Language-in-Education Policy Making in the Philippines Hon

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• Language-in-Education
• Policy Making
• in the Philippines
• Hon. Magtanggol T. Gunigundo I
• Congressman, 2nd District of Valenzuela
• Reclaiming the Right to Learn in Ones Own
  Language

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• There is a need for Congress to formulate a 21st
  Century Philippine language in education policy
  that elicits the best educational outcome for
  Filipinos to become life-long learners and
  critical thinkers who can collaborate with one
  another to address the problems of national
  development.
• Leadership will and administrative space,
  capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation
  are essential to ensure success of this language
  policy in education.
• Our present language policy is flawed as it
  rejects the use in school of the first language
  of children which is a chronic source of weakness
  plaguing Philippine Education. Students fail to
  understand their teacher and their school lesson
  because the language in school is one they can
  hardly speak or understand.

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• International and local research studies in the
  use of languages in education are conclusive
  when the mother tongue is the medium in primary
  instruction, learners end up being better
  thinkers and better learners in both their first
  AND second language(s).
• The states constitutional mandate to provide
  quality education remains a dream in the
  Philippines. Our linguistic diversity has been
  considered a major roadblock. This attitude must
  change. We must embrace and celebrate our
  multilingual society that represents our rich
  culture and traditions. We must think of the
  greater majority of Filipinos (almost 20 million
  enrolled in public schools) who are forced to
  study in a language that is not their own. We
  want a society that values their 1st language and
  can work together under a common language to
  address the issues of national development, and
  be conversant in a language of wider
  communication in the global stage.

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• The Philippines is a multilingual nation with
  more than 170 languages. According to the 2000
  Philippines census, the biggest Philippine
  languages based on the number of native speakers
  are
• Tagalog 21.5 million
• Cebuano 18.5 million
• Ilokano 7.7 million
• Hiligaynon 6.9 million
• Bicol 4.5 million
• Waray 3.1 million
• Kapampangan 2.3 million
• Pangasinan 1.5 million
• Kinaraya 1.3 million
• Tausug 1 million
• Meranao 1 million
• Maguindanao 1 million

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• We completely agree with Dr. Bonifacio Sibayan
  who said that We forget, (or do not know, and if
  we know, we ignore the fact) that most of the
  rest of the world that we have to compete with
  teach and educate their children in ONE LANGUAGE,
  their NATIVE LANGUAGE (Japanese, South Koreans,
  Americans, British, French, German, Russians,
  Malaysians, Thai, Indonesians, and others.)
• Bro. Andrew Gonzales was emphatic in stating
  that We cannot gear an entire education system
  for the intellectual and economic elite. There
  has to be maximum flexibility in MOI and
  curriculum. Not everything in Philippine
  Education has to be uniform, in fact, even if we
  have policies toward uniformity we never
  accomplish enough to be able to attain uniformity
  in results.

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• We must realize that our neighboring countries
  have 12 years or more basic education as
  preparation for University / College while we
  only have ten years. Probably, we believe that
  Filipino children are so bright, they can learn
  in 10 years in a foreign language and 2 other
  languages what the people we have to compete with
  learn in 12 14 years in only one language,
  their native language. We are expecting too much
  from the Filipino child. It is unjust and unfair
  to the forsaken majority in the economic pyramid.

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• The 21st Century Philippine language of
  instruction policy must be aligned with the
  provisions of the 1987 Constitution and our
  commitment to International Conventions (UN
  Convention on the Rights of a Child and UNESCO
  Education for All).
• 1987 Constitution, under Article XIV
• Sec. 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.

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• Sec. 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 auxiliary official
  languages in the regions and shall serve as
  auxiliary media of instruction therein.
• Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a
  voluntary and optional basis.

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• Other Relevant Constitutional Provisions
• Sec. 13, Article II, 1987 Constitution
• The state recognizes the vital role of the youth
  in nation-building and shall promote and protect
  their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual
  and social well-being.
• Sec. 4, Article III, 1987 Constitution
• No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of
  speech, of expression, or the press, or the right
  of the people peaceably to assemble and petition
  the government for redress of grievances.

