The Philippine Bilingual Education 1.

Enhanced learning through two languages

Policy (BEP) to achieve quality education as called for by
the 1987 Constitution;
Consistent with the 1987 constitutional
mandate and declared policy of the National 2. The propagation of Filipino as a language
Board of Education (NBE) on bilingualism in of literacy;
the schools (NBE Resolution No.73-7, s.
3. The development of Filipino as a linguistic
1973) the Department of Education,
symbol of national unity and identity;
Culture and Sports (DECS) promulgated
its language policy. 4. The cultivation and elaboration of Filipino
as a language of scholarly discourse, that is
The policy was first implemented in 1974
to say its continuing intellectualization; and
when DECS issued Dept. Order No. 25, s.
1974 titled, "Implementing Guidelines for 5. The maintenance of English as an
the Policy on Bilingual Education." international language for the Philippines and
as a non-exclusive language of science and
Bilingual education in the Philippines is
technology.
defined operationally as the separate use of
Filipino and English as the media of Filipino and English shall be used as
instruction in specific subject areas. media of instruction, the use allocated to
specific subjects in the curriculum as
As embodied in the DECS Order No. 25,
indicated in the Department Order No. 25,
Pilipino (changed to Filipino in 1987)
s. 1974.
shall be used as medium of instruction in
social studies/social sciences, music, arts, The regional languages shall be used as
physical education, home economics, auxiliary media of instruction and as initial
practical arts and character education. language for literacy, where needed.
English, on the other hand is allocated to
science, mathematics and technology Filipino and English shall be taught as
subjects. The same subject allocation is language subjects in all levels to
provided in the1987 Policy on Bilingual achieve the goals of bilingual
Education which is disseminated through competence. Since competence in the use
Department Order No. 52, s. 1987. of both Filipino and English is one of the
goals of the Bilingual Education Policy,
continuing improvement in the teaching of
both languages, their use as media of
The policy is as follows:
instruction and the specification of their
The policy on Bilingual Education aims at functions in Philippine schooling shall be
the achievement of competence in both the responsibility of the whole
Filipino and English at the national level, educational system.
through the teaching of both languages and
Tertiary level institutions shall lead in
their use as media of instruction at all levels.
the continuing intellectualization of
The regional languages shall be used as Filipino. The program of intellectualization,
auxiliary languages in Grades I and II. however, shall also be pursued in both the
elementary and secondary levels.
The aspiration of the Filipino nation is to
have its citizens possess skills in Filipino to The Department of Education, Culture
enable them to perform their functions and and Sports shall cooperate with the
duties in order to meet the needs of the National Language Commission which
country in the community of nations. according to the 1987 Constitution, shall be
tasked with the further development and
The goals of the Bilingual Education
enrichment of Filipino.
Policy shall be:
The Department of Education Culture 2. Assign one or more personnel, as
and Sports shall provide the means by maybe necessary, in every office to
which the language policy can be take charge of communications
implemented with the cooperation of and correspondence written in
government and non-government Filipino;
organizations. 3. Translate into Filipino names of
offices, buildings, public edifices, and
The Department shall program funds for
signboards of all offices, divisions or
implementing the Policy, in such areas as
its instrumentalities, and if so desired,
materials production, in-service training,
imprint below in smaller letters
compensatory and enrichment program for
the English text; Filipinize the
non-Tagalogs, development of a suitable and
"Oath of Office" for government
standardized Filipino for classroom use and
officials and personnel; Make as part
the development of appropriate evaluative
of the training programs for personnel
instruments. Guidelines for the
development in each office the
implementation of the 1987 Policy on
proficiency in the use of Filipino in
Bilingual Education are specified in the DECS
official communications and
Order No.54, s. 1987. Among these are the
correspondence.
need to intellectualize Filipino and the
concrete steps suggested towards its The Commission on the Filipino
realization. Language, formerly Institute of
Philippine/National Language, is ordered
to formulate and implement programs and
Executive Order No. 335 projects for the full and effective
implementation of the objectives expressed
On August 25, 1988, then President in the Executive Order.
