Primer on the Filipino Language as a Language of Education

Late last year, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Executive Order 210. Its most important
point is the establishment of “the English language as the primary medium of instruction in all
public institutions of learning at the secondary level.” On 29 September, the Standard Today
carried a news item which announced that “two congressional committees had approved and
endorsed to the House of Representatives the report prescribing the use of English as the
medium of instruction in Philippine schools, from pre-school to college, including technical and
vocational courses.” According to the report, the Committees on Higher Education and on Basic
Education agreed to consolidate related proposals into House Bill 4701. “If enacted into law,” the
report continued, “the bill will supersede the ‘bilingual policy’” which is in effect today.

The UP Forum reproduces here the Primer on the Filipino Language as Language of Education
issued by the National Committee of Language and Translation (NCLT) of the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Sentro ng Wikang Filipino (SWF), UP
Diliman, in response to EO 210. The NCLT is chaired by Virgilio S. Almario, National Artist, and
Dean of the UP Diliman College of Arts and Letters.

I. Language Situation of the Educational System

1. What does the Constitution say about language in our educational system?

According to Article IV, 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.

Subject to provisions of law and as the Congress may deem appropriate, the Government shall
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.

Section 7 says: For purpose of communication and instructions, 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. Are these provisions about the medium of instruction followed? What language policy
do we have in the educational system?

No. The bilingual policy still holds in our educational system. In this policy, Filipino and English
are taught as subjects, and are used as media of instruction.

3. What is the Bilingual Policy in Education of 1987?

The 1987 Bilingual Policy in Education aims to improve the use of Filipino and English by
teaching these languages and by using them in all levels as media of instruction. The country
wants its citizens to gain proficiency in the Filipino language in order to perform civic duties, and
to learn English in order to respond to the needs of the country in the community of nations.

4. Is it true that the bilingual policy has lowered our students’ level of proficiency in
English?
No. There is no reliable study that shows the bilingual policy has lowered the proficiency level of
our students in English. The accusations hurled against Filipino are more indicative of the deep-
seated prejudice of the supporters of English.

If ever, according to language experts, the students’ level of language proficiency has become
low both in English and in Filipino. They claim students experienced what they call subtractive
bilingualism and not additive bilingualism. The second language is introduced prematurely that
the child does not turn into a true bilingual, unable to learn neither the first nor the second
language. What could have been done is first to ensure the academic mastery in the use of the
mother tongue before the child is allowed to learn a second one. Numerous studies have shown
that a child acquires a second language better and faster if the first language is mastered before
hand. Also the child learns the other subjects more easily if these are taught in a language he
knows by heart.

II. Steps Taken Against Filipino

1. Has the present administration done anything with regard to the

language provisions in the constitution?

Nothing has been done at all. In fact, the steps taken by the present administration are all against
the principles stated in the constitution.

2. What are the new and unconstitutional policies of the administration?

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has recently ordered that English be made the preferred
medium of instruction. She released an executive order titled “Establishing the Policy to
Strengthen the Use of English as a Second Language” (Executive Order 210) which aims to
strengthen English by adding hours devoted to its use as a medium of instruction.

3. What does Executive Order 210 mean?

The salient points of EO 210 are:

§ … English should be used as the medium of instruction for English, Math, and
Science from at least the Third Grade level;

§ The English language shall be used as a primary medium of instruction in all

public institutions of learning at the secondary level;

§ As the primary medium of instruction, the percentage of time allotment for

learning areas conducted in the English language in high school is expected to
be not less than seventy percent (70%) of the total time allotment for all learning
areas;

§… the Filipino language shall continue to be the medium of instruction in the

learning areas of Filipino and Araling Panlipunan.

Thus, no change is made at the elementary level. But at the high school level, English is turned
into a major medium of instruction by employing more time in its use as a medium of instruction.

4. If so, how come EO 210 is titled “Establishing the Policy to Strengthen the Use of
English as a Second Language in the Educational System?”
The title implies the intensification of the use of English as a second language in the educational
system, but by reading closely, we learn the EO will actually make English the primary medium of
instruction. Maybe the title is so phrased as to skirt the language provision of the Constitution that
says the government must take steps to make Filipino the primary medium of instruction.

5. If not the primary language, what is the more appropriate description of English in our
present language situation?

In our present language situation, Filipino is the lingua franca, making it the second language in
non-Tagalog areas. Thus the declaration of English as a second language is a subversion of the
present status of Filipino in the non-Tagalog areas. What should be done is to declare English as
a third language, or more appropriately, a foreign language.

6. What does Gullas Bill or House Bill 1652 proposes to do with Filipino?

Some of the important proposals of HB1652 are:

§ The medium of instruction in all curricular levels beginning in Grade I shall be

English, provided that in Grades I and II, the regional language may be used as
auxiliary language of instruction;

§ English and Filipino shall be taught as separate subjects in all grade levels in
the elementary and in the high school levels.

