As the “Eksibit sa Nanganganib na Wika ng Pilipinas” officially opened on the second floor of the Senate building on Monday, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda underscored the importance of preserving indigenous languages and called the staging of such exhibits an eye-opener to the public that such languages are in dire need of saving.

 “Hindi lang kamalayan ang kailangan pataasin upang tugunan ang suliraning ito. Malaking hamon ito sa mga ahensya ng pamahalaan katulad ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) na gumawa ng mga programa na magpapasigla sa mga nanganganib na wika (The solution is not just awareness of these languages. This is a big challenge for government agencies like KWF to breathe new life to these endangered languages),” Legarda said. “Hinahamon ko rin ang mga komunidad, lalo na ang mga kasama nating elders at culture bearers na pasiglahin ang kanilang wika. Mahalagang maipasa ninyo sa susunod na henerasyon ang kanilang wika at mga kaalaman para hindi ito tuluyang mawala (I also challenge the communities, especially the elders and the culture bearers, to revive interest in and pass on knowledge of these languages to the succeeding generations.)”

The exhibit, being held in coordination with the KWF, features the Alta, Arta, and Ayta Magbukun languages spoken in Aurora, Quirino, and Bataan, respectively. It runs until Nov. 16.

Books about the three languages, which are among 36 languages in danger of extinction, were also launched during the event.

“Ang 2022-2032 ay idineklara ng UNESCO na International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL) upang mabigyang-pansin ang kalagayan ng mga katutubong wika at mapukaw ang atensyon ng stakeholders na gumawa ng mga planong aksyon para sa preserbasyon, pagpapasigla, at promosyon ng mga katutubong wika (2022-2032 has been declared by UNESCO as International Decade of Indigenous Languages to bring indigenous languages to the attention of stakeholders, who need to make an action plan to preserve, enliven, and promote them),” said Legarda.

Arta, the language of the Arta people in Nagtipunan, Quirino, is considered “critically endangered” as only 10 elders could speak it fluently. On the other hand, Ayta Magbukun is spoken among 12 communities in Bataan. It is considered a part of the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian language, which is also endangered.

Alta, also considered as Austronesian in nature, was found to have been spoken by some elders and parents in Brgy. Diteki, San Luis, Aurora.

The four-term senator has long pushed for the amendment of Republic Act 7104, creating the Commission on the Filipino Language, which deepens the recognition and preservation of the Filipino language and intensify the work of the KWF.