Pangasinan language gasping for last breath
LINGAYEN–Is the Pangasinan language dying?
Yes, said Governor Amado Espino Jr. when he addressed the 10th anniversary celebration of the Ulupan na Pansiansay Salitan Pangasinan (UPSP) held at the Pangasinan State University.
Urging every Pangasinense to help save the language, Espino sadly noted that Pangasinan “is now gasping for its last breath”.
At the same time, Espino lauded the UPSP founded by retired Department of Trade and Industry Provincial Director Jaime Lucas for launching a movement that seeks the propagation of the language.
The UPSP, for its part, hails Espino as a champion of Pangasinan culture and language for being the first governor of the province who made Pangasinan as the official language in the provincial capitol.
In his speech during the celebration, Espino said that though the provincial capitol is the face and heart of the province, the Pangasinan language is its soul.
The governor called for a wider and more everyday use of the language.
“For instance, we should use the Pangasinan dialect in all local occasions, instead of Tagalog or English,” Espino said.
He added that if necessary, people can adopt a Tagalog-Pangasinan or English-Pangasinan mix.
Lucas concurred with Espino’s observation that Pangasinan, one of the eight officially recognized languages in the Philippines, is dying and that efforts should be made to preserve it.
He called on parents to help bring pride on the language by passing it on to their children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Victoriano Estira, PSU president, called for a stronger UPSP which he said should reflect the culture, hopes and aspirations of every Pangasinense as he pledged his support for the group.
At the same time, Lingayen Mayor Ernesto Castaneda vowed that his town will join the province in promoting Pangasinan.–LM
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