MANILA, Philippines – In an action that drew mixed reactions on social media, the Pamantasan ng Cabuyao (University of Cabuyao) announced on Monday, February 3, 2025, via Facebook that the school is implementing an “English only” policy beginning on that date.
The post, made by OIC President Librado DG. Dimaunahan, explained that they’re imposing the policy as part of their vision to develop “globally competitive and world class graduates.”
The policy extends beyond the classroom and requires English to be used in all classes, official transactions, and interactions within the university. All written and spoken communication must also be exclusively conducted in English.
Further, this policy applies to everyone in the university - not just the students but also includes the faculty, staff, and all university personnel.
The OIC President also highlighted that the policy requires “strict compliance.”
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| “English only” policy post by the University of Cabuyao. Photo courtesy: University of Cabuyao Facebook page |
As expected, the post drew mixed reactions on social media.
Many netizens were not impressed by the rule, commenting that the school is imposing an old-fashioned rule that limits the students’ rights.
“If you want a globally competitive and world-class curriculum, teach your students how to think for themselves. Teach them how to stand up for what is right while being vigilant on facts. You're teaching them to be slaves, not thinkers,” one commenter wrote.
Others explained that imposing such a rule would deprive the students and other people in the school of their identity as Filipinos. Some even reminded the school about what Dr. Jose Rizal said about loving our own language: “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika, masahol pa sa hayop o malansang isda.” (One who knows not to love their own language, is worse than animals and putrid fish.)
Quite a few also pointed out that “global competitiveness” isn’t measured by English language proficiency. After all, Japan and South Korea are highly advanced countries yet they’re also well-known for their strong use of their own languages. Many of their citizens can’t even speak English.
However, there are also those who believe that it’s time for schools to focus on or improve the use of English in their curriculum (and rules).
One commenter explained, “It’s time to bring back English proficiency programs (EOPs) in schools. Many young Filipinos today struggle even to form or understand basic English sentences. They find it challenging to provide clear and grammatically correct answers to simple questions. While accent isn’t an issue, it’s concerning that we’re falling behind other Asian countries in English competency. This decline jeopardizes our competitive edge among our Asian counterparts.”
Still, there were also those who made fun of the post or wrote about possible scenarios that the students might encounter in the school, such as trying to buy food from the canteen.
Some also joked that the OIC President broke his own strict rule because he didn’t translate his surname, Dimaunahan, to English. They suggested that he should have used “Unbeatable” or “No One Can Get Ahead” as his “new” surname.
Worldwide Use of the English Language
According to the EC English Blog, English is used as a language in 75 countries - that’s about 39% of the world’s countries. As many as 55 countries (28.5%) have declared English as an official language by law.
Although approximately 1.35 billion people are using the language worldwide, note that this number is only about 17% of the world’s entire population.
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
