The Commission on the Filipino Language (Filipino: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino; Cebuano: Komisyon sa Pinulongang

Filipino; Ilocano: Komision iti Pagsasao a Filipino; Kapampangan: Komisyun king Amanung Filipinu; Pangasinan: Komisyon na Salitan

Filipino; Waray: Komisyon ha Pinulungan nga Filipino) is the official regulating body of the Filipino language and the

official governmentinstitution tasked with developing, preserving, and promoting the various local Philippine languages.[1][2] It was

established in accord with the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines. In October 2008, José L. Santos, a native of Hagonoy, Bulacan, was

appointed chairman of the Commission, succeeding Ghel Duran Nolasco.

The Commission, created by Republic Act No. 7104, signed on August 14, 1991 by Former President Corazón Cojuangco Aquino,

replaced the Institute of Philippine Languages (IPL) which replaced the Institute of National Language (INL) by virtue of Executive

Order No. 117 issued by President Aquino in January 1987. The INL, established in 1937 by Commonwealth Act No. 184, s. 1936, is the

first government agency to initiate the development of the Philippine national language.[3]

History

The 1st National Assembly of the Philippines passed Commonwealth Act No. 184, s. 1936,

establishing an Institute of National Language (INL) (Filipino: Surian ng Wikang Pambansâ).

On January 12, 1937, Former President Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina appointed the members

to compose the INL. By virtue of Executive Order No. 134 issued and signed by President

Quezón on December 30, 1937, approved the adoption of Tagalog as the basis of the national

language, and declared and proclaimed the national language based on Tagalog, as the national

language of the Philippines.[4] In 1938, the INL was dissolved and replaced with the National

Language Institute (NLI). Its purpose was to prepare for the nationwide teaching of

the Tagalog -Based National Language  (Filipino:Wikang Pambansâ na Batay sa Tagalog) by

creating a dictionary and a grammar book with a standardized orthography. In the School

Year of 1940-41, the teaching of the National Language (Filipino:Wikang Pambansâ), with its

new standardized orthography, was set by law in the fourth year of all high schools in both

public and private schools throughout the country.[5] The Tagalog-Based National Language

was taught in school only as one of the subject areas in 1940 but was not adapted as the

medium of instruction. During World War II, the Japanese encouraged the use of the National

Language rather than English in the schools. The Tagalog-Based National Language was,

therefore, propagated not only in education but also in mass media and in official

communication. The census for 1948 reported that 7,126,913 people or 37.11% of the

population spoke the language, representing an increase of 11.7% from the 1939 figure of

4,068,565. Of these seven million people, 47.7% learned it as a second language.[6]

[edit] The first members of the commission (1937)

Jaime C. de Veyra  (Samar-Leyte Visayan), Chairman[4]

Santiago A. Fonacier (Ilocano), Member

Filemon Sotto (Cebu Visayan), Member

Casimiro F. Perfecto (Bicol), Member

Felix S. Salas Rodriguez (Panay Visayan), Member

Hadji Butu (Moro), Member

Cecilio López (Tagalog), Member and Secretary[edit] Criticism

One major criticism of the Commission is that it does not really do its job in developing the

Filipino language. This is grounded in the fact that Filipino was essentially Tagalog, a fact

acknowledged by former Commissioner, Ricardo María Duran Nolasco,[7] and with an

impoverished technical and scientific vocabulary, at that, which relies heavily on foreign

borrowings and, often, constructions. It is often left to the universities to develop their own

respective terminologies for each field, leading to a lack of uniformity and general public

disuse.

It is argued[8] that current state of the Filipino language is contrary to the intention of Republic

Act (RA) No. 7104 that requires that the national language be developed and enriched by the

lexicon of the country's other languages. However, Resolution 92-1,[9] which defines the

national language as "the language spoken in Metro Manila and other business centers of the

country", does not necessarily run counter to RA No. 7104.

