Pangasinan hosts Buwan ng Wika congress
LINGAYEN– The province again played host to a national event at the Sison Auditorium, the national congress for Buwan ng Wika 2015.
The national congress, organized by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) chaired by Virgilio Almario, focused on language planning vis-à-vis the Mother Tongue Based-Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) and the K+12 program of the Department of Education.
MTB-MLE is the implementation of local mother tongues as the language of instruction in kindergarten to Grade 3, with the official languages (Filipino and English) being introduced as the language of instruction after grade three.
Meanwhile, K+12 program refers to the kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School).
Wikang Pangasinan Commissioner, Ma. Crisanta Nelmida-Flores had informed Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. that the congress discuss the teaching of Pangasinan and Bolinao languages.
The event’s guest speaker, Senator Pia Cayetano, chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Culture, represented by Noel De Guia, underscored on the importance of promoting the national language, Filipino.
“Hawak ninyo ang kaalaman at kakayahan ng pagsulong ng wikang Filipino”, she challenged the participants.
Dr. Prospero De Vera, University of the Philippines (UP) vice president for public affairs, who also graced the event, said promotion of the national language shall be hand in hand in the promotion of regional languages or dialects.
He hailed the role of provincial government’s sustained efforts to promote Pangasinan, through various activities, including a provincial hymn.
De Vera also noted that there are various issues in regard the national language as the tensions around the use of colloquial terms; and the technology of communication, which shall be of help in the development of national language and not otherwise.
He also noted that schools should not allow the use of Tag-lish (Tagalog and English) and other mixed use of languages.
“Kelangan maging bihasa sa lahat ng ito, hindi pinaghahalo“, he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Espino, expressing his gratitude to the KWF for choosing the province as the event’s venue, said the province is committed to support the development and promotion of regional languages, citing each province’s distinct cultural identity as manifested in their respective language, among others.
He thanked KWF for recognizing Pangasinan as the first province to have developed its own language (Pangasinense) orthography.
He announced that the province is also set to put up the Pangasinan Studies Center, with the help of UP, soon. (Johanne Macob)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
