The Department of Education (DepEd) issued an order to public and private schools nationwide to stop using “Filipinas” in the teaching and learning process in response to the decision of the Commission on the Filipino Language or Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF).
Epimaco Densing III, the DepEd Undersecretary and Chief of Staff, reiterated KWF’s decision to revoke Board of Commissioners Resolution No. 13-19 in DepEd Memorandum No. 74, s. 2022, which was dated Aug. 26.
The DM No. 74 s. of 2022, which was distributed to bureau directors, directors of regions, superintendents of schools, and heads of public and private schools, was DepEd’s response to KWF Chairman Arthur Casanova’s decision on the subject.
According to KWF’s ruling, DepEd instructed schools to resume using “Pilipinas” in the teaching and learning process because, contrary to what the 1987 Constitution stated, the official name of the nation is “Pilipinas” and not “Filipinas.”
The term “Pilipino” should also be used to describe Filipinos and their way of life.
Despite this, DepEd insisted that prior to the publication of the aforementioned memorandum, the spelling of “Filipinas” should not be changed to “Pilipinas” in printed materials such as books, Self-Learning Modules (SLMs), Weekly Home Learning Plans, Learning Activity Sheets, and other types.
According to Deped, “Iwasto na lamang ng mga guro at kawani habang ginagamit sa proseso ng pagtuturo (Teachers and personnel simply need to correct it while using it in the teaching process).”
Additionally, DepEd requested that schools use the KWF-recommended spelling in all official correspondence and teaching materials.
The chairman of KWF at the time, National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario, pushed for “Filipinas” to be used as the nation’s international name in 2013.
