An interesting insight on the language issue

August is celebrated as “Buwan ng Wika” or “National Language Month.” The preservation of Cebuano and all languages of the Philippines has always been a passion I share with many of our readers. This is why we co-founded the Save our Languages through Federalism (Solfed) the only non-government organization dedicated to preserve all spoken languages. To give you an idea of what Solfed has been doing, here’s a letter report from Solfed Vice-President for Congressional Affairs Fred Cabuang, which is self-explanatory, interesting and very educational. 

Dear Primo, last July 16-18, 2007 Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Institute for Autonomy and Governance invited me to attend the First International Roundtable Conference on Right of Self-Determination, which was held at Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Makati City. It was the first of a series of conferences that would focus on the right of peoples who are holders of the right to self-determination to their own state or effective control of their territory within a recognized state.

During the initial day of talks, I met some of the local participants (mostly coming from Mindanao including personalities from MNLF and MILF together with representatives from GRP, DND, House of Representatives) I thought was attending a “Great Debate” or perhaps the final “Peace Settlement” of the longest fight for self-determination in history during the past 1,000 years.

The Moros had been fighting the aggressors since circa 1500 from the shores of Cebu to the present on the mountains of Mindanao. The conference turned out to be more educational than confrontational because of the participation of foreign speakers who shared their experiences in peaceful conflict resolution and peace negotiations in areas such as Aceh, Sudan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the European Union Member States, particularly, Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Scotland, UK etc.

It was interesting to note that in the experiences of the European Union Member States, the so-called “Language Issue” was given greater importance in accommodating the minorities and formulating the peace agreements towards resolution of their fight for self determination. The right of self determination is embodied in the United Nations instruments among which are: Article 55 of the UN Charter that states, “the UN shall create conditions of stability and well being which are necessary for peaceful and friendly relations among nations based on respect for principle of Equal Rights and Self-determination of peoples” This includes the right to choose official languages of peoples (Linguistic Right).

Further, Article 1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural (ICESCR), and Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) provide that, “All peoples have the right of self-determination, including the right to determine their…cultural development (Cultural Sovereignty).” Furthermore, the General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 states that, “All peoples have the right to self-determination (Representative Governance).”

According to the Report of the International Conference of Experts organized by the UNESCO Division of Human Rights, Democracy and Peace and the UNESCO Centre of Catalonia held in Barcelona, Spain on November 21-27, 1998, the Holder of self-determination are people or group of human beings having the common features such as; Linguistic Unity, common historical tradition, common economic life, racial or ethnic identity, cultural homogeneity, religious or ideological affinity and territorial connection. The peoples of Mindanao definitely fall under the definition of “holder” of self-determination. 

Because of such instruments, and as the spokesperson of Solfed, I took advantage of presenting to the roundtable conference the inclusion of the “language issue” in the discussions of the peace agreement in Mindanao. Overwhelming support poured from the local and foreign participants because the conference uncovered another “talking point” to consider in formulating forthcoming peace talks in August. During the welcome dinner, Speaker Jose de Venecia himself assured me of his personal support for the creation of a Congressional Committee on Language, Culture and Art, which Solfed will propose in the forthcoming 14th Congress.

I invite individuals and groups to join Solfed in pursuing its advocacy to save not only the endangered regional languages in the Philippines in general, but also the dying languages of the Moros and Indigenous Peoples of Mindanao in particular.  – Prof. Fred Cabuang, Vice President Congressional Affairs (Solfed).”