[edit] BISYON AT MISYON NG KOMISYON SA WIKANG FILIPINO

(Vision/mission statement of the Commission on the Filipino Language)

 

 

Bisyon ng KWF/CFL, na maging sentro ng kapantasan sa mga wika at panitikan ng

mga Pilipino.  Misyon ng KWF na paunlarin, palaganapin at panatilihin ang mga

wikang ginagamit ng mga Pilipino sa iba’t ibang larangan.  Tungkulin ng KWF na

magsagawa, mag-ugnay at sumuporta sa mga makabuluhang pananaliksik at pag-aaral

na pangwika at pampanitikan na nasa wikang pambansa, panglokal, o pang-ibayong

dagat.  Kinikilala ng KWF ang kahalagahan ng mga wikang ito para sa kultura,

edukasyon at iba pang layuning intelektuwal; pagkakakilanlan at etnisidad;

pakikipagtalastasan sa loob at labas ng bansa; pag-unlad na pang-ekonomiya; at

kaisahan at katatagang pampulitika.

 

 

(The Commission on the Filipino Language [CFL or KWF] seeks to become the center of scholarship in

Philippine languages and literatures.  Its mission is to develop, promote and preserve the languages used by

Filipinos in various domains.  Its mandate is to undertake, coordinate and support linguistic and literary

studies in the national, local or foreign languages.  The CFL/KWF believes in the value of these languages in

education, culture and other intellectual pursuits; for identity and ethnicity; for national and international

communication; for economic growth; and for political unity and stability.)

 SPEECH

OF

His EXCELLENCY MANUEL L. QUEZON

PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

ON

FILIPINO NATIONAL LANGUAGE

[Radiocast from Malacañan Palace, Manila, on Rizal Day, December 30, 1937]

My Fellow-Citizens:

It affords me an indescribable satisfaction to be able to announce to you that on this the

41st anniversary of the martyrdom of the founder and greatest exponent of Philippine

nationalism, I had the privilege of issuing, in pursuance of the mandate of the

Constitution and of existing law, an Executive Order designating one of the native

languages as the basis for the national language of the Filipino people. The Executive

Order is as follows:

MALACANAN PALACE

MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

EXECUTIVE ORDER No. 134

PROCLAIMING THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE OF THE PHILIPPINES

BASED ON THE "TAGALOG" LANGUAGE

Whereas, by virtue of the provisions of Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred

eighty-four enacted for the purpose of carrying out the constitutional mandate contained .

in section three, Article XIII, of the Constitution enjoining the adoption of a national

language based upon one of the existing native tongues, the President of the Philippines,

on January twelfth, nineteen hundred and thirty-seven appointed the following to

constitute the Institute of National Language created under said Act:

Jaime C. de Veyra (Samar-Leyte Visayan), Chairman

Santiago A. Fonacier (Ilocano), member

Filemon Sotto (Cebu Visayan}, member

Casimiro F. Perfecto (Bicol), member

Felix S. Salas Rodriguez (Panay Visayan), member

Hadji Butu (Moro), member

Cecilio Lopez (Tagalog), member and Secretary

Whereas, the Institute of National Language adopted on the ninth day of November,

nineteen hundred and thirty-seven, a resolution as follows: "Whereas, the National Assembly, in accordance-with constitutional mandate, passed

Commonwealth Act No. 184 establishing an Institute of National Language;

"Whereas, the President of the Philippines, in accordance with sections 1 and 2 of

said law, appointed on January 12, 1937, the members to compose the Institute who

assumed their duties immediately after appointment;

"Whereas, in fulfillment of the purpose of evolving and adopting a common national

language based on one of the existing native dialects, and complying with the conditions

and proceedings to be observed by the Institute in the discharge of its duties, as set forth

in section 5 of said law, the Institute has made studies of Philippine tongues in general;

"Whereas, in the light of these studies the members of the Institute have come to the

conclusion that among the Philippine languages, the Tagalog is the one that most nearly

fulfills the requirements of Commonwealth Act No. 184;

"Whereas, this conclusion represents not only the conviction of the members of the

