For speaking Ilocano, 3 students expelled by Christian school

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“You are not respecting my school!” yelled the school president. Then, gesturing like he was going to smash his mobile phone unto the boy, he exclaimed, “You want me throw my cell phone at you? You bit*h!”

This, a teary-eyed Kleinee Bautista recalls, is what happened when Reverend Brian Shah, president of Saviour’s Christian Academy, talked to him in his office Wednesday last week, July 31. Already devastated by the harsh words, the 13-year old boy’s world crumbled when the pastor-president handed a decision: he is dismissed from the school.

Kleinee’s offense? He, along with two other Grade 8 students, spoke Ilocano inside the campus.

riknakem.jpgLocated in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, SCA has an English-speaking policy that bars everyone—parents, teachers and staff, and students—from speaking in Philippine languages, be it Filipino or Ilocano, within the campus. Their student handbook says speaking in the vernacular is punishable by a reprimand. The handbook also lays out the guidelines in dealing with alleged violations of school codes. The due process includes giving a warning first, and then a conference with parents.

Why and how Shah could get away with due process and arbitrarily ‘kick out’ students is something the family of Carl Abadilla, another dismissed student, could not understand. His mother sent two letters appealing for reconsideration, both of which Shah ignored.


The experience has been traumatic for both kids. Kleinee did not eat for days and could not sleep. Carl felt very hurt and “nawalan na ng gana.” At a young age, they bear the stigma of being kick-outs.

Kleinee has studied at Saviour’s school since prep. That school is the only one he has ever attended. It has really become his second home. Together with his friends, he has kept memories and shaped dreams in that school.

Meanwhile, Carl has been at Saviour’s for only a month and a half. A victim of bullying at St. Mary’s Seminary during his freshman year in high school, he transferred to SCA, expecting to find refuge. “Little did we know,” Carl’s mother said in an interview with The Ilocos Times, “that our child will be bullied by the school president himself.

Samboy, the third student who was kicked is the son of a pastor. Both his parents are working at SCA, and are under Shah, so they opted to just accept the decision silently. But one can imagine how difficult it is for the boy, too, to be kicked out from the very school served devotedly by his family.

Classes have been going on for two months, and it is difficult to find a school that will accept the “dismissed” students. Fortunately for Carl, Divine Word College of Laoag accepted him with wide open arms. As of this writing, Kleinee is still an out-of-school youth.

According to SCA teachers who spoke on condition of anonymity, the three students have been performing well in school and have exhibited proper behaviour until they were dismissed from the school for speaking Ilocano.


“Speaking Ilocano is a crime,” some students quote Shah as saying. “But does that make all Ilocano speakers criminals?” wonders Carl’s mother, a regional trial court employee.

The issue has come out on radio, but Shah has consistently veered away from media interviews. Asked for a reaction, he declined to comment by saying, “No thanks, I’m busy” before he hurriedly hung up the phone. Instead, it was Ms. Cristeta Pedro, SCA’s high school principal, who has spoken for the school. She stands by the school policy and justifies the punishment meted out on the students. What the parents of the kids lament, however, is that Pedro claims there was due process when the parents claim there was none. After some students reported hearing the three speaking in Ilocano, and Shah immediately dismissed them in the absence of a thorough investigation and trial and without conferring with the parents. Whether the supposed offense is commensurate to the punishment—that of being dismissed during the school year—is, to say the least, questionable to many.

In an interview with Mr. Michael Lomabao, who is currently the high school’s officer-in-charge (Ms. Pedro is on leave and is said to be in the United States), this is not the first time the school dismissed students for violating the language policy. Lomabao also confirmed the punishment specified in the handbook for the violators: a mere reprimand.

JF, an SCA alumna, attests to this. She shared, “We were talking casually in the canteen when Pastor Brian heard two of my friends speak in Filipino; they were almost kicked out by Pastor Brian. He was very angry.”

“Linguistic disrespect”

“This is a form of linguistic injustice and cultural disrespect,” opines Dr. Alegria Tan-Visaya, president of Nakem Conferences Philippines, and chief of the Ilocano-Amianan Studies Center at the Mariano Marcos State University.

This observation is shared by Eugene Carmelo Pedro, a Philippine languages activist and currently a law student at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

“I admire that they want their students to be fluent in English in words and in thought, but I think their policy is foolish and dated,” says Eugene, who is not related to SCA’s high school principal. “Immersion is really one of the best ways to become fluent, but it doesn’t really work when the school shames students for speaking their native language,” he adds.

Even poor teachers are victims of Shah’s linguistic dictatorship. Teachers have been warned not to use Ilocano or Filipino in conversing with students in social networking sites (even if they are using the Internet in their own homes.). If Shah finds out, they were informed, the punishment is forfeiture of a month’s salary.


Indeed, one wonders, dear karikna, why all these had to happen at a time when today’s thrust of basic education is the strengthening of our mother tongue, a measure meant to fortify the linguistic foundations of a child.

Research done in various developed countries show that proficiency in one’s mother tongue or first language will increase one’s chances of being good at other languages, both local and foreign. In short when one is good in Ilocano, our first language—not only in conversational use but in formal reading, writing, and speaking—one is better prepared to learn Filipino, English, and other languages.

With this in mind, the Department of Education is now on its second year of implementing the MTBMLE or the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education. According to Mr. Lloyd Rosquita, education supervisor for private schools (DepEd Laoag City), although SCA is a private school, it is still under the supervision of DepEd. Moreover, SCA is also considered as a regular private school. Meaning, it is not an international school accorded more autonomy in terms of school curriculum and operations. SCA is thus not exempted from implementing MTBMLE.

And though Reverend Brian Shah and his wife May, the school administrator, are Singaporean nationals, they are not over and above our laws, especially not our Constitution.

Article XIV Section VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates the Government to “take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system.”

Some parents, however, while feeling strongly about the issue, have expressed doubts if any case to be filed against the couple will prosper. They are perceived to be chummy with a top provincial politician and a top DepEd Laoag City official. They are believed to be “untouchable.” It doesn’t matter, say parents of the affected children. “We will still pursue justice for our kids.”

But of course, dear karikna. The parents should. No, we should. For these foreigners have obviously abused our hospitality. We welcomed them warmly. We allowed them to establish their church and school in our land. We have entrusted our children to them, and then this. This disrespect. This injustice. This unparalleled arrogance Shah fittingly exhibited at the best time possible: the eve of Agosto, the month of Philippine languages.

Though supposedly a modern-day Christian, Shah puts to shame the decrepit men-of-the-cloth in the middle ages. And this reflects in the way he manages the school. This reflects in the way he wants their students to learn English. This shows in his strong belief in a world where fear and punishment are more powerful than inspiration and role modeling.

You want students to be good in English? You show them how that language can be useful to them. You let them realize how it can help make them better persons. You inspire them to be as good as you are, or even better, in its use. That is a real educator’s way. That, I say, is a real Christian’s way, that of love and compassion. For all his language tyranny, it is common knowledge that Shah’s English is terribly painful to listen to. And it is not because he is Singaporean. It is simply because his English is terrible.

So how can Shah, this Singaporean, do such cruelty to those kids and their families who share the pain? Is it because he looks lowly at Ilocanos? Can you imagine a school in Singapore kicking out students simply because they speak Chinese? Not there. Not in Shah’s home country which has embraced a vibrant multiculturalism.

