The University of Santo Tomas (UST) has issued a memorandum on February 24, 2025, encouraging College of Science faculty members to use Filipino as a mode of communication when teaching general education subjects and technical courses.
The initiative, undersigned by Science Dean Rey Donne Papa, centers on the goal to “celebrate and strengthen” the Filipino language in teaching science courses. Academic staff are encouraged to incorporate the local language into their teaching practices, course plans, and learning materials.
Papa also ensured the inclusivity for students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Hence, code-switching between Filipino and English will be allowed. During class orientation, it is crucial for instructors to gauge the students’ comfortability with this teaching approach. In the case where international students will be present at a class, Filipino must only be used if the student is proficient with the language.
The college’s efforts also extend beyond the classroom, “Academic staff are encouraged to organize seminars, symposia, and discussions that highlight the Filipino language.” To make the program efficient, Papa stated that they will also collaborate with the Department of Filipino and student organizations to broaden the scope of a meaningful discourse and engagement using the language.
The use of Filipino language is at the same time intended to establish the efficient and effective communication of science to the general public. The academic staff are encouraged to publish peer reviewed journals via UST HASAAN, the university’s official annual refereed academic journal in Filipino under the Department of Filipino.
Papa posited that such initiative will similarly inspire students to write and research in Filipino. Hence, students under their college are required to submit undergraduate thesis abstracts in both English and Filipino.
This only proved that the college aims to bring the policy on an institutional level to thoroughly create an impact in the intellectualization of the Filipino language. The memorandum was at the same time in honor of the college’s former Dean and Professor Emeritus Fortunato Sevilla who campaigned for the use of Filipino as a mode of communication in teaching science courses.
UST’s College of Science has paved the way for integrating the Filipino language into the academic setting, particularly in the field of science, where the local language often took the backseat.
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