Institute but also the opinion of Filipino scholars and patriots of divergent origin and

varied education and tendencies who are unanimously in favor of the selection of

Tagalog as the basis of the national language as it has been found to be used and accepted

by the greatest number of Filipinos not to mention the categorical views expressed by

local newspapers, publications, and individual writers; and

"Whereas, the constitutional mandate mentioned above may be carried out without

detraction from the requirements of section 1, subsection 8 of the Ordinance appended to

the Constitution which provides:

" 'The Government of the Commonwealth, of the Philippines shall establish and maintain

an adequate system of public schools, primarily conducted in the English language';

"Now, therefore, be it resolved,, as it is hereby resolved, that the Institute of National

Language in harmony and in compliance with section 7 of Commonwealth Act No. 184,

select as it hereby selects the Tagalog language to be used as the basis for the evolution

and adoption of the national language of the Philippines;

"Be it further resolved, that the Institute of National Language recommend to His

Excellency, the President of the Philippines, the adoption of Tagalog as the basis of the

national language of the Philippines, and that such an adoption of the Philippine National

Language shall not he understood as in any .way affecting the requirement that the

instruction in the public schools shall be primarily conducted in the English language."

Now, therefore, I, Manuel L. Quezon, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the

powers vested in me by law, pursuant to the provisions of section seven of

Commonwealth Act Numbered One hundred eighty-four, and upon the recommendation

of the Institute of National Language set forth in the resolution above transcribed, do

hereby approve the adoption of Tagalog as the basis of the national language of the

Philippines, and hereby declare and proclaim the national language so based on the

Tagalog dialect, as the national language of the Philippines.

This Order shall take effect two years from the date of its promulgation. Done at the City of Manila, this thirtieth day of December, in the year of Our Lord,

nineteen hundred and thirty-seven, end of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the

third.

MANUEL L. QUEZON

President of the Philippines

By the President:

ELPIDIO QUIRINO

Secretary of the Interior

Rizal, in his patriotic efforts to foster Philippine nationalism, put in the mouth of Simon,

addressing Basilio, the following words: "Spanish will never be the language generally

spoken in the country; the people will never speak it. Each people has its own language

as it has its own way of thinking. You are trying hard to divest yourselves of your own

personality as a people; you forget that as long as a people preserves its language, it

retains a token of its liberty, just as a man retains his freedom so long as he preserves his

own independence of thought. A language expresses the ideas and ideals of a people."

Hence, in deciding to adopt a national language culled from the different languages

spoken in the Philippines and mainly from the Tagalog which was not only the native

tongue of Rizal but also is the most developed of all the existing languages in our

country, we are merely carrying - into realization one of -the ideals of our national hero

as a means of consolidating and invigorating our national unity.

For over three hundred years that Spain exercised sovereignty over the Philippines,

Spanish was the official language; nevertheless, when the United States took possession

and control of these Islands, Spanish had not become the common language of our

people. With the establishment of the American regime, English became the official

language of our country; but despite the fact that English has been taught in all our public

schools for more than a generation, it has not become the language of our people. Today

there is not one language that is spoken and understood by all the Filipinos, nor even by a

majority of them, which simply proves that while the teaching of a foreign language may

be imposed upon a people, it can never replace the native tongue as a medium of national

expression among the common masses. This is because, as Rizal asserted, the national

thought takes its roots in a common language which, develops and grows with the

progress of the nation. We may borrow for a time the language of other peoples, but we

cannot truly possess a national language except through the adoption, development and

use of one of our own.

It is unnecessary for me to demonstrate how essential it is for our people to have one

language that can be used by all in their daily intercourse. Such language cannot be either

English or Spanish, except perhaps, if ever, only after many generations and at a very

great cost. We cannot wait that long. We must as soon as possible be able to deal with

one another directly using the same language. We need its power more completely to

weld us into one strong nation. It will give inspiration and warmth to our popular movements and will accord to our nationality a new meaning to which we have never

learned to give full and adequate expression. As President of the Philippines, many times

I have felt the humiliation of having to address the people through an interpreter in those

provinces of the Islands where either Ilocano, Visayan, Pampango or Bicol is the

language used.