Supporters of the school can say that those who do not want SCA’s language policy should not enroll their children there.  But that is not the point. For, by the same logic, I could say, if Shah hates the Ilocano language that much and treats its use inside his kingdom-of-a-campus as a crime, then he should not establish a school in Ilocos. He should instead do to his countrymen what he has the misplaced balls to do here. And let’s see if he can dare smash a cell phone on a Singaporean kid the way he tried to do so on one of our own here.

I am, dear karikna, grieving. Grieving for the kids. Grieving for the disrespect on our language. Grieving the fact that bit***s  now come in the form of pastors and school presidents.



Rev. Brian Shah  (photo from Facebook)
Rev. Brian Shah (photo from Facebook)
Rev. Brian Shah (photo from Facebook)
Rev. Brian Shah (photo from Facebook)


You may also read…

the news written by Ira Pedrasa at  Students kicked out of high school for speaking Ilocano

news by Jee Y. Geronimo at 3 students expelled for speaking Ilocano – in Ilocos Norte

Anton Nicolas’s reaction:  The Insolence of an Ungrateful Alien

Author: Herdy La. Yumul

A hesitant academic pimp, writer

446 thoughts on “For speaking Ilocano, 3 students expelled by Christian school”

  1. Let us start a campaign to oust this Shah of a guy. And let all Ilokanos learn a lesson or two from this. We will start a protest at, and we ask all Ilokanos who care about this issue to sign. All those responsible for this dastardly act, from this abominable man of the cloth to the other administrators, must be held to account. We are not going to let this happen, not in Laoag.

    1. The name of the school is totally different from the action of the President. I believed he has small brain that he was not able to make just and fair decision with the issue. Yes, rules are supposed to be implemented but if somebody go against it, then he has to implement what is stated in the manual or student handbook, I think that is the very essence of having one.
      This is very alarming, parents should think twice kasi the owner of the school can just break the policy, and there is a tendency that he may come up with the worst decision most of the time. Wala na ba tama proseso para diyan? ganun na lang ba? Sir, umpisaham muna and we will support the move.
      With what happened, ibig sabihin Savior’s Academy ay hindi sumusunod sa utos ng DepEd which is the medium of instruction na MTBMLE or the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education which is already on its second year of implementation is that not a violation?

      And to the Principal, what due process done so the president will come up with that kind of decision? Was there transcript of deliberations?, who represented the students in the deliberations or hearings? Since they are still minor, are parents not invited for discussions or dialogues? Do you have proofs of invitations or attendance? mahirap naman yata na kayo kayo na lang po ang nag meeting. Now where is due process?

      Pada nga Ilocano, kasta lattan? Haan nga discrimination ti ububra daytoy nga foreigner? Let us move and show him we care to the pupils who were dismissed.

      1. It is really alarming how these people are ruling over their students. How can they be effective teachers if they can’t even discipline themselves. This policy is foolish and discriminatory. Why did they put up an educational institution in that area if they don’t want to adopt our cultures and language as ilocanos.
        What for nga adda iti disciplinary committee da if the principal is still the final authority. And he even calls himself a pastor nu kasta met lang ti galad na. Saan nga paguadan.
        These Singaporeans why don’t you just go back to your country and try not to play like hard headed bulls in our country?

    2. This Reverend Brian Shah should be thronged by the people of Ilocos Norte, repatriated to Singapore and declared persona non-grata! How the hell did he ever get permission to teach or head a “christian” school in the country? Don’t we have enough local “Christians” to head and manage/administer the school?

      1. Can a foreigner do business in our country, some big politician is truly cuddling this guy “reverend” but he is acting otherwise. Why cant he establish his own school in Singapore, why in Laoag City?????

    3. I am with you, Sir Agca. What seriously bothers me is how one person, an educator at that, can ignorantly and arrogantly decide that speaking any language in particular is an act that somehow deserves punishment. This directly negates anything we’ve been taught about nationalism and being proud of who you inherently are. Whether it is a school policy or not is beyond the question. Why make it a policy in the first place? Ana unay ti nakababain iti pinagsarita iti Ilokano?

    4. lumayas ka sa ilokos shah dmo ba alam na ilokano sina Marcos , Ramos, at Quirino na pawang naging presidente at matatas ma salita ng ilokano at mas magaling di hamak na magsalita ng english , kaya mga ka ilokanos palayasin natin yan…

    5. Not just Ilocanos. Everyone should fight this injustice. Many people suffer and are degraded because they use their mother tongue. No language is superior than the other. After all, God gave us different languages that should be used specially in glorying His name.

      1. Ilokano is a rich language. We should all be proud of it. It deserves space, respect and dignity everywhere, even more so in institutions that educate our youth! .

    6. Just asking: Is Mr. Shah and his wife possess proper documents to work here? How about the approriate business permit from Laoag city? (attention Bureau of Immigration and city government of Laoag City).

    7. Have your Sanguniang declare Brian Shah as persona non-grata so he could leave and not enter again the City of Laoag

    8. they have to sue the owner for him to learn. he should talk to the students like a parent and not shout on them and say what he wants to say in front of their faces.

      1. Dikay kuma met mamersonal apo. Ipakita u met nga amo u lattat respetot sabali a tao uray man anat aramid da

    9. I may not be an Ilocano, but I know that a school can NEVER do such a discriminating act.

      1. you cannot restrict our own language and dialect. that is lingguistic disrespect. filipino is our national language, why would he not allow the usage? why is it an offense? that is not a valid policy. NEVER VALID!

      2. you cannot expel a student just because they spoke their dialect or the filipino language. that is punishable by the DepEd because: a) the DepEd implemented in the K-12 program that there should be a subject called Mother Tongue. It includes the dialects of the students that they use at home (if any)…

      I will pray that his policy will be broken. no student deserves this kind of treatment. I should know, for I am studying to gain knowledge, not to be bullied. I am currently taking Secondary Education, and I do not want to experience having someone like him as my boss…

    10. I AGREE COUNT ME IN. Where can I sign the petition.
      Total Hypocrisy using the name “Christian” School. No student should be treated the way they were treated by that foreign school president.. Do you have to wait and see the worse to happen before action will be done.? When it is too late?.What if the life of these students are at risk? What is the Parent Association doing, What is the action of the Department of Education, What is the action of the Local Government officials, are they aware of all the thing happenings to these school children. HEY PADA NGA ILOCANOS AGRIINGKAYO. AGLALO KADAKAYO DITA AMMIANAN. SAANYO NGA IPALUBOS NGA SIKAYO KET PAYAT PAYATAN DAGITA ANNAK YO. What happen to the parents complain? Was there an action to investigate the matter? Where is the justice? Is justice serve or justice delayed. Nagado kayo nga agkakasirib dita amianan. Action agad please.!! I feel bad for these kids and the families. Just like that kick out the pupils because they speak Ilokano??:(:(gr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

    11. LET THE INVESTIGATION BEGIN. No more criticizing, Listen to both sides. School policies? Speaking Ilokano inside the school is subject for disciplinary action by expulsion??? Come on people!!. Have they committed heinous crime? That so called private Christian school exempted from the rules and regulations under the Dept. Ed? What is the Dept. of Education doing as well as the teachers? Can they not speak out for the pupils? Teachers, possibly afraid to speak out, dahil, mahirap mawalan ng trabaho. I understand, but What if anak mo yan, do you tolerate it? I encourage the parents to seek further assistance from GMA or from TFC, no awanen ti papanam. Report to the media para mabulabog sila at magising, internationally. I am hoping due process will prevail.

