M.

1: Discussion
Languages in the Philippines

1. Historical Perspectives

Throughout the 19th and 20th century, the lingua franca in the Philippines was Spanish
as it has been under their colony. In fact, Filipinos were forced to abandon their language
and use Spanish as means of communication, be it in the government or in schools.
When the country fell under the Americans, English became the lingua franca.
 
Textbooks used in schools were all translated to English and even in government
transactions, English became widely used. A few years after Philippines gained
independence, Tagalog was declared as its official language under the leadership of then
President Manuel L. Quezon. However, despite the fact that the Philippines has been
through several colonizers, many places have retained the use of their native language as
influenced by the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages.
Read more on this site: https://reneekarunungan.com/2019/08/15/a-history-of-the-
philippines-official-languages/ (Links to an external site.)
 
2. The Official Language
The decision to have a national language dates back to the time of former President
Manuel L. Quezon, who took the initiative and leadership in bringing about a national
policy decision on this matter. He issued Executive Order 134 in 1937 proclaiming the
adoption, development and use of a national language.
The National Assembly, the law-making body at that time created the National Language
Institute in 1936, which, after due study recommended that Tagalog be the basis of the
national language. On August 13, 1959, the use of “Pilipino” as the official name of the
national language was declared then by Secretary Jose E. Romero through Department
of Education Order No. 7. In the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines,
the law mandates that the national language of the Philippines is Filipino.
The change of “P” to 5 “F” was based on the alphabet developed by the Institute of
National Language which increased the number of letters from 20 to 28 including “F”.
Filipino is widely used across the country, particularly in the urban centers. Filipino, as it
evolves, incorporates vocabulary from the other Philippine major languages and non-
local languages used in the Philippines, i.e. English, Arabic and Spanish. Arabic is not
widely spoken in the Philippines but there is a small percentage from the Administrative
Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) who can decode Arabic for the purpose of reading
the Qur’an. But with the institutionalization of the Madaris schools by the Department
of Education (DepED), Arabic is now learned and in other areas where it is necessary.
 
3. The Major Languages in the Philippines
In a country of thousands of islands, many different languages evolved. There are
different estimates about the number of Philippines languages. Ethnologue (2005)
reports that there are 171 living languages spoken by the different ethno-linguistic
groups of the Philippines. Belves (2002) reports that eight of these are considered major
languages in the country. These are: 1) Bikol, 2) Cebuano, 3) Hiligaynon, 4) Ilokano or
Iloko, 5) Kapampangan, 6) Pangasinan or Pangasinense 7) Tagalog, and 8) Waray or
Samarnon. McFarland (1993), on the other hand, estimates 120 languages and lists the
same eight with the addition of Maranao and Maguindanao, which are actually dialects
of the same language but are considered different by their users for political and
historical reasons.
The Philippine languages are further divided into subgroups. The first three groups are
considered to be closely related to each other.
Northern Philippine languages such as Ilokano, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, and
Sambal languages are concentrated in northern and central Luzon. Some languages in
Mindoro such as Iraya and Tadyawan are included in this group. The Yami language (also
known as Tao of Orchid Island in Taiwan) is also member of this group.
Meso Philippine languages are perhaps the group with the most speakers and is the
most geographically widespread, covering Central Luzon, the Visayas and many parts of
Mindanao. Certain languages spoken in Palawan and Mindoro such as Tagbanwa,
Palawano, and Hanunoo constitute their own respective subgroups. The largest
subgroup are the Central Philippine languages which are composed of Tagalog; Bicol
language; Visayan languages such as Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Waray-Waray; and
Mansakan Langugaes.
Southern Philippines languages such as Maranao, Maguindanao, Manobo languages, and
Subanun languages are concentrated in Mindanao. Many Southern Philippine languages
have been influenced by Malaysian, Indonesian, Sanskrit and Arabic words. The other
three groups below are thought to be more distantly related to the previous three
languages.
Southern Mindanao languages are languages such as Tboli and Blaan which are spoken
in Southern Mindanao.
Sama-Bajaw languages are mainly centered in the Sulu Archipelago as well as parts of
Borneo. One language, Abaknon, is spoken on Capul Island near Samar, which is far from
other Sama languages. Other languages in this group are Yaken and Sama.
Sulawesi languages have two representatives in the Philippines, the Sangil and the
Sangir languages.
 
