Jodie Louise Dayrit

August now kicks off Buwan ng Wika, politicians eagerly adopt patriotic, language-loving narratives once again.


On Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to love and enrich the national language in commemoration of this year’s Buwan ng Wika, themed, “Filipino: Wikang Mapagpalaya.”

Yet, the month-long celebration of the Philippines’ linguistic diversity and cultural heritage often turns into a cynical platform for politicians to boost their public image.

Am I saying that Marcos’ message is wrong? Not at all. 

There is nothing wrong with a president urging their constituents to love their language, but the chief executive’s message rings hollow against the backdrop of his administration's continued patronization of the English language in official communications and policies. 

From his interviews to public speeches, Marcos never failed to show his preference and proficiency in the English medium.

Wrong? Not at all. Hypocritical? More like it.

During his first State of the Station Address (SONA), Marcos expressed his desire to improve the country’s education system by reconsidering the use of English as the medium of instruction for STEM subjects. 

Filipinos, in a country with over 180 languages, were collectively labeled as “English-speaking people.”

Marcos emphasized that foreign employers favored Filipinos due to our English proficiency, overshadowing a more pressing issue: foreign employers’ preference for Filipinos stems not only from our language skills but also from our willingness to accept low labor costs.

This is not the first time Marcos has devalued Philippine languages. The Marcos family has a long history of favoring English over Filipino, dating back to his father's regime during martial law.

But the issue extends beyond the Marcoses.

Six days before the start of Buwan ng Wika, the Senate approved on final reading a bill to discontinue the use of the mother tongue in multilingual classes from Kindergarten to Grade 3 on July 25 — at a critical time when many of our languages are already endangered.

Academics and indigenous language advocates opposed the bill in 2023, but its passage seems likely as few Filipinos pay attention to the issue, and politicians who ignore the concern dominate the Senate.

Given the current plight of Philippine languages, Buwan ng Wika should be seen more as a wake-up call rather than a celebration. The Philippines needs a comprehensive solution to address the issues facing our languages, not a celebratory message from an English-patriot president.

After all, we cannot truly celebrate something that is slowly fading away.