My Langauage, My Identity: Ilokano

Curious and observant
and learning Ilokano
though she was born in America
my daughter kept on asking me
why don't they speak Ilokano?
she's referring to people she knows
they are Ilokanos, working in Vigan City
(when she visited my nativeland in 2009)
but they speak "Tagalog" to almost everyone
even to their relatives and friends around.

I told her that that's their choice
to speak Filipino, not Ilokano
although it is not right or wrong
to speak one's native tongue
especially when you're fluent
I'm wondering why, too
these fellow samtoys don't speak Ilokano
and prefer to use "Tagalog" or English
instead of their native language
I guess, it's because of business
to cater to the tourism industry
over there in the Ilocos Region.

Wen, nga agpayso, apay a dida agsao
iti nakayanakanda a pagsasao?
kabainda kadi ti nakaisigudanda
a dila ni Pedro Bukaneg ken Leona Florentina?

Nakakaskas-ang a panunoten
no ti nakairuaman a dila malipatanen
ta apay kadi a saan a maisuro a formal ti Ilokano
iti eskuela, kas kadagiti dadduma dita a pagsasao?

Ammok, a ti asino man kadatayo nawaya
nga agaramid-agusar ti ania man a kaykayatna
ta dayta ti karbenganna kas maysa a parsua
nga addaan nakem, panunot, ken rikna.

Ngem, apayen a dimo usaren
ti nakaisigudam a pagsasaom
uray no agdadata nga ammom
ken saanmo a pakaibabainan?

Wenno mabainka
wenno mainsultoka
kadagiti makangeg no ag-Ilokanoka
apay met a kasta?

Gagayyemko, daytoy ti pudno:
ti lengguahek isu ti kinataok.
saanko ibain nga Ilokanoak.
wen, usarek daytoy a pagsasaok
no Ilokano ti kasangsangok
wenno kapatpatangko.

Here's my plea:
fellow native Ilokanos
our language is our identity
we should use it everywhere
we should be proud of it.

Here's the truth:
if I don't use it, I lose it.
if I fail to use it
I am lost
I am nothing without it
my language, my identity
Ilokano.

28 June 2011/@Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel & Conference Center, Glen Allen, VA

copyright 2011 by chris alibin quilpa

Here's an article from the Manila Bulletin entitled "Learning with the Mother Tongue"