4. How Languages Survived
Despite the fact that Philippines has gone through several colonizers and it has changed
its Constitution a few times especially in regards to the use of official language, still
many languages have native speakers. Those who were highly influenced by Spanish
settlers in Zamboanga still retained the use of Chavacano (derived from Spanish) as the
lingua franca. Several tribes in the Philippines like the Mangyan, T’boli and Ivatan still use
their language and not influenced by any other languages. Those who were influenced
by the Moslems in the southern part of the country still practice their rich language. In
fact, even if many conquerors tried to influence them, they held on to their roots.
However, it is important to note that some can also speak Arabic beyond just liturgical
use. Trade and commerce in the past have also become the reason why there are still a
lot of Filipinos who can speak foreign languages such as Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa
Indonesia, Chinese and even Japanese.
It is indeed great to know that despite such diversity, the country still remain united and
its people have a clear understanding of each other.
Philippines despite being a small country is one of the many countries with quite a number of
languages spoken by the inhabitants. This means such situation serves as both positive and
negative implications such as the status of the national language, the native language (L1), and
English. Some languages eventually die, so what do we do about it?

M.2. Discussion D.O. # 25, series of

1974
Language Policies in the Philippines
Bilingual education is a broad term that refers to the presence of two languages in
instructional settings. The term is, however, "a simple label for a complex phenomenon"
(Cazden and Snow, p. 9) that depends upon many variables, including the native
language of the students, the language of instruction, and the linguistic goal of the
program, to determine which type of bilingual education is used. Students may be native
speakers of the majority language or a minority language. The students' native language
may or may not be used to teach content material.
Bilingual education programs can be considered either additive or subtractive in terms of
their linguistic goals, depending on whether students are encouraged to add to their
linguistic repertoire or to replace their native language with the majority language. In
other words, bilingual education refers to the use of two languages as media of
instruction.
 

1. Dept. Order No. 25, s. 1974 titled, “Implementing Guidelines for the Policy
on Bilingual Education”

The Language provision in the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines
which are embodied in Article XIV, Sec. 6 and 7 provide the legal basis for the various
language policies that are being implemented in the country.
The ratification of the above-mentioned constitution resolved the issue on what the
national language is, since the 1935 and 1973 Philippine Charters were not clear about
this.
The provision are as follows:

1. 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.
2. For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the
Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English.

* It is popularly known as the Bilingual Education Program of 1974, the Order required
the use of English as medium of instruction for science and mathematics subjects and
the use of Filipino as medium of instruction for all other subjects in the elementary and
high school levels.

2.  DO 52, S. 1987 – THE 1987 POLICY ON BILINGUAL EDUCATION

1. The provision of Article XIV Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution states:
“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.”
2. In consonance with this mandate the declared policy of the Department of Education
and Culture on bilingualism in the schools (NBE Resolution No. 73-7, s. 1973), the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports hereby promulgates the following policy:
3. The Policy on Bilingual Education aims at the achievement of competence in both
Filipino and English at the national level, through the teaching of both languages and
their use as media of instruction at all levels. The regional languages shall be used as
auxiliary languages in Grades I and II. The aspiration of the Filipino to enable them to
perform their functions and duties as Filipino citizens and in English in order to meet the
needs of the country in the community of nations.
4. The goals of the Bilingual Education Policy shall be:
A. Enhanced learning through two languages to achieve quality education as called for
by the 1987 Constitution;
B. the propagation of Filipino as a language of literacy;
C. the development of Filipino as a linguistic symbol of national unity and identity;

D. the cultivation and elaboration of Filipino as a language of scholarly discourse that is

to say, its continuing intellectualization; and

E. the maintenance of English as an international language for the Philippines and as a

non-exclusive language of science and technology.

F. Filipino and English shall be used as media of instruction, the use allocated to specific
subjects in the curriculum as indicated in Department Order No. 25, s. 1974.

G. The regional languages shall be used as auxiliary media of instruction and as initial
language for literacy where needed.

