Teaching Filipino in schools a constitutional mandate, stresses commission

March 6, 2025 , 09:32 PM

By Gabriel Kim Leal

(March 6, 2025) – The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) on Thursday stressed the constitutional duty of the government to promote and develop the Filipino language.

The KWF rebutted the alleged plan of Department of Education secretary Sonny Angara to limit or remove the Filipino subject entirely from the senior high school curriculum.

“Naniniwala ang KWF na isang mahalagang bahagi ng lawas at kaluluwa ng edukasyon ng batang Filipino ang pagtuturo ng kanyang sariling wika sa lahat ng paraan at pagkakataon,” said the commission in a statement.

The KWF, which oversees the preservation and promotion of Filipino and other native languages, cited Article 14 of the 1987 Constitution, which mandates the use of Filipino as a language of instruction.

The KWF stressed that continued exposure to Filipino helps students become more proficient in the language and fosters cultural appreciation.

“Ang mamamayang nauunawaan ang alinmang pampublikong dokumento dahil nakasulat ito sa wikang kaniyang nauunawaan ay makalalahok sa demokratikong proseso ng pamahalaan,” added the statement.

In January, Angara said the senior high school curriculum should be decongested to five or six “core subjects” to give students more time for on-the-job training and work immersion. He said this would allow them to get employed more easily.

Last October, teachers expressed dismay over the passage of Republic Act No. 12027, which removes the mandatory use of the mother tongue in multilingual education from Kindergarten to Grade 3. The law took effect after it lapsed.

The KWF, meanwhile, reaffirmed its readiness to work with various sectors to ensure that language education aligns with the 1987 Constitution.

“Nakahanda ang Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino bilang ahensiyang naatasan ng batas at may kapangyarihan na sangguniin at gawing ka-tagapagtaguyod,” said the KWF.

(PM)

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