The fact that we are going to have our national language does not mean that we are to

abandon in our schools the study or the use of the Spanish language, much less English

which, under, our Constitution, is the basis of primary instruction. Spanish will preserve

for us our Latin culture and will be our point of contact with our former metropolis as

well as with Latin America; English, the great language of democracy, will bind us

forever to the people of the United States and place within our reach the wealth of

knowledge treasured in this language.

There was a time when it seemed that it would be impossible for the Filipinos to agree

that one of the native languages be chosen as the national language, but at last we "have

all realized that if we are willing to accept, a foreign language as the official language of

the Philippines, with more reason we should accept one of our own languages as the

national language of bur - common country. Without giving undue importance to the r61e

that a common language plays in the life of a people, we may point to the fact that in the

Orient the one nation which has made the greatest progress and which has won a high

place in the family of nations, is the only nation that has one common language— Japan.

And every other nation which has attained the highest state of culture, solidarity and

power, both on the American continent and in Europe, and even in Africa, is a nation that

possesses a common national language.

Today, with the adoption of Tagalog as the basis for the national language of the

Philippines, we have accomplished one of the most cherished dreams of Rizal.

In no better way could we have honored his sacred memory on this anniversary of his

immolation to the cause of our free nationhood.

I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Development of Filipino, The National Language of the Philippines

 The emergence of a national language that could unite the whole country is the realization of a dream that goes back to the year 1935. President Manuel L. Quezon of the Commonwealth of the Philippines made this possible through the inclusion of an article in the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines regarding the development of a national language.

       Of the more than a hundred languages being spoken by the different ethnolinguistic groups of dwellers in the more than seven thousand and one hundred islands comprising the Philippines, eight of them are considered major languages. These major languages are Ilocano, Pangasinan, Pampango, Tagalog, Bicol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Waray-Samarnon.

       The 1935 Constitution Article XIV, Section 3 states that "...Congress shall make necessary steps towards the development of a national language which will be based on one of the existing native languages..." There are two significant words in

the statement, namely existing and native. The initial step made by the national Assembly was the passing of Commonwealth Act No. 184 (1936) that created a national committee and empowered its members to decide on which one of the existing native major languages will the national language be based. The committee members were eminent linguists and each one of them representing a linguistic group or one of the major languages. They were Jaime C. de Veyra (Hiligaynon), Santiago Fonacier (Ilocano), Casimiro Perfecto (Bicol), Felix Salas Rodriguez (Samarnon), Felimon Sotto (Cebuano), Cecilio Lopez (Tagalog), and Hadji Butu (Maranao-Maguindanao). Mr. Jaime de Veyra was the chairman of the said committee. A year later, four more committee members were included. They were Isidro Abad (Cebuano), Zoilo Hilario (Pampango), Jose Zulueta (Pangasinan) and Lope K. Santos (Tagalog).

       After a thorough and earnest effort in studying the case, the committee recommended Tagalog to be the basis of the national language. Hence, the Executive Order No. 134 s. 1937 stating that the national language will be based on Tagalog. Three years after the proclamation of Tagalog as the basis of the national language (officially called "Pilipino" since 1959) it was decided as one of the official languages of the Philippines. It was taught as a subject in the teacher education courses and in the elementary and secondary schools throughout the country. Lope K. Santos who was then appointed director of the Institute of National Language (1939), undertook the preparation of grammar book (Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa) which constitute the bulk of what was taught in school.

       The Tagalog-based national language was taught in school only as one of the subject areas (1940) but was not adapted as the medium of instruction. During World War II, the Japanese encouraged the use of the National Language rather than English in the schools. The Tagalog-based national language was, therefore, propagated not only in education but also in mass media and in official communication. The census for 1948 reported that 7,126,913 people or 37.11% of the population spoke the language, representing an increase of 11.7% from the 1939 figure of 4,068,565. Of these seven million people, 47.7% learned it as a second language (Liamzon).