H. Filipino and English shall be taught as language subjects in all levels to achieve the
goals of bilingual competence.

I. Since competence in the use of both Filipino and English is one of the goals of the
Bilingual Education Policy, continuing improvement in the teaching of both languages,
their use as media of instruction and the specification shall be the responsibility of the
whole educational system.

J. Tertiary level institutions shall lead in the continuing intellectualization of Filipino. The
program of intellectualization, however, shall also be pursued in both the elementary and
secondary levels.

K. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall cooperate with the National
Language Commission which, according to the 1987 Constitution, shall be tasked with
the further development and enrichment of Filipino.
L. The Department of Education, Culture and Sports shall provide the means by which
the language policy can be implemented with the cooperation of government and non-
government organizations.

M. The Department shall program funds for implementing the Policy, in such areas as
materials production, in-service training, compensatory, and enrichment program for
non-Tagalogs, development of a suitable and standardized Filipino For classroom use
and the development of appropriate evaluative instruments.
 
5. This Order supersedes previous Orders on the Bilingual Education Policy that are
inconsistent with it.
3. DECS order No. 11, s. 1987 – An Act Granting Priority to Residents of the Barangay,
Municipality or City where the School is located, in the appointment or assignment of
classroom public school teachers

Section 1: In the appointment or assignment of teachers to public elementary or

secondary schools, priority shall be given to bonafide residents of the barangay,
municipality, city or province where the school is located: Provided, that the teacher
possesses all the minimum qualifications for the position as required by law.
Protests regarding the appointment or assignment of classroom public school teachers
shall prescribe in three (3) month upon the issuance of such appointments or
assignments.

Section 2: In the exercise of its disciplinary authority, the Secretary of Education, Culture
and Sports shall impose the following administrative sanctions for any willfull violation of
this Act: (1) first violation – suspension of one (1) month without pay; (2) second
violation – suspension of two (2) months without pay; an (3) third violation and
subsequent violations hereof – suspension of six (6) months without pay.

Section 3: The Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) shall prescribe the
rules and regulations necessary to implement this Act. The DECS shall provide the
senate and the House of Representatives a copy of the rules and regulations within
ninety (90) days after its approval.

In short, the order allows use of local language specifically where local culture should be
enhanced in cultural communities.
4. Executive Order No. 335, s. 1988
Enjoining All Departments/Bureaus/Offices/Agencies/Instrumentalities Of The
Government To Take Such Steps As Are Necessary For The Purpose Of Using Filipino
Language In Official Transactions, Communications And Correspondence
1. Take steps to enhance the use of Filipino in all official communications, transactions
and correspondence in their respective offices, whether national or local;
2. Assign one or more personnel, as may be necessary, in every office to take charge of
all communications and correspondence written in Filipino;
3. Translate into Filipino names of offices, buildings, public offices, and signboards of all
offices, divisions or its instrumentalities, and if so desired, imprint below in smaller letters
the English text;
4. Filipinize the “Oath of Office” for government officials and personnel;
5. Make as part of the training programs for personnel development in each office the
proficiency in the use of Filipino in official communications and correspondence.
 
To implement such objectives, the Institute of Philippine Languages is hereby ordered to
formulate and implement programs and projects, which include:
1) information campaign on the importance and necessity of Filipino as an effective
instrument for national unity and progress;

2) translation into Filipino of this Executive Order, as well as government terms to be

utilized as reference materials for all offices;

3) training of all government officials and personnel in the use of Filipino;

4) monitoring of the implementation of this Order and submitting periodic progress

report of implementation to the Office of the President of the Philippines thru the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports; and

5) taking into account other strategies for the full implementation of the objectives of
this Order.
The laws discussed put importance on the role of Filipino language in education, communication
and in the government. However, that role changes overtime. The English language, on the other
hand, has also its place in the education policy of the Philippines.

