Good afternoon, Madame Chair. I am the Deputy Prime Minister.

In the motion this house believes that Filipino should be the medium of instruction in the Philippines: what we mean is that Filipino, a language based on Tagalog with the incorporations of elements from the diverse languages/dialects throughout the Philippines, should be used as the means of communication and teaching in the classrooms in elementary level. We will also adapt a slow transition from Filipino to English as medium of instruction in the secondary level. Again, tertiary level is outside the parameters of this debate. On the other hand, the opposition....(proposal of the opposition) [Rebut the argument/s of the leader of the opposition.] According to the Guidon August 2013 issue, "In the English proficiency test for teachers conducted by the Department of Education, only 60% of elementary teachers and 20% of secondary teachers passed. Given many teachers in primary and secondary levels are not proficient in English, and given that it is said in the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines that Filipino is our official language and the most predominant alternative for English, it will then be more effective for teachers to communicate in Filipino and articulate their lesson plans best. There are ways to express terms and expressions in Filipino that are not translatable in English, which would make it easier for students to comprehend the lessons. The same may be said for English where not all words are translatable. The incorporations of English terms in Filipino is widely used, therefore it would not limit or hinder untranslatable words. On the other hand, in formal settings, it is not acceptable when Filipino words are used in English. Furthermore, according to United Nations Educational, Scientific, and cultural organization (Unesco) report on Philippine education, "Available evidence... indicates that the use of the vernacular as a medium of instruction in the lower grades will contribute a long way to the community." What is it with the use of Filipino as medium of instruction that leads to an effective communication of ideas by the teachers? Many of the teachers have Filipino as their mother tongue. So what? Because of this, they will need not translate their thoughts to English. Therefore, it will be easier for them to express ideas and communicate with their students. For my 3rd argument, learning a language of your own will be an aid to a better understanding of another language. According to National Committee on Language and Translation National Commission on Culture and the Arts 2005 study, "language educators believe that the first language even aids in the quick and easy learning of a second one." Concepts or words that cannot be directly translated to Filipino will be explained using the Filipino language. Therefore, it will be easier for them to use and understand other languages.

We do not really equate language to instant nationalism. We are just saying that language is one of the key elements to preserve our identity because if we keep on promoting English as the medium from the get-go, this will eventually lead to language death. This language death Im talking about is a process that affects speech communities where the level of linguistic competence that speakers possess of a given language variety is decreased, eventually resulting in no native or fluent speakers of the variety The CNL, after hearing conflicting testimonies from various language experts in the country, recommended to eliminate Pilipino and replace it with a new "common national language to be known as Filipino, based on existing native languages...". The FILIPINO to be developed pursuant to the 1973 constitution could be a fusion of the different native languages. This CNL recommendation met a great deal of oppositions from various sectors of the community. 1987 Constitution, Article XIV Section 7. 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 auxilliary official language in the region and shall serve as auxilliary media of instruction therein."