In continuation of last month’s celebration of Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, Gateway Gallery will hold a webinar that will focus on the current challenges faced by Philippine communities that speak indigenous languages. The webinar, Mga Katutubong Wika ng Pilipinas, Nasaan Na? Will be aired live on September 25, at 2 p.m, from the Gateway Gallery Facebook Page.

Of the country’s over 130 indigenous languages, 39 of them are in various stages of endangerment, amplifying a need for their urgent preservation and revival. This problem is real as it will impact or alter the culture and the community of the groups speaking these languages. As a result, it will affect the country’s heritage.

The webinar will feature two speakers from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Professor Eilene Antionette Narvaez of the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature will deliver “Filipino Bilang Pambansang Wika” while Professor Jesus Frederico Hernandez of the Department of Linguistics will discuss “On The Verge of Silence: The Story of Linguistic Fragility and Language Endangerment in the Philippines.” The talk will be moderated by KulturaSerye’s John Carlo Santos, who teaches at UP Los Baños.

The webinar is a timely opportunity for culture enthusiasts especially learners and teachers who can gain insights into the complex nature of culture as seen through the lens of language. Viewers who complete the webinar will be given digital certificates of attendance after they completed an online evaluation of KulturaSerye..

KulturaSerye is supported by the J. Amado Araneta Foundation and co-hosted by media partner The Philippine Online Student Tambayan (The POST).