       Once again, the National Language issue sparked heated discussion during the 1973 Constitutional Convention. A committee on National Language (CNL) was created by the convention delegates to look into the language question and to make recommendations on the policy that should be adapted on the matter. The CNL, after hearing conflicting testimonies from various language experts in the country, recommended to eliminate Pilipino and replace it with a new "common national language to be known as Filipino, based on existing native languages...". The FILIPINO to be developed pursuant to the 1973 constitution could be a fusion of the different native languages. This CNL recommendation met a great deal of oppositions from various sectors of the community. They pointed out that such an artificial language was not feasible, since it lacked both native speakers and a literary tradition to help propagate it.

       FILIPINO, the national language of the Philippines was finally settled in the 1987 Constitution. Article XIV section 6 states that "the National language of the

Philippines is Filipino. As it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages.

       The constitution also provided that subject to provision of law and as the congress may deem appropriate, the Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system.

       Section 7. For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English.

       The regional languages are the auxilliary official language in the region and shall serve as auxilliary media of instruction therein."

       It is predicted that by the year 2000, the Philippines will be a Filipino lingua franca speaking nation, which is quite an achievement wrought within a time-frame of around 65 years (1935-2000).

Sessions

First Special Session: November 25, – December 21, 1935

First Regular Session: June 16 – October 9, 1936

Second Special Session: August 28 – September 8, 1937

Third Special Session: September 9, 1937

Second Regular Session: January 24 – May 19, 1938

Fourth Special Session: May 23 – May 24, 1938

Fifth Special Session: July 25 – August 15, 1938

Legislation

The First National Assembly passed a total of 415 laws: Commonwealth Act No. 1 to 415

[edit]Major legislation

Commonwealth Act No. 1 – The National Defense Act of 1935

Commonwealth Act No. 2 – Creation of the National Economic Council

Commonwealth Act No. 3 – Reorganization of the Supreme Court and the Creation of the Court of

Appeals

Commonwealth Act No. 5 – Reorganization of the Executive Departments and the Creation of

the Budget Commission

Commonwealth Act No. 7 – Creation of the National Loan and Investment Board

Commonwealth Act No. 20 – Agrarian Reform Act of 1936

Commonwealth Act No. 34 – Setting the Date of April 30, 1937 for the Plebiscite of the Constitutional

Amendments pertaining to Women's Suffrage

Commonwealth Act No. 39 – Charter of the City of Zamboanga

Commonwealth Act No. 51 – Charter of the City of Davao

Commonwealth Act No. 58 – Charter of the City of Cebu

Commonwealth Act No. 85 – Amendment to the Provincial and Municipal Appropriations Act

Commonwealth Act No. 103 – Creation of the Court of Industrial Relations

Commonwealth Act No. 104 – Authorizing the Secretary of Labor to Promulgate and Enforce

Regulations and the Establishment of Safety Standards for Laborers and Employees working in

Quarries and Mines

Commonwealth Act No. 118 – The Philippine Livestock Promotion Fund Act of 1936

Commonwealth Act No. 120 – The National Power Corporation Act of 1936

Commonwealth Act No. 177 – Extension of the Civil Service Commission

Commonwealth Act No. 184 – Creation of the Institute of National Language

Commonwealth Act No. 186 – Creation of the Government Insurance Service System

Commonwealth Act No. 192 – Creation of the National Produce Exchange

Commonwealth Act No. 238 – Abolition of the Cedula or Poll Tax

Commonwealth Act No. 234 – Appropriations for Primary Education

Commonwealth Act No. 240 – Appropriations for New Elementary School Buildings

Commonwealth Act No. 242 – Compensation for Lost Cedula Revenues

Commonwealth Act No. 246 – General Appropriations Act of 1936

Commonwealth Act No. 328 – Charter of the City of Bacolod

Commonwealth Act No. 343 – Abolition of the State Force Police and the Re-Creation of

the Philippine Constabulary

Commonwealth Act No. 381 – Creating A Level of Three Years of Immediate Education for Children

and its Appropriations

[edit]Leadership

Speaker:

Gil M. Montilla (NP, 2nd District Negros Oriental)

