August is Buwan ng Wika (Month of Language). Schools in the Philippines usually hold special events where the students dress up in our traditional costumes. They might have recitals, plays, songs and dances, maybe even a competition in writing poems or essays in Filipino. These are all wonderful ways of promoting our language. One would think that we don’t have to promote our own language in our own country.
I remember when a law was made so that the radio stations in the Philippines would play a minimum of four OPM or Original Pilipino Music every hour to promote our own music. OPM is any music composed, sung or written by a Filipino. It can be in any language or dialect. This law was made in 1987 by then President Cory Aquino. This was the time when all we used to hear were foreign songs which we all loved at that time, and maybe still do. Such were the likes of Australian duo Air Supply, American Michael Jackson, Madonna, English Boy George / Culture Club, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Norwegian A-ha, and so on. The law was revived in 2017 by then President Noynoy Aquino. I assume that the country needed reminding again to promote our own music.
I guess it’s better to be reminded every year to give importance to our own language, to dress up in our traditional attire and maybe sing and dance folk songs and dances, even if it’s just one month a year.
Outside the Philippines, we don’t have such a reminder. There is International Mother Language Day in February but there’s no one to remind us or even say that it is such a day. So it’s really up to us, especially the parents of young children. You might encourage your children to wear Filipiniana during book week in schools, or Harmony Day or week. If you’re active in the Filipino community, you might join the activities when we celebrate the Philippine Independence in June.
When Filipinos get together and we’re in a social gathering, we like speaking in our own dialects. That’s where we feel comfortable and we can express ourselves freely. Nothing is lost in translation either. But when there are people who don’t speak our dialect, we switch to the language we have in common. But it’s not always easy, especially when you’re telling stories that are full of emotions. It’s not the same. That’s also when the term “nosebleed” comes in. When the Filipinos find it hard to speak in English, then they get a nosebleed! I asked a few friends their take on this issue and their answers are all the same. “It depends.” It depends who you’re with, or what you’re talking about. If they are close to you, if you’re talking about things they’re not interested in, they’ll understand if you speak in your dialect. It would be better though that you tell them so as not to be labelled “rude”.
Therefore let’s continue enjoying speaking our own language in this foreign land which promotes multiculturalism. But be considerate to others because after all, we are the foreigners in this land.
READ MORE
- In celebration of ‘Buwan ng Wika’
- Do not english, english me!
- Filipino language and its use in Australia
