TEACHER Vanessa is still teaching her kindergarten students at Don Manuel Gutierrez Elementary School in Davao City in the mother tongue, or Bisaya dialect.
According to her, the students understand her lessons better than when using Tagalog or English.
She also revealed that she has mixed views on Republic Act 12027 or an Act Discontinuing the Use of Mother Tongue as Medium of Instruction in Kindergarten up to Grade 3.
"Hindi ko masasabi na pabor ako dito kasi as a kindergarten teacher, based on my experience po ang mga bata ay madaling matuto kung ibabase natin sa unang lingwahe nila which is the mother tongue o bisaya po (I cannot say that I am in favor of the law because as a kindergarten teacher, based on my experience, my students easily grasp the lesson if we use the mother tongue or Bisaya)," Teacher Vanessa narrated.
She, however, added that if the law is implemented, she would accept it but there will definitely be changes.
"Ang hirap kasi mag-adjust kasi maliliit pa yung mga bata namin, dadaan po talaga kami sa transition o adjustment period (It very hard to adjust because our students are very young, so we have to undergo a transition or adjustment period)," she said.
Meanwhile, Grade 2 teacher Emaluz Saniel says she is in favor of the law as long as the central office can provide resources for teaching aids and guides, which as of present are in Bisaya, so that they will not have a hard time adjusting to the new medium of instruction.
"Kasi sa ngayon we are using the modules as our resources tsaka yung mga guides in Bisaya o mother tongue," Saniel said.
Parents also have mixed reactions to the new law.
Margie Ungab, a mother of a grade school student, said she is in favor of discontinuing the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in school since at home they are always using the mother tongue.
"Kay sa balay pa lang daan atong inistoryahan Bisaya na so dapat diri sa eskwelahan ang atong inistoryahan Tagalog o English na, inig abot sa balay kabalo na sila mo basa ba ron og english o tagalog (Because at home we already talk in Bisaya, so here at school we should speak in Tagalog or Bisaya. When the students arrive home they would learn to read English or Tagalog), Ungab said.
But for Verliza Pioquinto, also a parent of a grade school student, she is not in favor of discontinuing the mother tongue as medium for instruction.
"Kay Bisaya naman ang naandan sa akong anak, specially kinder pa, dili siya kasabot og Tagalog ug English (Because my child is accustomed to Bisaya language, especially since he is still in kinder, he doesn't understand Tagalog or English)," Pioquinto said.
Department of Education-Davao Regional Director Allan Farnazo explained that teachers can still use mother tongue as medium of instruction at school.
"Actually ang pagsasabi ay doon sa Republic Act ay hindi naman exactly na tanggal, hindi magagamit, ngunit auxiliary language lang siya. Ibig sabihin ng auxiliary language parang transition na kung ang mga bata ay handa na para na matuto using English, using Tagalog, Filipino, proceed na. But for childen who are not speakers of English and Filipino, then the mother tongue becomes the transition language. Contributed by Janice D. Montalvo ,EdD, Don Manuel H. Gutierrez Sr. Elementary School, Matina District Division of Davao City. Contributed story
