Preserving the Tinguian Cultural Heritage: Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education As Tool

Sampurasun e-Journal Vol 02, No. 01. June 2016

PRESERVING THE TINGUIAN CULTURAL HERITAGE: MOTHER TONGUE-BASED MULTI-LINGUAL EDUCATION AS TOOL

Elizabeth Valera1, Red Marian Antonette Valera2

1Human Resource Office, Divine Word College of Bangued Bangued, Abra 2800, Philippines [email protected]

2Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Trinity University of Asia Cathedral Heights, 275 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Quezon City, Philippines [email protected]

Abstract

Cultural heritage is important to people’s identity and character.Preserving the culture is therefore very important for the future generations. The Tinguians who are the natives of Abra Province have their own culture which is distinct from other Filipino ethnolinguistic groups. Studies on the Tinguians however, show that many of their customs, traditions, practices and beliefs are no longer observed or done. To develop socio-cultural awarenesswhich enhances the pride of the learner’s heritage, language and culture,the Department of Education has institutionalized the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education as its fundamental educational policy and program. This study which is a qualitative research aimed to determine how the program helps in the preservation of the Tinguian culture. The interview guide was used to gather data from the teachers, and officials of the selected public schools in Tinguian communities where the program was piloted.These were complemented by the observations of the researchers when they visited the schools. Based on the findings of the study, the first language or mother tongue of the learners is Ilocano thus the medium of instruction for kindergarten to Grade 3 is Ilocano; some of the teachers are not Tinguians and cannot speak the dialect; there is no working orthography of the Tinguian dialects; there are no available teachers guide, reading and instructional materialsin Tinguian; many of the learners whose parents are Tinguians speak Ilocano with their friends and classmates.

Keywords: Preserving cultural heritage; Tinguian; Ilocano; First Language; Mother Tongue-Based Multi- lingual Education

1. Introduction wellbeing. The way they define the self and wellbeing is contingent on their Cultural heritage is unique, precious and culture. irreplaceable. It expresses the people’s identity and character. The culture of a For a society or people to know their society or a nation is one thing that identity, they should know their roots or distinguishes it from the rest of the world. origin. It is important for them to know the The colorful and lively Philippine culture culture of the community or place where for example, makes its people, distinctly they come from. In the case of the Filipino. Culture is inextricable to specific Tinguians, they cannot claim that they are geographical location thus people of Tinguians if they are ignorant of the different communities or nations differ Tinguian culture. This is true to any because of their culture. Different cultural society or group of people. communities have their own distinctive ways of expressing their sense of self and

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Cultural heritage includes cultural Christianized, they still call themselves properties such as buildings, monuments, Itneg. artifacts, historic places, books, artworks, clothing and other objects with historical There are two ways by which the values. It includes intangible culture like Tinguians are classified. First is by social values, customs, traditions, geographical location: the mountain or practices, beliefs, artistic expressions and upland Tinguians, and the valley or languages. It also includes natural heritage lowland Tinguians. The second which are the biodiversity and geo- classification is by ethno-linguistic diversity of a community or place. These grouping where there are 11 groups: are shared by the people overtime and Inlaud, Adasen, Maeng, Masadiit, Banao, transmitted by various means through Binongan, Mabaka, Gabang, Balatok, generations. Belwang and Muyadan. Most of the valley Tinguians areInlaud. Some are Muyadan 1.1. Background of the Study andMaeng. Although they are all Tinguians, they may not understand each The culture of a people is very important. other using their own dialect. A Binongan It is their culture that shows their values, can scarcely understand a Maeng or beliefs and aspirations. It is their Masadiit. The same is true with an Inlaud connection to the past. To know oneself, to an Adasen. Most of them however, one must know his or her past. Knowing understand and can speak Ilocano, so when the past would make the present generation they communicate, they use Ilocano. Thus, proud of their race. For the future the linguafranca of the province is Ilocano. generations to be able to appreciate who they are it is necessary for them to know Although the Tinguians occupy 19 of the their origin. There should be a way for 27 towns of the province, they are the them to know their past and to continue minority. Their number is decreasing. The doing or observing the good practices of population of the Tinguians in the 1800s in their great-great grandparents. proportion to the total population of the province was about 80%; in the 1900s, it The Tinguians have a very rich culture. dropped to about 50%; and by 1948, it was However, studies show that many of their about 25%. They are being absorbed by customary and traditional practices are no the Ilocanos (Schmitz, 1964). Majority of longer observed or done. Their dialects are the population are the Ilocanos who being endangered because they are seldom migrated to Abra from nearby provinces or no longer spoken by the young such as Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, and Tinguians. How can this beautiful culture the Christianized Tinguians who have be saved? A culture is difficult if not become Ilocanos. Many of the Ilocano impossible to preserve if it is not done or towns today were Christianized Tinguian observed. It should be made a part of the settlements. The latest statistical data daily life of the people. How can this be available from the National Statistics done? How can this beautiful inheritance Authority however, shows that the from the past be maintained in the present population of the Tinguians in proportion and bestowed for the benefit of future to the total population of the province had generations? increased to 29% as of 2010.

