SENATE President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda on Monday underscored the need to preserve indigenous languages and called on government agencies to save those that are facing extinction.

“Hindi lang kamalayan ang kailangan pataasin upang tugunan ang suliraning ito. Malaking hamon ito sa mga ahensya ng pamahalaan katulad ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino na gumawa ng mga programa na magpapasigla sa mga nanganganib na wika,” Legarda said at the opening of the “Eksibit sa Nanganganib na Wika ng Pilipinas” in the Senate.

“Hinahamon ko rin ang mga komunidad, lalo na ang mga kasama nating elders at culture bearers na pasiglahin ang kanilang wika. Mahalagang maipasa ninyo sa susunod na henerasyon ang kanilang wika at mga kaalaman para hindi ito tuluyang mawala,” she added.

The exhibit, in coordination with the KWF, features the Alta, Arta, and Ayta Magbukun languages spoken in Aurora, Quirino, and Bataan, respectively.

Arta, the language of the Arta people in Nagtipunan, Quirino, is considered critically endangered as only ten elders could speak it fluently.

On the other hand, Ayta Magbukun is spoken among 12 communities in Bataan.

It is considered a part of the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian language, which is also endangered.

Alta, also considered as Austronesian in nature, was found to have been spoken by some elders and parents in Brgy. Diteki, San Luis, Aurora.

Books about the three languages, which are among 36 languages in danger of extinction, were also launched during the event.