Linguistic Diversity
"... I would therefore propose that the
Philippines be thought of as a legal and
political concept: as a STATE composed of
many cultures, perhaps nations; rather than as
a NATION. Collorarily being Filipino should be
thought of as being united with others of
different cultural persuasions for political,
economic,
and
other
similar
common
Indeed, an adviser to the President of
Iceland in the 1800s, Ornolfor Thorsson,
said: "Without our language, we have no
culture, we have no identity, we are nothing."
Dr. Kenneth Hale, who taught linguistics at
the
Massachusetts
Institute
of
of
* Over 50% of the world's 6000 languages are
endangered. Of these 6000 languages 96%
are spoken by only 4% of the global
population; furthermore, indigenous groups
speak the vast majority of these languages,
90% of which are not represented on the
Internet. (UNESCO)
* An average of one language disappears
every week.
* The following census data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) from 1948 to 1995
show that over the years our languages have been slowly dying. Let us take a look:
1948 1960 1975 1990 1995 Tagalog---19% 21% 23% 28% 29.29% Cebuano ---25% 24% 24% 24% 21.17% Ilocano ---12% 11% 11% 09% 09.31% Ilonggo ---12% 10% 09% 09% 09.11% Bicol ---08% 07% 06% 05% 05.69%
Waray ---06% 05% 04% 04% 03.81% Pampangan --03% 03% 03% 03% 02.90% Pangasinan --03% 02% 02% 01% 01.01%
* Here are the data for 2000:
Tagalog---21,485,927 ---28%
Cebuano---10,030,667 ---13%
Ilocano---6,920,760--- 9%
Bisaya/Binisaya--- -5,778,435 ---8%
Hiligaynon/Ilonggo---5,773,135--- 8%
Bikol/Bicol--- ----4,583,034 ---6%
Waray--- 2,567,558 ---3%
Kapampangan--- 2,312,870 ---3%
Boholano---1,837,361 ---2%
Pangasinan/Panggalatok-- 1,362,142 --- 2%
* For the 2000 census NSO changed the method of
* Why are our languages slowly dying? Let us trace it.
* According to Dr. Jose V. Abueva and Dr, Francisco Nemenzo, two former Presidents of the University of the Philippines,
* Concept of a single national language comes from Jacobinism of French Revolution.
* This concept has remained one of the pillars of French political life and this has some features such as attempts to control language
* (an enduring project of the French Revolution which persist today.
In the French revolution indigenous languages other than French disenfranchised and to use them was counterrevolutionary.
- Harold Schiffman, 'Dirigisme and Jacobinisme',
a section in his paper "French Language Policy: Centrism, Orwellian Dirigisme, or Economic Determinism?" (Department of South Asian Studies, University of Pennsylvania, 11/20/2000).
* This Jacobinbist thinking dominated the modern
nation-builders of the 19th and 20th centuries. This was also the thinking of Quezon and others.
* The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino now promotes the One nation many Languages idea. The Komisyon has recognized that we are a country of many nations, and multiculturalism - recognizing and respecting our different cultures and languages is the way to unify and strengthen our
* To force people to use only one language can break a country apart.
* Pakistan learned this the hard way.
* Civil war in Sri Lanka was caused by language.
* Belgium also almost broke up.
*To prevent partition Belgium became federal.
* Spain after Franco's death, recognized multiculturalism.
* Made the regional languages official languages.
* Same thing was done in the United Kingdom.
* Here in our country, non-Tagalogs are even belittled as in the movie SAKAL SAKALI that those who do not speak Tagalog are not Pinoy.
* We can only have unity if there is mutual respect.
*The act of belittling can never foster unity because
* Why federalism?
* We believe that without a federal system or a Constitutionally mandated devolution of central powers as in Spain, our non-Tagalog languages are doomed.
* We need a more enlightened approach to assure the continued existence of our indigenous languages and cultures.
* Section 143 of the Spanish constitution provides:
1. In the exercise of the right to self-government recognized in section 2 of the Constitution, bordering provinces with common historic, cultural and economic characteristics, insular territories and provinces with a historic regional status may accede to self-government and form Self-governing Communities (Comunidades Autónomas) in conformity with the provisions contained in this Part and in the respective Statutes.
* The Spanish constitution also gives the exclusive powers of the self-governing communities as well as the exclusive powers of the national government.
How does language come into the picture in Spain? Article 3 of the Spanish Constitution provides in relevant parts:
"xxxxxxx
The other Spanish languages shall also be official in the respective Self-governing Communities in accordance with their Statutes.
The richness of the different linguistic modalities of Spain is a
* Let me share with you an elaboration of this which I got from Google:
" The evolution of Spain after Franco is a thought-provoking case in point.
*
"... Although Spanish is a world language,
spoken by 400 million people in 24
countries,
its
role
has
been
greatly
WALES (UNITED KINGDOM)
* The United Kingdom has no written constitution. But with devolution of powers
to Wales and Scotland, The UK has effectively become federal.
* Thus the Welsh Assembly, local councils, police forces, fire services and the health sector use Welsh as an official language, issuing official literature and publicity in Welsh versions ( e.g. letters to parents from schools, library information, and council information).
* All road signs in Wales should be in English and Welsh, including both versions of place names where names or versions exist in both languages e.g. "Cardiff" and
BELGIUM