  2. lets just show this monster that filipinos cannot be bullied (specially ilokanos )dont be victimize by a resilient and bounce back.dont give him the satisfaction ! let us give him a taste of his own medicine.

  3. If he is a Singaporean, maybe we should file a protest to the Singaporean embassy. They should reprimand this kind of a bully to the center of ilocandia. Masapul a mapagsasaritaan daytoy iti radio ken warnakan ket agtitimpuyogtayo a mangbabalaw iti daytoy a pastor tapno mapatalaw ditoy ilocos. Saantayo koma nga ipalubos nga abusuennatayo ti maysa a gangannaet. I am proud to be an Ilokano.

    1. Singaporeans are friendly ,accomodating ang honest persons but Mr.Shah is very different he should think twice for his own actions… All his actions is not acceptable even in his own country but he is doing it here, Mr. Shah shame on you better go back to SG leh. Ilocano’s don’t deserve the treatmnt ur doing… Lan ciao !!!

  4. These Ilokano teachers should not tolerate this monster hidden in a cloak of a reverend. Are they blind followers? Awan la ti panangisakitdan kadagiti piman nga estudyanten?

    1. They are afraid to speak up, they will lost their good salary that the government cannot give to these English speaking teachers..So in short term, they have to kiss the ass of this Brian Shah, I mean Brian Shah, not Reverend Shah, He don’t deserve to be called Reverend.. Sorry laengen ta na high blood dak idi bas basa ek daytoy nga damag..And please, paki baga yo kenni Brian Shah nga agsar saritaak iti Ilokano, ditoy Amerika..

      1. kusto ta kunam, uray ada tau sabali nga bansa, mkasarita tau t kusto nga sarita tau, we all know that a lot of language we use in Phils. bakit sa Pnas ba English ba ang salita natin? maka pa high blood talaga!

    2. I think teachers from that school are scared to comment..they might be fired they prefer to be in silent..If the Reverend is in his home country he couldn’t be able to say that to a certain children..because saying those words can put him to jail…In Singapore there is an strict Law when it comes to Child abuse, verbally or physical abuse. Get out of Laoag City Reverend Shah and put up your school and church any part of Singapore!

  5. this is indeed a wake up call for the ilokanos esp. to the Christians who spent their lives believing on a so called “reverend”…. This is not a pastoral act. Instead a dictatorial act. He feels superior because they(teachers,staffs,parents,fellow Christians, & Students) tolerates the wrong doings of this person. He is very DOMINANT na wala naman sa lugar…

  6. This Reverend should burn in hell. Why is DepEd even allowing the policy to stand? It is a blatant violation of its advocacy-policy and the Constitution. This is a serious issue. No one should prevent us from speaking our own language in our own home. This Reverend, as he calls himself is a bastard. He have no right to claim that title. He is worst than the devil!

  7. That is just right for those people who do not want to follow the rules of the school. If they want to do want they want to do, they are most welcome to find another school that would tolerate breaking the rules.

    1. How backward your thinking is. The main issue here is NOT the breaking of the rules, but the rules themselves. They are downright illogical and invalid, not to mention, unscientific. Try reading about second language acquisition, multiculturalism, and world Englishes, Mister. And, at least try to remember this very simple quote:


    2. i don’t believe what kind of thinking you have… do you have any idea about the MTBMLE implemented by the DepEd? don’t react on things you actually don’t know… nagmumukha ka tuloy ewan…. these are minors for crying out loud! asan ang due process dyan if the parents were not informed on the problems of their child? basta-basta na lang talsikin dahil dyan?

    3. parang sinabi mo na rin na basta sa lugar ko kahit anong gawin ko pwede kahit hindi makatao. Isa kang sira ulo at nilalang na dapat tanggalan ng karapatang magsalita dahil sa kamangmangan

    4. Kick the delinquents out. Give justice to the good policy-abiding students. I fight for the good students. Don’t give special treatment to the delinquents.

      1. Kasano ammom a delinquent daguita ubbing? Were you there? If are in their patents’ shoes, what would you do??

        1. The president of SCA should be commended for such a great effort of instilling the importance of learning an international language in the minds of the Philippine people. It is a shame that it should take a foreigner to do the job. Shame on bad attitude. Shame on too much pride.

          1. I don’t think that we Filipino’s are forgetting that learning the international language is a must. If you can see from elementary to college every school in the country teaches English. We are to encourage the people to speak the language but not force them too. If this is your view about the issue Mr. Garcia try talking subjects from elementary to college and you can surely see that we take English seriously but not to the point that insults will be directed towards us just by using our mother tongue.

    1. Isu man met ti kunak. Sigud tayo met nga in-judge ti mesa nga taon. Ana la unay ti basehan da kuma nga mangibaga nga “cruel” wenno “he should burn in hell” nu di ket mesmesa nga blog post. Mesa lang a side pelang ti nangngeg tayo apo. Chill.

      1. The point is, the kids are traumatized because of the action of the so-called reverend. There’s always an another side of the story, that’s correct. The school has speak English only policy, but don’t tell me the school also prohibits good manners and right conducts.

      2. No matter what Shah’s story may reveal, it is already evident at this point that something is wrong with his administration. You can’t deny the fact that what he did left a big scar on individuals, barely out of their childhood.

        1. nanggeg min ti radyo diyay sarita na ni apo shah. dik magustuan english na. kasla awan sursuro na. ti man kunak ket iparikep data pagadalan ta awan met laeng masuru dita. christian school kunu. business school data! kababain. kayat mu pay agbasa ti kasta pagadalan?

        1. Ti met lang ngamin isyu dituy ket tay inubra jay tao ken tay institusyon na. Apay masapul payla nga sidiren tayo nu sinno isuna ken nu kasanu ti panag-English na? Mabalin met nga saan lattan, di ngamin?

          If we keep on criticizing who he is instead of just what he did, if we foolishly and arrogantly express unnecessary profanities, if we go so far as to say that a person whom we have barely known “should burn in hell,” we are basically doing the same thing that what the person might have done.

          He might have disrespected our culture, but we might also have disrespected our own moral principles, our own ethics. Nay, we might also have disrespected logic!

          Agbalin tay kuma nga sibilisado nga Ilokano, apo, uray kad lang ti panagsasao tayo.

    2. update po.. usapang barbero, the Iloko word na sinabi DAW ng mga bata ket dakes.. maybe thats the reason why Shah got really really mad..

    3. very true!!madi tayo koma agsao-sao kakabsat nu madi tay pay ammo ti pakabuklan ti pasamak…

      nu panunuten tayo kakabsat sakbay nga simrek dagiti ubbing iti dayta nga eskuela nailawlawag kadakuada nangnangruna kadagiti parents ti policies ti pagadalan, nga inanamongan da kas ipaduyakyak ti panangi-enroll da kdagiti annakda iti nasao a pagadalan..ania ngarud ti aramiden ti eskuelaan nu adda ag-violate iti pagalagadan?keep silent and allow the students to do their own business?appo nga nagannak, ania ti namnamaen yo a pagbalinan dagiti annak yo nu mamuli da iti pammati nga they can do what they want?that they can impose and easily defy rules?ala kakabsat, nanumo la a kapanunotak daytoy ngem sapay koma ta mangted kadatayo iti pagpampanunutan..

