Education Sec. Leonor M. Briones during her visit to Laoag City. (LCDepEd photo) |
By Jennifer T. Pambid
Contributor
Laoag City—Dept. of Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones lauded
the Schools Division of Laoag City for promoting the use of Baybayin even
before the congress’ approval of House Bill 1022 declaring Baybayin as the
national writing system.
During the DepEd chief’s visit to Laoag City for a special meeting with
DepEd Region 1 officials recently, Ms. Briones appreciated DepEd Laoag’s
welcome streamer bearing her name with Baybayin script.
“As you can imagine, this will take years because to translate an ancient
script and language into the language of millennials, into the language of science
and technology, literature and arts; it’s not going to be very easy,” she explained.
In the first quarter of 2017, DepEd Laoag City Schools Division superintendent
Dr. Joel B. Lopez initiated the use of the pre-Hispanic Philippine script
primarily as a tool for teachers and school heads to realize the difficulties
encountered by pupils in learning how to read and write.
He also made Baybayin counterparts of the names of SDO officials and
promotional staff and to use it in the division’s official communications and
other documents.
Dep-Ed-Laoag’s “quality policy”, which it displays in each office section,
has also its Baybayin translation.
“As educators, we must be the first to use Baybayin in our undertakings to
foster our love for our culture,” Mr. Lopez said.
Among its other provisions, the National Writing System Act shall direct
“the appropriate government agency to disseminate knowledge and information
about Baybayin script by distributing reading materials in all levels of public
and private educational institutions…and conduct staff trainings for the proper
handling of these important documents.”
It shall also require Baybayin translations of labels of locally-produced
food products; signages of streets, public facilities and buildings, hospitals,
fire and police stations, community centers and government halls; and official
names of newspapers and magazine publishers.
Comments
Post a Comment