By Niña Christelle M. Sumintac, StratCom Correspondent

In celebration of the 2023 International Mother Language Day, the Center for Iloko and Amianan Studies (CIAS) of Mariano Marcos State University hosted an online lecture on indigenous language on March 4.

Virtually attended by around 150 graduate students and faculty members, the lecture titled “Itneg Inlaud Language Documentation Project: Motivation, Methods, Support, and Use” was delivered by Ms. Ryn Jean Fe Gonzales of the Summer Institute of Linguistics Philippines via Zoom. It was livestreamed at the CIAS Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MMSUCIAS). 

Gonzales, who was invited by the CIAS to share her study, highlighted the cultural and linguistic diversity in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and Abra. She also discussed the struggles of the Itnegs to be recognized in a society dominated by another ethnic group. She expressed hope that participants increased their understanding of language documentation and ethnographic research through her lecture.

CIAS Chief Leonardo Tejano said the online lecture aimed to initiate a discourse on the absence of academic programs of the IPs, hoping that it will pave the way to building bridges with them and fostering mutual respect and learning opportunities. 

Graduate School Dean Doreen Domingo believes the lecture “has ignited the call to preserve indigenous languages which are now in the face of potential extinction.” She also commended the GS-based center for serving as a platform for promoting the language and culture of Ilocano and other Amianan groups in the region. 

The lecture session is also in support of the 2022-2032 International Decade of Indigenous Languages led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (HLY/JVBT/DPTJ, StratCom)