Meet Lola Erlinda Doyog, the 76-year-old Igorota granny from Pidlisan, Sagada, Mountain Province who went viral due to her eloquence in English even though she did not have a formal education.
She is called "Lola Englisera" because conversing in English seems natural to her as if it was her mother tongue or native language.
In an interview, Lola Doyog impressed her interviewer and cybernauts with her fluency in English as she chattered about her community and their indigenous practices.
"Nosebleed kami habang ini-interview si Lola 'Englisera' Erlinda Doyog, 76 years old, ng Pidlisan tribe sa Sagada, Mountain Province," the video caption says.
Unknown to many, Lola Erlinda and most of the elder folks in the neighborhood did not go to secondary or even attended elementary school, but surprisingly, most of them speak fluent English though having difficulty expressing their thoughts in Filipino.
Perhaps they learned the language from American missionaries who arrived at their site to introduce and evangelize Christianity. A handful of sources say, possibly their neighbors from Besao, Mountain Province tutored them. (inside joke)
The video also shows Lola Erlinda inviting guests to visit their locale so she could learn more dialects.
"We are very happy for the tourist coming here or any visitors because we can learn some of their dialects... We appreciate those tourists who are coming to the falls..., " Lola Erlinda said.
The video spotlighting Lola Erlinda went viral and was adored by many netizens. Her eloquence is truly stunning.
Watch Lola Erlinda proudly talks about her community and their indigenous practices. She also has a message for tourists.
