THE Philippines is one of those countries that apparently sees language as a symbol of nationhood and national identity. The implementing 1987 Constitution identifies Filipino not only as an official language but as a national language, which carries a functional burden of playing a symbolic role of making manifest the Filipino national identity.

A language carrying the Filipino national identity was an idea thought to be appropriate by then-president Manuel Quezon as he was preparing the country for eventual independence from the United States. As such, he formed the National Language Institute, which was tasked to “make a study of the Philippine dialects in general for the purpose of evolving and adopting a common national language based on one of the existing native tongues.”

A recommendation by the institute was made the following year, and it was to make Tagalog as the basis of the Philippine national language, and this was subsequently endorsed by President Quezon.

It was President Sergio Osmeña who established in 1946 “Linggo ng Wika” (Language Week), then celebrated from March 27 to April 2, honoring the great Tagalog poet Francisco Balagtas, whose birthday is April 2. President Ramon Magsaysay then moved the week to August 13 to 19, in honor of President Quezon, who is often called the “Father of the National Language,” as his birthday is August 19.

President Corazon Aquino, in 1988, ratified that August 13 to 19 indeed be the Linggo ng Wika, but President Fidel Ramos then extended it to a monthlong celebration, the “Buwan ng Wika” (Language Month) or “Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa” (Month of the National Language).

The message of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for this year’s Buwan ng Wika basically captures the Filipino conception of and hopes for Indigenous languages, but most especially the national language. He directs Filipinos to see the role of language in raising consciousness of a national collective identity and heritage: “Sa pagkakataong ito, ating bigyang-pansin ang kapangyarihan ng wika hindi lamang sa pagbuo ng ating kaisipan at paraan ng komunikasyon, kundi pati na rin sa pagkintal ng ating patuloy na pagsulong at pagdala ng kolektibong karunugan sa bawat henerasyon (At this point, let us give attention to the power of language not only to formulate our thoughts and ways of communication, but also continue pushing and carrying the collective knowledge to every generation).”

Presidents then and now have thus been seeing language — a/the national language, at that — as integral to the Filipino identity and essential to national development.

Often, celebrations and activities in line with the Buwan ng Wika also include recognizing the other Indigenous languages of the Philippines, not only Filipino or Tagalog. More than other national holidays, it is often during this month when various activities relating not only to language but also culture are held, showcasing various costumes, food and performances from across the country.

The Linguistic Society of the Philippines, during the presidency of Dr. Alejandro Bernardo (University of Santo Tomas), actually wrote a letter to then-president Rodrigo Duterte suggesting that the monthlong celebration be more appropriately named as “Buwan ng Mga Wika sa Pilipinas” to “ensure that all the ethnicities and languages of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, including those of our Muslim brethren and deaf communities will be adequately represented.”

As a linguist, on this Buwan ng Wika, I wish to offer a few contemplations in the form of questions for Filipinos to reflect on for the whole month commemorating not only national identity through language but also emphasizing the linguistic and cultural diversity of the country: What kind of language choices do I make, which [may] reflect my views on language, most especially my identity expressed through languages? What has been my own personal contribution to the development of Filipino and other Indigenous Philippine languages? How have I used language (and accent) to discriminate against people? How have I made English as a language truly the Filipinos’ own, too? How am I going to and how will I use language as a tool for national development?

Ariane Macalinga Borlongan is one of the leading scholars on English in the Philippines. He is the youngest to earn a doctorate in linguistics in the country, at age 23, from De La Salle University, and has had several teaching and research positions in Germany, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore and Taiwan. He is at present associate professor of Sociolinguistics at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan.