Angeles Tourism Office discourages the use of Kapampangan

In a battle of the bands sponsored by the Angeles City Tourism Office (ACTO), the rule makers required the Grand Finalists to make and play an original jingle which can be used by the said office as Tourism theme (aside from the other song, which is supposed to be a San Miguel Beer jingle).

The rule they strictly enforced regarding language in the Angeles tourism theme song is that only English, Tagalog, and a pidgin of the two ('Taglish') are allowed.

When I asked them via phone, "Kapampangan is not allowed?"

"No."

Why?

"That's our rule."

If you ask the ACTO people now that the issue is becoming highlighted, they would say that the prohibition of Kapampangan jingles for Angeles tourism is because of the San Miguel sponsorship -- something which I find very unbelievable because:

1) The event is also by ACTO, not only by San Miguel. SMB The Battle of the Bands usually requires the finalists to perform one original composition, one SMB jingle, and one remake. But this year, probably due to ACTO, the remake was replaced with an Angeles Tourism jingle.

2) It's the Angeles Tourism jingle; what does San Miguel Beer care about that (unless they're too imperialistically pesky)?

3) That's not the reason ACTO initially gave me when I asked them on telephone. They just said blankly that it's their rule. Not SMB's, but their rule.

When I informed them about the Kapampangan tourism jingle of Pampanga ('Malaus Ka Pampanga') and the Tagalog-Kapampangan jingle of San Fernando City ('San Fernando, Kaluguran Da Ka'), they just said, "Ours is different."

Yeah, theirs is an imperialized type, no trace of love for Kapampangan.

The issue here is not about the presence of Tagalog and English. But the questionable and heart-grinding fact is that they prohibited the use of Kapampangan in the Kuliat jingle. It is sad because I have musician friends who could have spurred out Kapampangan songs, titles such as "Indung Kapampangan (Mother Kapampangan)," "Tumaila Ding Angeles (Angels' Lullaby)," and "Tagulele Para King Kuliat (Serenade For Kuliat)." But no, they had to be in English and/or Tagalog.

So once again, Kapampangan has been treated a stranger in its own land. And the agent of this is none other than ACTO. Great job.

Should you want to give them a call: (045) 322 0507. Pamela "Pie" Flores is the Chairperson.

[*Kuliat is the former name of Angeles. It's a tree/plant.]

List of Gawad Komisyon 2007 Winners

TAGALOG

Salese

Mumunang Galal
“Noon Pa Man, Nandyan Na Ano’t Inietsa – Pwera: Ang Maraming Wika ng Pilipinas”
REUEL M. AGUILA

Kaduang Galal
“Tungo sa Pag-awit ng Inadung”
EDGAR C. SAMAR

Katlung Galal
“Paghuli sa Sigbin Pagsan (g) at’t Pagka (i) sa Tungo sa
Pambansang Panitikan”
WINTON LOU C. YNION

Karangalang Banggit
“Maraming Wika, Matatag na Bansa: Ang “Laum” at “Sanyara” ng Wikang Pambansa ay “Uswag” ng mga wika sa Pilipinas”
LEODIVICO C. LACSAMANA

“Maraming Wika, Matatag na Bansa: Pagbagtas sa
Landas Tungon sa Pambansang Kaligtasan”
REYNALDO C. DUQUE

“Ang Bakas ng Dawas sa mga Wika ng Pilipinas; Pagbubuo ng Pambansang Karanasan at Identidad”
EROS S. ATALIA

Makuyad a Salitang Pang-anak

Mumunang Galal
“Pinaltok ni Onyok”
FRANCISCO A. MONTESEÑA

Kaduang Galal
“Apong Pitong”
REYNALDO BIENVENIDO R. DUQUE

Katlung Galal
“Sa Daigdig ng Huni, Ugong at Tunog”
PATROCINIO V. VILLAFUERTE

Karangalang Banggit
“Ang Lihim sa Loob ng mga Pader”
EUGENE Y. EVASCO

“E, Di Baboy (Sikreto ng Pagkaha-habang Buhay ng Tatlong Lelang”
LUIS P. GATMAITAN

“Ang Alamat ni Nanay”
VICTOR R. FUMAR

HILIGAYNON

Makuyad a Salita
Mumunang Galal
“May Isa Ka Babayi”
WINTON LOU G. YNION

Kaduang Galal
“Bulag”
MARY ROSE ADELLE G. FACIFICAR

Katlung Galal
“Ang Pagpatay sang Uhaw kag Gutom, Big Time!”
GENEVIEVE LAMPASA ASENJO

Karangalang Banggit
“Damman”
NERIO ESTAÑOL JEDELIZ, Jr.

“Sa Bag-ong Paraisa”
PERRY CONANAN MANGILAYA

“Kun Diin Pa Magmal-am”
SAM “Fernan” RAMOS

Kauatasan

Mumunang Galal
“Nagapulaw nga Tanhaga ang Dagat”
WINTON LOU G. YNION

Kaduang Galal
“Ang Kamingaw sang Dila kag Iban pa nga Binalaybay”
GENEVIEVE LAMPASA ASENJO

Katlung Galal
“May Hilo Gali ang mga Tinaga Kag Iban pa nga Binalaybay”
DAX GENESIA DEQUITO

Karangalang Banggit
“Kulang sa Bagay ang Gitara kag Iban pa nga mga Dilambong”
RODELYN CAPULOT PACCIAL

“Relasyon (Koleksyon ding kauatasan ning Hiligaynon)”
ERWIN SORONGON SUSTENTO

“Bakunawa kag iban pa nga Binalaybay”
ALAIN RUSS DIMZON

SUGBUANONG-BINISAYA

Kauatasan

Mumunang Galal
“Ang Berdeng Bayonilista Ug Ubang Balak”
ESTER TAPIA

Kaduang Galal
“Witik-witik sa Hangin Ug Ubang Balak”
MERLE N. ALUNAN

Katlung Galal
“Paglamat Ug Uban Pang Kalisanmg sa Kahilom Ug Ubang Balak”
RICHEL G. DOROTAN

Karangalang Banggit
“Pagpamilig Bato Ug Uban Pang Balak
ELEAZAR T. ACAMPADO

“Lusok sa Dag-om”
NOEL P. TUAZON

“Guinsaugon Ug Ubang Mga Balak Nga May
Kalabotan sa Dakong Tahedya”
GERARDO B. VESTAL

Makuyad a Salita

Mumunang Galal
“Hinog sa Panahon”
OLIVER P. FLORES

Kaduang Galal
“Butikol”
REY ARANETA

Pangatlong Gantimpala
“Kasingkasing sa Anak ng Dagat”
ELEAZAR T. ACAMPADO

Karangalang Banggit
“Santinaryo”
TRANQUILINO UDARBE

“Balik sa Sabakan sa Silangan”
MELCHOR YBURAN

“Balay Daplin sa Baybayon”
MARIA VICTORIA J. BELTRAN

KAPAMPANGAN

Kauatasan

Mumunang Galal
“Bulung at aliua pang Kauatasan”
ANTONIO M. PENA

Kaduang Galal
“Diwang Maniambitan at aliua pang Kauatasan”
RAFAEL MANIAGO

Katlung Galal
“Ing Pamiakit Ming Miyindu”
JASON PAUL C. LAXAMANA

Karangalang Banggit
“Kausukan Malda at aliua pang Kauatasan”
JASPE C. DULA

“Aldo Busal ning Kabengian at aliua pang Kauatasan”
FRANCISCO M. GUINTO

“Ding Bayung Maulaga Kekami”
HERNANDO T. SABANDAL

ILOCANO

Kauatasan

Mumunang Galal
“Epistolario ng Exilo”
AURELIO S. AGCAOILI

Kaduang Galal
“Kallautang DAgiti Bayunggudaw a Dapan”
DANIEL L. NESPEROS

Katlung Galal
“Daggiti Anak ti Ulimek”
PRUDENCIO G. PADIOS

Karangalan-Banggit
“Inka Makigubat, Ilokano”
FERNANDO B. SANCHEZ

“Dallang ni Seneka”
BENJAMIN P. PACRIS

“Pito nga Alimbasag”
JOHMAR R. ALVAREZ

Makuyad a Salita

Mumunang Galal
“Gugol”
AILEEN R. RAMBAUD

Kaduang Galal
“Dagiti Tirtiris a Papel”
CRISOSTOMO M. ILUSTRE

Katlung Galal
“Bagnos”
DANILO B. ANTALAN

Karangalang Banggit
“Ubog ti Kired”
NOLI S. DUMLAO

“Entablado”
REYNALDO DUQUE

”Arturo Pasa”
JOVITO F. AMORIN

SAMAR-LEYTE (WARAY)

Kauatasan

Mumunang Galal
“An Maupay ha mga Waray ng iba pa nga siday”
VOLTAIRE Q. OYZON

Kaduang Galal
“Siyam nga Siday Samarnon (9 Titles)”
OSMUNDO ORLANES

Katlung Galal
“Pamasyada Ha Cebu”
DOMINADOR PAGLIAWAN

Karangalang Banggit
“Mga Siday”
HERMIGILDO SANCHEZ

“Mga Pangandoy ha Payag”
JOSE HERMOSURA

9 Titles
NEMESIO BALDESCO

MERANAO

Mumunang Galal
10 Titles
ABDULFATAH C. DECA

Kaduang Galal
8 Titles
CAMILO M. BANGCOLA

Katlung Galal
7 Titles
FAISAH M. DISINDILUN

Right to be educated in native language

"Our children have the inherent right to be educated in their home language." - Dr. Nolasco, chairman, National Language Commission

Continuation of Dr. Nolasco's essay on languages: The best way to put down any language is by preventing it from being used in the educational system. Children bring their home and community's language to school, only to have the bilingual system extinguish them.

The favorite formula is to impose fines or punish students for speaking their home language. It is in school where our children come to know that their language is not important and therefore cannot be reproduced. Only the nationally prescribed languages and the knowledge encoded in them matter.

The usual reasons against using the home languages in school are that it allegedly promotes disunity and that it is impractical because we have so many "dialects". Disunity results when there is no respect for each other's cultures and languages.

We can learn a thing or two from Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse country in the world with more than 800 languages. But this did not deter that nation from developing literacy materials in a third of its languages toeducate its people. If they can do it, why can't we?

What indeed should be done to correct this iniquitous situation?A first and crucial step is to change our attitudes towards our languages. Let us look at our local languages not as liabilities but as resources which we can harness to educate society and improve lives. We need a national language much as we need our local languages and the languages of wider communication (i.e. English, Spanish).

Through these languages, we gain a local identity, a national identity and a global identity. They help us to think globally, and act locally. The indigenous knowledge systems stored in the local languages also complement our knowledge of Western science and technology.

his integrated knowledge ensures that any development resulting from it will be sustainable and friendly to the ecosystem. Our children have the inherent right to be educated in their home language. The home languages and local cultures have been found to be enabling factors to learning in the content areas. They also serve as twoway bridges to learning other languages.

A learner gains self-respect when his experiences and the language in which they are expressed are acknowledged. The child can then build from this knowledge, add new concepts and learn more remote and abstract ideas. At the same time, our people should be given the opportunity to learn the national language and the other languages of wider communication like English. They should be allowed to explore into the exciting opportunities that the national and global economy has to offer.

Linguistic diversity does not mean that indigenous cultures must remain unchanged. By valuing their first and second languages, our people regains control of their environment and their inalienable right to exist.

Kapampangan bands to begin recording next week

The Holy Angel University Center for Kapampangan Studies and Kalalangan Kamaru are producing RocKapampangan, an album of 17 Kapampangan rock/alternative songs by 17 Kapampangan bands.


The project is being pursued to empower the Kapampangan language by bringing it to the world of modern music, which the young generation can listen to and which the radio stations in the balen could play without perceiving Kapampangan music as "folk."

Next week, two bands are set to record their songs. They are Neophytes (to do the Japanese period guerilla song Katatagan King Pamakilaban [Strength in Resistance]) and Silence (to do Indung Balayan [Mother Land]).

The following videos are their footages of their rehearsals:

rocKapampangan
Musikang Kapampangan Para karing Kapampangan King amanung Kapampangan!

San Fernando lanterns on the way to Austria

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The lanterns of this city onceagain are in an international expedition. After wowing Filipino and foreign communities in SanFrancisco, California, the “Parul Sampernandu” is nowon its way to Vienna, Austria. The San Fernando City Government, through theinitiative of Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, is donating 50San Fernando lanterns to the Philippine Embassy inVienna.

These lanterns will decorate one of the 11trees in the Rathausplatz in the Christkindlmarktgrounds, one of the biggest and most popular Christmasmarkets in Europe. The Vienna Christkindlmarkt runs for six weeks fromthe third weekend of November to Christmas Day. It attracts an estimated three million tourists fromAustria and neighboring countries.

The 50 lanterns donated by the City of San Fernandotogether with another 70 San Fernando manufacturedlanterns are now on the way to Vienna Austria via seafreight. The lanterns are expected to arrive in Vienna on thelast week of October.

This project hopes to promote Philippine culture andto acquaint European visitors with the ingenuity ofPhilippine lanterns, possibly leading to marketopportunities for Philippine exporters.

The Philippine Christmas Tree at the Vienna Christkindlmarkt featuring Pampanga lanterns project was undertaken by the City of San Fernando to promote the lanterns as part of the One Town One Product program and to exhibit good camaraderie towards thePhilippine Embassy in Vienna headed by Ambassador Linglingay Lacanlale, the City of Vienna and Kreitnerand the Filipino community in Austria.

During the incumbency of former Pampanga governor Bren Guaio and largely through the efforts of then tourism secretary Mina Gabor, the San Fernando lantern hadsome exposure in the US and Spain.