By: Aliahcorr Balanon
Photo credits to: Andrea Cabaron, The LANCE
Republic Act No. 12027, which allows the use of Mother Tongue as a medium of instruction in Kindergarten to Grade 3 to be optional, has become law. This follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s decision not to act on the measure within the prescribed period, leading to its automatic enactment, as announced by Malacañang on Saturday, October 12.
Key Provisions of RA 12027
The law mandates to revert the use of the medium of instruction to English and Filipino on the mentioned grade levels. To maintain the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) classes, the school should have comply the following requirements:
Official orthography developed and published by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF);
Officially documented vocabulary published by the KWF;
Literature on languages and culture;
Grammar book; and
Availability of teachers in the school who speak and are trained to teach in the Mother Tongue
Additionally, the law defines a monolingual class as "a group of learners who speak the same Mother Tongue and are enrolled in the same grade level in a given school year." To properly identify and classify these classes, the Department of Education (DepEd), in consultation with the KWF, is required to develop a language mapping policy within one year of the law's effectiveness. This language mapping aims to systematically determine the presence of monolingual classes per school year, ensuring that the optional use of the Mother Tongue is applied where appropriate.
Teacher’s Opposition and Concerns
Several teachers expressed their concerns over the new policy. Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Representative France Castro voiced opposition to the measure, calling it unfair. He argued that the Department of Education (DepEd) should address its shortcomings instead of holding students accountable. Castro added that the progress schools have made in implementing Mother Tongue-based education would be undermined by the law.
Vladimer Queta, ACT chairperson said in a statement, “The teaching of Mother Tongue as a subject is foundational in developing literacy skills as learners can learn to read and write the easiest with the language that they use and most understand. Mother Tongue also enhances the awareness and appreciation of learners of their cultural identity, and preserves and nurtures our own culture.”
Legislative Debate
In contrast, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the author of RA 12027, defended the measure during legislative deliberations. He argued that many schools are not fully equipped to implement Mother Tongue-based education effectively. Gatchalian also noted that using the Mother Tongue in multilingual classrooms can pose challenges, and that teachers should have the flexibility to use the language most appropriate for their students' needs.
“Malinaw din sa ating pag-aaral at pananaliksik na hindi akma ang paggamit ng mother tongue kung ang mga mag-aaral sa isang klase ay multilingual. Ngayon, mabibigyan na natin ang mga guro ng kalayaang gumamit ng wikang akma sa pangangailangan at sitwasyon ng mga mag-aaral,” Gatchalian said in a statement Saturday.
Implementation and Next Steps
To have an effective implementation of the law, the Department of Education (DepEd) are in consultation with Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) in developing a language mapping policy within one year of the law's effectiveness. RA 12027 will become effective 15 days after it appears in the Official Gazette.
Violations of RA 12027 shall be subject to administrative sanctions.