1.1.a. The Tinguians Table 1. Population of the Tinguians, 2010

The natives of the province of Abra in the Ethno-linguistic Groups Population Philippines are the Tinguians who are also Adasen 8,047 called Itneg. The word Tinguian is derived Balatok 1,899 from the word “tingue” which the Banao 2,107 Spaniards referred to mountain dwellers. Binongan 4,912 Itneg means heathen or pagan. Although Inlaud/Illaud 898 the Tinguians have already been Mabaka 3,131 Maeng 13,993 Masadiit 8,559

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Ethno-linguistic Groups Population Cole in his book, The Tinguian. Social, Muyadan 3,357 Religious and Economic Life of a Other Tinguians 22,934 PhilippineTribe concluded that religion Total 69,837 plays an important role in the life of the Tinguians. They accept death with a belief in the afterlife. They believe in the good In 2010 the total population of the and bad anitos (spirits).Dr. Josef Schmitz, province was 234, 733. The Ilocano SVD in his book, The Abra Mission in population in the same year was 155,237 Northern Luzon, Philippines wrote: and the Tinguians were 69,837 while other groups like the Tagalog, Pangasinanse, etc. Their attitude and relation to the spirits were 9,659. In proportion to the total (anitos) is the basis of a religious populations, the Tinguians were 29.75%, disposition that fills their entire life or at an increase of 4.75% from the 25% in least influences it. All the customs that 1948; and in proportion to the Ilocanos, the are observed when a house is built, when Tinguians were 44.98%. The population of rice is planted or harvested, at a birth, a the Ilocanos in proportion to the total wedding, or at death, are supported and population of the province was 66.93%. nourished by religious powers. It can be said that the pagan cult of the Tinguians The lowland Tinguians have is dictated by a belief in spirits which is accommodated themselves very broadly handed on from generation to generation. with the Ilocanos. When they were compared to the Ilocanos, there was hardly The Tinguians who are one of the any difference in physical appearance that indigenous peoples in the Philippines can be noticed. They dressed like the have their own customs, traditions, Ilocanos. Their food They also have practices, beliefs, dialects or languages, intermarried with them but at the start music, songs and dances. These are most Ilocanos did not approve of the distinct from those of other Filipino marriage of their children to Tinguians, ethno-linguistic groups. Studies on the even when these belong to the propertied Tinguians however, show that many of clans. their cultural practices and traditions are no longer observed or done. Almost all When the Spanish colonizers came to Abra Tinguians are now Christians. Many of some of the natives did not want them. them have the wrong notion that the They withdrew into the hinterland. These rituals and cultural practices of their are now the mountain or upland Tinguians forefathers are paganish which are who are more conservative than the against Christianity. They do not realize lowland Tinguians. They opposed Spanish that culture and faith go together and rule and Christianity. They have preserved complement each other; and that culture their individuality with amazing fidelity is the root of Christianity, and that it (Schmitz, 1964). purifies culture. As pronounced by the Church, it is wrong for the missionaries The early Tinguians were regarded as to change the culture of the people whom “wild” tribes and head-hunters. Today, they have converted to Christianity. however, head-hunting had stopped. Christianity, education and the Very few, especially among the young institutionalization of government system Tinguians observe or perform their are the reasons why this practice among indigenous practices on birth such as the the mountain Tinguians ended. The gipas or sikki; on courtship and marriage Tinguians of today are known to be peace like the kalon, singlip, pakalon, loving people. tugtugaw or iyapdo; on death such as the inammaga, pinnayasyas, Even before the Tinguians embraced sinacsacopan, ing-ingalan- Christianity, they had their own religion. sinubsubalitan, pakpakada-palpalubos, Although some writers like A. Perez, were and many more. Very few can dance the of the opinion that the Tinguianscould not tadek or pallook, and sing speak of any religion. However, Fay C. thesalidummay, or do theuggayam.

