DO 54, S.

1987 – IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES FOR THE 1987 POLICY ON BILINGUAL

EDUCATION

May 27, 1987

DO 54, s. 1987
Implementing Guidelines for the 1987 Policy on Bilingual Education

To: Bureau Directors

Regional Directors
Schools Superintendents
Presidents, State Colleges and Universities
Heads of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities

1. In consonance with 1987 Policy on Bilingual Education, the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports hereby promulgates the following implementing guidelines:
1. Bilingual Education is defined operationally as the separate use of Filipino and English
as media of instruction in specific subjects. The separate use of Filipino and English for
instruction should be observed.
2. Reading in the regional languages, in Filipino and in English shall be achieved in
stages. In non-Tagalog speaking areas, Filipino may be taught orally using procedures,
techniques and materials needed for teaching Filipino to non-Tagalog speakers.
3. The phasing in of two or three languages shall be planned at the regional level,
provided that bilingual instruction (the use of Filipino and English as media of
instruction) shall be implemented in all regions.
4. Content learning (in whatever language) should not be sacrificed because of the
variations in the phasing in of the languages.
5. For all subjects to be taught in Filipino, the development of teaching and reference
materials as well as training of teachers to teach in Filipino shall be funded.
6. The regional director, upon consultation with his superintendents, supervisors,
principals, teachers and other sectors of the community shall formulate a program to
start the implementation of the revised bilingual policy in all levels and SY 1987-1988.
7. In non-Tagalog areas, the regional director shall organize compensatory programs in
order to equalize competence in Filipino among Tagalogs and non-Tagalogs through
the development of suitable teaching materials, training of special teachers, offering of
additional classes, and establishment of incentives for teachers in Filipino. For the
Tagalog areas, an enrichment program for enhancing competence in the language shall
likewise be organized.
8. The levels of competence set as goals for both Filipino and English, shall be set by the
Department according to the levels and needs of populations and periodically revised
(e.g. every six years).
9. The transfer of cognitive and linguistic skills form one language to another shall be
facilitated and reflected in the syllabi of the schools.
10. In the measurement of achievement nationwide, consideration shall be given to regional
differences because of varieties of Filipino and variations in the phasing in of the
languages. Regional evaluation shall be undertaken to gauge the attainment of
standards set for quality education.
11. Minimum standards of language skills (in both Filipino and English) shall be required for
the promotion of students.
12. Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall coordinate the following activities for
the implementation of the revised language policy through its respective agencies:
1. Revision of pre-service teacher training courses to reflect the Bilingual Education
Policy;
2. Development of a program to train teachers to use Filipino as a medium of
instruction for content subjects;
3. Certification of teachers for language and content competence including those
who have been teaching in Filipino with success;
4. Admission to training of future teachers with required language competence; and
5. Development of evaluative instruments for teachers and pupils for gauging
language and content competence using various skills.
13. The Department shall appoint a Bilingual Education Committee to be composed of the
following:
The Bureau Directors (Elem., Sec., Tertiary)
 The Chairperson of the National Language
Commission (Institute of Philippine Languages)
Representatives from the Language Education
Sector and Language Societies
The Chairman of this Committee shall be designated by the Secretary.
The representatives shall serve for a period of three years, renewable at the option of
the Secretary.
The Secretariat shall be housed in the same office as the Chairperson.
The first task of this Committee shall be the dissemination of information on the
Bilingual Education Policy among other departments of the Republic and among
government and non-government agencies and the public at large.
The Committee shall present an annual report of its activities and findings to the
Secretary.
It shall compile baseline data on achievement in both languages for future use.
Periodically, with the help of research agencies it shall conduct or commission
evaluation studies on the implementation of the policy and suggest revisions of the
policy. It should undertake a summative evaluation after ten years implementation
(1987-1997).
2. This Order supersedes previous Orders on Bilingual Education Policy Implementing Guidelines
except those that are not inconsistent with this Order.
3. This Order takes effect in the school year 1987-1988

DO 52, S. 1987 – THE 1987 POLICY ON BILINGUAL EDUCATION

May 21, 1987

DO 52, s. 1987
The 1987 Policy on Bilingual Education

To: Bureau Directors

Regional Directors
Schools Superintendents
Presidents, State Colleges and Universities
Heads of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities

1. The provision of Article XIV Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution states:

“For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are
Filipino, and until otherwise provided by law, English.
The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as
auxiliary media of instruction therein.”
2. In consonance with this mandate the declared policy of the Department of Education and
Culture on bilingualism in the schools (NBE Resolution No. 73-7, s. 1973), the Department of
Education, Culture and Sports hereby promulgates the following policy:
1. The Policy on Bilingual Education aims at the achievement of competence in both
Filipino and English at the national level, through the teaching of both languages and
their use as media of instruction at all levels. The regional languages shall be used as
auxiliary languages in Grades I and II. The aspiration of the Filipino to enable them to
perform their functions and duties as Filipino citizens and in English in order to meet the
needs of the country in the community of nations.
2. The goals of the Bilingual Education Policy shall be:
1. Enhanced learning through two languages to achieve quality education as called
for by the 1987 Constitution;
2. the propagation of Filipino as a language of literacy;
3. the development of Filipino as a linguistic symbol of national unity and identity;
4. the cultivation and elaboration of Filipino as a language of scholarly discourse
that is to say, its continuing intellectualization; and
5. the maintenance of English as an international language for the Philippines and
as a non-exclusive language of science and technology.
3. Filipino and English shall be used as media of instruction, the use allocated to specific
subjects in the curriculum as indicated in Department Order No. 25, s. 1974.
 4. The regional languages shall be used as auxiliary media of instruction and as initial
language for literacy where needed.
5. Filipino and English shall be taught as language subjects in all levels to achieve the
goals of bilingual competence.
6. Since competence in the use of both Filipino and English is one of the goals of the
Bilingual Education Policy, continuing improvement in the teaching of both languages,
their use as media of instruction and the specification shall be the responsibility of the
whole educational system.
7. Tertiary level institutions shall lead in the continuing intellectualization of Filipino. The
program of intellectualization, however, shall also be pursued in both the elementary
and secondary levels.
8. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall cooperate with the National
Language Commission which, according to the 1987 Constitution, shall be tasked with
the further development and enrichment of Filipino.
9. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall provide the means by which the
language policy can be implemented with the cooperation of government and non-
government organizations.
10. The Department shall program funds for implementing the Policy, in such areas as
materials production, in-service training, compensatory, and enrichment program for
non-Tagalogs, development of a suitable and standardized Filipino For classroom use
and the development of appropriate evaluative instruments.
3. This Order supersedes previous Orders on the Bilingual Education Policy that are inconsistent
with it.
4. This Order shall take effect immediately.