Talisay picks Cebuano for elementary schools

CEBU, Philippines - All Talisay City grade schools may soon start using Cebuano as its primary medium of instruction in adherence to the directive issued by President Aquino.

This as the city council during its last session approved Proposed Resolution No. 2011-14-2 which adapts the Department of Education's "mother tongue-based multi-lingual education" (MTB-MLE) program.

"The objective of the preceding statement is to make the students useful, and let them ascertain things through the use of their native language," read the newly approved resolution, authored by Councilor Dennis Basillote, chairman on council committee on Education.

The measure is in support to Aquino's Executive Order 74, which dictates the use of the local language for Pre-school until Grade III.

This program, although it uses the native language as the medium of instruction, does not however prohibit the teachers from speaking in English or the national language.

The purpose of which is to let the young pupils understand well the lesson through the use of their mother tongue and at the same time learn the national and international language.

The program is similar to first district Eduardo R. Gullas' English Bill, now pending in Congress, which mandates that the medium of instruction in all schools except from pre-school to Grade III is English.

House Bill 93 or an Act To Strengthen and Enhance the Use of English as the Medium of Instruction in Philippine Schools mandates the use of the English language the medium of instruction (MOI) in all academic subjects from Grade III-VI and in all levels in the secondary. It also dictates that English and Filipino shall be taught as separate subjects in all levels in the elementary and secondary. While in the college level, the current language policy as prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will be maintained.

The veteran lawmaker however said only pupils from the pre-school to Grade 3 can use either the English or Filipino language or their own regional language.

Gullas earlier explained that this is one of the solutions seen as a way to improve the quality of education in the country that is currently "deteriorating," and that if it reforms and changes won't be made sooner, it will further get worse.