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Today, there is only one dadaowacan or national cultural heritage is Republic Act allopaganin the entire province who No. 10066 which is the National Cultural performs the dawak or allopagthus this Heritage Act of 2009. The law provides ritual for curing the sick is now very that “in the pursuit of cultural seldom performed or done. Many of the preservation as a strategy of maintaining young Tinguians seldom or no longer Filipino identity it aims to: a) protect, speak their dialect. They often speak in preserve, conserve and promote the Ilocano and sometimes in Tagalog at nation’s cultural heritage, its property and home, in school or in their workplaces. histories, and the ethnicity of local The use of the Tinguian dialects is communities; b) establish and strengthen steadily declining. With the different cultural institutions; and c) protect changes in the environment like modern cultural workers and ensure their technology, physical changes in their professional development and well- communities, education and even being”. It also provides that “the state Christianity, the Tinguians have changed shall endeavor to create a balanced a lot. They are now very different if atmosphere where the historic past co- compared to the early Tinguians. Their exists in harmony with modern society; belief in the anitos and their religious that it shall approach the problem of rites are being forgotten. These are now conservation in an integrated and holistic becoming things of the past (Valera, manner, cutting across all relevant Inlaud, My Mother Tongue is being disciplines and technologies. It further Endangered). provides that the State administers the heritage resources in a spirit of 1.1b Preservation of Philippine Cultural stewardship for the inspiration and Heritage benefit of the present and future generations”. Government departments To preserve the cultural heritage of a and agencies are also mandated for the place or society, it is important to have preservation of the nation’s cultural the support of the government. The heritage. The Department of Education Philippines have several laws, statutes (DepEd) is mandated to formulate the and programs for the preservation, cultural heritage education programs both protection and conservation of the for local and overseas Filipinos. national cultural heritage. The Philippine Likewise, the Technical Education and Constitution of 1987 which is the Skills Development Authority (TESDA), fundamental law of the land provides that Commission on Higher Education “the State shall foster the preservation, (CHED), and DepEd are mandated to set enrichment and dynamic evolution of a forth in their teaching programs the Filipino national culture based on the following cultural heritage education principle of unity in diversity in a climate programs: a) protection, conservation and of free artistic and intellectual preservation of cultural heritage expression”. The government recognizes properties; b) instructional materials in that culture of a people makes them print, film and broadcast media on the distinct from all other people. It sees the cultural and historical significance of need for pursuing and developing cultural properties; and c)visitation, national identity through knowledge and public accessibility and information appreciation of the Filipino cultural dissemination on designated local cultural heritage. The State is likewise mandated properties. by the Constitution to conserve, develop, promote popularize and protect the Republic 7356 , the law that created the nation’s historical and cultural heritage. It National Commission for Culture and the further provides that the right of Arts, emphasized the role of language in indigenous cultural communities to the promotion and development of preserve and develop their culture and Philippine culture and the art. Section of institutions. the law makes the Filipino citizen responsible for the preservation of the Another law that was passed for the national historical heritage and its protection and conservation of the indigenous traditions. According to the

