Manny Faelnar (ADB 1970–1995) writes that he continues to pursue his long-standing interest in education. He is working with the DILA Philippines Foundation, Inc. DILA stands for “Defenders of Indigenous Languages of the Archipelago.” The word dila means "tongue" in Pilipino. DILA advocates that education should be done in the mother tongue, with other languages taught from that language. The logic is that learners learn best through the language they speak at home. In the Philippines, this would mean that Cebuanos would learn Tagalog and English through being taught in Cebuano.
Manny represents DILA in the Multi-Language Education Forum, where he also uses his lawyer skills to assist with interpreting constitutional requirements and compliance with portions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Manny’s work, which is pro bono, has kept him traveling. He is currently co-convenor for Language and Culture, Solidarity Movement International; vice president, DILA Philippines Foundation; director, Lubas sa Dagang Bisaya; and a member of the Philippine Linguistic Society.
Manny presented his new paper, “The Impact of Government Policies on the Indigenous Languages of the Philippines,” at the 1st Philippine Conference on Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in Cagayan de Oro City on 18–19 February. About 1,000 participants registered for the conference-workshop.