  8. apo ket di met fluent ti teachers da dita SCA nga agsao ti English..excuse me man aya! trying hard

    1. Let it all go.
      Come on people.
      Rules and rules are rules.
      What I’m trying to point out is that, if we disobey rules we are said to be unethical.
      And that act of protesting against the dismissal of three students from that academy is simply a manifestation of the will to disobey.
      *Disobedience = Loss of ethics
      I’m a full blooded Ilocano though, but what you are doing children, are putting us more unto shame.
      You children are only trying to show other nationalities that we Ilocanos are unethical.
      I therefore conclude that when you were on that constitution, you children would probably protest. Protest portrays disobedience. And disobedience carries unethical thought.

      1. Shame on you sir. Don’t even say you’re a true Filipino because your not acting like one. I know its not good to disobey rules, but to say you are letting this go? SHAME ON YOU! The children may have committed mistakes but THEY GOT EXPELLED for that minor deed! You, as an Ilocano should fight for your fellow Ilocanos and defend your language. Can’t you see the effect of expulsion to these fellow Ilocanos of yours? And for the fact that they committed something that is so little and are punished heavily?

      2. If you protest, it does not mean that you are unethical or disobidient, especially if what you are protesting against is wrong and immoral. In fact, this article, including the comments, has spawn regionalism and nationalism on young people. People need to fight for what is right in order for their freedom to not be opressed by others- this usually starts as protests and patriotic sentiments from people who think critically.

      3. Don’t act so brainy… the issue here is about rules being fair enough and carried out following due process and these so called “rules” should commensurate with the offence committed. To give your simple brain an example sir you cannot sentence a man who committed “jay walking” or “littering” death penalty or so just shot them because they are breaking the rules. Now if that is your point of view I don’t think that you would not protest if mister “Shah” tells you to shove your balls on your tiny brain just for the act of thinking stupidly as you did. For this pastor whatsoever, if you don’t respect the local language then get the F*ck out of our motherland

        1. ata man gayem, usto ata nga imbagam. isu kuma ti dapat nga agsau t ilokano ta adda isuna ti kailokanoan. gamgamiten na lang agitoy resources tayo para t sarili na lang.

      4. Bwag can you not see the point? It is not to disobey rules. It is the due processs and the weight of punishment that was imposed upon these students that we are talking about. Baka ta tawen mo nga laklakayanen wennu bakbaketanen ket adadu pay panag pasaway mo. Don’t tell me you are that obedient and perfect that you in anyway do not commit mistakes. Yes, they disobeyed the rule of the school. But try to look at it, is the punishment appropriate for the disobedience commited by these poor students? Expulsion? And are you in your right sense when you make memoradum with time frame like, EFFECTIVE TODAY? Nag profesoran na ngata met daytoy nga principal ta di na man lang na realized jay memo na.

        And one thing more, don’t ever talk of ethical standards here, because I am sure you too is unethical for making such remarks to issues you know life and bright future of children are atstake. Apay dim ammu nga adda makunkuna nga minor and major offense? What for no idisregard tayu met lang. And are you also not aware that there is also first, second and third offense but still depending on the violation the punishment that will be given? Nakakita ka kadi ti makunkuna nga student handbooken? Nu haan pay inka Savior ta inka basaen.

        To cut it short, haan nga makatao ti parusa nga naited. I am sure, they(staff) could have been a little more understanding and humane in coming up with punishment? If you are the parent, nasakit kasta met kenka nga teacher if you will let go your students. Apay nga masansan nga agsao ilocano daguitoy nga ubbing, come to think of it, the community and environment surrounding them. Let us be more realistic with our rules nalalaing kuma amin nga producto dayta nga pagadalanen nu talaga.

        Ti lang panunuten kuma dayta nga brian sha, the effect of his desicion. Which is more evil now? He is singaporean gayam, awan respeto na pada nga ilocano. Is that your definition of ethical? Sorry but I disagree bwag to the highest level.

      5. I agree that there are school rules to follow. But the RULE that was violated by the students is too shallow to impose an expulsion costing the future of the kids. The president of the school deserves to be expelled out of the country also for violating the DepEd rules. Shame on both of you!!!

      6. A big no No No no….be careful with The words your Using highness… unethical…is it exactly disobeying….do make a research on it..same as shas doing Its unethical…

      7. Sir, mangibabain ka nga Ilokano! Do you hear yourself? the issue here is not all about disobedience. Fine, they disobeyed, but to be expelled because of an ILLOGICAL policy is not justifiable. Why don’t you change your nationality to Singaporean? i thing you have the same mentality with that shameless pastor(?)! If you can’t defend your fellow Ilocanos, then go to Singapore with that president

      8. Disobedience = Loss of ethics? Ilocanos are unethical because of using Ilocano?

        How could speaking your own language be unethical? Not all protests are forms of disobedience; if at all, they draw attention to which rules are in order, and which need to be reviewed. Blind obedience is more harmful than reasonable, or reasoned, disobedience.

  9. Such school with policy to use English as the medium for communication is not bad, But a school who expels students specially Elementary students on the grounds of accidentally or unintentionally not speaking English inside the Campus is unlawful. The Department of Education should take part on this issue.

  10. That “Sha-nofabitch’ is actually not a pastor! that school is a front for this singaporean mafia. DepEd should look into its background..lets all rally to close down this school! this is a grave crime to discriminate ilocanos in his own backyard. That Sha-nofabitch” should be proclaimed “persona non grata” alis dyan shanofabitch!

    1. Why the school should be shut down, what will happen to the students enrolled at the moment? Isn’t it the Administrator is in question here?.. Why not just shut down the person involve and not the school.. Maybe if he would be out from manipulating the school, a better individual- a true Christian whether Filipino or not, may lead the school in a better way.

    2. So you’re campaigning for the closure of the school, meaning in return for the alleged behavior of Shah and to give justice for the 3 students, do you know how many students and pupils you want to suffer . . . . . Are you really thinking for a solution?

  11. What would you expect from a preacher? They are not real teachers to begin with! Does this school even teach real lesson like math and science? I bet not! They most likely to preach the word of their god and not a proper education. They are outlaws whom we welcomed with open arms yet they repay us with insults and discrimination, in our own land?! Tell to Sha to come out from his wife closet and face what he did to his students.

    1. Mind you, don’t include the way of teaching and education quality of SCA. the pastor may have been insulting as hell, but don’t include others. After all, he was the one who made the fault, right? And don’t be harsh, too. I would have been, but you’re just like being him, saying and dishonouring the Ilokanos. Do you Ilokanos really have atitudes like that?

      1. Sorry, but I still doubt the quality of education this school has to offer. Am I being too harsh on my comment? What part on my comment is too harsh for you? That’s he’s not a real teacher? For rationalities sake he’s not! Oh, well, it seems you’re pretty hurt with my frank response, but then again sorry truth hurts and you should have expected that.

