LANGUAGE

POLICIES IN
THE
PHILIPPINES
INTRODUCTION
 Introduction
The 1987 Constitution defines Filipino
as the country's national language. It
also acknowledges that Filipino is
evolving and that it shall be developed
and enriched on the basis of other
existing dialects and languages.
 01

1987 Constitution
 01 1987 CONSTITUTION

Sections 6 to 9 of Article XIV outline the main

language policy in the country. Section 7 states
that for the purposes of communication and
instruction, Filipino and, until otherwise provided
by law, English are the official languages of the
Philippines.
 1987 CONSTITUTION

S e c ti o n 9 m a ndate s th e f o un dat io n o f a n at io n al
l a n g u a g e c o m m is s io n tas k e d t o u n de r t ake ,
c o o r d i n a te , a nd pr o m o te r e s e ar c h e s fo r t h e
d e v e l o p m e n t, pr o pagatio n , an d pr e s e r v at io n o f
F i l i p i n o a n d o t h e r l an gu age s . Pu r s u an t t o t h is
s e c ti o n , th e K o m is yo n n g W i kan g F il ipin o
( C o m m i s s i o n o n t h e Fil ipin o L an gu age ) o r K W F w as
c r e a te d i n 1 9 9 1 .
 02
Executive Order 335
 EXECUTIVE ORDER 335

President Corazon Aquino ordered in 1988 all

government departments, bureaus, offices,
agencies, and instrumentalities to take steps in
using the Filipino language in transactions,
communications, and correspondence.
 03
KWF Resolution
1-92
 KWF RESOLUTION 1-92
The KWF passed in 1992 a resolution adopting
a working description of Filipino for the
purpose of accomplishing Commission tasks.
It describes Filipino as the native language
spoken and written in the National Capital
Region and other urban centers in the
Philippines, and is used as the language of
communication between ethnic groups.
 KWF RESOLUTION 1-92
Due to the fact that there are 8 major native
languages in the Philippines whose speakers
outnumber Tagalog users, the notion of a
Tagalog-based national language has long been
the center of an ongoing argument regarding
the national language of the Philippines, with
debates dating as far back as 1937 when
Tagalog was declared the basis of the national
language.
 04
Department of Education,
Culture and Sports
(DECS)
Order 81
 DECS ORDER 81

In 1987, the DECS released the

"Alphabet and a Guide for Spelling
in the Filipino Language," laying
down the letters of Filipino
alphabet and rules on spelling.
 DECS ORDER 81

According to the order, the

Filipino Alphabet is composed of
28 letters the original 26 letters
of the English alphabet, plus
letters Ñ and Ng. The order also
details how the letters should be
read.
 05
Bilingual Language
Policy
 BILINGUAL LANGUAGE POLICY
The Bilingual Language Policy in
the country's education system
seeks to attain Filipino and
English competence at a national
level through their use as media
of instruction at all levels.
 B I L I N G U A L L A N G U A G E P O LI C Y
D E C S i s s u e d t h i s p o l i c y in 1 9 7 4 , a l o n g w it h
DECS order No. 25, which allotted Filipino
a s t h e m e d i u m o f i n s t r u c t io n f o r s o c ia l
sciences, arts, physical education, home
economics, practical arts and character
education subjects. In turn, English is the
medium of instruction for mathematics
and science and technology.
BILINGUAL LANGUAGE POLICY

With the signing of the 1987

Constitution, Filipino and
English are mandated to be
used as media for instruction.
 06
College General
Education
Curriculum's Language
Policy
 COLLEGE GENERAL EDUCATION
CURRICULUM' S LANGUAGE POLICY
The Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) issued in 1994 the
New General Educational Curriculum
(GEC) under CHED Memorandum
Order 59.
 COLLEGE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM'S
LANGUAGE POLICY
The GEC requires Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) to have at least 9 units of Filipino
language courses. In addition, to coordinate with
the Department of Education (DepEd)'s Bilingual
Education Policy, language courses, whether
Filipino or English, should be taught in that
language. Courses in Humanities and Social
Sciences should preferably be taught in Filipino.
 COLLEGE GENERAL EDUCATION
CURRICULUM' S LANGUAGE POLICY
Furthermore, at the discretion of HEIs,
literature subjects may be taught in Filipino,
English, or in any other language so long as
there are enough instructional materials,
students, and instructors competent in the
language. A revised Syllabi of Filipino courses
1, 2, and 3 was issued in 2007 under CMO 54.
 C O L L E G E G E N E R A L E DU C A T I O N
C U R R I C U L U M 'S L A N G U A G E P O LI C Y
I n J u l y 2 0 14 , t h e H o u s e o f
Representatives committee asked the
C H E D t o re p o r t h o w m a n y e d u c a t o rs w i l l
b e a f f e c t e d b y t h e K - 12 s y s t e m a s a
p r e r e q u is it e t o a p r o p o s a l t o fu n d
d i s p l a c e d e d u c a t i o n w o rk e rs .
 06
K-12 program and the
Mother Tongue-Based
Multilingual Education
(MTB MLE)
 K-12 PROGRAM AND THE MTB-MLE
DepEd launched in 2011 the K-12 program,
which became law only in 2013. Along with
other curricular and policy reforms introduced,
the K-12 program sought to build proficiency
through language via MTB MLE, introduced in
2012. The mother tongue or first language
refers to languages or dialects first learned by
a child and with which the child identifies
with.
 K-12 PROGRAM AND THE MTB-ML E
MTB-MLE aims to develop Filipino and
English proficiency by starting basic
education with the first language of
learners. Starting in Kindergarten up to
Grade 3, the medium of instruction shall
be in the mother tongue of the students.
Beginning in Grade 1, Filipino and English
will be taught as subject areas.
 K-12 PROGRAM AND THE MTB-MLE
Come Grades 4 to 6, DepEd shall
formulate a mother tongue transition
program in which English and Filipino
are introduced as media of instruction
so that by Junior High School and
Senior High School, the two can
become the primary languages of
instruction.
 K-12 PROGRAM AND THE MTB-ML E
Initiall y, ther e wer e 12 regional languages
under the MTB MLE pr ogram: Tagalog,
Cebuano, Hiligay non, Iloko, Bikol,
Kapampangan, Maguindanao an, Mer anao,
Pangasinense, Bahasa Sug ( Tausug) ,
Chabacano and Waray . In July 2013, Ybanag,
Ivatan, Sambal, Aklanon, Kinar ay-a, Yakan,
and Surigaonon wer e added to the pr ogr am.