The proposed bill puts an end to the use of Filipino as a medium of instruction. It relegates
Filipino to the status of a mere subject in the curriculum.

7. What reasons does President Arroyo have in making English the primary medium of
instruction?

It came to the attention of the President that our students’ level of proficiency in English has
lowered in recent years. She was surprised to hear about job vacancies in call centers as a result
of applicants failing to pass the English examinations. She said English is the language of the
Information and Communications Technology or ICT. The President’s solution to the problem is to
hastily propose the improvement of English as a medium of instruction.

8. Does the President have a basis for believing that our students’ level of proficiency in
English has lowered in recent years?

The administration has not presented any concrete proof of our students’ lowering level of
proficiency in English. Only the call center applicants’ failure to pass the English examination is
cited as the main reason for the order to improve the teaching of English teaching through the
employment of English as the primary medium of instruction.

9. Is there a basis for saying that the Filipino language has caused the deterioration in
English?

The deterioration claim is totally unfounded. No study has yet proven that using one’s first
language interferes with the learning of a second language. In fact, language educators believe
that the first language even aids in the quick and easy learning of a second one.

10. If so, then the administration does not have a concrete basis for sponsoring a very
fundamental policy change in the educational system?
That is right. What the President announced regarding the shift of emphasis in the medium of
instruction in our schools is a serious and fundamental policy change. It should be based upon a
comprehensive, systematic, and scientific study, analysis, and evaluation of the medium of
instruction in our educational system.

The presidential directive gives away the administration’s lack of a clear and holistic vision in the
improvement of our educational system. A new curriculum is set in place, the textbooks in the
new Makabayan subjects are being written, with the teachers seriously undergoing retraining
programs, and then without warning another language policy is introduced. So then, students and
teachers become unwitting victims to the ever-changing whims of our administrators.

11. Wouldn’t it be better to intensify English as a medium of instruction to improve our

students’ English?

Improving the method of teaching English, and intensifying its use as a medium of instruction are
two different things. In fact, the early introduction of English as a medium of instruction negatively
affects the learning of English itself and then interferes in the learning of subjects taught in the
language. On the other hand, if the national language is used as a medium of instruction,
students will only have to contend with learning the lessons and learning a foreign language.

In addition, if teachers not proficient in English are allowed to use the language as a medium of
instruction, students will just be exposed to less than satisfactory kind of English. In effect,
students all the more do not learn English and do not learn the lessons taught in the language.

12. But isn’t English the language of Information and Communication Technology?

It is not true that English is the exclusive language of ICT. DepEd itself in the Departmental Order
No. 54, s. 1987 states “…(maintain English) as a non-exclusive language of science and
technology….”

In the Internet, the number of sites that translate its contents to International languages like
German, Spanish, Japanese, French, Russian, Chinese, and others, is on the rise.

In another view, the language of ICT is an entirely new and different language. Words like
“escape,” “enter,” “control,” “bold,” “window,” “save, and such other lexicon acquire meanings
unlike the common and existing definitions of these words. In like manner, we should not worry
about translating these words into Filipino on our own terms and relearn them if need be.

13. But isn’t it necessary to intensify English to enable graduates to land good paying
jobs?

Knowledge and not English proficiency is primary in doing well in one’s profession. Doctors are
able to cure patients, architects design homes and buildings, and experts prepare programs using
computers, not because of English but because of the acquired disciplinal expertise.

If Filipino, the language known by the majority of our people, is going to be used, even the
ordinary farmer or fisherman can become a better farmer or fisherman. Reading and study will
likely inspire him to improve his livelihood. And he can now more likely avoid being duped or
exploited by others.

14. What about English as the key to knowledge?

Any particular language is a repository of knowledge. English is just one of these languages. So it
must not be treated as the sole key in gaining access to the unlimited wealth of world knowledge.
In fact, our unbelievable emphasis on English limits the scope of what we can use from the major
languages of the world like German, Spanish, Japanese, French, Russian, Chinese, and others.

The Filipino language also has the power to become a repository of knowledge. And the
continuous development and popularization of Filipino as an academic language plays a major
part in making ourselves intellectually independent.

15. But are there jobs that really require English proficiency?

Yes. The ones who want to go into these kinds of job must really learn and even undergo
additional training in English. We cannot overemphasize the fact that the teaching and learning of
English must not be allowed to go downhill. But not every job requires English, and so
educational reforms must not concentrate on this language alone. Establishing an English center
of excellence can do the all out support to the teaching of English especially for the sector that
need it. Schools can open special English courses for those who are more than interested in
taking them.

16. So then it’s just reasonable to improve the students’ proficiency in English order to fill
in the call center job vacancies?

This is unreasonable. Call center job vacancies for English speaking Filipinos is a temporary and
limited opportunity. There are only 40,000 to 60,000 job positions in call centers. It is
unreasonable to change our educational system’s language policy based on this measly figure.