        1. If u doubt the quality of the school then check it out first before you judge it outright…even you, do not have the right to include the quality of the school when it is not the issue here….haan ka nga siguro nga taga laoag tapno iquestion mo ta quality deta nga skwela…makunak lang a..stick to the issue…kasla mo la imbaga nga nu anat basol ta ama kasta met ta anak…

        2. The things you say are true but you only say the bad side of it.
          There’s a purpose for them to be kicked out, don’t just focus
          on the bad side unless you want to get really angry today next time
          look on the good side of everything because everything we do has
          a good and bad effect.

        3. Do not include the quality of education in this issue because what matters here is the shallowness of the mistake they have committed and received a very heavy punishment for it. And by the way Brian Shah is really not a teacher, he doesn’t teach in the school he is the president of the school. Taga anu kay kadi ta kala kay met la agsasao nag santo’n?

  12. the sanguniang panlungsod of laoag city and the sanguniang panlalawigan of ilocos norte, particularly their respective committee on education, are suppose to conduct a legislative inquiry on this matter where Shah, SCA Principal, the 3 students who were kicked out as well as their respective parents, the PTCA President and officers, the DepEd Superintendent of laoag and ilocos norte should be invited to shed light on this matter. if Shah is found innocent of the accusation against him then the appropriate public apology should be given to him but if found guilty then he should bear the appropriate administrative sanction to be impose against him. A resolution to declare him “persona non grata” in Ilocos Norte is a must. Let the DFA know about this so that this unwanted alien will be immediately deported to his country of origin. The PTCA of SCA should make a stand against this unjust and unreasonable policy of SCA. If they still have a sense of pride as a Filipino they should boycot the school and let their children transfer to one where they are free to speak their mind in a language they are most comfortable.


    2. i agree with you sir….a thorough investigation should be done, sana naman di ganon kabigat yung punishment nila,speaking ilocano is not a crime,just think now the psychological effect to the 3 students (high school students pa lang)….what if the students will not speak/talk anymore at school just because they were afraid of speaking ilocano?think…think…think…sana man lamang maski 3 days or a week suspension na lang ang ibinigay.,…..

    3. It is not bad to implement policies as long as it is not drastically executed especially without due process… I am just wondering why Bryan Shah over acted on that matter since he is standing on an Ilocano territory or he is just becoming shit it is because he is a friend of the boyfriend of *** who is also a Singaporean… I am raising my 2 middle fingers for you SHAH. You should also suffer like what Singaporeans did to Flor Contemplacion, hahahahaha

  13. All students enrolled in this school should transfer to other schools as a sign of protest if deped will not act on this. Ipakita tayo nga ti ilocano ket agmaymaysa ket saan nga kasla pag-ong nga lumnek lattan.


  14. Obviously this guy is a President of a Christian school by virtue of capitalism and church leadership but not by being an educator. I am reminded of the medieval issue on the native not being able to respond in Latin in a religious court… the court decided that the native should be enslaved for the native has no soul, for if he had a soul, he could have understood Latin, the language of the angels.

  15. I find a bit of exaggerations on the stories! If you don’t want your children to be punished and you don’t want them to be fluent in English and less disciplined, then never put them in those kind of institutions! At young age, children don’t choose schools for them, parents do that. If a parent or guardian could not discipline his or her kid at home, how much more that parent could expect learning from school? School regulations have the agreement with parents and the school administrations, explained and understood the policies. Based on the story, parents failed to comply, which was the reason of expulsion. The ultimate problem here is not the school’s administration, not Pastor Brian himself but those parents/guardians because they have given freedom to choose school for their children and they know what they are capable of. If you can’t teach your kids, then never expect outside your home.

    1. Another backward thinker right here.

      The main issue here is NOT the breaking of the rules, but the rules themselves. They are downright illogical and invalid, not to mention, unscientific. Try reading about second language acquisition, multiculturalism, and world Englishes. And, at least try to remember this very simple quote:


    2. Your English made my head hurt.

      And in what world does threatening a child with violence not constitute as a problem?

      I don’t see how it can be the parents’ fault. Should THEY be the ones smashing phones into their kids’ faces to keep them from speaking in Ilocano?

      ‘Based on the story’, the policies of the school mete out a reprimand and a conference with the parents should students offend school rules on using English. ‘Based on the story’, that’s not what happened, and the students got expelled without due process.

    3. This isn’t about the choice of parents and guardians regarding their choice of school. Neither it is about the rules implemented in the institution. I believe that the underlying issue here is whether they were indeed given due process.

    4. Another deluded person right there on top! The only exaggeration I see is the actions done by the president of this school nothing more. It’s clear that you don’t know anything about the laws that abide children’s rights.

    5. Dee maybe your one of a kind like that of that bastard singaporean…the 3 kids are in their own territory so you and that singaporean should be out in the ilocos region you have no place there..

    6. the ultimate problem here is people like you who are patronizing western cultures. why do parents enroll their children in that school in the first place?, because of that English language speaking policy, some parents think that if their children speaks english parang sosyal ung dating. it annoys me when some parents speak english to their kids especially in public diyos ko wrong grammar naman hahaha. buti pa sa public may subject na mother tongue.

    7. Dee you are partly correct and partly wrong. Even their school’s regulations was not followed. No reprimansion, no conference with the parents but direct expulsion. Is that correct? As a curriculum Developer, I saw a loophole in that school’s policy because, DepEd promulgates Mother Tongue learning as a subject. Hence, there is an avenue for that subject to be used then by the students. There seem to be a kind of “overlooked” on the side of DepEd on why they approve that kind of school’s regulation in a private school. PTA can do something about that. And where is the side of the Guidance Counselor in that case?

    8. Are you a parent? Can you please re-read your comment. You cannot put theblame on the parents of these children simply because you think that they have chosen the wrong school. Parents want the best for their children. I strongly believe that they thought that SCA is one of the best schools in their place. Where in the story can you find your statement that ‘parents failed to comply’? I agree that there are rules that needed to be followed, and there are due processes that needs to be done. If these kids were guilty of the offense, they should be sanctioned accordingly. Were there any investigations before they were expelled? These kids don’t desrve to be punished by the traumatic experience that they had. Ikaw kaya ma-expel, ano mararamdaman mo? Ikaw kaya magingmagulang at makickout ang anak mo, ano mararamdaman mo?

  16. Last year, we were informed also that listening devices are installed at undisclosed location inside the campus to monitor violations. I just do not know if they are still doing this though. Old students know about this.

    1. You are being SPIED and OK lang sa inyo? Na para lang sa lintek na policy na yan? Are you even aware of Human Rights?

  17. Being ilokana, I was devastated on what happened to the kids. Para csa pastor-president ay nakakawalang-galang ang ginawa nito. Mabalin mt a pagsaritaan ti nasalyaat without talking trashtalk or trashact. He’s out of mind, sa sobrang galit. Maliit na bagay, pinalaki niya pa -,-

  18. then what’s the use of the K12 program of the DEP-ed.? I grow up on a public school, mixed languages, religion, tradition and mores… yet i can speak fluently in Ilokano or English… Adula unay ngamin nga kinaarte no dadduma… Haan amin ket nabaknang, why when you speak english you are brighter or smarter? i learned to speak ilokano and english not in school but in my own family…..

    1. Ako din. My English language was developed not through Various Educations but through exploring and exposures. Yet I am an ALS product.

