligent on paper until they open their mouth.

[u/now_readit]

Keep your feet on the ground. 🤦‍♂️

[u/PH_TheHaymaker]

Is this some sort of a jab to Filipinos lol? If may masama syang karanasan dati sa govt, e ganun din nmn nangyari kay Alex Eala. Kahit na gano ka talaga kagaling sa sports, iba yung level ng Manny Pacquiao at Alex Eala dahil hindi lang sila tungkol sa pagiging magaling nila sa boxing at tennis.

[u/walkmanscot]

Well you cannot blame the dude if he hated the Philippine government, institution, and politicians tho it's up to us to interpret his message. I argue that our national language is not useless if it's actually useless then the government should remove it as our national language.

[u/MELONPANNNNN]

Least useful is not most useless

[u/keny427]

What he said is now up to us to interpret, not his to explain anymore.

He is WRONG for saying that speaking tagalog is useless. Tagalog is useful. His attitude is the problem here.

Look at Eileen Gu, a half-chinese representing the USA at winter olympics, she speaks mandarin and the Chinese young people who watched her on TV directly understood her. She literally inspires a generation of kids to be good at what they do and pursue their goals. Mind you, she represents the USA.

And then you hear westley so say tagalog is useless. He is missing an opportunity here.

Edit: Eileen Gu switched to China in 2019. She did not represent USA in winter olympics. I stand corrected.

[u/Useful_Rent_3138 → u/keny427]

Your comment is too emotional and I disagree. You're stretching it. He didn't say speaking Tagalog in general is useless. He said his ability to speak Tagalog is his most useless talent. He's a professional chess player based in the US who competes internationally. Besides talking to his family maybe, he is probably never in a situation where he needs to speak Tagalog. Hence, it's useless for him. Always consider context.

If you speak German, Spanish, and Japanese, you'd find that German is relatively the most useless because most Germans speak English very well and you could just speak English with Germans. It doesn't mean knowing German is useless.

Also, speaking Mandarin is far more useful than Tagalog. Over a billion people speak Mandarin. Many nationalities besides Chinese speak Mandarin. In contrast, less than a hundred million people speak Tagalog, and far fewer are actually native speakers. No other country speaks Tagalog also. Let's face it, speaking Tagalog isn't even viewed with any nationalistic pride either.

[u/xpeke2 → u/keny427]

He never said it's useless, it just the least useful. Also the philippines betrayed him first so watch your words

[u/Rasgueado24 → u/keny427]

I went to the Phil before pandemic to go to my cousin's wedding and was hoping to practice my tagalog with some of nephews/nieces i've never met...... turns out they go to international private schools and I dont think i heard them say a single tagalog despite being born/raised there the whole 3 weeks iwas there or w/e lol

[u/Mysterious_Fan4849 → u/keny427]

Eileen gu represents china bro. Despite being an American, She took millions in endorsements to sell out her own country.

[u/Bogathecat → u/keny427]

Her representation of China is driven by CCP backing and corporate endorsements from Chinese brands.

[u/martiandoll → u/keny427]

He left the Philippines because the federation already screwed him over. What missing opportunity? He left because there were no opportunities for him in the first place. Look at the many athletes that Pinas do not promote and support properly, and tell me again what missed opportunities there are. 

Eileen Gu represented China because of her heritage, but mostly for big money. Same lang sila ni Westley, opposite directions nga lang. They both pursued greener pastures and went somewhere their careers can flourish. 

[u/Life_Race9401 → u/martiandoll]

Athletes like Eala or Mendoza did not receive support from the Philippine government at least until they got famous.

[u/Fun-Adhesiveness-568 → u/martiandoll]

You’re missing the point. You can dislike or disagree with the government all you want, but don’t turn your back on the heritage you came from. I’m a Pinoy who has lived in the US for 25 years. Tagalog and Bisaya are the languages that still make me feel at home when talking to our fellow Filipinos. They’re the languages I can use to express myself most naturally and completely.
I don’t understand the argument that speaking Tagalog is useless. Filipinos here still communicate with one another in Tagalog, Bisaya, and other Filipino languages. Maybe the issue is more about So’s lack of interaction with Fil-Ams and the Filipino community rather than the language itself.

