5 days ago
Parents urged to teach children Filipino, other native languages
The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) is calling on parents to teach their children to speak Filipino and other native languages.
Speaking at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing on Tuesday, newly appointed KWF Commissioner Atty. Marites Barrios-Taran made the appeal in time for the August celebration of Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, which promotes the appreciation and use of the national and local languages.
"'Ito na rin po ay aking adbokasiya na pakiusapan ang ating mga magulang, lalong-lalo na po ang ating mga nanay na sana po ay hikayatin at turuan nila ang kanilang mga anak na gamitin ang wikang Filipino,'' she said.
(It is also my advocacy to ask our parents, especially our mothers, to encourage and teach their children to use the Filipino language.)
'Ang wika kasi ay namamatay kapag hindi po iyan nagagamit.''
(A language that is not being used dies.)
'Hindi ko naman po sa inaayawan ang paggamit po ng wikang Ingles, kung hindi nais ko pong bigyan natin ng espasyo sa ating pang-araw-araw na pakikipagtalastasan ang paggamit po ng wikang Filipino at katutubong wika,' she said.
(I am not saying we should not use English, but I hope we can use Filipino and our native languages in everyday conversations.)
Endangered languages
The KWF's 2014 language validation identifies 130 existing languages in the Philippines, 40 of which are considered endangered.
To help protect these, the commission runs initiatives such as Bahay-Wika, which immerses children aged 2 to 4 in their native tongue through interactions with elder speakers, modeled after 'Language Nest' programs in countries like New Zealand, Canada, Alaska, and Hawai'i.
Another program, the Master-Apprentice Language Learning Program (MALLP), pairs a master speaker with an adult learner to ensure the transmission of linguistic knowledge. The pilot project began in 2017 with the Ayta Magbukun community in Abucay, Bataan, in partnership with the local government and other agencies.
Barrios-Taran said KWF is also working with local governments, private groups, and corporations to sustain these programs and encourage communities to take pride in their mother tongue.
'Ang pagmamahal sa wika ay hindi lamang ipinapakita sa mga programa o proyekto, kundi sa araw-araw na paggamit nito,' she said.
(Love for language is not shown only through programs or projects, but in its daily use.) —VBL, GMA Integrated News
