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By Prof. Fred Cabuang
Are the Bisayans, Kapampangans, Pangasinense,
Ilocanos, Bicolanos not Pinoys?
I was told that scandals and brouhaha are
inherent in the Metro Manila Film Festival like fireworks are in the
New Year festivities. I’m not a movie critic nor an entertainment
writer but a language advocate who fights for the protection and
preservation of the endangered languages of the Philippines. The
recent release of an entry in the 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF)
brought indignation to many non-Tagalog speakers (and moviegoers)
who reside in Metro Manila because of the disgraceful treatment of
the Bisayan language in particular in one of the scenes.
In the movie entitled Sakal, sakali, saklolo
(Star Cinema), Judy Ann discouraged the Bisayan yaya to speak
Cebuano to her child saying, “dapat Tagalog para Pinoy!” Meaning
“You should speak to the child in Tagalog otherwise it’s not
Filipino.”
The statement is not only an act of language
discrimination. It also demeans Filipinos whose first language is
Bisaya, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Ilokano, Bikolano, or any non-Tagalog
language.
When will we ever learn that being a Pinoy is
not measured by one’s ability to speak the Tagalog language only?
Are the Bisayans, Kapampangans, Pangasinense, Ilocanos, Bicolanos
not worthy of being called “Pinoys” too? Do our Bisayan athletic
heroes who did well in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand have to
learn Tagalog well before they are considered “Pinoys?” What
about the world re-known Manny Pacquiao, does he have to learn
Tagalog well too, before he can be called a real “Pinoy” hero?
And surely, nobody will question the pride of Pampanga, our beloved
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her father Diosdado Macapagal;
did they become Pinoys only when they learned to speak Tagalog?
I join honorable Senator Pimentel in calling on
the public to boycott the movie. I am even calling on a boycott of
all Star Cinema films if its executives do not make a public apology
in all the Philippine regional languages.
Republic Act 3060, Section 3 states that “The
Board [of Censors] shall have the following duties and powers:
(a) To screen, censor, examine and supervise the
examination of, approve or disapprove or delete portions from,
and/or prohibit the introduction and exhibition of all motion
pictures, imported or produced in the Philippines for
non-theatrical, theatrical and television distribution which in its
judgment are immoral, indecent, contrary to law, and/or good customs
or injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines or
its people;
(c)To screen, review, delete portion from,
approve or disapprove and censor all publicity materials in
connection with any motion picture including trailers, stills, and
other advertising materials which in their judgment are immoral,
indecent, contrary to law and/or good customs, or injurious to the
prestige of the Republic of the Philippines or its people;
The Board approved a movie that is “contrary
to law, and/or good customs or injurious to the prestige of the
Philippines or its people” (specially the Bisayan population.)
The linguistic attack of the movie “Sakal,
sakali, saklolo” allegedly is a violation of Republic Act 7356,
Section 7, that states, “Preservation of the Filipino
Heritage.—It is the duty of every citizen to preserve and conserve
the Filipino historical and cultural heritage [Note: Regional
Languages are part of Cultural Heritage] and resources.”
Not many are aware that the discriminatory
statement of the movie is contrary to the UN Declaration of
Linguistic Rights, Article 38, that states, “The languages and
cultures of all language communities must receive equitable and
non-discriminatory treatment in the communications media throughout
the world.” The movie is one of the best media of communication
considering that the celebrities are the pop heroes and models of
the general public.
Perhaps it will take another generation for
every Filipino to realize that speaking Tagalog is not synonymous to
speaking the Filipino language. The language issue has been a heated
topic of debate among congressmen, senators, academe, students and
the public. It’s been made clear in print, television and radio
that Filipino as a language is still under development. A speaker of
any regional language and other indigenous languages is no less a
Filipino than those who speak Tagalog.
Some of our Philippine languages are dying and
the people and their culture die with these languages. It is
abhorrent to see that the movies, whose leading men and women are
the idols of the masses, have become the portals and spreaders of
bigotry among Filipinos.
Sorry to say, but we, Bisayans, together with
the Kapampangans, Ilocanos, Bicolanos, Pangasinense, et al must
proclaim that Tagalog is not our native tongue but we are proudly
Filipinos.
Prof. Fred S. Cabuang is the founder &
chairman emeritus of the Institute for Linguistic Minority, an NGO
engaged in saving all languages in the Philippines and the PRO-Board
Member of Defenders Of Indigenous Languages of the Archipelago (DILA).
For comments, please e-mail linguisticminority @gmail.com.
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