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law culture has three main elements. The Kindergarten or Grade one class These are: a) the ideas, beliefs, attitudes ideally is taught in the children’s Mother of the people as national community, Tongue. In schools where there are three which include their scientific knowledge or more Mother Tongues or variations of and beliefs; their religious beliefs; their the eight major languages namely, myth, legends, folk literature, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Cebuano, superstitions, riddles, proverbs and Tagalog, Pangasinanse, Bicolano, sayings, literature, philosophy and such Hiligaynon and Waray; and four others others; b) Their norms or ways of doing, which are: Tausog, Maguindanaoan, which include those as described by the Maranao and Chabacano without an Constitution; laws, rules and regulations, approved orthography spoken by the credo, customs, habits, rituals, learners, the Lingua Franca of the place is ceremonies, and modes; and c) The used as medium of instruction. If there is material, or natural resources, flora and an approved orthography of the Mother fauna, material wealth, infrastructures, Tongue, and learning resources have been technology, artifacts, works of art, and developed with trained teachers, the the like. schools are encouraged to use the desired Mother Tongue (Guidelines on the 1.1c Mother Tongue-Based Multi- Implementation of the Mother Tongue- Lingual Education Based Multi-Lingual Education, Enclosure to DepEd Order No. 16, s. The policy of the Philippine national 2012). government for the use of mother tongue in basic education helps in saving not Mother Tongue, as defined by UNESCO, only the different languages or dialects of is the language one has learned first; the different ethno-linguistic groups in identifies with or identified as a native the country but their cultural heritage as speaker of by others; knows best; and well. The Department of Education uses most. It is the language that a person issued Memorandum Order No. 74 which learned as a child at home which is provides for the institutionalization of spoken by the family, or whoever is Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual taking care of him or her. The first Education (MTB-MLE) in the language of the child is usually the Philippines. The program is implemented language of his or her mother. It is a in two modes: first, as learning or subject notion that the linguistic skills of a child area, and second, as medium of are honed by his or her mother who takes instruction. Mother Tongue as a subject care of him or her from birth until he or area focuses on the development of she can take care of himself or herself. In beginning reading and fluency from some East Asian countries, their mother Grades one to three. As medium of tongue is their native or ethnic language. instruction, the learners’ Mother Tongue In Singapore, their mother tongue is the is used in all domains or learning areas language of the ethnic group where they except Filipino and English subjects, belong while their first language is from Kindergarten through Grade three.It English which is the nation’s lingua aims to develop the following areas: a. franca. Language development which establishes a strong education for success in school A child who grows up in a home where the and for lifelong learning; b. cognitive father and mother speak their own development which focuses on Higher different languages may have two mother Order Thinking Skills (HOTS); c. tongues. The same is true in communities academic development which prepares where they have their own ethnic language the learner to acquire mastery of but use another as official language. Bi- competencies in each of the learning lingual or multi-lingual places may have areas; and d. socio-cultural awareness more than one mother tongue. which enhances the pride of the learner’s heritage, language and culture. 1.1d Statement of the Problem

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The Mother Tongued-Based Multi-Lingual also concluded that the program is Education program of the Department of necessary for the development and Education does not only aim for the revitalization of languages and for quality learner’s language, cognitive and academic education especially of the minorities development but it also aims to develop (Panda and Mohanty. Mother Tongue socio-cultural awareness which enhances Based Multilingual Education the pride of the learner’s heritage, Framework, Strategies and language and culture. With the Mother Implementation). Tongue of the pupil used as medium of instruction, and as a subject, the program The MTB-MLE project that was done in can be a tool for the preservation of Southern Thailand using the local cultural heritage. The program has been language alongside Thai in primary piloted in elementary schools located in schools had the following results: there Tinguian communities. was a decrease in the number of absentee- pupils; there was greater This study aimed to determine how the parental involvement in school activities; program helps in the preservation of the and test scores of the learners average at Tinguian cultural heritage. The researchers least 40 percent higher than pupils in were guided with the following questions: other schools who were taught only in Thai. Significantly, the boys who were 1. What is the Mother Tongue or first under the program were 123 percent more language of the learners in the likely to pass the Thai language selected Tinguian schools? examination, and the girls were 155 2. What is the medium of instruction percent more likely to achieve passing used in the selected Tinguian grade in Math ( schools? http://www.bangkokpost.com/.../280767/t 3. What are the learning resources he-importance-of-a mother-tongue). available for the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multi In the Philippines, several projects on the Education program? MTB-MLE have been implemented: A 4. What trainings on MTB-MLE have pilot project called the Lubuagan First the teachers in the selected Language Component Multi-Lingual Tinguian schools participated in or Education was initiated through a attended? partnership of educators from the 5. What is the effect of the program Lubuagan community, the local on the preservation of the Tinguian government unit, the Department of cultural heritage? Education and the Summer Institute of 6. What are the problems encountered Linguistics, Inc. in 1998. Lubuagan is a by the teachers in the selected town of Kalinga. It is a monolingual and Tinguian schools in the almost homogenous community. implementation of MTB-MLE? Businessmen who come from other places but do business in the place use the 2. Related Programs and ethnic language of Lubuagan which is the Projects Lilubuagen. The people of Lubuagan who are called Lubuagen know how to speak The two states in India which are Andhra Ilocano which is the regional language of Pradesh and Orissa implemented the wider communication, but only when Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual they travel outside their place. Education on a pilot basis for tribal Lilubuagen is the first language of the children. Andhra Pradesh started the Lubuagen child and the only language program with eight tribal mother tongues that he or she speaks until he or she while Orissa started with ten. Through begins to go to school where he or starts these pilot studies they have seen that learning the languages of education MTB-MLE is a critical input for the which are Filipino and English. reduction of the number of school dropouts. It also increased the learning The program promoted the use of attainment levels of the children. They Lilubuagen. This complemented the

