‘Usapang Wika’ is the title of the cultural documentary series produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in partnership with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda. This new show features the main languages of the Philippines.

Usapang Wika is comprised of ten episodes featuring the main languages of the Philippines—Ilokano, Cebuano, Hiligaynon & Kinaray-a, Waray, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano, and Mernaw.

Senator Loren Legarda has been pushing for the preservation and continued use of the country’s native languages, supporting the research and documentation of languages in the Philippines and initiating projects such as the establishment of Language Markers in different parts of the country where a specific language has originated.

“Our languages are a vital part of our heritage and our identity as a nation, and we must preserve them as a sign of our respect for our history and culture. Through ‘Usapang Wika’, we aim to convey the significance of the Filipino languages by way of engaging the general public especially the youth,” Legarda explained.

The show aims to capture the history and relevance of Philippine language through an engaging and modern approach to engage the youth and general public.

Each episode shall focus on the history, literary works, tradition, and the evolution of each language. For instance, the duwayya, dallot, dung-aw, and “Biag ni Lam Ang” of Ilocos; the literature, aligando, cancionan, uliran, diparan, pabitla or bonikew, gozos, and petek of Pangasinan; the pasyon, crissotan and tolentinuan, and polosa of Pampanga; awitan, forms of Tagalog poetry such as dalit, duplo, kumintang, and tagulaylay, and literature of Tagalogs; rawitdawit, osipon, tigsik, ibalong, aurora, and perdon of Bicol; the candu, haya, ambahan, canogan, bical, balac or ismayling, siday, awit, susumaton and posong, titigohon, tigo tigo, irignom, patiguon, and puplongan of Warays; hinilawod, dandansoy, hurubaton, and Manlilikha ng Bayan Federico Caballero of Panay; the garay, tigmo, harito, panultihon, balak, sugilanon, sugilambong, balitaw, and kulilising hari of Cebu; and the Tutol, Tubad Tubad, Kadaonga, Pananroon, Sowa-sowa, and Kambayoka of Maranaos.

As a fervent advocate of Philippine culture and arts, Senator Legarda will be hosting Usapang Wika which is set to be aired every Saturday starting August 6, 2022, which coincides with the celebration of Buwan ng Wikang Filipino spearheaded by the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) and National Historical Commission of the Philippines, at 4:30 to 5PM over ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).

For details, visit www.ncca.gov.ph and their Facebook page @NCCAOfficial.