PILIPINO: THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE
(a historical sketch)
On November 13, 1937, the First National Assembly approved a law "creating a National Language Institute to make a study and survey of each of the existing native dialects, with a view to choosing one which was to be used as a basis for the national language of the Philippines." The then President Manuel L. Quezon appointed to compose the Institute, Jaime C. de Veyra, as Chairman, representing Samar-Leyte-Visayan; Santiago A. Fonacier, representing the Ilocano regions; Filemon Sotto (Cebu-Visayan) ; Casimiro Perfecto (Bicol) ; Felix S. Sales Rodriguez (Panay-Visayan) : Hadji Butu (the Muslims) and Cecilio Lopez (Tagalog), as members. After serious deliberations on the studies conducted, and in compliance with the conditions and procedures to be observed in the discharged of its duties, the Institute selected Tagalog to be the basis of the national language. Thus, on December 31, 1937, President Quezon proclaimed the language based on Tagalog as the National Language of the Philippines.
The reasons why Tagalog was so chosen were the following: (1) Tagalog is widely spoken and the most understood in all the regions of the Philippines; (2) it is not divided into dialects as Visayan is; (3) Tagalog literature is the richest. more books are written in Tagalog than any other native language; (4) Tagalog has always been the language of Manila, the capital city, even long before the Spaniards came; (5) Tagalog was the language of the Revoluton and the Katipunan - two incidents in Philippine history that have left us a heritage we all can be proud of. These reasons were enough to convince the intelectuals who composed the Institute and so their open minds conceded to the use of Tagalog as the basis if the national language.
On June 18, 1938, the National Assembly created the Institute of National Language (this is different from the National Language Institute which was then dissolved). This new Institute was given the task of preparing a dictionary and a grammar to be published not later than two years after thePresident's proclamation of the National Language. Within the time limit given, the Institute prepared and submitted to the President a Taglog-English vocabulary, authored by Dr. Cecilio Lopez; and a grammar entitled Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa, authored by the late Lope K. Santos. The need for these books was urgent. Beginning with the school year 1940-41, the teaching of the National Language was set in the fourth year of all high schools, and the second year of all normal schools in both public and private schools in the Philippines.
Commonwealth Act No. 570 was promulgated on July 4, 1946 when the Independence on the Philippines was granted by the United States. It provides for the use of the National Language as one of the official languages of the Philippines (with Spanish and English in Government offices.
In 1961 the office of the Secretary of Education introduced the use of the term Pilipino when referring to the National Language. The word gained support, not only in schools but outside as well. So the Tagalog-based National Language is now generally called Pilipino.
(a historical sketch)
On November 13, 1937, the First National Assembly approved a law "creating a National Language Institute to make a study and survey of each of the existing native dialects, with a view to choosing one which was to be used as a basis for the national language of the Philippines." The then President Manuel L. Quezon appointed to compose the Institute, Jaime C. de Veyra, as Chairman, representing Samar-Leyte-Visayan; Santiago A. Fonacier, representing the Ilocano regions; Filemon Sotto (Cebu-Visayan) ; Casimiro Perfecto (Bicol) ; Felix S. Sales Rodriguez (Panay-Visayan) : Hadji Butu (the Muslims) and Cecilio Lopez (Tagalog), as members. After serious deliberations on the studies conducted, and in compliance with the conditions and procedures to be observed in the discharged of its duties, the Institute selected Tagalog to be the basis of the national language. Thus, on December 31, 1937, President Quezon proclaimed the language based on Tagalog as the National Language of the Philippines.
The reasons why Tagalog was so chosen were the following: (1) Tagalog is widely spoken and the most understood in all the regions of the Philippines; (2) it is not divided into dialects as Visayan is; (3) Tagalog literature is the richest. more books are written in Tagalog than any other native language; (4) Tagalog has always been the language of Manila, the capital city, even long before the Spaniards came; (5) Tagalog was the language of the Revoluton and the Katipunan - two incidents in Philippine history that have left us a heritage we all can be proud of. These reasons were enough to convince the intelectuals who composed the Institute and so their open minds conceded to the use of Tagalog as the basis if the national language.
On June 18, 1938, the National Assembly created the Institute of National Language (this is different from the National Language Institute which was then dissolved). This new Institute was given the task of preparing a dictionary and a grammar to be published not later than two years after thePresident's proclamation of the National Language. Within the time limit given, the Institute prepared and submitted to the President a Taglog-English vocabulary, authored by Dr. Cecilio Lopez; and a grammar entitled Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa, authored by the late Lope K. Santos. The need for these books was urgent. Beginning with the school year 1940-41, the teaching of the National Language was set in the fourth year of all high schools, and the second year of all normal schools in both public and private schools in the Philippines.
Commonwealth Act No. 570 was promulgated on July 4, 1946 when the Independence on the Philippines was granted by the United States. It provides for the use of the National Language as one of the official languages of the Philippines (with Spanish and English in Government offices.
In 1961 the office of the Secretary of Education introduced the use of the term Pilipino when referring to the National Language. The word gained support, not only in schools but outside as well. So the Tagalog-based National Language is now generally called Pilipino.
