Laguna school clarifies English-only policy

MANILA, Philippines — Officials of the Pamantasan ng Cabuyao (PNC) in Laguna yesterday clarified issues surrounding a policy requiring students, employees and visitors to communicate exclusively in English.

School officials said that students, faculty members and personnel are not required to communicate in English during conversations among peers on campus, but only during “official” meetings or transactions within the academic context.

PNC president Librado Dimaunahan said the policy involves a “limited” engagement and does not require students and teachers to speak English during informal and unofficial conversations.

“Among themselves, we are not guarding every conversation to tell them it’s wrong to speak in Filipino. It’s only during official transactions, business and meetings with students that we need to use English,” Dimaunahan said. “We are not saying that even during chit-chats with friends, students should be speaking in English. The policy is not about that. It’s a limited engagement.”

Dimaunahan said that PNC, a local government-run university, is following directives from the mayor to make the city “investment-friendly and liveable.”

He said since most of the city’s investors are foreigners, the university saw it fit to train students in English proficiency.

The measure was met with mixed reactions, with some criticizing the policy for being counterproductive and imposing “unnecessary” restrictions on members of the university’s community.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) refused to comment on the policy and opted to leave the matter in the hands of the PNC administrators.

CHED Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III said he had asked Dimaunahan about the “basis and intent” of the policy.

Although he did not say whether PNC’s policies are aligned with those laid out by the CHED, De Vera said he advised university administrators to address the issue publicly.

“I advised him to issue a press release, explain and clarify the issue and respond to media interviews. It is best that media can interview him so he can explain the proposed policy,” De Vera said, referring to Dimaunahan.