Dr. Aurelio Agcaoili back in MMSU for language justice lecture
By Ian Paul Villanueva
Renowned Ilokano linguist Dr. Aurelio Solver Agcaoili from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH Manoa) is back in MMSU, as he gave a special lecture for students of the MMSU College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the College of Teacher Education (CTE) on March 17.
Titled “Righting the Wrong: Language Justice in the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific,” Dr. Agcaoili’s CAS lecture dwelt on the topic of language justice, which has at its core the empowerment and revitalization of regional languages like Ilokano in the face of language deprivation.
Premising his talk on the current state of regional languages in the Philippines and the wider Indo-Pacific region, Dr. Agcaoili encouraged the attendees to do their part in revitalizing our own Ilokano language.
“The Philippines has 185 languages, and in terms of language plurality, it is number 12 among all countries in the world. But we have favored one, and the 184 are less favored. If we are going to be complacent, we will destroy the beauty, the variety of this resource if we don’t do anything,” Dr. Agcaoili discussed. “The 184 languages are not a problem to be solved. They are a resource to be honored,” he added.
Dr. Agcaoili’s morning lecture at CAS was attended by students from the BA in English Language, BA Communication, and BS Psychology programs, who engaged in the discussions that followed. In the afternoon, Dr. Agcaoili went to the CTE to deliver a lecture on “Post-Decolonialization and the Liberatory Practice of and in Education: Focus on the Philippines and the Southeast Asian Region.”
During the opening program at the CAS, Vice President for Academic Affairs Aris Reynold Cajigal and CAS Dean Marlina Lino also gave their messages.
“Language is part of the identity of our people. Indeed, our language is as valuable as our natural resources. As future professionals in your own fields, learn from our speaker how not to make language an oppressive tool but rather an empowering one,” Dr. Cajigal told the learners.
In introducing Dr. Aurelio, Dr. Lino, who was his student in MMSU’s Master of Arts in Education Major in Ilokano Studies, said, “It's always an honor and a pleasure for me to introduce our speaker who not only has earned a name all over the world but definitely one who holds a special place in MMSU.”
Prior to his lecture, Dr. Agcaoili, together with Mr. Dean Domingo, UH Manoa’s Ilokano Program Coordinator, as well as UH Manoa students Ms. Cassandra Balbas, Mr. Asa Mobley, and Mr. Marlon Basilio, met with MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr. for a courtesy call. President Manzano welcomed them and expressed MMSU’s commitment to possibly expanding its engagements and partnerships with Dr. Agcaoili and the UH Manoa.
Known for his extensive works in lexicography and creative writing, among other fields, Dr. Agcaoili is one of the leading voices in the advocacy of language justice, both in the Philippines and across the Indo-Pacific Region. Besides chairing the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures at the UH Manoa, where a bachelor of arts in Ilokano program is being offered, he is also the President of Nakem Conferences, a global advocacy network committed to language justice, cultural democracy, and liberatory education.
Mar, 18, 2026 08:35:am
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