The language of the Casiguran Agta people is among the indigenous Philippine languages that are in imminent danger of dying out.

MANILA, Philippines – The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) expressed concern that 41 out of 129 dialects are considered endangered or almost obsolete.

These, in particular, are dialects of the ethnic or tribal communities.

KWF Commissioner Purification De Lima argued that one reason for the diminishing of a native dialect in the country is because the use of a certain dialect is no longer common or practiced.

This prompted the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) to launch a campaign to save the country’s native languages. The agency is also erecting monuments across the country to remind Filipinos of using their respective regional languages.

“Ngayon mayroong monumento kongkretong simbolo nang ating mga wika na magpapalala na kailangan nating pangalagaan ang ating mga wika bago pa sila mamatay,” said De Lima.

The Commissioner said incorporating the study of regional languages into the school curriculum will also be a big help to help preserve the country’s dialects. – Marje Pelayo (with reports from Sherwin Culubong)

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