For this year’s Buwan ng Wika, 4Ps Partylist Representative JC Abalos joins the nation in celebrating this occasion with a proposed bill he filed last June. House Bill (HB) No. 109 aims to amend Section 3 of Republic Act 8491, otherwise known as the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines. The 4Ps Representative believes this seemingly small change carries a powerful message about patriotism and respect for the national language.
In this proposed measure, it intends to address the parts of the National Anthem that is inconsistent with the proper contraction rules of the Filipino written language, specifically on the shortened form of the words “hindi” and “kapag”.
“Most of us have been taught to memorize and sing our national anthem since we were young and started attending school. We have gotten so used to the words we sing that we have hardly thought about them. However, in RA 8491 (Heraldic Code of the Philippines), there are two regularly occurring words in the national hymn that do not follow the proper contraction rule of the written Filipino language, particularly the words Di and Pag”, Rep. Abalos said.
The 4Ps Representative noted that “the National Anthem, from which the improperly structured words are used, carries with it the weight of the identity of a nation and people, reflected in the Filipino National Language”.
Before filing the said bill, Rep. Abalos referred the matter to the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) last June 5. He shared his reflection to KWF and NHCP, and was surprised that the said agencies agreed to his proposal, and to acknowledge the apostrophes in the words ’di and ‘pag. According to Rep. Abalos, “[the two agencies] affirmed what many of us already knew in our hearts and classrooms: apostrophes are not just grammatical marks. They are signs of care, intention, and reverence for our language”.
“I found that these apostrophes were included in the original Filipino translation of the Lupang Hinirang by National Artist Felipe de León. While their omission is acceptable in casual writing and poetry, their restoration in the official lyrics serves as a sign of care and reverence for our language and history”, Rep. Abalos further explained.
Furthermore, Abalos emphasized that this bill is not about changing the anthem’s spirit, but about preserving its original form and honoring the language in which it was written.
Rep. Abalos highlighted that “this small proposal is simply part of a broader commitment. We continue to prioritize and pass urgent legislation — from budget and electoral reforms to education access, anti-poverty efforts, and more. We must work on the big things, and the small things, too. Because nation-building is not one or the other. It’s both”.
“We might disagree on many things in today’s socio-political climate — but may this tiny apostrophe remind us of what we still share. At the end of the day, we are all Filipinos. Maligayang Buwan ng Wika!” Rep. Abalos said in closing.