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ongoing education in Filipino and in all their other subject areas than the English which are the two major pupils who did not start learning using languages of education as required under their first language (Llaneta, 2010). the Bilingual Education Policy of the government. Grades one to three pupils The experience of Tarik Solaiman of Lubuagan public schools were taught Elementary School, a public school their subjects in Lilubuagen. They were located at Barangay Sagrada Familia in also taught the same subjects using Masantol, Pampanga, of using the Filipino and English. The project was language of the village which is very successful. There was high level of Kapampangan, in teaching the children, participation among the pupils. They was the same with the other schools that outperformed pupils from all other implemented the MTB-MLE. For the schools in the province by up to 30 principal of the school, teaching in percent for both Filipino and English in Kapampangan has been the best policy the 2006 National Achievement Test for (Garbes, 2012). Third Grade Reading. In 2007, they also had the best performancein all The study entitled “Double Exposure in subjectswhich include Math, English and Mathematics: A Glimpse of Mother- Filipino. Many parents were afraid their Tongue First” that was conducted by children would not learn English with the DepEd Region IV-B has validated the use of their mother tongue in their fundamental observation that top classes. They were proven wrong when performing countries in the Trends in their children learned faster and better by International Mathematics and Science using their own language. Grade one Studies are those that teach and test pupils who were taught in their mother students in Science and Math in their own tongue could read quickly and fluently language. . and have better comprehension than those (principal.blogspot.com/2011/01/multilin who were taught to read only in Filipino gual-education.html). and English. 3. Research Methodology Other programs and projects on the MTB-MLE were the First Language The study is a qualitative research that Component-Bridging Program that was made used of an interview guide to gather implemented in Ifugao Province in 1986- data from the teachers, and officials of 1993, and the Culture Responsive the selected public schools in Tinguian Curriculum for Indigenous People-Third communities where the Mother Tongue- Elementary Education Project in 2003- Based Multi-Lingual Education program 2007, the Iloilo Experiments in 1948- of the Department of Education was 1954 and 1961-1964, the Rizal piloted. The data gathered through the Experiment in 1960-1966 and the Lingua interview were complemented by the Franca Project in 1999 to 2001. All of observations of the researchers when they these programs projects show that when visited the schools. The conduct of the the language used and understood by the study was made easier because both learners is used in teaching them, they researchers are from the province of Abra can learn to read with understanding and because one of them is very familiar within the first few years of their with the culture of Tinguians and could schooling; they learn better in Math and speak very well one of the Tinguian Science; and their cognitive skills are dialects which is Inlaud and could speak improved. There are no dull moments in and understand the other Tinguian the classroom because the children dialects, she being a Tinguian by blood participate more actively. They could and was born and grew up in her express themselves easier and better. In hometown which is a Tinguian addition, the pupils who have learned to community. read and write in their Mother Tongue, learned to speak, read and write easily There were eight public schools in and quickly in their second and third Tinguian communities in Abra where the languages. They are also more competent

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program was piloted. The study covered they talk with their teachers in school. four of the eight schools. Two schools are Outside the school, sometimes they talk located in Inlaud communities; one in a to them in the dialect. Binongan place; and another in an Adasen village. 4.2 What is the medium of instruction used in the selected Tinguian 4. Result and Discussion schools?

