By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda underscores the importance of safeguarding indigenous languages and characterizes the exhibitions as a wake-up call to raise public awareness about the critically endangered status of these languages.
“Enhancing awareness alone is not enough to address this issue. It presents a significant challenge to government agencies like the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), which must develop programs to revitalize endangered languages,” Legarda stated.
“I also challenge communities, especially our elders and culture bearers, to revitalize their languages. It is crucial to pass down their languages and knowledge to the next generation to prevent their disappearance,” she added.
Arta, the language of the Arta people in Nagtipunan, Quirino, is categorized as “critically endangered,” with only 10 elders proficient in speaking it fluently.
On the other hand, Ayta Magbukun is spoken in 12 communities in Bataan. It belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian language family and is also endangered.
(ai/mnm)