Corazon Aquino signed Executive Order
No. 335 enjoining all
departments/bureaus/offices/agencies/instru
The Language Policy of the Commission
mentalities of the government to take such
on Higher Education
steps as are necessary for the purpose of
using the Filipino language in official In 1994, Republic Act No. 7722, creating
transactions, communications, and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
correspondence. The order was issued on the was signed. This Act which is known as the
belief that the use of Filipino in official "Higher Education Act of 1994" provides
transactions, communications and that the CHED shall be independent and
correspondence in government offices will separate from the DECS and attached to the
result to a greater understanding and Office of the President for administrative
appreciation of government programs, purposes only. Its coverage shall be both
projects and activities throughout the public and private institutions of higher
country, thereby serving as an instrument of education as well as degree-granting
unity and peace for national progress. programs in all post-secondary educational
institutions, public and private.
All departments/ bureaus/ offices/
agencies/ instrumentalities of the One of the first steps undertaken by CHED
government are enjoined to do the was to update the General Education
following: Curriculum (GEC) of tertiary courses
leading to an initial bachelor's degree
1. Take steps to enhance the use of
covering four (4) curriculum years. This
Filipino in official communications,
was done to make the curriculum more
transactions and correspondence in
responsive to the demands of the next
their respective offices, whether
Millenium.
national or local;
The requirements of the new GEC are 1. The Policy on Bilingual
embodied in the CHED Memorandum Education aims at the
Order (CMO) No. 59, s. 1996. Listed under achievement of competence in
miscellaneous of this CMO is its language both Filipino and English at the
policy which is as follows: national level, through the
teaching of both languages and
In consonance with the Bilingual Education
their use as media of instruction
Policy underlined in DECS Order No. 52,
at all levels. The regional
Series of 1987, the following are the
languages shall be used as
guidelines vis-a-vis medium
auxiliary languages in Grades I
of instruction, to wit:
and II. The aspiration of the
1. Language courses, whether Filipino or Filipino to enable them to
English, should be taught in that language. perform their functions and
duties as Filipino citizens and in
2. At the discretion of the HEI, Literature English in order to meet the
subjects may be taught in Filipino, English or needs of the country in the
any other language as long as there are community of nations.
enough instructional materials for the same
and both students and instructors/professors 2. The goals of the Bilingual
are. Education Policy shall be:
1. Enhanced learning
through two languages to
achieve quality education
as called for by the 1987
Constitution;
2. The propagation of
Filipino as a language of
literacy;
3. The development of
DO 52, s. 1987 – The 1987 Policy on
Filipino as a linguistic
Bilingual Education
symbol of national unity
1. The provision of Article XIV Section and identity;
7 of the 1987 Constitution states:
4. The cultivation and
“For purposes of communication and
elaboration of Filipino as
instruction, the official languages of
a language of scholarly
the Philippines are Filipino, and
discourse that is to say,
until otherwise provided by law,
its continuing
English.
intellectualization; and
The regional languages are the
auxiliary official languages in the 5. The maintenance of
regions and shall serve as auxiliary English as an
media of instruction therein.” international language for
the Philippines and as a
2. In consonance with this mandate the
non-exclusive language
declared policy of the Department of
of science and
Education and Culture on bilingualism
technology.
in the schools (NBE Resolution No.
73-7, s. 1973), the Department of 3. Filipino and English shall be
Education, Culture and Sports hereby used as media of
promulgates the following policy: instruction, the use allocated
to specific subjects in the
 curriculum as indicated in 10.The Department shall
Department Order No. 25, s. program funds for
1974. implementing the Policy, in
such areas as materials
4. The regional languages shall
production, in-service training,
be used as auxiliary media
compensatory, and enrichment
of instruction and as initial
program for non-Tagalogs,
language for literacy where
development of a suitable and
needed.
standardized Filipino for
5. Filipino and English shall be classroom use and the
taught as language subjects development of appropriate
in all levels to achieve the evaluative instruments.
goals of bilingual competence.
3. This Order supersedes previous
6. Since competence in the use of Orders on the Bilingual Education
both Filipino and English is one Policy that are inconsistent with it.
of the goals of the Bilingual
4. This Order shall take effect
Education Policy, continuing
immediately.
improvement in the teaching
of both languages, their use as
media of instruction and the
specification shall be the
responsibility of the whole
educational system.
7. Tertiary level institutions
shall lead in the continuing
intellectualization of
Filipino. The program of
intellectualization, however,
shall also be pursued in both
the elementary and
secondary levels.
8. The Department of
Education, Culture and
Sports shall cooperate with
the National Language
Commission which, according
to the 1987 Constitution, shall
be tasked with the further
development and
enrichment of Filipino.
9. The Department of
Education, Culture and
Sports shall provide the
means by which the language
policy can be implemented with
the cooperation of government
and non-government
organizations.