By Catherine Teves/PNA
MANILA — The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) has a new partner in its nationwide bid to promote Philippine culture and languages, including Filipino, the country’s national language.
The KWF and Apayao State College (ASC) in Apayao province signed Tuesday a memorandum of understanding on establishing in the highland province a “Sentro ng Wika at Kultura (SWK)” (language and culture center), through which both parties will carry out various activities highlighting Filipino and culture and indigenous languages in the area.
“We have a new ally,” National Artist for Literature and KWF Chairperson Virgilio Almario announced at the signing ceremony in Quezon City.
He said the language agency will soon conduct in Apayao a seminar for teachers to help them better promote Filipino and contribute to preserving Apayao’s culture and indigenous languages.
State universities and colleges (SUCs) nationwide are the KWF’s partners in promoting Philippine languages and culture.
Under the memorandum with Apayao, the KWF will train and orient the center’s head and staff, help identify possible SWK activities and research undertakings, provide technical guidance for SWK projects, as well as review, approve, and monitor these.
The KWF will also evaluate the proposed annual program for the SWK and provide funding for this, if necessary.
ASC President Nelia Cauilan thanked the agency for the partnership with SWK.
“We’ll be a partner of the KWF in promoting our language and culture,” she said at the signing ceremony.
Despite the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum 20 series of 2013, which excludes Filipino and ‘Panitikan’ or literature from the general tertiary education curriculum, Cauilan said the ASC is retaining four Filipino subjects to help promote better learning.
“Retaining those is needed,” she said.
Under the memorandum, ASC will provide and maintain the facility for the SWK, provide manpower for SWK, as well as propose the annual SWK program and budget.
The memorandum covering the Apayao SWK will be effective for one year from its signing.
A new memorandum is possible, once the KWF awards its “Selyo ng Kahusayan sa Wika at Kultura” (seal of excellence in language and culture) to the Apayao SWK after evaluating activities done at the center.
Among the provinces, where the KWF and state universities and colleges have previously put up SWKs are Benguet, Pangasinan, Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Iloilo, Cebu, Bukidnon, and Sulu.
