Sona glossary
-A A +ASaturday, July 21, 2012
“KAMARA de Representante” was easy to translate. House of Representatives. But there were many more Filipino terms that were a challenge for non-native Tagalog speakers to understand.
Words like “bumubulahaw,” “aliwalas,” and “nagkuntsabahan.”
For phrases, there were “magkasalungat ang pagsasagawa ng mga proyekto,” “magbubunga ang pag-aarugang ipinapamalas natin sa mga lingkod-bayan,” and “halimbawa ng pagbabagong tinatamasa natin.”
These words and phrases were used in the State of the Nation Address (Sona) last year of President Benigno Aquino III. What makes Aquino different from the past president, aside from his programs and priorities, is his use of the Filipino language in almost all of his public speeches. Nothing wrong with using the national language, except that Filipinos whose knowledge and use of the Tagalog-laden Filipino language somewhat got lost in his Sona.
This is the reason the Sun.Star website at www.sunstar.com.ph decided on a Sona glossary to help the public understand those deep Filipino words that will again mark the third Sona of President Aquino tomorrow, Monday.
Sample translations are alipores=henchman, angkat=import, bumubulahaw=thrown into confusion causing disturbance, dumako=tend or lead, ilihis=divert, ipunla=implant, lundo=slack or not tight, maka-asta=looks can, maitalaga=designate, sagisag=symbol, and tiwali=anomalous.
Sources of the translation were www.dictionary.com (click Translator) and www.tagalog-dictionary.com.
The Sona glossary is part of the Sun.Star website’s coverage of the President’s address. Highlights of the coverage will be the live streaming of the speech, live blogging of the event as it develops, video reports on comments and sidelights, photo slideshow of Senate and House members in their formal attire, and Skype interviews with Filipinos here and abroad on their expectations of the Sona.
The website also encourages interactivity among readers who are free to post comments on the blog through text, photos or video. The live blog will be opened starting 10 a.m. Monday when the 15th Congress opens its third regular session. Before, during and after the Sona, people can go to the Sun.Star website or its Facebook and Twitter accounts to give their reactions.
Those on social media can also have a fun way to spread the news–good or bad–about the President’s speech. From July 20 until July 25, those on Facebook and Twitter may join a “like” and share promo to win Sun.Star 30th anniversary commemorative portable storage devices of 2GB each or one-month subscriptions to either the Sun.Star Cebu or SuperBalita Cebu electronic papers.
Share or comment on the Facebook posts or updates related to President Aquino’s Sona. “Like” the Sun.Star-Philippine News page on Facebook. On the micro-blogging site Twitter, follow @sunstaronline, retweet any Sun.Star post related to the Sona and use the hashtag #Sona2012.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 22, 2012.
Opinion
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