Angeles City– High School students here in the city have proficiently pitched their views and opinions in the recently concluded first Kapampangan Language High School Debate coined as ‘Matenakang Anak ning Amanung Sisuan’ (Young Intellectuals of the Kapampangan Language).
The two-day event set on August 24-25 at The Newpoint Mall here was hoisted by the Angeles City Tourism Office with an aim to pass down the Kapampangan language to the youth in an intellectual manner.
“Balamu ing amanung Ingles ya ing meging amanu da reng biasa at ing amanung Kapampangan meging amanu da reng maklak a buntuk. E ku ata tanggap ita. Nung Kapampangan ka at tanggapan muyta, malungkut ku para keka,” Talasinup ning Singsing for Kapampangan language Mike Pangilinan emphasized.
On the elimination round, the participating debaters from Rafael Lazatin Memorial High School (RLMHS), Chevalier School (CS), Bonifacio Romero High School (BNHS), Holy Angel University (HAU), and Francisco G. Nepomuceno Memorial High School (FGNMHS) were asked to streamline their respective tantu (propositions) and salangsang (oppositions) in vernacular.
The students were ranked by the panel of judges composed by Komisyong ng WIkang Fili[ino- Kapampangan Commissioner Lucena Samson, advocate and University of the Assumption Librarian Roilingel Calilung, singer/ composer Cris Cadiang, Tegalugan Series of Videos on Lexical Borrowing Publisher Rey Maniago and Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University Heritage Museum Curator and HAU- Center for Kapampangan Studies Consultant and Archivist Lord Francis Musni based on balangtayan (logic), pamanapse (delivery), pamaniugid (interpellation) and taluing amanu (rebuttal/surebuttal).
The arguments to be defended by the propositioning and opposing teams are Filipino identity can only be expressed by speaking Tagalog and wearing Barong Tagalog and not by speaking Kapampangan; Nationalism can be expressed in Kapampangan; and Kapampangan Language is a dying language or vice versa.
As an ice breaker, Pangilinan sparked a vocabulary quiz to test the knowledge of the young audiences in which winners were given prizes.
Singers Shane and Sheen, Alang Dios lead actor Manuel Madrid, Poet Laureates Amado Higante, Paul Batac and Sahra Del Mundo also performed on stage to entertain the spectators and mall goers.
During the awarding ceremony, FGNMHS was hailed as the Matenakang Anak ning Amanung Sisuan 2017 awardee bringing home the trophy with P 15,000 worth of cash prize and Chevalier School bagged the first place with P 10,000 cash award.
Besides announcing the Young Intellectuals of the Kapampangan language, Arnn Fides Canlas (Chevalier) and Joyce Ann Puno (FGNMHS) have been conferred with the Ari ning Balitaktakan (Best Debater) and Supling ning Amanu (Best Speaker) trophies and P 3,000 each.
Present to show resilient support in promoting the Kapampangan language among the youth is Herminia Pamintuan, wife of City Mayor Ed Pamintuan and Committee Head on Arts and Culture Councilor Amos Rivera and PL Felix Garcia.
Pamintuan expressed gratitude to the debate Lakandiwa (chairperson) and host Cecile Yumul, Newpoint Mall Marketing and Operations Manager Trixie Valdez, ACTO Head John Montances, Heritage, Culture and Arts Management Deputy Officer Allegria Cruz and the rest of the members of the working committee who have made the event a success.
The Angeles City government with the Tourism Office plans to hold a kin of this event yearly to sustain the continuity of the promotion of the Kapampangan language to the young ones.
“Ing amanung Kapampangan salita de reng biasa. King kapamilatan yung anak pakit tamu kareng memalen na ing kekatamung amanu, amanu de reng pantas at matenakan,” Pangilinan concluded. –Photos by Larrica Angela Cunanan