  19. I think this President Shah is a lunatic…PUT YOUR SCHOOL IN UK, USA, CANADA or AUSTRALIA native English is their language…UMALIS KA DYAN SA ILOKOS REGION…pastor ka ba? ISA KANG BULAAN..WALA KANG COMPASSION…MR.President Shah YOUR CRAZY

  20. lets make it simple DEp ED memo tells us to deal with such case taking the benefit always to the child ,after all they are minors ,First offense or violation reprimand .second offense /violation /suspension /and third offense is recommendation for expulsion by the principal or administrator in such case as maybe . the princ or any authority in the school. has no power to expelled a student/pupils only he /she can recommend it to the regional director through the div .superintendent ,and pending the decision of the regional director ,everything must be status quo . Regarding the freedom of parents to choose their children,s school,that’s no question ,the odds here is the way Rev. Sha ,allegedly gestured his ruthlessness and arrogance by shouting at these 3 poor boys in public,men this is unbecoming of an officer much more to a REVEREND/PASTOR like him .Sir is it not that you must forgive 7×7 ,or you must be passionate and loving and caring to those who go astray? is it not that above all the values and virtues is LOVE ? is it not that you MUST DO what you preach in life ?is it not that JESUS the supreme pastor forgive the harlot from his sins with all compassion ,and gave her another chance and command her to sin no more ? And with due respect with your organization and school ,please revisit your goals mission and visions because for now ,your action speaks so loud that i cant understand what you are saying or what your school is saying . .

  21. he’s not a real pastor…he’s a FAKE!
    There is no Godly love in his actions. he destroys the children’s future and that is what the devils does. GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY IF YOU WANT TO IMPLEMENT YOUR POLICY! YOU’RE AVOIDING THE ILOCANOS TO SPEAK IN THEIR MOTHER TONGUE!!!! YOU ARE A FOOL…

  22. DEPORT THIS FAKE SINGAPOREAN CHRISTIAN. such a disgrace to his country, a disgrace to the Christian faith!

  23. naglaka solusyonan, ingka ijay badoc wenno pinili, mangitugot ka mesa nga kalding, tapos nayunam 2 pay mesa nga kwatro kantosen sigurado solb ta problema iti amin. tutal singaporean met gayam, awan karbengan na nga adda d2y deta nga litsi hahaha

  24. Punishing children is not wrong nor bad. But what precisely the article was trying to say is that, they need Justice for the kids who were kicked-out from the school just because they were caught speaking/talking in their vernacular language(Ilokano) especially Kleinee na nakarinig pa ng hindi maganda mula sa Presidenteng Pastor ng school. Yes Indeed, it was the policy of school to refrain the individuals not to speak any other language aside from English. Yet, the school cannot really make a good English communicator through their policy. Okay na sanang makicked-out e, wag lang makarinig ng hindi kanais-nais, ayan tuloy na-trauma. Kleinee is only a child.
    Article XIV Section VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates the Government to “take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system.” (Ano pang silbi nito? The School President should also considerate this Constitution, because the said school was established here in the Philippines and the School President don’t have the power to change this constitution. And the people who will try not to abide the law will definitely accuse and should be punish.)
    I am with the both sides, its just that, mali yung ginawa ng Pastor e, Pastor pa man din sya. Well then I concluded that the Pastor is not an “alagad ng Diyos” but rather he is an “alagad ni Satanas”. Lol 🙂

  25. Brian Shah is the outstanding laoagueno for 2013. he has been living in the Phil. for almost 25 years, he came from a well to do family, he started as missionary in a little barangay in pasuquin. he was the proponent of shelter of joy, giving shelters to street kid and a medical center giving free medical clinic everyday at laoag city…and some other projects outside ilocos ammu u daytoy apo will u make the same comment. i dont tolerate what he did if in fact he is guilty..ngem mano kadakayo ni adda contribution na ti laoag a kasla kengkuana? wenu agpapada tau nga sao sao laeng..

    1. “Hindi lahat ng gumagawa ng mabuti di na nagkakamali, kung walang usok walang apoy”

      Provided the allegations are true:

      Tama ka, Ilocanos are indebted to him, but is it right to violate someone because of these things????
      Reflect on the quote po – I may have a point.

    2. front-act nya lang ang pagiging pastor. The truth is he is a BUSINESSMAN. Nagpatayo sya ng church then what’s next? a school? a very expensive school… The books here in SCA is 3x the price of the other private school… mind you, it’s not Shah who built the school but the parents… each of us contributed 500.00 for a new building. other contributions were not implemented yet they collected money from us. there are also questionable fees na hindi masagot-sagot during meetings. I am very much relieved na graduate na yong anak ko dyan… Hindi sya deserving for that award… It’s a shame to us Ilokanos na binigyan sya ng award where in fact is mas marami pang deserving dyan. tumutulong ng palihim…

      1. hindi rin isyu dito nu ana ti naubraan na nga nasayaat…. ti pagsasaritaan ket ti inaramid n kadagitoy ubbing? is that the way how a pastor react? maysa pay, adu ti ag-il-ilokano nga ubbing dita uneg ti campus ngem bay-bay-an na and i dn’t knw the reason nu apay haan nga sangapada… expelled kuma aminen a nga estudyante ditan nu kasta met lng gayam ti kayat na…

        1. nakita yo kadin ti SCA itan? nu ana ti inaramid na? nirakrak na ti 2 or 3 rooms para lng gawing parking area ng magagarang sasakyan nya. hello?! tapos magpapa-contribute para agpatakder t buliding! Pastor nga talaga ta adu ti maal-lilaw na. (pwera de los buenos apo.) nagado ti lugan na nga nagatang na gapu kanyatayo nga ilokanos…

          1. have u ever tried to donate or contribute a singe cent for any building structures? Its not the president/administrator/principals/teachers who are sussgesting any project to donate. if u belong to SCA, then u should know everthing.

    3. I’m assuming you’re allowing his misconduct towards your “katengans” because he had A LOT of projects. How foolish.

    4. wew!! great background check but unfortunately this issue is not about his contributions. yes i know he did great things and why he did it we would not know. It only means that he has the resources to do it but it really now, does that mean that he can go around ranting that he will be using his phone to bash up kids. And expelling them for an unjust cause without even due process. If your asking for contributions we are all paying taxes right and i assume you are doing it as well. You don’t need to be measuring people base on how extravagant their contributions are. Better read the Bible and you will know what im talking about.

  26. i will suggest to my congressman-boss to file a bill punishing anybody that hinders the use of child of his native tongue in school…the school President should have read the K to 12 Act in order for him to have a basis of his mood swing…

  27. He is an arrogant alien his documents are fake. He does not pay his taxes properly, yet he choose to establish his school in Laoag City and tries to eke a livelihood at our expense.He should treat us Ilocano’s nicely because he is earning from us, if he claims he is that good,why didn’t he establish a school or business in Singapore.You know what he cannot make it there,he cannot measure up to the standards of Singaporean educational system so he comes here and maltreats and disrespects us Ilocano’s. shame on you Brian Shah!!!!Excuse me what reverend??you must be day dreaming. The only thing is, you laugh your way to the bank.Let’s not enroll our kids there and will see what will happen to his school ! Wake up Deped officials! Wake up Laoag City officials! Wake up Provincial Officials! Wake up Bureau of Inmigration! Don’t be chummy with that arrogant boastful illegal reverend alien!And lastly wake up families of students enrolled at SCA!Don’t enroll at SCA pull out your kids there are schools who would accept your children with open arms!!!!

