STATEMENT
OF STAKEHOLDERS OF THE ILOKANO LANGUAGE
ON THE
ILOKANO ORTHOGRAPHY ISSUE
We applaud the
decisive move of the present government to include Mother Tongue Based
Multilingual Education (MTBMLE) as a main component of the new K-12 Law (RA
10533). Such education reform initiative
recognizes the learner’s language and knowledge system as effective starting
points for further learning. We also affirm how RA 10533 and other existing
policies, especially those that address the educational needs of marginalized
learners, value contextualized and culturally-responsive materials developed
through a dialogical process among local stakeholders. This upholds not only our democratic values
but also research-based and additive MTBMLE practices all over the world.
As writers, educators,
scholars and advocates of the Ilokano language we see that MTBMLE provides us
opportunities to help provide a literate community for our own children. We
have more than a hundred years worth of Ilocania materials written by notable
Ilokanos like Isabelo de los Reyes and the tradition has continued and has been
sustained even in places where the Ilokano people have immigrated. We have
formed writers guilds and organized forums, conferences and workshops to
intellectualize Ilokano and other languages in Ilocandia. We have working existing
traditions in orthography, stylized writing, and a vibrant literary tradition that
came about through experimentation, dialogue and debates among our members. We
want to transmit the same love and respect for the Ilokano language, including
our discursive processes and bodies of knowledge to our children. We have this
mind unconditionally: that our Ilokano language is the residence of our four
Ilokano souls, and thus, this, by all means, ought to remain with us as this
contributes to our sense of being and becoming.
We are thankful that
some of us were given the chance to partake in the crafting of the policy and
programs of MTBMLE. As a result, dictionaries, grammar book teachers guides,
storybooks have been developed.
And so we were taken
by surprise that all of a sudden we received a copy of the “Ispeling ng mga
Salitang Ilokano Alinsunod sa Ortograpiyang Pambansa” written by Joel Bagain
Lopez. Such spelling guide which will be used by our children, and was said to
be implemented in Ilocos Norte, deviates from our existing traditions in
language development.
We likewise ask the
Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino to make public the process involved in coming up
with the KWF-endorsed Ilokano Orthography. Many of us are not aware of this
consultation, who conducted it, and who participated in it. Many of us have
questions on the usefulness of this KWF-endorsed Ilokano Orthography in the
development of a more intellectualized Ilokano discourse as required in key
areas of our educational agenda such as sciences, technology, humanities,
engineering, and mathematics.
We wish to quote here
certain passages of the Lopez “Ispeling” to prove our point:
1. “Ti agdama nga
(sic) Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino iti panangidaulo ni Dr Virgilio S. Almario
ket suportaran na (sic) daytoy a wagas ti pannakaisurat ti pronoun ken
pronominal adjective.” (page 2)
2. “Pinapatunayan ng
KWF na ang mga nilalaman ng akdang ito ay alinsunod sa Ortograpiyang Pambansa.”
(page 6)
What authority does
one or two people from the KWF have over the issue about how the Ilokano pronoun
and the pronomial adjective, among others, are to be written? Why is there a
need for Lopez to hide behind the approval of the KWF chair and the KWF Ilokano
Commissioner?
There is claim that
such spelling guide is keeping with the KWF’s idea of “ortograpiyang pambansang (OP).” The idea of
making all Philippine languages conform to the orthography of one dominant
language is an outdated practice, reminiscent of language planning done by
fascist governments in the past. Research shows and as recommended by UNESCO,
that for orthography to be owned and used widely, it should be crafted jointly
through a participatory process among its speakers and stakeholders. In some
instances they are guided by an expert but he/she must be a legitimate linguist
and knowledgeable of the language.
We are concerned that
apart from the mistakes of the Lopez proposal, the author of the 8-page booklet
reworks an existing working orthography and argues that what he does is in
keeping with the OP so that instead of looking into the merit of the existing
working Ilokano orthography, he hides behind the idea of a misguided top-down
language planning.
What Lopez lacks is a
fuller understanding of participatory orthography development, history of the Ilokano language, and how that
history has provided a variety of contexts in its development.
More so, in the
drawing up of ‘a working orthography’ of a language, the implementing
guidelines of the MTB-MLE is clear on the role of ‘stakeholder participation,’
a requirement that we think has been violated in the KWF-endorsed Ilokano
orthography and the Lopez spelling proposal. IRR 10.5 states: “To achieve an
enhanced and responsive basic education curriculum, the DepEd shall undertake
consultations with other national government agencies and other stakeholders
including, but not limited to, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE),
the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), private and public schools
associations, national student organizations, national teacher organizations,
parents-teachers associations, chambers of commerce, and other industry
associations, on matters affecting the concerned stakeholders.”
The signatories of
this Statement are all stakeholders of the Ilokano language. We wish to
participate in all aspects of this MTB-MLE and not to be used as pawns at the
service of some narrow views or agenda.
The Joint National and International Committee for the
Protection of the Ilokano Language, 25 January 2014
Individual Stakeholders: Aurelio Solver Agcaoili, Alegria
Visaya, Edna C. Nagtalon, Natividad Lorenzo, Ferdinand N. Cortez, Lorenzo
Garcia Tabin Sr., Sinamar Robianes Tabin, Eduardo Arellano Padaoan, Felix R.
Udasco, Franklin Macugay, Bonifacio Ramos, Elmer Agcaoili Palacio, Herdy La
Yumul, Eugene Carmelo Cabanilla-Pedro, Roy Vadil Aragon, Pearl Fontilla, Errol
Abrew, Jordan Ang Oay, Melchor Espeleta Orpilla, Ryan Pesigan Reyes, Carmencita
Tomas Macatangay, Wilma Manzano, Mario Singson, Ajarn Wu Hsih, Mark Gil
Ramolete, Neyzielle Cadiz, Ronan Paul Dayot y Bulahan, Gloria Tuzon, Josephine
Lopez Agcaoili, Letecia Florendo, Orlando Rojas Agcaoili, Jayzl Villafania
Nebrê, Jose Gonzalez, Ausbert Felicitas, Rex Alejandro, Terry Tugade, Joven
Ramirez, Raymund Liongson, Peter Julian, Ridel Tabian Cabulisan, Mario Tejada,
Dennis Mendoza, Regie Tagavilla, Cristino Inay, Vilmer V. Viloria, Freddie
Padua Masuli, Jan Rich, Eufe Madariaga, Santíago Víllafanía, Ched Estigoy Arzadon, Danilo Alterado
Organizational Stakeholders: Nakem Conferences Philippines, Nakem Conferences
International, Guild of Ilokano Writers Philippines, Guild of Ilokano Writers
America, Guild of Ilokano Writers Global, Timpuyog ken Saranay Dagiti Ilokano,
Chavacano Ethnolinguistic Group, and Timpuyog Dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano-Hawaii
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