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• Sec. 1, Article XIV, 1987 Constitution
• The state shall protect and promote the right of
  all citizens to quality education at all levels
  and shall take appropriate steps to make such
  education accessible to all.
• Par. 1 Sec. 2, Article XIV
• (1) Establish, maintain and support a complete,
  adequate, and integrated system of education
  relevant to the needs of the people and society.

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• 1990 UN Convention On The Rights Of The Child
• The child has the right to an education and to
  learn and use the language of his family
  (Articles 28, 30)
• When a child receives an education in a language
  that he or she does not understand, this violates
  the childs right to be literate and be educated.
• UNESCO (2003) Education in a Multilingual World
  position paper supports
• 1. Mother tongue instruction as a means of
  improving educational quality
• 2. Multilingual education at all levels of
  education as a means of promoting both social and
  gender equality and as a key element of
  linguistically diverse societies.
• 3. Language as an essential component of
  inter-cultural education in order to encourage
  understanding between different population groups
  and ensure respect for fundamental rights.

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• III. There are two contending bills proposing a
  new language of instruction policy in the 14th
  Congress.
• COMPARISON OF THE GUNIGUNDO
• AND THE GULLAS, ET AL BILLS
• House Bill 3719 (Gunigundo) Purpose To promote
  literacy and learning by making the native tongue
  as MOI during the formative years of basic
  education.
• House Bill 5619 Bill (Gullas, et al bill)
  Purpose To strengthen English as the medium of
  instruction in all levels of education, from the
  preschool to the tertiary level.

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• Gunigundo HB 3719 Multilingual Bill
• Strategy for Learning
• Develop literacy and learning in L1 first.
• Strong teaching of English and Filipino.
• Transfer L1 skills to Filipino and English.
• Gullas, et al HB 5619 English Only Bill
• Strategy for learning
• Increase time for English by making it as primary
  MOI.
• Ban on L1 and Filipino as MOI.

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• Gunigundo HB 3719 Multilingual Bill
• Use of L1
• L1 as primary MOI from pre-school to Grade 6.
• Separate subject in elementary.
• Separate subject and auxiliary MOI in secondary.
• Additive
• Pluralistic
• Gullas, et al HB 5619 English-Only Bill
• Use of L1
• Optional use as MOI up to Grade 3.
• Ban on L1 use thereafter.
• Subtractive
• Assimilationist

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• Gunigundo HB 3719 Multilingual Bill
•  Use of English
• Strong teaching of English as a subject in
  elementary.
• MOI and separate subject in secondary together
  with Filipino.
• Gullas, et al HB 5619 English-Only Bill
•  Use of English
• MOPreferred MOI from pre-school to Grade 3.
• Exclusive I thereafter

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• Gunigundo HB 3719 Multilingual Bill
• Use of Filipino
• Strong teaching of Filipino in elementary.
• MOI and separate subject in high school together
  with English.
• Gullas, et al HB 5619 English-Only Bill
•  Use of Filipino
• Optional use of Filipino as MOI up to grade 3.
• Ban on Filipino as MOI thereafter except in
  Filipino as subject.

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• Gunigundo HB 3719 Multilingual Bill
•  Transition to Fil and Eng
•  From Grades 4-6, English and Filipino are used
  as MOI in some parts of the elementary curriculum
• Gullas, et al HB 5619 English-Only Bill
• Transition to Fil and Eng
• No transition.
• Introduce English immediately as MOI.

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• Gunigundo HB 3719 Multilingual Bill
•  Development of Teaching Materials and Teacher
  Training
•  Yes, in L1, L2 and L3.
• Gullas, et al HB 5619 English-Only Bill
•  Development of Teaching Materials and Teacher
  Training
•  No in L1 and L2. Yes, only in L3 (English).

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• Once Congress enacts into law HB 3719, the
  economic pyramid is expected to undergo a
  dramatic transformation in 15 years where we
  shall see an expanding middle class and a
  diminishing hoi polloi. This is the way to move
  our nation forward.

