Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

The lack of materials that can help in writing Waray-Waray

literatures is an emerging challenge nowadays. Although such

problem exists since, it become more apparent in today’s time as

people become more aware in promoting their own culture, thus

Waraynon writing and composing literatures in their very own

language become more prevalent. In addition, as part of promoting

one’s own culture, it would be easier to attract tourist in

Region 8 if there are available materials that could assist them

in communicating with the locals or learning the local’s native

language.

Moreover, when Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education

(MTBMLE) under Department of Education Order 74, series of 2009,

or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 was implemented for

the grade 1 to 3 teachings, new challenges arise as it has been

years since non-tagalog languages were thought in schools. There

are no reading and teaching materials in Waray-Waray nor sources

to get it from that could assist both the teacher and the

learner. Anecdotal evidences indicate that even the teachers are

not confident in terms of vocabulary competence in mother-tongue

and has no enough reference to create their own materials.

 Therefore, it is necessary to build a material that would

assist the aforementioned people in writing Waray-Waray

literature, learning the language, and translating non-Waray-

Waray instructional material or creating new teaching materials

for Grade 1 to 3 classrooms in Region 8.

1.1.1 Narrative Listing of the Existing System

Oyzon and Fullmer (2013) created a 377,930-word language

corpus generated from 419 distinct Waray texts. This corpus

includes a Waray-English dictionary. However, this is accessible

only through online, and this prompts another problem as there is

a noticeable challenge when it comes to internet connectivity in

most parts of the region.

In addition, the book Syahan nga Usa ka Yukot hin mga

Pulong nga Agsob Gamiton ha Winaray: Pagpurulongan nga Winaray-

Inenglis para han mga Magturutdo ha MTBMLE (First One Thousand

Commonly Used Words in Winaray: Dictionary of MTBMLE Educators)

was launched in Leyte Normal University on June 2013. The book

contains High Frequency Word List in Winaray that may help Grade

1 to 3 educators and assist in creating new teaching materials.

Somewise, although the book might help educators and learners in

Grade Schools, the availability of the said materials is bare and

if ever some is available in public, carrying a hardcopy of the

book could be a nuisance for travelers and other users that move

from place to place often.

 It is also stated in the study of Oyzon and Fullmer (2013)

that other existing Waray-Waray dictionaries are not accurate

enough and is said to borrow English-language grammatical

structure1. Hence, creating a Waray-Waray Dictionary with precise

contents that is easy to access without the need of internet

connection and is can be held anytime is a solution the

researchers has come up to.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The researchers aim to administer in resolving the following

problems:

1. Lack of reference sources that could assist in creating or

composing Waray-Waray literature;

2. Insufficient materials that could conveniently help non-

locals learn and/or communicate with the locals in Region 8;

3. Insufficient reliable source material that could help

educators in Region 8 in creating new instructional materials in

mother-tongue, and;

4. Lack of materials that could assist learners in grade

schools in studying in mother-tongue.

1
Voltaire Oyzon and John Mark Fulmer, “Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTBMLE)
Initiatives in Region 8,” International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) (March
2014): 53-65.
1.3 Research Objective

1.3.1 General Objective

The researchers generally aim to create a Waray-Waray

Dictionary application that is compatible with Android devices

and is accessible offline.

1.3.2 Specific Objective

The researchers specifically aim to create a Waray-Waray

Dictionary Android Application that could:

1. Aid in creating and composing Waray-Waray Literature;

2. Be a convenient assistance to non-locals in learning or

communicating with Region 8 locals;

3. Be a reliable source material that could help educators in

Region 8 in creating new instructional materials, and;

4. Assist with learners in grade schools in studying in mother-

tongue.

1.4 Scope and Limitations of the Research

The researchers will design a 1000-word dictionary

application containing research-validated Waray-Waray

terminologies. These terminologies were taken from LNU’s Syahan

nga Usa ka Yukot hin mga Pulong nga Masukot Gamiton ha Winaray:
Pagpurulongan para han mga Magturutdo ha MTBMLE (First One

Thousand Words in Waray: Dictionary for MTBMLE Educators).

The application will be limited for Android phones only and

will not be compatible with other phones with different mobile

operating system.

1.5 Significance of the Research

This study will be beneficial to the following:

Writers and Composers. The final output of this study can assist

writers and composers of Waray-Waray literature in creating new

literary works.

Tourists and other Non-locals. The result of this study can be of

aid to tourist and other non-Waray-Waray speakers in

communicating and learning Waray-Waray.

MTBMLE Educators. The product of this study can help MTBMLE

educators in creating new Waray-Waray instructional materials.

MTBMLE Learners. The result of this capstone could assist MTBMLE

learners in this studying in mother-tongue.