Manila Standard

Robin: Filipino must be used all year round

- Macon Ramos-Araneta Linguistic Discrimination · Politics · Discrimination · Human Rights · Society · Nigeria · Philippines

THE national language, Filipino, should be used the whole year and not just promoted for one month, Senator Robinhood “Robin” C. Padilla stressed Sunday, on the eve of the start of the Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa celebratio­n on August 1.

He said Filipino is for all Filipinos. Because of this, it should be our primary language in our everyday lives, not just in August.

Padilla has made it clear he will use Filipino in official functions of the Senate.

“Our Constituti­on decrees that Filipino is our national language. Art. XIV, Sec. 6 is clear: ‘The national language of the Philippine­s is Filipino’),” he added.

Earlier, Padilla filed Senate Bill 228, providing for the equal use of Filipino and English languages in government documents.

He stressed that in seeking the passage of the measure, he “strives to promote the policy of inclusion and equal opportunit­ies for all Filipinos.”

Under the bill, Filipino and English will be the official languages of the Philippine­s for all government issuances and documents including:

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