PH schools to hold literary gatherings to promote Filipino languages

Filipino is not just for daily conversation but can also be used in research across various disciplines, Duclay said. (Pixabay photo)

MANILA — Various schools around the country will hold informal gatherings next month in line with the Buwan ng Wika, themed “Filipino: Wika ng Saliksik” (Filipino: Language of Research).

“Such gatherings or ‘tertulyang pangwika’ events are aimed at further promoting the use of Filipino and other Philippine languages particularly in research,” said Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) senior language researcher Dr. Jose Evie Duclay.

He said the KWF initiated in 2016 the holding of similar gatherings as part of the country’s annual Buwan ng Wika celebration.

Filipino is not just for daily conversation but can also be used in research across various disciplines, Duclay said.

Proclamation 1041, signed in 1997, had designated August of every year as the Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa or National Language Month.

Duclay said the schools’ respective Sentro ng Wika at Kultura language centers will spearhead the gatherings.

The centers are KWF’s Philippine language-promoting partners outside Metro Manila, he added.

Students of the schools will be the gatherings’ main attendees.

According to schedules released by KWF on Tuesday, the schools that are set to hold their “tertulya pangwika” gatherings in their own campuses are the Benguet State University (Aug. 26), Abra State Institute of Science and Technology (Aug. 28), Ifugao State University (Aug. 31), Kalinga State University (Aug. 22-23), Mariano
Marcos State University (Aug. 24), Quirino State University (Aug. 23), Aurora State College of Technology (Aug. 31), Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (Aug. 23), Bulacan State University (Aug. 24), Batangas State University (Aug. 23), Palawan State University (Aug. 21) and Marinduque State College (Aug. 10);

Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (Aug. 10), Sorsogon State College (Aug. 11-12), Camarines Norte State College (Aug.

24), West Visayas State University (Aug. 24), Aklan State University (Aug. 20), La Consolacion College Bacolod (Aug.

25), Leyte Normal University (Aug. 18-19), Naval State University (Aug. 30), Western Mindanao State University (Aug. 25), Jose Rizal Memorial State University (Aug. 25), Bukidnon State University (Aug. 7), Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology (Aug. 25), Mindanao State University-General Santos City (Aug. 22), Mindanao State University (Main Campus) (Aug. 22), and Sulu State College (Aug. 29).

Duclay said KWF had reviewed the schools’ proposed topics for their respective “tertulya pangwika” gatherings and approved those aligned with this year’s theme.