LSP's Statement on the Appointment of Atty. Marites A. Barrios-Taran as Commissioner and Chairperson of the KWF

The Linguistic Society of the Philippines (LSP) strongly opposes the appointment of Atty. Marites A. Barrios-Taran. The Society acknowledges her solid legal education, background, and proven administrative and managerial skills in previous government posts. However, as Commissioner and Chairperson of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), her legal training and juridical experience do not demonstrate the cultural grounding, competencies, or expertise required in Philippine linguistics, literature, and cultural studies– fields in which her scholarship is evidently absent. Practitioners widely recognize that such an appointment must meet the highest standards of linguistic expertise, literary insight, cultural commitment, and academic integrity. The role requires more than an able manager or caretaker; it demands a visionary leader of the highest caliber, rooted in the disciplines enshrined in Section 6 of RA 7104. The Society, therefore, urges the government to appoint a qualified professional and simply not a token that embodies the government’s disinterest in the Commission.

-----------------

About the Linguistic Society of the Philippines

The Linguistic Society of the Philippines (LSP), founded in 1969, is the premier linguistics organization in the country. Currently, it has 500 active members composed of linguists, language scholars, and language educators. LSP strives for the advancement of the scientific study of language and has been actively involved in discussions that inform language policies. LSP regularly conducts conferences and lectures and has over the years, published festschrifts, volumes, monographs, conference proceedings, and a periodical.