The linguistic landscape of Manila Central Post Office: A macro-linguistic analysis

This study describes the linguistic landscape (LL) of the Manila Central Post Office (MCPO), one of the landmark government offices in the capital of the Philippines.This unconventional choice of locale partially fills the gap in extant LL studies that focus more on streets and neighborhoods.Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered to determine the dominant language in signage found in the public-access spaces of the MCPO and the communicative functions of the said signs.Findings show that English is the dominant language of the signs.Using Finocchiaro and Brumfit's (1983) categories of communicative functions, it was found that most English signs serve referential and directive functions.Finally, the interview responses of key personnel of the MCPO reveal important insights into the intersection of language use and function.Implications call for a review of government language policy Executive Order 335.