IT was expected — a new leadership, a new policy. That is exactly what happened at the Department of Education (DepEd) that has already been badgered by constant changes in policy and strategy with every change in top management. This time, the demise of the 'mother tongue-based, multi-language education' that was tried has been announced to give way to the use of English and Tagalog only.

This was a squandered opportunity to promote the use of native Philippine languages and to keep them from oblivion. The constitutional provision that regional languages shall be 'auxiliary media of instruction' is just one of those provisions confined to the text of the Charter that has never enjoyed realization, much less any determined action on the part of the State!