Decline in use of Pangasinan language noted
LINGAYEN–Noting the declining number of Pangasinenses speaking the Pangasinan language as gleaned from a recent survey, Gov. Amado Espino III spurred him to create and organize activities that will help strengthen and encourage usage of the Pangasinan language in schools, homes and in workplaces.
Speaking Wednesday during the opening of the training for the pedagogy of the Pangasinan Orthography at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center here, Espino said every effort to save the Pangasinan language must be done today for the sake of the future generations.
More than 200 teachers from different towns in the province tasked by DepEd to teach Pangasinan language to their pupils are training for the proper usage of particular words in oral and written communications.
Espino lauded the training program aimed at saving the Pangasinan language from being forgotten by the next generations of Pangasinenses.
The production of Pangasinan Orthography in book form issued by the provincial government to teachers and libraries, will make teaching Pangasinan language easier.
“This is one program that aims to bring back the Pangasinan language to the native tongues of the Pangasinenses,” especially the youth,” Espino told newsmen.
Malou Elduayan, provincial tourism and cultural office explained the decline in the number of people speaking in Pangasinan citing the practice and habit in many homes speaking the Pangasinan language interspersed with English and Tagalog, pointing out that if the trend continues, its use may be lost.
DepEd and KWF (Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino) and the provincial government recently issued the guidelines on the proper use of Pangasinan orthography to establish the standard in the pronunciation, spelling and writing manuscripts in Pangasinan.
She admitted though that many of the Pangasinenses are speaking the Iloko language, they (Iloko-speaking Pangasinenses) should also learn to be fluent in the language.
The governor and his father, former Gov. Amado Espino Jr., now congressman, speak fluent Pangasinan and Iloko languages.
The governor directed the Provincial Tourism Office and the Provincial Information Office to prepare a program that will require usage of Pangasinan language strictly on given days in any offices of the provincial government and schools to further develop the Pangasinan language. (Leonardo Micua)
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