English is our national language

Section 7, Article XIV, of the 1987 Constitution provides that “For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English. The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein.”

For all intents and purposes, English is our more predominant national language in (a) the three branches of government, (b) public and private schools as medium of instruction (MOI) in accordance with Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Exec. Order 210 of 2003 as implemented by DepEd Order No. 36, and (c) the other non-Tagalog speaking regions of the country. (Well, the regional languages have been essentially dropped or ignored as auxiliary media of instruction, period.)  Even some of the proponents of Filipino as the national language seem to have a comfortable preference expressing themselves in English; can’t blame them for using this de facto global language to convince the rest of us who are not Tagalogs  to communicate in Tagalog, er, Filipino.