Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa
A young elementary student was waiting for a ride, daintily dressed up in patadyong. That reminded us that this is August, the month when we celebrate our Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Month)!
What used to be just a week-long commemoration was lengthened into a month by Proclamation 1041, during the term of former president Fidel Ramos. Before this proclamation, Linggo ng Wika was celebrated from August 13 to August 19, the birthday of former President Manuel L. Quezon, known as Ama ng Wikang Pambansa.
With the yearly celebration, we wonder how far the campaign to use and unite under one national language has gone. Are our students aware and are they using more of our Wikang Pambansa in schools and elsewhere?
Our Wikang Pambansa is definitely not equivalent to Tagalog solely as proposed by the Institute of National Language (INL) during the Commonwealth. Based on the INL recommendation that "Tagalog was found to be widely used and accepted by the greatest number of Filipinos and it already had a large literary tradition," Quezon signed Executive Order 134 for Tagalog to be the basis of the country's national language.
In his words, ""Nagdudulot sa akin ng di matingkalang kasiyahan na maipahayag ko sa inyo na ngayong ika-41 anibersaryo ng pagmamartir ng nagtatag at pinakadakilang tagapamansag ng nasyonalismong Pilipino, ay naging karangalan kong ilagda, bilang pag-alinsunod sa utos ng Konstitusyon at ng umiiral na batas, ang isang Kautusang Tagapagpaganap na nagtatalaga sa isa sa mga katutubong wika na maging batayan ng wikang pambansa ng bayang Pilipino."
Much debate and protests were raised about Tagalog as the national language. Despite the fact that in 1959, the Department of Education officially called Tagalog "Pilipino" to appease non-native Tagalog speakers and the 1987 Constitution clarified that "the national language of the Philippines is Filipino and that as it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages," many Filipinos are still confused about Filipino or Pilipino as our national language. To further complicate the national language issue, our 1987 Constitution states that "for purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English."
Until our people, especially our young, understand that our national language incorporates local and foreign languages over time and is still awaiting full development and acceptance, the confusion and ambivalence about our Wikang Pambansa need to be addressed and resolved soon.
What is the meaning of celebrating Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa yearly if our people are not clear about our national language?
We are 7,100 plus islands with 135 or more languages spoken by our people. Pilipino, spoken in various Tagalog-speaking provinces, has many versions. Visayan, as well. While one may be able to pick up a word or two in common with the language one uses, most of the time, a combination of Pilipino, Visayan, and English terms plus much gestures allow for communication among our people. Often, even among us Filipinos, we need local interpreters to dialogue with our own people.
The value of having a national language for national unity and identity has to be emphasized every Buwan ng Wika. Progressively, each year of celebration should allow our people, especially our youth, to develop and use a common language that can allow them to identify with and to communicate with the rest of the Filipinos anywhere in this country or abroad.
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