Angeles City—Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. has requested the City Council to hold a session at least once a month using the Kapampangan language.
“I am humbly urging our Sangguniang Panglunsod, led by our Presiding Officer Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting, to hold a session at least once a month using purely Kapampangan. I believe that the City Council is one with us in preserving our culture, especially in revitalizing our Amanung Sisuan,” Lazatin said.
In his letter addressed to the vice mayor, he wrote that this initiative is to enforce Ordinance No. 424 series of 2017, an ordinance establishing Kapampangan as an official language of Angeles City and institutionalizing its use in all sectors, alongside existing national and official languages.
The said ordinance serves to promote the Kapampangan language throughout Angeles City and preserve and nurture its culture and heritage, especially its language.
“We are doing this to show our commitment and raise awareness in preserving the Kapampangan language. We are doing this for our next generation. We want to avoid our culture’s demise that is why we’re taking the necessary steps to make sure this does not happen,” the mayor said.
Vega-Cabigting expressed her full support to Lazatin’s initiative to reinforce the use of Kapampangan language, especially within city hall offices and departments.
“Suportan taya pu ing kaburian na ning mayap a mayor tamu, king pamanyulung king pamangamit ning Amanung Sisuan king siyudad, lalu na karing opisina na ning city hall,” the vice mayor said.
“Ipayabut taya pu ini king miyembru da ring City Council. Paniwalan ku na suportan ne ning konsehu ing mayap tamung tagimpan king pamanyulung ning lengwahe tamung Kapampangan king siyudad,” she added.
Kapampangan is one of the 171 indigenous living languages of the Philippines. It is currently the 7th largest major language spoken in the country. It is affectionately called AmaÌnung SiÌsuan or “language suckled from the mother’s breast” by the older generation.