How should multilingual Filipino households answer the Census language question?

Pa’no Ba?

sbs filipino census 2026 — Image: SBS FILIPINO/CANVA/SPARKLESTROKE/ Bea Cerojano/ Alina Kotliar

For Filipino Australians who speak more than one language at home, answering the Census language question may not always be straightforward. Dr Franklin Soriano, multilingual spokesperson for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), explains what households should consider when reporting the languages they use at home.

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Published 6 August 2026 12:00pm

Presented by Edinel Magtibay

Source: SBS

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For Filipino Australians who speak more than one language at home, answering the Census language question may not always be straightforward. Dr Franklin Soriano, multilingual spokesperson for the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), explains what households should consider when reporting the languages they use at home.

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The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provides translated information and language support to help people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities understand and complete the Census.

For more information about the Census, visit info.census.abs.gov.au. You can also find related stories and explainers at sbs.com.au/filipino.