Key Points
- Sydney student Cena Morillo speaks English, Tagalog and Rinconada Bikol.
- Rinconada Bikol or simply Rinconada, is a minority language in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines.
- Morillo, the Creative Director of the Filipino Student Society of the University of Sydney, says being multilingual allows her to connect with others.
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Despite living half of her life in Australia, Cena continues to speak her native Rinconada Bikol language
SBS Filipino
05:03
"I'm lucky as we speak it at home. But I think my mind has an automatic switch depending on who I'm surrounded [with]," 19-year-old student and Creative Director of the Filipino Student Society of the University of Sydney Cena Morillo shares.
Rinconada Bikol is a minority language in Camarines Sur, where over 470,000 speak it.
Cena Morilloo (left) with her family who moved to Australia over 10 years ago. Credit: Cena Morillo (Facebook)
Moving to Sydney from Nabua, Camarines Sur when she was nine, Morillo says that persisting in Tagalog and Rinconada Bikol helps her connect with people with a similar background.
"It's a great way to connect with peers who have the same mindset as [me]."
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