Can one language foster unity?

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‘It took two constitutional interventions — 1973 and 1987 — for the founding fathers to finally settle for Filipino as the national language…’

IT was former President Fidel V. Ramos who, in 1997, issued Proclamation No. 1041 declaring August as “Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa” or National Language Month.

Decades before this, another president — Manuel L. Quezon of the Commonwealth period — worked hard to unify islands, tribes and localities of various cultures and mores through the development and use of a single national language.

President Quezon pushed for inclusion in the draft 1935 Constitution the provision about the need for the National Assembly to legislate the “development of a national language which will be based on one of the existing native languages.” Quezon was born on Aug. 19, 1878 and was one of the Philippines’ foremost leaders in his time. He passed away in August, 1944.

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Quezon surmised that the nation of some 7,100 islands and more than 100 ethnolinguistic groups will achieve greater unity and cooperation — and thus accelerate economic progress — by having one single dominant national language. Commonwealth Act 184 then directed a national committee composed of language experts in Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Bicol, Samarnon, Cebuano, Tagalog, Maranao-Maguindanao, Pampango and Pangasinan, and they finally chose Tagalog.

It took two constitutional interventions — 1973 and 1987 — for the founding fathers to finally settle for Filipino as the national language, the use of which shall be sustained as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system. For now, Filipino shares place with English as the official and everyday language used in government, mass media, schools, homes and the streets.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s reminder to the public that the Filipino language is not limited to Tagalog, but rather a collection of different dialects in the entire country, has historical basis.

Rather courageously, the President also touted the observation that speaking a foreign language is not the ultimate measure of one’s intelligence, thus Filipinos should participate and contribute to the national effort to intellectualize or enrich the National Language.

Marcos said: “Ngayon, higit kailan man, panatilihin nating matatag ang ating lingwistikong pundasyon sa Filipino, dahil ang sarili nating wika ang ating magiging batayang lakas sa paglinang sa ating kultura habang nakikiayon sa agos ng makabagong panahon (Now more than ever, we need to keep our linguistic foundation strong because it is our own language that will be a measure of developing our culture while we go with the changing times).

“Isaisip at isapuso natin na tayo lamang ang makapagpapatibay ng wikang taal sa ating pagkakakilanlan.” (Let us find it in our hearts and minds that we are the only ones who can strengthen our native tongue that defines our identity).”

The Chief Executive is correct in saying that “the nation’s future will be brighter if we will push with pride our national language.” Pushing with pride means using, promoting and developing Filipino in the government, schools, media, sectoral organizations and local communities, and ensuring that our national language will not go the way of Gaelic, Coptic and Latin.

Unity, the theme of the Marcos administration, will be best achieved by one, common national language.

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