Floor Leader:

Jose E. Romero (NP, 3rd District Negros Occidental)

[edit]Members

ProvinceDistric

tAssemblyman

Abra Lone Agapito Garduque

Agusan Lone Apolonio D. Curato

Albay 1st Jose Bonto

2nd Justino Nuyda

3rd Pedro Sabido

4th Pedro Vera

Antique Lone Calixto O. Zaldivar

Bataan Lone Teodoro Camacho

Batanes Lone Vicente Agan

Batangas 1st Miguel Tolentino

2nd Eusebio Orense

3rd Maximo M. Kalaw

Bohol 1st Juan Torralba

2nd Olegario B. Clarin

3rd Margarito E. Revilles

Bukidnon Lone Manuel Fortich

Bulacan 1st Nicolas Buendia

2nd Antonio Villarama

Cagayan 1st Marcelo Adduru

2nd Regino Veridiano

Camarines Norte Lone Froilan Pimentel

Camarines Sur 1st Francisco Celebrado

2nd Jose Fuentebella

Capiz 1st Manuel A. Roxas

2nd Jose A. Dorado

3rd Rafael S. Tumbokon

Cavite Lone Justiniano S. Montano

Cebu 1st Celestino Rodriguez

2nd Hilario Abellana

3rd Agustin Y. Kintanar

4th Vicente Rama

5th Miguel Cuenco

6th Nicolas Rafols

7thBuenaventura Rodriguez

Cotabato LoneDatu Balabaran Sinsuat

Davao Lone Romualdo Quimpo

Ilocos Norte 1st Vicente T. Lazo

2nd Ulpiano H. Arzadon

Ilocos Sur 1st Benito Soliven

2nd Sixto Brillantes

Iloilo 1st Jose C. Zulueta

2nd Ruperto Montinola

3rd Tomas Confesor

4th Tomas Buenaflor

5th Victoriano M. Salcedo

Isabela Lone Mauro Verzosa

La Union 1st Camilo Osias

2nd Agaton H. Yaranon

Laguna 1st Tomas Dizon

2nd Crisanto M. Guysayko

Lanao Lone Tomas Cabili

Leyte 1st Jose Ma. Veloso

2nd Dominador M. Tan

3rd Tomas Oppus

4th Francisco D. Enage

5th Ruperto Kapunan

Manila 1st Gregorio Perfecto

2nd Pedro Gil

Marinduque Lone Jose A. Uy

Masbate Lone Pio V. Corpus

Mindoro Lone Juan L. Luna

Misamis Occidental

Lone Jose A. Ozamis

Misamis Oriental Lone Leon Borromeo

Mountain Province

1st Saturnino Moldero

2nd Felipe E. Jose

3rd George K. Tait

Negros Occidental

1st Enrique B. Magalona

2nd Pedro C. Hernaez

3rd Gil Montilla

Negros Oriental 1st Guillermo Z. Villanueva

2nd Jose E. Romero

Nueva Ecija 1st Manuel A. Alzate

2nd Felipe Buencamino, Jr.

Nueva Vizcaya Lone Bernardo L. Buenafe

Palawan Lone Claudio R. Sandoval

Pampanga 1st Eligio Lagman

2nd Jose P. Fausto

Pangasinan 1st Anacleto B. Ramos

2nd Eugenio Perez

3rd Daniel Maramba

4th Nicomedes T. Rupisan

5th Narciso Ramos

Rizal 1st Pedro Magsalin

2nd Emilio de la Paz

Romblon Lone Gabriel F. Fabella

Samar 1st Tiburcio Tancinco

2nd Serafin Marabut

3rd Juan L. Bocar

Sorsogon 1st Norberto Roque

2nd Tomas Clemente

Sulu Lone Ombra Amilbangsa

Surigao Lone Ricardo Navarro

Tarlac 1st Jose Cojuangco

2nd Benigno S. Aquino

Tayabas 1st Jose A. Angara

2nd Francisco Lavides

Zambales Lone Potenciano Lesaca

Zamboanga Lone Juan S. Alano