MOTHER TONGUE-BASED MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION

The linguistic and cultural diversity in the Philippines

brings much complexity to the issue of language policy in
education. With more than 7000 islands and 181 distinct
languages (Lewis, Simons, & Fennig, 2013), the Philippines
offers a challenging environment for implementing a language
policy that can serve the whole country. Consequently, language
policies for Philippines‘ schools have fluctuated greatly over
the last century with a different policy for nearly every
generation.

Until recently, the 1974 and 1987 Bilingual Education

Policies determined the language of instruction in schools to be
Filipino and English. This is despite the fact that about 80% of
the population does not speak either of these as a first
language. In 2009, the Department of Education (DepEd)
challenged the Bilingual Education Policy by issuing an order
that called for institutionalization of mother tongue-based
multilingual education (MTB-MLE). This order requires use of the
learners‘ first language as the medium of instruction for all
subject areas in pre-kindergarten through grade three with
Filipino and English being taught as separate subjects
(Philippines Department of Education, 2009).

Today, as Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education

imparted the educational system, there were ongoing studies
regarding how to improve and develop the program, identify the
issues and problems on the program, and the strategies employed
in coping them
 K-12 Curriculum

Curriculum from time to time undergone several change.

These changes are brought by the demands and needs of the
society and to cope with globalization.
One of the products of curriculum assessment is the shift
of the educational system that starts from the Basic Education
Curriculum to the implementation of K-12 Curriculum Program.
Indeed, the shift happens because of the weakness and problems
encountered by the different stakeholders on the past
curriculum.
First, there is a great number of dropouts and out of
school youth. This is due to financial stress and inability to
manage time. With the help of K-12 Curriculum Program, we can
offer varied avenues to hasten the skills of the students
especially during Grades 11 to 12 since after they finish senior
high school, they can proceed immediately finding a job since
they are NC-2 holders already.
Second, there is something missing in the grading system.
The distribution of percentage from the different sections of
pupils’ performance is not balance. With the reform happened in
the curriculum, so is the change in the grading system. The new
grading system emphasized the importance of performance task
rather than developing cognitive domain alone, which is also
true in the definition of curriculum which states that, it is
the overall meaningful experience of the pupils.
Lastly, the change in the curriculum is due to the reason
that we need to become globally competent which means that we
must abide to the trends around the world, and Philippines is
one of the last country who undergone shift to K-12 Curriculum,
nevertheless, curriculum changes because like anybody or
anything else, it seeks for innovations and advancements.
 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

First of all, why do we need to study about the

environment?, where in fact we never shown importance about it!,

we often thrown garbage anywhere, quarry in high lands, does

dynamite fishing, and cut the trees who had stayed for a long

time and for a long period.

It is ideal to include environmental education in all grade

levels and in all places. We people must be informed about our

crucial role as stewards of the environment. It is important to

be aware on the different negative effects of human actions and

the possible effects to human lives.

Catastrophe and other calamities often hit our nation.

These are due to man’s irresponsibility and lack of discipline.

We often blame other people for the different natural disaster

that happens to us, but the truth is that we also have

contributed to this and to its results.

We must find time and advocate for saving the environment

that we had. We need to educate ourselves about the different

issues and find possible solutions to these problems. Though it

might be difficult at some points, but if we will have the

willingness to take actions, we can saved what is at risks and

in danger.
 Overall, people must be subjective to the environmental

concern. No one can tell what tomorrow might bring us. Floods,

typhoons, and earthquakes that are not only natural phenomenon

but due to people’s actions must not be tolerated. Let us give

justice to what God has provided us, protect and save our home

for we are nothing without it!