By Herman M. Lagon

We gather in August to honor “Buwan ng Wika,” a month-long celebration of our native language, Filipino. It may be time, though, to rethink the extent of this festival. Why not make it “Buwan ng mga Wikang Filipino?” This significant shift could influence our respect for language in the nation and highlight all regional and indigenous languages as they are due. Language is ultimately a vehicle of culture, history and identity, not only a means of communication.

Over 184 languages abound in the Philippines, each a distinct cultural tapestry. From Hiligaynon to Ilokano, Kinaray-a to Tagalog, Inati to Waray, Akeanon to Chavacano, Capiznon to Cebuano, Malaynon to Bikol, Caluyanon to Bisaya, these intertwined languages have rich histories and customs, from dialect to fully developed. Still, many of these languages are in danger and almost extinct despite their variety. According to the most recent studies, almost half of these languages (or dialects, depending on the linguistic lens used) — including Negrito languages such as Ati in Northern Panay, Ata in Negros Oriental, Ayta in Sorsogon, Agta in southern Quezon, and Arta in Quirino — are in danger, with fewer than 50 recorded native speakers. Agta in Isabela and Abra are among the latest languages to face extinction. Government policies that have long promoted English and Filipino over regional dialects are contributing to the declining number of native speakers. Even the poorly implemented Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) program has done little to reverse this trend.

The endangerment of these languages is a loss of information as much as a loss of words. Languages capture the wisdom of many generations, including spiritual beliefs and survival techniques. When a language disappears, we lose something of our shared legacy. Think of the Panay-Bukidnon people in Panay, the Manobo people in Mindanao or the tribes of the Cordilleras. Their languages provide a great deal of information about local ecology, traditional healing, and environmentally friendly living. Losing any language means losing access to this priceless knowledge.

Ultimately, language is fundamental for cultural variety. It influences our worldviews, affecting our ideas, actions and contacts. Our society is richer the more languages we foster. This diversity enhances our present and future rather than only helps us to preserve the past. Children who study their mother tongue are more likely to understand ideas, feel more connected to their education, and take pride in their identity. Learning in one’s mother tongue is not only a right; it’s a potent tool for empowerment.

Encouragement of all languages in a multilingual culture helps build harmony among many ethnic groupings. Learning other languages forces us to rethink our presumptions and widen our horizons, since it shows us that the world does not center only on one language or culture. It also encourages values fundamental for nation-building — humility, tolerance, cooperation, and interculturality.

Furthermore, entwined with freedom of expression, equality and dignity is a basic human right — that of using one’s mother tongue. People who are free to converse in their most natural tongue are more suited to defend their rights and engage fully in society. This is particularly true for indigenous peoples, who have long been excluded and whose voices are sometimes muffled.

The appeal to honor “Buwan ng mga Wikang Filipino” rather than merely “Buwan ng Wika” transcends linguistics, semantics or semiotics. It is about realizing that our national story incorporates every Filipino language, regardless of size or obscurity. It is about realizing that our national identity is a mosaic of many languages and cultures rather than one monolithic one. Embracing all of our languages also embraces all of our people.

One cannot stress the relevance of government policies in this respect. We must include our original languages in government, education and the media to stop their loss. This implies providing government services in regional languages and supporting these languages in the media. These laws and programs help protect these languages and guarantee their continuing relevance and utility in contemporary society.

Still, it is about practice rather than only policy. Each Filipino contributes in some way to protecting our language legacy. Starting with our native languages, which are more often used in our daily lives, we can effectively teach them to our children and assist in projects promoting them. Advocating flexible and inclusive language policies that respect and support our linguistic variety, organizations like the Multilingual Philippines and Linguistic Society of the Philippines are doing vital work in this area.

Let us not forget the words of Andres Bonifacio as we gaze ahead: “Ang pag-ibig sa sariling wika ay tulad din ng pag-ibig sa sariling bayan.” Love of one’s language is like love of one’s nation. If we really love our country, we have to take care of all its languages, since they are the strands that bind our national identity together.

In honoring “Buwan ng mga Wikang Filipino,” we recognize the value of every language spoken in our archipelago. We honor the languages of the islands, the highlands, the far-flung villages, and the city. We understand that every language is a treasure store of knowledge, history and culture; hence, by keeping these languages alive, we help to maintain the essence of our country.

Let’s thus extend our salute to our Filipino languages as August closes this week and returns next year. Let us embrace not only Filipino but every language that constitutes the vast linguistic terrain of our nation. By allowing future generations to speak, write and think in the languages of their ancestors, we may help to preserve the varied legacy that makes us and our country especially distinctive. Let “Buwan ng mga Wikang Filipino” honor every voice that produces the lovely symphony known as Pilipinas.

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with./WDJ