Akademiyang Bisaya Inc., also known as the Visayan Academy of Arts and Letters Foundation Inc., was relaunched this year after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event aimed to resume ongoing efforts in promoting the significance and history of the Visayan language.
The group also held the election of new officers on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. The newly elected officers are Atty. Jesus B. Garcia Jr. (chairman), Prof. Emiliano de Catalina (president), Dr. Lita Bacalla (vice president), Ann Avonnie Jimenez Garrido (secretary) and Gen. Alexander Ababon Abadinas (treasurer).
Garcia said the primary goal of relaunching the foundation and its activities is to integrate the Visayan language in the everyday life of all its speakers.
CONCERNS
For Garcia, the underuse and underappreciation of the Visayan language in society is alarming.
During the meeting, Garcia said the use of the Visayan language has deteriorated, particularly among the younger generations, citing the lack of an organization or body that advances the use of the language. He lamented that some perceive it as inferior to the English language.
The group also discussed the difference in interpretation and usage of the language across the different regions in Visayas and Mindanao, as well as the proposal of Sen. Win Gatchalian to postpone the mother tongue curriculum because some schools and institutions are not ready to teach their own language in the basic education.
He also lamented that some private schools and institutions in the region forget the importance of teaching the Visayan language as they prefer to teach in English.
To address these concerns, Garcia wants the foundation to standardize the Visayan vocabulary and grammar rules, which he said must be prioritized if they want to promote the use of the language.
He also suggested training teachers and other members of the academe in teaching the Visayan language in schools and universities.
Garcia pointed out that it is necessary to include the Visayan language in the basic education curriculum, in conversations on politics and business and in everyday dialogue of the Visayans.
Meanwhile, SunStar Publishing Inc., through president Gahum Vincent Garcia, expressed its support in promoting the Visayan language by reaching out to the “masa” that still uses the language.