    1. Fellow Ilocanos you should report this to the this not a kind of child abuse and you should petition his ouster in Ilocos..he has no right to stay there.

  28. boycott the school. encourage every parent to transfer their children/students to another school.


    Now, any policy or rules that deviates the existing law of the land is invalid, unlawful and unconstitutional! Thank you…

  30. Brian Shah is shameless! He’s in Ilokano turf for shitting like that! I would not even enroll my kid in his school just to learn his Singaporean accent English la!!!

  31. I don’t care on how these kids to speak in Ilokano Rev. Shah, Because this is Ilokano Province you stupid piece of shit! At kung ayaw masalo ng maraming tinapay sa putang inang ulo mo, wag niyo kaming pakialaman ta pilipino kami at marunong ka namang rumespeto sa mga batang may matutunan pa naman sana ng magandang asal! Kaya pag nakita kita dian sa Laoag, bibigyan kita ng regalo. Dalawang middle finger sa harap ng mukha mu at change your heart and your make up your goddamn pathetic mind! Blogger lang ako and be careful what you wish for you crazy stupid motherfucking president!


  32. Brian Shah is SHAHMELESS! He’s in Ilokano turf for shitting like that! I would not even enroll my kid in his school to learn his Singlis! SHAH DA PACK-UP!

  33. I agree with you sir, this is a crime or linguistic disrespect. This school must be closed from now on. They don’t have the right to forced their student to not speak Ilocano.

  34. A Pastor- President can speak a harsh word like that to a kid??!!! I THINK HE’S NOT TO BE RESPECTED AS WELL. You’re located in LAOAG, and for that simple issue you dismissed a student?!!! Shame on you “Brian Shah” you’re not worthy to be called a “Reverend” or anything else. You must learn to control your temper and learn how to forgive you’re students. “Kababain ka, maymayat pay nga umalis ka ditan”

  35. that monster should definitely be ousted;he’s actions were against the law;he should be brought back to his own homeland;anyway, i came from ilocano origin and im so very proud about it;i now live somewhere in UNited Kingdom but i still practice and respect our language;i even encourage my kids not to forget it so they can still get along well with our relatives back home yet they remain to be the topnotchers in their school.

    dakayo nga mangidadaulo iti Ilocos Norte,pagawidenyon dayta nga tao!!!Agbiag dagiti ILOCANO;AGBIAG.

  36. Sus, awan lang gungunana nga reverend. Dapat maikkan ti leksiyon daytoy nga Instik. Nya kadi ti makuna yu apo DepEd wenno apo Mayor?

  37. during the Spanish era, Diego and Gabriela Silang killed the foreign invaders of the North…just do the same with the white monkey…

  38. First of all, my admiration to this couragious, and loving mother of the boy…Me, too, is very much indignant to these episodes of disrespect on these students and incivility to humanity in general.. A few days ago, same episode happened to my niece…yelled and finger pointed in front of other students not only on that same day caughted speaking on dialect but on the following day also.. I can just imagine the fear and shame my dear niece experienced on those moments. These people that we believed and entrusted the personal and intellectual development of our children are the same people who destroys the self respect and integrity in them.Do these superiors and teachers have the right to denigrate our children?Thanks to the immediate call of my former Mrtc judge uncle to the school that they toned down, if not, maybe the humiliations to my niece might have caused so much to her moral and psycilogical integrity. And if thus, my love to my niece might have forced me to do legal actions..We love our country, we have to be proud of it. And one way to do so is to let her history and culture be respected in all aspects by everyone, by locals, nationals and international individuals…VIVA TO ILOKANOS…

    1. As for you Mr. “Krisostomo”, are you Ilokano yourself? Let’s say this also applies to a school in Katagalugan where the principal punishes the students for repetitively speaking in Tagalog because it’s the language they’re comfortable at? Or what about a Chinese-managed international school in England. How would English society feel if the local schoolchildren are treated this horrendously because they’re not speaking Mandarin? How should this concern become ground for expulsion?

      Don’t be insensitive.

      1. if you’re gonna enroll in any school. you must read or must know about the policy or hand book… w/o knowledge of it.. you’re just an idiot entering something you don’t know what’s in it or what you’re doing..
        make sense? think of it.. rules is rules.. policy is policy. you don’t follow policy. then what the heck are you implementing it in the 1st place..
        1st thing 1st. it wasn’t a 1st offense. it was 3rd..

        must READ THE HAND BOOK , if you’re not good with it. then enroll then. got it ?

        1. Have you read the constitution and our laws Mr. Mark Krisostomo? Its is the “policy” of our nation. (Pinoy ka ba?) Then I assume that you agree if the laws of the land shall deal with Most Reverend Shah… got it? There is higher mandate being violated other than just the policy of the school.

  39. maymaysa lang nga rason ti adda ditoy, sakbay tay agsao-kitan tay kuma jay maysa nga panig nu ana met ti rason da nu apay innikkat da dagijay studyante, Agpayso nagbabaw nga rason a kunayo, ngem tay kunakon, MAYMAYSA LANG NGA PANIG TI NAIRWAR DITOY NGA BLOG…

    1. The school can’t exist without students. If SHAH-me owns it plus there’s band of teachers who are Ilokano sipsips, these teachers are hypos, kiss ass…or are they a bunch of MF for Shah-me??? Sorry, …

  40. dati po ako nag aaral diyan kaso lumipat po kami kasi puro gastos yung school nayan biruin nyo almost 1k per project? tapos mag aambag pa kami ng 20PhP each para sa locker at fiber glass eh samantalang yung LOCKER na binayaran namen eh pinaparenta naman TSSSSS AT P.S YANG SCHOOL NA YAN AY PROVEN NA MUKANG PERA 1 FIELD TRIP TO MANILA COSTS 6K! AT THOSE 3 STUDENTS ARE GOOD FRIENDS OF MINE LALO NA SI SAMBOY JOLLY AT MAKULIT PERO MAY RESPETO!

    1. You say that you’re a former student of SCA? Then why don’t you know these:
      1.) The project regarding the locker was agreed by the parents.
      2.) You were not obliged to rent a locker.
      3.) The P6000 didn’t go to the school, it went to the host of the said field trip. Again, you were not obliged to join the field trip.

      Get your facts straight.

      1. yes we agreed on the said locker but the funny thing is we have to rent it. why? we parents agreed because it is more convenient for our child to have one but to let our child rent what we put up is already absurd… sana wala ng rent dyan tutal kami naman gumastos dyan… since kunti lng naman ang mga locker e di palitan ang gagamit… dapat lahat ng bagay or project n gagawin e my feasibility studies pa para ma-implement ng tama… yun lng po…

        1. Kaya nga po may agreement eh dba? Nag-oppose po naman kasi sana kayo kung ayaw niyo rin naman. Kung ayaw niyo po magbayad, ehdi wag magrent. Simple lang naman e. Pinapalaki niyo lang po yung problema.

          1. anong agreement you are talking about? ng-opposed ako pero nagbayad p rin ako. kahit maraming may ayaw, still pinursue nila ang locker n yan.. and do you really think that they’ll gonna sign my daughter’s clearance if she’ll not gonna pay the said contribution? yes i didn’t allowed my daughter to rent because it only means n sunud-sunuran n lng tayo sa gusto ng school… are you a parent or a student? kng student ka lng, dont react on that dahil you dnt knw how important money is… you’ll know that soon…


  41. Kung effective silang talaga sa pagtuturo ng ENGLISH for 20 something years, look at these:

    SCA stud “downstairs” translation: “IN THE DOWN”
    SCA stud “is it like this?” translation: “CAN BE LIKE THIS?”


