Council urges various sectors to promote Bisaya language

CEBU, Philippines — To fully maximize the utilization of the local language, the Cebu City Council encouraged various establishments, including the transportation sector, to use the Bisaya language in their daily transactions.

The council made the request after Councilor Joel Garganera delivered a privilege speech during a regular session on Wednesday, March 5, where he emphasized the need for a definite representation of Cebu City.

In his speech, Garganera said that in 2020, he authored the Heritage Protection and Preservation Ordinance, which aims to protect cultural heritage sites from any form of vandalism and destruction.

He said that it was crafted in line with the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

"But as a city with profound history, our culture and heritage go beyond what is seen by the naked eye," said Garganera.

With this premise, Garganera emphasized what he identified as an emerging threat to the "intangible cultural heritage," especially when it comes to the Bisaya language.

Garganera then acknowledged the outstanding institution, the Missing Felimon Bisrock band, which showcased the Bisaya language and made a national impact.

He added that in other countries such as Japan, Hawaii, Spain, South Korea, and Thailand, tourists are often greeted in their mother tongue. He said that this is widely practiced in airports, hotels, and restaurants, where a country's native language is being promoted.

"Yet in our own city, we have not maximized the richness of what the Bisaya language has to offer. Kalami paminawon sa paglitok sa atong kaugalingon pinulongan na Bisaya," said Garganera.

He quoted the late legendary Teban Escudero, also known as Julian Daan, who said that "Bisaya is an advanced and precise language."

Garganera cited examples that showed the precision of the Bisaya language in comparison to Tagalog, another language of the country.

"Nevertheless, I assure all of you that as early as last year, we have taken various initiatives to promote the Bisaya language in our food, service, and tourism industries," said Garganera.

According to Garganera, he had a meeting with various sectors, such as the Hotel, Resort & Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC), the Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operators, Inc. (PADPAO), among others.

The meeting, he added, discussed the close coordination with the local governments of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City to promote the use of the Bisaya language in daily transactions with clients and customers.

He said that the HRRAC has committed to integrating the Bisaya language into their industry.

"Therefore, this privilege speech is a mere reiteration and encouragement to promote and preserve our Bisaya language," he said.

Garganera also urged other industries to follow this practice in the air and shipping industries, delivery services like Grab and Foodpanda, malls, restaurants, and other relevant establishments.

In line with this, he mentioned that he had once again introduced and authored an ordinance with the objective of preserving the Bisaya language through music. This ordinance also underwent its first reading on the same day.

"If you have read my proposed ordinance, you will see that we have not provided for a penalty clause for non-compliance with its provisions, for we desire to encourage, rather than punish, so that the public may come to appreciate our very own Bisaya language," said Garganera.

The council approved Garganera's motion. — /JG (FREEMAN)