Case for reforming language policy in the context of federalism
This month is the Buwan ng Wika to honor the “father” of the national language, Manuel L. Quezon. The debate on shift towards federal form of government which coincides with the Buwan ng Wika, should open profound discussions on language policy in our country. Initiating discussions on amending language policy stipulated in the Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution would clarify national identity of our country based on single national language derived from Tagalog called Filipino, as current unitary system provides a pretext of our national leaders to impose Tagalog or Filipino, politically correct speaking, among non-Tagalogs like Visayan speakers. Amending language provision in the Constitution through letting regions control their respective linguistic landscape, will enable those areas populated by non-Tagalog speakers an opportunity to preserve their languages from virtual extinction by propagation of Tagalog by the national government and the mass media.
Within the context of federalism, it is time to revisit what constitutes the Filipino nation. If we take from historical origins, the term Filipino was not even originally meant among native Christianized Austronesian Filipinos who constitutes overwhelming majority of current Filipino people, but Philippine-born Spaniards or insulares. The current existence of single Filipino political entity (by territory basis) was only conceived when Spanish conquistadors, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, were able to establish permanent colony in Cebu in 1565 and claimed the entire archipelago for Spain. As a result of centuries of territorial consolidation and cultural acculturation by the Spaniards, the Filipino national identity was conceived by the end of 19th century and it continued fundamentally until present time. Therefore, if we base on historical and cultural foundations, Filipino nationhood lies in Spanish colonialism not indigenous-based tribalism and thus, our national language policy ought not to be based on certain ethnolinguistic identities but on legacies left behind by founding colonizers, the Spaniards.
On the other hand, ethnolinguistic groups should be considered too as nations of their own, where they can set their own customary laws under the umbrella of the Philippine state. In setting up language education policies, all Filipino citizens ought to learn Spanish as the language of common Filipino confederative state, English as the language for international communication, and the dominant regional language where he/ she resides. The educational system should be overhauled by setting up English or Spanish language immersion integrated schools in every community with 10,000 inhabitants aside from existing barrio schools across the country. Foreign language education should be offered too by on-demand basis by schools.
In conclusion, with the context of federalism, our country should recognize the multiplicity of ethnic demography and recognize them as separate nations under common Philippine confederate umbrella. Our country shall have three-layered language policy where the first layer will have English and Spanish as common official confederate language, the second will have regional languages as national languages in their respective regions, and the third will have languages like Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Malay recognized as heritage languages among Filipinos whose immigrant ancestors spoke those languages.
Joseph Solis Alcayde