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• Implication of the Thomas and Colliers study
  into the workplace as computed by Dr. Steve Walter

Career Options If educated in L2 Only If educated In L1 Percentage Increase / Decrease
Researchers, scientists, top writers, top intellectuals, medical doctors 5 228 4,460
Professors, business leaders, professionals, journalists 120 1,359 1,032
Teachers, mid-level managers, engineers, programmers, bureaucrats 950 3,413 259.15
Skilled factory workers, equipment operators, clerical, service workers 2,977 3,413 14.65
Blue collar workers, manual laborers 3,712 1,359 - 63.40
Hard to employ, domestics, menial labor 2,236 228 - 89.80
TOTAL POPULATION 10,000 10,000
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• IV. Although DepEd deserves praise for coming up
  with DepEd Order No. 74, July 14, 2009 that gives
  the green light for MLE to proceed in public
  schools, we believe that a congressional act
  carries more permanency. But it will be a
  difficult and complicated process to craft a
  congressional act on language of instruction
  considering past language debates fueled by
  regionalism and over reliance on personal
  anecdotes and gut feel and exacerbated by a
  twisted belief that using a second language as
  medium of instruction for non-native speakers
  will make them better speakers.

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• We firmly believe that Congress will be able to
  rise to the challenge of educators rallying
  solidly behind Multi Lingual Education. If
  Congress was able to pass RA 8371 (NCIP) that
  authorizes indigenous people to establish
  educational systems in their own language RA
  9155 that provides teachers with flexibility to
  serve the needs of learners and, RA 8047 that
  encourages the publication of books in other
  Philippine languages., we believe that we can
  also enact a Multi Lingual Education and Literacy
  Act of the 21st Century.

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• In this day and age of computers and advanced
  technology in communications that has made the
  world a lot smaller, we submit that educational
  outcome is sublime and therefore must tower above
  ideological objections and up-front costs in
  crafting our 21st century Phil. Language policy.
• On May 10, 2010 we shall be electing a new
  President and a 15th Congress composed of 230
  regular and 57 partylist Representatives and 12
  new Senators. Let us seize this opportunity to
  elect men and women that possess intellectual
  breadth and a deep grasp of the issues in
  language policy that is central in education
  reforms. This is the only way to stop the further
  deterioration of our ailing educational system.
  Then and only then can our nation move forward.

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• References
•  
• Bonifacio P. Sibayan. Difficult Tasks in
  Teaching Filipino Children in Two or Three
  Languages Some Suggested Solutions, 1999. The
  Filipino Bilingual A Multidisciplinary
  Perspective, Linguistic Society of the
  Philippines.
•  
• Andrew Gonzales, FSC. Philippine Bilingual
  Education Revisited, 1999. The Filipino
  Bilingual A Multidisciplinary Perspective,
  Linguistic Society of the Philippines.
•  
• UNESCO. The Use of Vernacular Languages in
  Education. 1953
•  
• Emma J. Fonacier Bernabe Language Policy
  Formulation, Programming, Implementation and
  Evaluation in Philippine Education (1565-1974)
  1987. Linguistic Society of the Philippines
  Monograph No. 25
•  
• Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista. An outline The
  national language and the language of instruction
  (1995). Readings in Philippine Sociolinguistics.
  2nd Edition 1996
•  
• Stephen L. Walter. Does Language of Instruction
  Matter in Education? GIAL
•  
• Ricardo Ma. Nolasco. The Prospects of
  multi-lingual education and literacy in the
  Philippines. 2008 The Paradox of Philippine
  Education and Education Reform Social Science
  Perspective / Allan Bernardo, Editor Quezon
  City Philippine Social Science Council.
•  
• Digna B. Apilado. A History of Paradox Some
  notes on Philippine Public Education in the 20th
  Century. 2008 The Paradox of Philippine Education
  and Education Reform social science
  perspectives/Allan B.I. Bernardo, Editor-Quezon
  City Philippine Social Science Council
•  
• Ricardo Ma. Nolasco. 21 Reasons why Filipino
  children learn better while using their Mother
  Tongue.1st edition January 2009. Guro Formation
  Forum, University of the Philippines PO Box 279