4.1 What is the first language of the In all the schools covered by the study, learners in the selected Tinguian generally the medium of instruction is schools? Ilocano, the lingua franca of the province of Abra In the second model of the use of Most of the pupils in the Inlaud schools the Mother Tongue as medium of speak Ilocano. The Inlaud are valley instruction, as provided in the program, it Tinguians. The ealrly Inlaud were very is the lingua franca that is used as much like the Ilocanos in physical medium of instruction if there three or appearance and the way they dressed. more Mother Tongues spoken by the The same is very much true today. It is pupils without an approved orthography. difficult to distinguish now an Inlaud In the Inlaud schools however, there are from an Ilocano except in their dialect. two Mother Tongues of the pupils which Among the Tinguians they were the first are Ilocano and Inlaud. Some of the to be baptized to Christianity. They lived teachers sometimes use the dialect of the and even at present their communities are place in some of the subjects like near those of the Ilocanos. These may be Makabayan or Social Studies and in some of the reasons why the pupils in the Math. The teachers said that it is difficult Inlaud schools speak Ilocano. In addition, to use the dialect when they teach some of them have Ilocano parent, either Science because they are afraid they the father or mother is Ilocano. might not be saying the correct Intermarriage between Tinguians and translation in the dialect of the scientific Ilocanos is another reason for the terms. All of the teachers are from the Tinguians being “Ilocanized”. Many of place where they are teaching and can the Inlaud pupils can understand Inlaud speak the dialect except one who is an but few can speak it. When the Inlaud Ilocano and can not speak but understand researcher talked to them, and tried to the dialect Inlaud. question them many of them talked or answered in Ilocano. It was observed that 4.3 What are the learning resources they spoke Ilocano with their classmates used by the teachers for the inside and outside the classroom. implementation of the Mother According to the teacher-respondents, Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual many of the parents of the children also Education program? speak Ilocano in their homes. It is their grandparents who speak Inlaud. The teachers in all the four schools do not have books or reading material written in In the Binongan and Adasen schools the dialect. There is no orthography of the almost all of the pupils speak the native three dialects. It is the Ilocano language language of the place. They also speak which is used as medium of instruction Ilocano but unlike the Inlaud children, that has orthography. There are Ilocano they only speak Ilocano when somebody books and reading materials that are used talks to them in Ilocano. The Binongan by the teachers. They also have story pupils talk to their classmates in books in Ilocano. The teachers who use Binongan, The same is true with the the dialect of the place when they teach, Adasen pupils. At home, most of them which is very seldom, translate in the use their community dialect except few of dialect the topics or lessons they take them whose mother or father is not a from books or learning material which native of or from the place. Most of the are written in English, Filipino or time however, they use Ilocano when Ilocano. One teacher tells stories that her

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grandmother used to tell her when she where it was piloted like the Lubuagan was a little girl, to her pupils. These are Experience where the teachers Aponibolinayen, the Story of Kanag, the incorporated oral literature, local history, Story of Dumalawi, How the Tinguian local arts, crafts and music in the Learned to Plant, Sogsogot, and curriculum to support the learners’ home Dogedog. These Tinguian stories are culture then the preservation of the featured in the book of Mabel Cook Cole Tinguian culture is assured. The use of titled “Philippine Folk Tales. the Mother Tongue in school helps in the preservation of the language or dialects 4.4 What trainings on MTB-MLE especially in the Tinguian places where have the teachers participated in most of the young no longer speak or use or attended? their forefathers’ dialect or language.

There were several In-Service trainings 4.6 What are the problems on the MTB-MLE conducted in the encountered by the teachers in division and in the region that the the implementation of the teachers have participated in. There were MTB-MLE program? also some of them who have attended national seminar-workshops on the At first, the teachers did not know what MTB-MLE program. They were one in dialect or language to use as medium of saying however, that they have no instruction. They were confused as to trainings yet on the program where what language to use, whether the dialect specifically the Tinguian dialects of Abra of the place or Ilocano. In the Inlaud were considered and discussed as the schools most of the teachers first tried to Mother Tongue used in the use Inlaud as medium of instruction but implementation of the program. they stopped and switched to Ilocano when most of the pupils did not 4.5 What are the contributions of the participate in class, and got low grades in MTB-MLE for the preservation their examinations. of the Tinguian cultural heritage? The lack of references and instructional materials was the main problem As of the present there is very little encountered by the teachers. In the contribution of the MTB-MLE program Binongan and Adasen schools.The for the preservation of the cultural community dialect is the mother tongue heritage of the Tinguian.. There were 12 of almost all of the pupils of the school languages considered by DepEd in its but the lack of learning materials in the MTB-MLE implementation, one of dialect made the teachers use Ilocano. which is Iloko or Ilocano. There were Ilocano books and other reading material also seven dialects that were added to the are available because there are many 12 major languages but not one of the 11 Ilocano schools in the country especially Tinguian dialects is among them. There in its northern part. Besides, in the 1950s are however 11 schools in the Division of to the 1960s the Ilocano language was Abra, eight of which are located in used in schools in the province of Abra as Tinguian communities, where the MTB- medium of instruction. When one of the MLE program has been piloted. researchers of this study was in the elementary grades, in an Inlaud The creation of awareness among the community, the medium of instruction officers, teachers, parents and pupils in then in Grades one and two was Ilocano. the eight Tinguian schools of the The books and other reading materials importance of the Mother Tongue is yet used were also in Ilocano. Using Ilocano perhaps the best contribution of the as medium of instruction was easier for program as far as the Tinguians are the teachers because of the availability of concern. If the program is implemented Ilocano teaching materials. in the different Tinguian schools replicating the experiences of the schools 5. Conclusions

