REMOVAL OF FILIPINO IN THE NEW GEC_RESEARCH WORK

Prof. Patrocinio Villafuerte “Removing Filipino as a subject in the new GEC is not just a local issue; it is a moral issue that goes against the integrity of our race.” A professor in Filipino in the National Teachers College and Palanca-award winning writer Prof. Patrocinio Villafuerte said succinctly (and in Filipino), “There have been countless times and ways when the educators of this country with colonial mentality have violated the essence of the national language. Instead of abiding by what is stated in the Constitution and work to ensure that the national language flourishes, these educators blatantly go out of their way to kill it.” “Removing Filipino as a subject in the new GEC is not just a local issue; it is a moral issue that goes against the integrity of our race. It is not enough to teach children up to the 11th and 12th grade to say that they are already good at using the national language. Filipino should continue to be taught and used up to all levels of formal education,” he said. “From the onset, this is a most unpatriotic action. The very idea of removing Filipino as a subject in the higher levels of academic learning is unconscionable,” he said. San Juan explained that the memorandum goes against the Article XIV Sections 6 and 7 of the 1987 Constitution which state that “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. Subject to provisions of law and as the Congress may deem appropriate, the Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system (Section 6). Section 7, on the other hand, states that for purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English. Teaching Filipino in college is part of the implementation of Resolution No. 298-2011 of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) regarding the College Readiness Standards of the Philippines. Covered by the same resolution are the minimum skills that students need to learn or master so that they could be prepared for college. The CHED has named 16 skills in Filipino. These will all be rendered useless if Filipino as a subject is no longer sustained and expanded. “In many European countries, the United States and countries in Southeast Asia, subjects that focus on the study of the national language are part of the General Education Curriculum (GEC) or its equivalent. At the time when the so-called ASEAN Integration is taking place, Filipinos should be strengthening their own language, culture and identity so they could contribute to the project of regional socio-cultural integration. Strengthening the Filipino language in all levels of education is also part of preparations for ASEAN integration, “San Juan argued. Herta Müller “It made me realize that your mother tongue comes to you without any effort on your part. It is a dowry that comes into your possession without you noticing. It is then judged by another language that has been added later and that comes from somewhere else. Your mother tongue feels as direct and unconditional as your own skin, and it is just as vulnerable if held in low esteem, treated with contempt, or even banned by others.” Fight for Filipino in college may reach Supreme Court By Ira Pedrasa, ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at Jun 15 2014 03:24 PM | Updated as of Jun 15 2014 11:24 PM Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) chairman and National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario MANILA -- The fight to retain Filipino in classes in college and universities may reach the Supreme Court, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) chairman and National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario said on Sunday. “there is a possibility we may reach that point. For now, we are discussing matters with college and university officials. Some are just too hard-headed,” Almario said in Filipino in an interview with radio dzMM. Almario was reacting to a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) memorandum that effectively removes Filipino as a form of teaching in the general education curriculum. He explained that under CHED Memorandum No. 20, which was issued as early as last year, old general education subjects taught in both English and Filipino have been removed. The new subjects introduced, however, make the syllabus available only in English. This is a result of the K-12 curriculum as, according to CHED, the old college-level general education subjects, which include Filipino, will be transferred to the K-12 curriculum. “In effect, it’s a violation of the essence of the Constitution. It provides there that we should not just declare Filipino as the national language, we should also ensure that we should spread its use,” Almario said. The writer also cited the need for the “intellectualization of the language,” saying Filipino should not just be used in everyday language, but also in research and intellectual discussions. In Malacanang, meanwhile, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. assured Filipino teachers who may be affected by the changes will not go unemployed. “The welfare of the teachers are important. We will monitor the developments. We will be doing the necessary steps so that they will not go unemployed,” Coloma said. Almario, on the other hand, is awaiting replies from CHED and Congress as to KWF suggestions that other subjects in college be taught in Filipino. “We formally submitted the letters two weeks ago. There is no reply yet,” he said, citing the need for “retooling and reeducation among Filipino teachers.” According to him, the KWF has already created four Filipino syllabi out of the eight subjects that will be taught in the new general education curriculum. note: dmmsanjuan@gmail.com http://www.docstoc.com/docs/171240244/Kritik%20sa%20Patakarang%20Pangwika%20sa%20Ilalim%20ng%20K%20to%2012.pdf