By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
Watson Building, MALACANANG COMPLEX — On her first day in office, newly-appointed Chairperson of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) Atty. Marites A. Barrios-Taran on Monday (Aug. 11) set a new direction for the Commission.
Chairperson Taran said that in her leadership, together with the Commissioners and employees, they will succeed over the challenges confronting the KWF.
“We shall all face very strongly all the challenges that we face,” Taran said.
For her part, Commissioner Carmelita C. Abdurahman cited Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Karlo Sotto who said that serve and love first the Lord before service to people.
Abdurahman noted that only God knows what’s the future ahead.
She cited Chairperson Taran who earlier called for unity in order to perform their mandate.
Taran asked the members of the media to help the KWF for the dissemination of news and information and propagation of the Filipino Language.
She expressed the hope that the Filipino Language will not only be remembered every month of August.
Taran vowed a decent and honest service to the Filipino people.
She never had any issue on corruption as she is fighting against cirruption and in any wrong-doing.
Taran had been assigned in top level positions and she respects all the people with whom she had worked with.
She serves at the pleasure of the President as well as the pleasure of the Commissioners.
Her first job pursuant to the order of the President to “clean her own backyard” and the mission and vision for the new direction of the Commission.
The Salin Wika is the translation of the Language. Saliksik Wika is the intensification of the search for all Languages and the Sagip Wika is the establishment of Language House or Bahay Wika, especially in the far-flung areas.
She also cited the challenges of the social media, but not discouraging the use of English.
Nobody will love and propagate the Filipino Language, but the Filipinos themselves.
English is one of the official languages of the Philippines and it is enshrined in the Constitution, but there’s nothing wrong or bad in speaking Filipino.
Abdurrahman reminded the rank-and-file of the KWF to serve and love the Lord first and then serve the Filipino people with all their heart and might.
Commissioner Benjamin M. Mendillo, Jr. greeted the new KWF Chairperson Atty. Taran.
Mendillo said “We assume regularity in the appointing authority.”
He cited that several personalities have endorsed the appointment of Atty. Taran to President Ferdinand R Marcos, Jr.
Atty. Taran had been the Director General of the KWF before she was appointed as KWF Chairperson as she was formerly in charge of the day-to-day operations of the KWF.
“During this Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, we will not be affected by the ‘bashers’ of an employee on the first day of her new appointment,” Mendillo said.
“If there’s a wrongful order, it should not be followed,” he added.
Mendillo stressed that there are also employees of the KWF who responded and acted according to what is lawful.
He pointed out that previously not a single KWF Commissioner knows the budget, projects and programs of the Commission.
Mendillo still believes “Let’s bring back what is legal and within the bounds of the law in the KWF.”
He scored that even the Araw ng Panitikan, Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, Araw ni Francisco Balagtas have previously just become “wish-wish”, as well as E.O. 335.
“Our mandate is the people,” Mendillo said.
RA 11106, otherwise known as the “Filipino Language Law”, which was abandoned by the former KWF Chairperson Art Casanova for one year, will be fully implemented by the new KWF Chairperson.
Atty. Taran was the former City Legal Officer of the City of Manila, former President of JICA Philippines, and Co-Convenor of Buhay Party-list. ###