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6. Recommendations Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: It is hereby recommended that there a. The Mother Tongue or language should be more trainings of the teachers spoken and knows best by the on the MTB-MLE to build their capacity Inlaud children is Ilocano, while to design and use native language those of the Binongan and Adasen materials and graded stories such as the schools are the dialects of their development and production of Tinguian community- Binongan and Adasen; alphabet primers and books. Teachers b. The medium of instruction in the who belong to the community, knows the selected Tinguian schools is culture of the people of the place and Ilocano, the language most of the speaks the mother tongue of the pupils pupils speak and where there are should be assigned to teach for the available learning and teaching implementation of the program. materials; Orthography of the mother tongue of the c. The learning resources available for learners :should be established by experts the MTB-MLE program are of the language.. Learning materials on original, culturally relevant, and the mother tongue that are original, reflective of realities in Ilocano culturally relevant, and reflective of local communities, which are written or realities should be developed and expressed in Ilocano; produced. There should be active d. All of the teachers in the Tinguian participation of the local government schools where the MTB-MLE official, residents of the localities, parents program was piloted had and pupils in the implementation of the participated in or attended several program. In Tinguian places where the trainings on the Mother tongue first language of the children is not the Based-Multi Lingual Education but native language or dialect, it should be they feel that these were not enough used or taught as second language. for them to be ready for the 7. References implementation of the program. They lack trainings using the dialect of the community and felt that they [1] Cole, Fay Cooper, The Tinguian: were not really ready to implement Social, Religious, and Economic it; Life of a Philippine Tribe, Chicago: e. Making the people in the Field Museum of National History, community aware of the importance 1922. of the use of the mother tongue is the best contribution of the program. [2] DepEd Order Number 16. S. 2012, Full implementation of the MTB- The Institutionalization of Mother MLE in accordance to the plan of Tongue-Based Multi Lingual DepEd perhaps is needed to be able Education. Flores, Gilbert, M., to attain its objectives, one of which Rationale of Mother Tongue-Based is the preservation of cultural Multi-Lingual Education, heritage;and school.principal.blogspot.com/2011/ f. The lack of learning materials in the 01/multilingual-education.html Tinguian dialects was the biggest (Retrieved on December 14, 20154). problem encountered by teachers in the implementation of MTB-MLE. [3] Guidelines on the Implementation Another was their lack of training of the Mother Tongue-Based Multi- on the use of the native dialect of Lingual Education, Enclosure to the community. They also had the DepEd Order No. 16, s. 2012. dilemma of what dialect to use, whether the dialect of the [4] Llaneta, Celeste Ann, Castillo, The community or the one spoken by the Language of Learning: Mother pupils. Tongue-based Multilingual Education in the Philippines, The

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Forum, Volume II, Issue 2, March- April 2010.

[5] Pado, Felicitas, E., The Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education in the K to 12 Program.

[6] Ceap.org.ph/upload/download/20136 /417420447_1.pdf. (Retrieved on 14, 2014).

[7] Panda, Minati and Mohanty, Ajit, Mother Tongue Based- Multi- Lingual Education: Framework, Strategies and Implementation

[8] (Concept Note for an International Meet and Strategy Dialogue). Republic Act Number 7356, An Act Creating the National Commission of Culture and the Arts.

[9] Republic Act Number 10066, The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. Schmitz, SVD, Josef, The Abra Mission in Northern Luzon, Philippines 1598-1955, Cebu City: San Carlos Publication, 1964. The Importance of the Mother Tongue, http://www.bangkokpost.com/.../280 767/the-importance-of-a mother- tongue (Retrived on December 14, 2014).

[10] The Philippine Constitution of 1987, Article XIV, Sections 14-18.