Language Policies in the Philippines

5. The Language Policy of the CHED (Higher Education Act of 1994)

 
In 1994, Republic Act No. 7722, creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
was signed.  This Act which is know as the “Higher Education Act of 1994” provides that
the CHED shall be independent and separate from the DECS and attached to the Office
of the President for administrative purposes only.  Its coverage shall be both public and
private institutions of higher education as well as degree-granting programs in all post-
secondary educational institutions, public and private.
 One of the first steps undertaken by CHED was to update the General Education
Curriculum (GEC) of tertiary courses leading to an initial bachelor’s degree covering four
(4) curriculum years.  This was done to make the curriculum more responsive to the
demands of the next millenium.
The requirements of the new GEC are embodied in the CHED Memorandum Order
(CMO) No. 59, s. 1996. Listed under miscellaneous of this CMO is its language policy
which is as follows:
In consonance with the Bilingual Education Policy underlined  in DECS Order No. 52,
Series of 1987, the following are the guidelines vis-a-vis medium of instruction, to wit:

1. Language courses, whether Filipino or English, should be taught in that

language.
2. At the discretion of the HEI, Literature subjects may be taught in Filipino,
English or any other language as long as there are enough instructional
materials for the same and both students and instructors/professors are
competent in the language.

Courses in the Humanities and Social Sciences should preferably be taught in Filipino.

6. Executive Order No. 210 (May 17, 2003) – Establishing the Policy to
Strengthen the Use of English Language as Medium of Instruction in the
Educational System

 
SECTION 1. Declaration of Policies. – The following policies are hereby established:
 

1. English shall be taught as a second language, starting with the First Grade.

 
a. As provided for in the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum, English shall be used as the
medium of instruction for English, Mathematics and Science from at least the Third
Grade level.
b. The English language shall be used as the primary medium of instruction in all public
and private institutions of learning in the secondary level, including those established as
laboratory and/or experimental schools, and non-formal and vocational or technical
educational institutions. As the primary medium of instruction, the percentage of time
allotment for learning areas conducted in the English language is expected to be not less
than seventy percent (70%) of the total time allotment for all learning areas in the
secondary level.
c. It is the objective of the foregoing policies to develop the aptitude, competence and
proficiency of all students in the use of the English language to make them better
prepared for the job opportunities emerging in the new, technology-driven sectors of
the economy.
 
SECTION 2. Institutions of Higher Education. – Institutions of higher education,
including State Colleges and Universities [SUCs], are hereby encouraged to adopt the
use of the English language as the primary medium of instruction in the tertiary level.
The CHED shall adopt measures to promote and encourage the use of the English
language as the primary medium of instruction in the tertiary or higher education level.
 
SECTION 3. Proficiency of Teachers. – The DepEd, through the National Educators’
Academy of the Philippines [NEAP], the Educational Development Project Implementing
Task Force [EDPITAF], the CHED, the TESDA, as well as through the educational
institutions in the private sector, shall evaluate the proficiency of educators in the
English language and conduct training programs nationwide to develop and improve it.
 
SECTION 4. Support Mechanisms. – The implementing authorities specified in Section 5
hereof shall undertake to secure the funding support necessary to provide adequate
learning materials and resources that will develop the aptitude, competence and
proficiency of students in the English language. They shall also collaborate in developing
an evaluation instrument that will make it possible to monitor the progress of educators
and students in achieving the policy objectives established herein.
 
SECTION 5. Implementing Authorities. – The DepEd and the TESDA are hereby directed
to take active steps to ensure the implementation of this Executive Order and monitor
compliance therewith in all public and private institutions of learning in the elementary
and secondary levels, including those established as laboratory and/or experimental
schools, and non-formal and vocational or technical educational institutions.
 
SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The DepEd, the CHED and the
TESDA are hereby authorized to issue the appropriate rules and regulations for the
effective implementation of the policies established herein.
 
SECTION 7. Report to the President. – Within thirty (30) days from the issuance of this
Executive Order, the DepEd, the CHED and the TESDA shall submit to the President a
plan of action to effectively implement the provisions of this Executive Order.
 
SECTION 8. Use of the Filipino Language. – Pursuant to the Constitutionally-mandated
policy of the Government to ensure and promote the evolution, development and
further enrichment of Filipino as the national language of the Philippines, the Filipino
language shall continue to be the medium of instruction in the learning areas of Filipino
and Araling Panlipunan.
 
