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| A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT |
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| _ July 2004 The President Malacañan Palace Manila Dear Madam President: First of all, we wish to congratulate you for your victory in the May 10 elections. It was a renewed mandate from our people, with a margin of a million votes, in an electoral exercise in which you carried your vice president and most of your senators to victory. We are members of the Defenders of Indigenous Languages of the Archipelago Foundation. DILA Philippines is dedicated to the revitalization of the country's indigenous languages, which are rapidly falling into disuse and in danger of extinction due to their exclusion from schools and the mainstream media. Regional languages and cultures are an important part of the national heritage, embodying unique ways of seeing the world and encompassing the accumulated wisdom of many centuries. The loss of such irreplaceable treasures will not only seriously undermine the integrity and richness of the country's cultural heritage and alienate our people from their ancient legacy, but impoverish humanity as a whole. Language is a potent medium with a powerful hold on the emotions and loyalties of our people, as Your Excellency, with an excellent command of several Philippine languages, has probably observed. Sadly, the percentage of Filipinos speaking languages other than Filipino-Tagalog has been falling steadily in recent decades. Between 1960 and 1990, the proportion of native speakers of Ilocano nationally dropped from 11% to 9%, Ilonggo from 10% to 9%, Samar-Leyte from 5% to 4%, and Bikol from 7% to 5%, according to census figures (during the period, that of Tagalog speakers increased from 21% to 28%). The fall is especially precipitous in some places. The percentage of Bikol speakers in Camarines Norte fell from 60% in 1960 to 35% in 1990, while that of Cuyunon in Palawan dropped from __ in 1960 to __ in 1990. A change in language can have extensive political repercussions. The shift from Kapampangan to Tagalog in parts of Central Luzon is responsible for the shrinking Kapampangan voter base, with a corresponding shift in political loyalties. Dinalupihan, Bataan was still 55% Kapampangan in 1948. By 1995, this had dropped to 20%, explaining the Poe juggernaut in all towns of Bataan, including the once-Kapampangan towns of Dinalupihan and Hermosa. The snowballing move for a shift to the federal system offers hope for our languages. Because federal states will have broad autonomy in education, culture and language, the steady erosion of regional tongues can be reversed by the state governments. It so happens that the existing regions do not always correspond to linguistic or cultural areas. Some of the larger groups (Bicolano, Cebuano, Ilocano, Ilonggo, Samar-Leyte, Tagalog) are fortunate in having at least one, and often, several regions, in which their language is the dominant one. Unfortunately, two of the eight major groups, the Kapampangan and the Pangasinense, do not have regions of their own, and may not be given their own states if federalism is introduced. This will put them at the mercy of the more dominant groups in the states in which they are located, eventually leading to their extinction. This would be tragic, since both are perfectly capable of self-rule, having the requisite human and natural resources and infrastructure to thrive on their own. Forcing them into regions of which they are not really part will not only destroy their languages and cultures, but affect the pace of progress as well. For instance, Pangasinan, with its lowland culture, has more in common with Central Luzon than with the Ilocos. With an extensive coastline, fine ports, numerous natural resources, thriving agricultural and fishing industries and many tourist spots, it can very well stand on its own. Its large population (the third largest in the Philippines), vast land area and position as a gateway to the north certainly enhance its leading role and qualify it to be considered a separate region or federal state. For its part, the Kapampangan Region is one of the country's economic powerhouses. Shortly before Pinatubo, Pampanga briefly became the country's fastest growing province. By 1995, just four years after the eruption, it was again one of the top five in economic growth. In addition to the Clark Special Economic Zone, which straddles Northern Pampanga and Southern Tarlac, the area has smaller industrial zones, including those in Bacolor and Tarlac City. It has the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, and access to the sea at Sasmuan, Macabebe and Masantol. In a clear demonstration that they constitute a region apart from Central Luzon, Kapampangans in Pampanga and Southern Tarlac gave the President a landslide during the last elections, making Pampanga and Tarlac the only provinces where she won out of the seven in Region III. Federalism may yet be the most revolutionary change in the political scene, replacing the highly centralized setup in place since the Spaniards established their Philippine colony over four centuries ago. However, its exciting potential for transforming the country will depend on whether the federal states will reflect existing historical, cultural and political realities. People will not be loyal to states which they cannot identify with, and this will inevitably affect the development of these units. In Pangasinan and the Kapampangan Region, the creation of the Pangasinan and Kapampangan States seems to be the only viable option, the way it is for the other major language groups of the Philippines, and for the Cordillera and Muslim Mindanao. In the meantime, while federalism is not yet being carried out, may we request that the mother tongue be used as the medium of instruction, at least in beginning education, as an emergency measure to save our languages? It is very sad, as well as alarming, that many young children are no longer able to speak their own languages, which might be beyond saving when the federal system is finally put in place. You have said that the change in form of government to the federal-parliamentary system will be your legacy to the country. Let it be said as well that the survival of our languages is another of your lasting gifts to future generations. For someone with a command of so many tongues, and who won a resounding mandate from speakers of our different languages, it would be a most appropriate legacy. Sincerely yours, JOSEFINA D. HENSON BENJIE PEPITO President, DILA Philippines and Secretary, DILA Philippines Akademyang Kapampangan SANTIAGO VILLAFANIA EDWIN N. CAMAYA Dila Philippines and DILA Philippines Ulupan na Pansiansia'y Salitan Pangasinan |
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