More urgently, we must denounce the administration if it considers the training of operators in call
centers the primary aim of the educational system instead of giving priority to the formation of
intellectuals who will become leading professionals, scientists, and scholars in their respective
fields.

17. But isn’t English the international language, the language of globalization?

Language and globalization experts define a new linguistic order in the time of globalization:
global, regional, and local languages are fast developing. English has become the predominant
global language. Regional languages or languages that can serve as lingua franca among
neighboring countries, as well as movements that go for the preservation of local languages are
also on the rise. In other words, we do have a global language for world communication, regional
ones to serve regional communication and processes including education. We need to learn the
languages that suit our varied national requirements. For external affairs, we need to use English
and other international and regional languages; and for education, we need the language best
understood by our students—none other than the Filipino language.

18. What mission should the educational system uphold?

The educational system must strengthen the capacity for the progress of a country. It should
produce graduates who are critical and creative thinkers. It should produce a new generation of
intelligent and skilled citizenry who will lead the industry, manage businesses, and find ways to
raise the living standard of the people. It should not aim merely to train its people to become
domestic helpers, construction workers, care givers, and call center operators.

19. Then what measures should the government take regarding the medium of instruction
in our educational system?
The Constitution clearly states what the government must do: “the Government shall take steps to
initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a mdeium of offical communication and as language of
instruction in the educational system.”

The Department of Education and the Commission for Higher Education must together plan and
implement a comprehensive and systematic program toward the optimum use of Filipino on all
levels and discipline.

The government must also extend its full support to the Commission on Filipino Language to
enable it to effectively carry out its mandate and mission as the primary government agency to
promote the Filipino language.

III. Filipino as the Language of Education

1. Why should Filipino be used as the medium of instruction in the educational system?

Filipino should be used as the medium of instruction in the educational system because students
learn best in this language. The Constitution recognized this when it declared Filipino as a
language of the educational system.

As Filipino is used as the medium of instruction, students learn the language, and at the same
time get to know the richness of their own culture—the soul of Filipino nationhood. The
government’s dream of a strong republic can come true when people know and love their own
culture.

2. Maybe Filipino is good only for the Tagalogs. For non-Tagalogs, Filipino can be another
foreign language?

All Philippine languages belong to a single family of languages. In Panganiban’s dictionary

(1972), more than 27,000 major entries are listed, and 11,000 of these have cognates in the 12
native languages included in the thesaurus-dictionary, plus 12,000 are homonyms although they
differ in meaning. It will be relatively easy for an Ifugao or a Tausug to learn Filipino compared to
the difficulty of learning English or some other language that do not belong to the Philippine family
of languages.

Filipino is the true lingua franca of the Philippines. A 1989 nationwide Ateneo de Manila University
survey found out these facts: 92% understood Filipino, 88% read it, 83% spoke it, and 81% wrote
it. It also turned out that only 51% understood English. These are 1989 figures. The numbers of
those who understand and speak Filipino must have increased as a result of social and linguistic
factors that promote the use of a language, like the mass media, transportation and
communication, migration, population centers, education, and others.

3. We need English because almost all the disciplinal publications, especially in

mathematics and science, are written in this language. Is this true?

Indeed many books especially in mathematics and science are written in English. But we can
access these by translation into Filipino. We must also translate books from other major world
languages to make the wealth of knowledge stored in them accessible to us.

4. Can we really use Filipino to express concepts in science and mathematics? How about
in high order fields of knowledge?
Take note: there is no language superior or inferior to another. Each one possesses a system that
perfectly suits and responds to the needs of its users. It must be able to even adjust to the
changing life condition and interest of its users.

There is no doubt that the Filipino language is highly suitable for use in scientific and technical
discourses. Researches and experiments have also shown its effective use in any other
discipline. In the University of the Philippines, aside from the use of Filipino in science and
mathematics subjects, textbooks in various academic disciplines are written and published in this
language.

5. Isn’t it costly to translate books into Filipino?

Translating books into Filipino is not costly. We can include the institution of a comprehensive
translation program and most likely, it will cost less than the amount of money and effort the
government and students waste on an inefficient practice of teaching and learning in a foreign
language.

6. Is it only through translation that knowledge can be disseminated among the people?

No. One more objective for the educational system is the formation of a tradition in excellence in
the various fields of knowledge. We will no longer be dependent on the intellectual largesse from
other nations but we will truly contribute to the growth of research and knowledge. This will come
true if we discover and form theories, concepts, and methods suited to our experiences; and if we
invest on the formation of students and scholars who are both critical and creative thinkers.

In fact, a wealth of academic and scientific publications is already available in Filipino. This is a
proof of the ability of Filipino language to become a medium of serious and intellectual
discourses. We only have to exert more effort in this endeavor, be generous in our support,
prizes, financial patronage, and with the government upholding a more democratic policy in
education.

Source: http://www.up.edu.ph/upforum.php?i=105