What happened to the 'Speak Pangasinan' rule?
By Danny O. Sagun
Lingayen (7 November, PIA) -- THAT first order by Gov. Amado T. Espino to have the Pangasinan language the primary tongue in transactions within the provincial Capitol appeared not seriously taken. Tagalog or a mix of English and Filipino are mainly used by the people there, even by officials themselves, who should lead their staff in using widely their native tongue.
We could not help but sort of remind the governor when we had the chance to shoot a question in a press conference some two weeks back. We asked him what happened to his directive as we noted that the question and answer in that conference itself was done in languages other than Pangasinan. In fact, before this writer tossed the last question (of course in Pangasinan), all questions but one were all done in other tongues.
"Anta manpapasagiligak lad sikara diad pansasalitak na Pangasinan ag ira met makalikas," he replied. Indeed, he spoke liberally in our native language mixing it with English and Tagalog while answering questions by the media.
He said he was really serious in his bid to propagate the native tongue, now considered one of the major languages in the country. In line with such objective is the undergoing research on the birth of the province. He noted that the celebration of Pangasinan Day is not actually the observance for the birth of the province but a memorial day for the late Speaker Eugenio Perez.
There were attempts to dig at history as to the birth of the province, which according to some people, had used to occupy parts of La Union, Zambales and Tarlac. It is no wonder that people in Sto. Tomas in La Union and Camiling in Tarlac are very fluent in the Pangasinan language.
Pangasinan, if we believe those stories, was not just a simple province as it is now. It was actually a kingdom or fiefdom with vast territory. The legendary Princess Urduja, a mighty warrior, amazon you may call her, bespeaks of the prestige and might of this part of the country had during those olden days.
The governor really had a point in his first order of the day he assumed office. The rich culture, tradition, mores, folkways and of course, language, of Pangasinan must be maintained, preserved, propagated and expanded to the hilt.
We hope he needs no reminders about that task. And we hope to see results before his first term ends.
Lingayen (7 November, PIA) -- THAT first order by Gov. Amado T. Espino to have the Pangasinan language the primary tongue in transactions within the provincial Capitol appeared not seriously taken. Tagalog or a mix of English and Filipino are mainly used by the people there, even by officials themselves, who should lead their staff in using widely their native tongue.
We could not help but sort of remind the governor when we had the chance to shoot a question in a press conference some two weeks back. We asked him what happened to his directive as we noted that the question and answer in that conference itself was done in languages other than Pangasinan. In fact, before this writer tossed the last question (of course in Pangasinan), all questions but one were all done in other tongues.
"Anta manpapasagiligak lad sikara diad pansasalitak na Pangasinan ag ira met makalikas," he replied. Indeed, he spoke liberally in our native language mixing it with English and Tagalog while answering questions by the media.
He said he was really serious in his bid to propagate the native tongue, now considered one of the major languages in the country. In line with such objective is the undergoing research on the birth of the province. He noted that the celebration of Pangasinan Day is not actually the observance for the birth of the province but a memorial day for the late Speaker Eugenio Perez.
There were attempts to dig at history as to the birth of the province, which according to some people, had used to occupy parts of La Union, Zambales and Tarlac. It is no wonder that people in Sto. Tomas in La Union and Camiling in Tarlac are very fluent in the Pangasinan language.
Pangasinan, if we believe those stories, was not just a simple province as it is now. It was actually a kingdom or fiefdom with vast territory. The legendary Princess Urduja, a mighty warrior, amazon you may call her, bespeaks of the prestige and might of this part of the country had during those olden days.
The governor really had a point in his first order of the day he assumed office. The rich culture, tradition, mores, folkways and of course, language, of Pangasinan must be maintained, preserved, propagated and expanded to the hilt.
We hope he needs no reminders about that task. And we hope to see results before his first term ends.
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