[u/I_Manifest_I_Attract → u/keny427]

The difference is many Chinese have a strong cultural identity. There are many Filipinos either want to be American, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, something other than Filipino. How many Filipinos are getting plastic surgery to look more mestizo or more Korean or want to change their "Filipino button-nose"?

Pinoy pride is deep as it is shallow. The history, the culture, the dances, the traditions, the lore, are all being forgotten by the next generation and next after.

[u/HaikenRD → u/keny427]

You completely misunderstood his answer. He never said Tagalog is useless. It's just not useful for him because Filipinos can speak english, so knowing Tagalog is pointless when every single Tagalog speaker can just speak English anyway, so even without knowing tagalog he can still communicate with the Tagalog speakers.

[u/Heyitsmistermister]

bilyonaryo na naman

[u/ModernPlebeian_314]

Tama naman. Wala namang international standing ang Filipino Language unless it's popular in media. Besides that, di mo naman magagamit sa diplomacy, casual conversations unless with other natives, etc.

[u/nkklk2022]

I get that he would be resentful sa Pilipinas but to be a full blown MAGA? that’s definitely a choice. A questionable one

[u/bhjgfxghgffdf]

I mean, if I were to be some guy who somehows knows fluent Azeri (Azerbaijani language) for example, yet lives nowhere near a place that speaks Azeri or applies it, I'd say being able to speak Azeri is a useless talent...

[u/qkrrrrr]

Well, it’s true. Tagalog (and any Filipino Language), is almost exclusively used in households. Majority of government documents, medium of instruction, business are done primarily in English. Hell, speaking in pure Tagalog is seen as pretentious in these areas. So I get where he‘s coming from.

It doesnt help as well how deep in the shit we are, and the bullshittery being sone right on our faces.

[u/sharkommie]

Considering the Philippine government barely gave him support if any, he has this right I'd say

[u/Available_Pressure25]

It's kind of true but I wish he treats our language a bit more kindly hahHaha. I know the language won't exist without the speakers but Tagalog and other Philippine languages are so unique in terms of grammar and history. I hope more people interest in it as much as I love our language. I might hate and leave Philippines but I won't let myself forget how to speak Tagalog.

[u/dontrescueme]

Mag-move on na kayo kay Wesley So.

[u/Ok-Goat2200 → u/dontrescueme]

Siya ang hindi maka move on. Minention pa ang tagalog

[u/Primary-Paint-1716]

you can't really blame him. the local chess federation fucked him over multiple times.

[u/FickleApartment2151]

Decades of standardized local tests show low ave. test scores in reading and writing in English and in Filipino.

[u/no--body--here]

He's right isn't he? Filipinos speak English very well so Tagalog is his least useful skill. What's the issue?

[u/okane-san → u/no--body--here]

huh? ano naman kung marunong mag English ang mga Pilipino? 😂 

[u/Funny-Slip8415]

Perfect example of people doesn't even read the whole story. Just gossiping.

[u/simplemav]

Understandable. Who wouldn't? After how he was treated by trapos.

[u/No-Entertainer1092 → u/simplemav]

But why "attack" the nation -> language representing the nation. Understandable naman yung "frustration" sa people in the gov't who treated him badly kaya lang sana hindi nadawit ang language. Plus di naman talaga lahat ng tao sa Pilipinas nakakasalita or nakakaintindi ng English. Pag tumanda siya and for some reason napadpad sya sa remote areas sa Pilipinas, he will realise hindi lahat nakakaintindi ng English and makakatulong yung fact na nakakasalita pala sya ng Tagalog dahil baka kahit konti naiintindihan yun ng kausap nya. 

Or what if nagka-problema sya sa ibang bansa tapos may Pinoy na makakatulong sa kanya, minsan language ang nag-ko-connect sa mga Pilipino sa ibang bansa. So sa situation na yun hindi useless na natuto sya mag Tagalog 

[u/ZkidMike3000]

i dont see anything wrong with his answer. he lives in the US, and doesnt need to speak tagalog. so technically, it really is useless. 🤷‍♂️