Rather than stop the use of the household language as a medium for instruction from kindergarten to Grade Three, the Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) insists that the government should address the problems that hounded the program.
On Tuesday, October 15, TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas cited various issues with the program, including the lack of educational materials and some areas having multiple native languages.
"Ang issue talaga ay hindi mapatupad ng mabuti. In fact, talagang problematic, especially doon sa mga area na nasa boundary nung mga wika. Napaka-diverse ng ating bansa," Basas said during DZRH's Magandang Umaga Pilipinas.
(The real issue is that it was not implemented well. In fact, it is really problematic, especially in areas in the boundary of languages. Our country is very diverse)
"Tapos yung iba ay wala naman talagang mga libro, wala naman talagang mga material kaya yung mga teacher natin na naka-assign ay talagang nagkaka-problema," he added.
(Other areas do not have books, do not have materials so assigned teachers face problems)
Basas places the blame on the Department of Education (DepEd) for failing to produce textbooks in every mother tongue of the Philippines.
"Umabot lang tayo ng 16 na mga aklat. Ang wika natin is around 150," Basas said.
(We only have 16 books. Our languages are around 150)
Republic Act No. 12027, also known the Act of Discontinuing the Use of the Mother Tongue as Medium of Instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3, lapsed into law on Saturday, October 12, without the signature of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The new law amends the provisions of RA 10533, also known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, that mandates the use of native languages in the teaching and assestment of students from kindergarten to Grade Three.
Under RA 12027, the medium of instruction shall revert to Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English, while regional languages as auxiliary media of instruction.
Basas expressed disappointment with the passage of RA 12027 since the previous law recognizes the diversity in the Philippines.
"It is the first na meron ganitong pagkilala yung ating batas doon sa diversity nung ating wika sa Pilipinas kaysa sa English o Filipino," Basas said.
(This is the first time that we have a law that recognizes the diverse languages in the Philippines, and not just English or Filipino)
