Language Program and Policies

in Multilingual Society
by : Mr. Jasper S. Gaboc
How do you learn
faster?
History of the Philippine National Language

Source: https://reneekarunungan.com/2019/08/15/a-history-of-the-philippines-official-languages/
 A History of the Philippines’ Official Languages

● In the year 2012, the Department of Education (DepEd) implemented the

use of Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education in all public schools,
specifically in Grades 1, 2, and 3.
● At first, there are 12 Languages selected to use in different regions such as;
Tagalog, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Iloko, Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon,
Waray, Tausug, Maguindanaoan, Maranao and Chabacano.
● However, in the year 2013, 7 more languages are added in the MTB-MLE
such as, Ybanag, Ivatan, Sambal, Aklanon, Kinaray-a, Yakan, and Surigaonon.
● The current Philippine constitution (1987) states that the
national language is Filipino and as it evolves, “shall be
further developed and enriched on the basis of existing
Philippine and other languages.”
● Further, the Philippine constitution (1987) has mandated
the Government to “take steps to initiate and sustain the
use of Filipino as a medium of official communication
and as language of instruction in the educational
system.”
● However, this current policy on language has changed over the
century, largely due to the Spanish, American, and Japanese
colonisation, the liberation, and changes in the constitution post-
dictatorship.
● There also remains to be contentions on whether Filipino, based
on the Tagalog language, should be the national language of the
Philippines.
● These contentions come from the non-Tagalog speaking region
that have called the current language policy as “Tagalog
imperialism.”
Language Planning and Policy in the Philippines

The Philippines’ national language is Filipino.

● With the Commonwealth constitution being drafted,
then Camarines Norte representative Wenceslao
Vinzons proposed to include an article on the
adoption of a national language. Article XIII section 3
of the 1935 Commonwealth Constitution directed the
National Assembly to “take steps toward the
development and adoption of a common national
language based on one of the existing native
languages.”
● In 1936, the Institute of National Language (INL)
was founded to study existing languages and
select one of them as the basis of the national
language.
● In 1937, the INL recommended Tagalog as the
basis of the national language because it was
found to be widely spoken and was accepted by
Filipinos and it had a large literary tradition.
● By 1939, it was officially proclaimed and
ordered to be disseminated in schools and
by 1940 was taught as a subject in high
schools across the country.
● There was resistance to Tagalog, especially among speakers of
Cebuano (Baumgartner, 1989). Baumgartner (1989, p.169)
summarises the sentiments of other ethnic groups and asks, “With
what right could the language of one ethnic group, even if that
ethnic group lived in the national capital, be imposed on others?”
Hau and Tinio (2003), however, point out that this opposition to
Tagalog was not a manifestation of an ethnic conflict but rather
reflects battles over resource allocations parceled out by regions.
● This has led for anti-Tagalog forces to ally themselves with the pro-
English lobby (Lorente, 2013).
● After the dictatorship, the 1987 Constitution was
written.
● Tagalog was changed to Pilipino and then Filipino
for it to be less regionalistic, or less connected to
the Tagalog region.
● According to this Constitution, Filipino was to be
developed from all local languages of the
Philippines.
What’s your take away so far?
Language Policies in the Philippines
(Source: https://ncca.gov.ph/)

● The Language provision in the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the

Philippines which are embodied in Article XIV, Sec. 6 and 7 provide the legal
basis for the various language policies that are being implemented in the
country.
● 1. Section 6. The national language of the Philippines is Filipino. As it evolves, it
shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and
other languages.
● 2. For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the
Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English.
The Philippine Bilingual Education Policy (BEP)

● Consistent with the 1987 constitutional mandate and a declared

policy of the National Board of Education (NBE) on bilingualism in
the schools (NBE Resolution No. 73-7, s.1973) the Department of
Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) promulgated its language
policy.
● The policy was first implemented in 1974 when DECS issued Dept.
Order No. 25, s. 1974 titled, “Implementing Guidelines for the Policy
on Bilingual Education.”
DO 52, S. 1987 – THE 1987
POLICY ON BILINGUAL
EDUCATION
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;
1. 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.
 DO 52, S. 1987 – THE 1987 POLICY ON BILINGUAL
EDUCATION

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

4. The regional languages shall be used as auxiliary

media of instruction and as initial language for literacy
where needed.
 DO 52, S. 1987 – THE 1987 POLICY ON BILINGUAL
EDUCATION

5. Filipino and English shall be taught as

language subjects in all levels to achieve the
goals of bilingual competence.
 DO 52, S. 1987 – THE 1987 POLICY ON BILINGUAL
EDUCATION

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

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

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

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

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.
You are lanugage expert. Think of
possible policies that you would like
to propose to the Department of
Education.