SECTION 9. Guarantee of Academic Freedom. – Nothing in this Executive Order shall be
construed as limiting the academic freedom of institutions of higher education.

M.3. Summary and Conclusion

The role of English in the policies mentioned in this module was strengthened putting a
significant division on the status of Filipino as the national language of the country.
English language was seen as important vehicle to begin a professional career so it was
included in the higher education curriculum. Meanwhile, in the basic education, English
was also considered an important tool to become globally and communicatively
competent.

M.4. Discussion
Early Childhood Program
 

 Filipino and English used as media of instruction for 5-year old children in

preschool education.
 Next dominant languages learned are Filipino and English producing childhood
bilingualism through classroom activities
 In non-Tagalog areas, teachers translated Filipino and English words to local
language, children answered in mixed language
 
In the Primary Grades

 Children used Filipino in learning Civics and Culture (Sibika at Kultura) in

Grades I-III, Geography, History and Civics (Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika)
in Grades IV-VI, Makabayan which includes Character Education, Music, Arts
and Physical Education in Grades I-VI, Home Economics and Livelihood
Education (Edukasyong Pangtahanan at Pangkabuhayan) in Grades IV-VI
 Filipino and English learned as subjects in all grade levels
 Children learned Mathematics (Grades I-VI) and Science (Grades III-VI) in
English
 Teachers believed that use of Filipino as medium of instruction:

1. promotes oneness in thought as nation and pride in being Filipino, preserves

cultural and national identity
2. promotes development of reading skills because Filipino is language of mass
media which most children have access to

 Children were observed to learn Filipino easier because of regular transparent

orthography and mother tongues of children have Filipino vocabulary
 Learning of English supported by most teachers and parents
 Early exposure of children to sounds (phonology and semantics) of English
language promoted familiarization
 Enhanced by educational programs in radio, television and print materials
which were widely present in many environments
 In classrooms, more reading materials in English are available than Filipino and
in different learning areas

 
Lingua Franca Project
 Lingua franca, (Italian: “Frankish language”) language used as a means of communication
between populations speaking vernaculars that are not mutually intelligible. The term
was first used during the Middle Ages to describe a French- and Italian-based jargon, or
pidgin, that was developed by Crusaders and traders in the eastern Mediterranean and
characterized by the invariant forms of its nouns, verbs, and adjectives. These changes
have been interpreted as simplifications of the Romance languages.
In the School Year 1999-2000, the then Department of Education, Culture, and Sports
launched the Lingua Franca Project. Thirty-two schools (16 experimental and 16 control)
were selected from 15 regions to participate. The experimental schools used one of
three lingua francae— Tagalog, Ilokano, or Cebuano—as medium of instruction in Grades
1 and 2. The control schools continued the status quo of using Tagalog-based Filipino
and English as medium of instruction. Gonzalez (2001) described the results of the
project as “encouraging”. When compared to control classes, achievement in all subjects
was slightly better and observations suggested an increased enthusiasm and vitality
among pupils.
Primary Grades

 Aimed at defining and implementing national bridging program to develop

initial literacy
 All subjects in Grade I were taught in lingua franca including reading readiness
and beginning reading
 Filipino was taught orally
 Oral English was introduced in second semester
 Schools were given the option to select which lingua franca to use: Tagalog,
Cebuano or Ilocano
 Results showed that reading in first language developed self-confidence and
facilitated smooth transfer of learning from first language to second language
 Study in Basic Education Reform Agenda (BESRA) in 2005 showed that
abilities of Filipino children to transfer  literacy skills from Filipino to English
were demonstrated in word reading/decoding abilities
 But lack of linguistic or language competence compromised English language
performance because it lacked direct route to sentence comprehension

See  Department Order 80 s 1999. https://www.deped.gov.ph/1999/08/04/do-80-s-

1999-grade-i-class-program-for-experimental-schools-in-the-lingua-franca-education-
project/

M.4. Summary and Conclusion

The bilingual language policy was introduced in as early as the early childhood program
or pre-school. This was eventually re-named as the lingua franca project. The
implementing rules and guidelines simply put distinction on the use of English and
Filipino in the classroom. This was eventually turned to be the pre-requisite in the
enactment of mother tongue-based curriculum.