Department Order No. 74, issued in 2009, institutionalized mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTBMLE) as a fundamental policy in our formal and non formal education.
D.O. 74 defines MTBMLE or MLE as the “effective use of more than two languages for literacy and instruction” and affirmed the results of local and international research which showed the enormous cognitive and academic benefits that accrue to learners when taught in their L1.
To ensure success of the new policy, the historic directive recognized the critical role of the regional directors and division superintendents in its implementation and specifically ordered them:
– To formulate region – specific schemes that will bring about financial and instructional self-reliance and excellence among its schools;
– To integrate MTBMLE in all subjects and at all grade levels beginning at preschool, then adding a grade level per year;
– To authorize the use of maintenance and operating funds, school board funds and other education improvement funds for advocacy and community mobilization; development of a working orthography of the local language; MTBMLE orientation and teachers training; developing, printing and distributing teachers’/facilitators’ guides; reading materials and other instructional materials; development of assessment tools and evaluation and monitoring of learning outcomes; and
– To establish an MLE technical working group at the regional and division levels to facilitate planning, monitoring and evaluation.
– It is apparent that the frames of D.O. 74 saw the need for a strong bottom-up, school based management approach (instead of a purely top-down model) to accompany the shift in educational paradigm.
Right now, there are more than a thousand schools pioneering in MTBMLE throughout the country. Just how far and deep the new ideas and new methods of work have been practiced and mainstreamed into these schools is a matter that must be carefully summed up for edification of those who will actually implement the new policy. This tasks appears to be more urgent—-nay, formidable—-considering that the Department of Education has decided to use the L1 classes nationwide effective June 2012 under the new K – 12 curriculum.

By: Maria Victoria O. Magsombol | Teacher II | Samal North Elementary School | Samal, Bataan