    1. Grabe ka namang makapaggeneralize! I was a graduate there a few years ago but I did not speak such. I did here people speaking like that when I was studying there though. I was cringing every time I hear them speak.

    2. Talk to me so i can prove you wrong. I suggest you look at yourself in the mirror first before talking. And mind you. A man with a morning glory in his eye wont recognize it while he is teasing another man for having a morning glory.

  42. First of all, I would just like to agree to all what the author had said. How can a reverend do such thing? He’s even a Singaporean. Can’t he show some respect to us? We, Filipinos, the real owner of this land he’s been standing, walking, and running on. He’s just a horrible alien landed to our country who tries to make our mother language vanish. He’s tried to discipline the kids but can we consider that a ‘disciplinary action’? I think it’s more of a torment. Those 3 young victims will be humiliated for their entire lives. Why? That’s because they’ll think they were kicked out because they had done something really terrible. But the truth is that their school president was the one who did something terribly. God entrusted him to be His servant. But what did he do? Should God also kick him out? Just like what he did to the students. The only difference is, God had a reason.

  43. He must even learn the vernacular because he is an”alien” in his place, so he could feel and understand the events/situations around him.And to think that he is confined in an educational institution, His words and action have been unbecoming from a REVEREND who is supposed to exemplify respect to every human being..
    He must learn from his mistakes and it is him who should be punished, not the children.
    There’s nothing wrong with speaking Ilokano.unless the meaning of the words uttered were really disrespectful or foul.
    Pwede naman kasing pagsabihan ng maayos na lang.Grabe naman syang magreact.

  44. anya ngay nabasam dagiti, nakuna dagiti umili ti ilocos, kas maysa nga ilokano ditoy pangasinan, maibagak laeng……..o shah agawid kan idiay nagapuam.

  45. I came across this news and it broke my heart. I believe that man is just masking as a pastor to put up a business in the Philippines. If the news is accurate and true, I would say he violated and continuously violating the rights of our people if that school is still operational. Implementing rules and regulations should be and would always be within the scope. Nothing is above the Philippine Law for it has sovereignty in the country.

    I saw three major violations here. The first one is not conforming with the requirement of DepEd. Being a private school as it is, it still will always be within the authority of DepEd, thus, they have to comply with what DepEd says. Secondly, i have read that even those poor teachers were victims of unjust management of this so called Reverend Shah (for he needed to masked as a pastor to be called reverend, showing how he really wants to bask from glorifying himself). There is no way that a punishment will equal a forfeiture of someone else’s a month salary unless the work is deemed illegal. In the first place, chatting with the students using social media is no business of the School. The school can always encourage but not impose for it is something private, unless, Shah meant the social media account of the school. Atop of it all, he is not only violating the laws of men, in this case, our law, but also the laws of the heavens, by which he cannot escape punishment regardless he is chummy with a top Laoag official or any top DepEd officials.

  46. for those parents sending their children on the said school u should not agree on that policy.we are Filipinos and we should be proud of our own language and dialects…

  47. Policy? respect? Where are the rights of the children here….. Did this is absolutely absorb , disgusting, and totally discriminating act hence using his position to discriminate people. This children are being ABUSE , where does the “Human Rights Act” article 8…. People of the Philippines let us unite to protect the rights of these VULNERABLE CHILDREN….

  48. In my opinion its a lesson to learn and its a policy that must follow…
    but student are still kids… and must be guided by school teachers and other school official.

    the official of this school must think about this incident.

    pwede silang kasuhan sa pagtangal nila sa mga bata.

  49. mga uto2 din kayo na nag rereact agad. di niyo nga alam kung totoo talaga na ganito ang nangyari at di lang gawa gawa ang isyung ito. may utak kayo para gamitin. mag isip muna kayo, di yong puro bunganga ginagamit niyo. wala akong pinapanigan.

    1. wag kang magsalita ng ganyan dahil lahat ng taong andoon the time na nagsalita nga ganon si pastor e pare-pareho ng sinabi. andon din ang 2 nephews ko and they heard it… all of it… kung wala kang pinapanigan then don’t comment ng ganyan…. u can simply say “no comment on that” d b?

    2. Wala ka naman palang pinaglalaban, umepal ka pa para mag-comment? SCA is locally notorious for this policy. And do you really think that Mr. Herdy La Yumul, a renowned professor at the North’s state university would risk his reputation for a “gawa-gawang issue”? THINK.

  50. kunam met laeng no napintas launay dayta eskwelaan na…diyak man pay nangngeg nga adda nangabakan na a contest….apay amin nga studyante idiay ket fluent ti English baka teachers idiay d pay fluent…..sus takki na a nabuyok…dmo payla puuran dayta nga school agraman dayta Mr. Shah kunam la no nalaing….di naman kilala ung school niya ano…..

  51. Well, the writer’s RIGHT!!! That Singaporean b***h are abusing our hospitality!!! You know, even we-Filipino can’t just simply do that for a very precarious reason! Syempre, nandito tayo sa ILOCOS, eh ano ba ang wika natin dito?-ILOKANO!
    Discriminator, Abuser, Dictator, those are only few from the billions of words you can use to describe Brian Shah! Can you imagine, a “soldier” of GOD can say and do that? How pathetic he is!! That sh*t don’t have the right to do that in our “OWN” Land-Philippines specially in our province!
    Ana kayat na parwaren ita??!!! Nababa la unay ti Ilokano kasjay?!!!
    Mahiya ka naman sa sarili mo Mr. Brian Shah! HINDI ka perpekto!!! Agawid ka jay Singaporen sika Mr. Shah! Haan mi kasapulan ti tao nga kasla kinyam ditoy!!! Nalalaing ti ILOKANO!


  52. I am not Ilokano, but I believe this is an utmost disrespect toward the people of Amianan and their identity. Shouldn’t this situation fall under racism which has already been prohibited by law?



  54. I am not an Ilokano,but I am your fellow filipino. We should unitedly take an action against this pastor. Let us take this matter to the congress. We don’t owe him respect instead he’s the one who wes us respect. Let us unite!!!

  55. What kind of policy do they have???
    These kids are born as Ilokanos…How can a Pastor expel young kids just because of speaking their own dialect??I’m also disappointed with the parents of Samboy because they just accepted the decision made without any action for their son, though they are under that pastor(?).
    We are living in a democratic country so we are free to speak in any way we want…It’s not a good way of enhancing the students’ ability to speak the English language. Rather, it’s like teaching the children to turn their back to their culture.
    In fact he must be the one to show respect to Ilakonos because he’s in our own land. He must respect the dialect we have.
    I think he must be the one to be expelled..He doesn’t deserve to be in a country where people like us treat people like him..

  56. I was once a student at SCA and they were telling to us that Pastor Brian Shah was a soft-hearted person.But I was so disappointed about the issue of kicking out young innocent students for just speaking Iloco in that school.
    I do not know if that Pastor has a child. How can he take the feeling of ruining a dream of young children that has put their trust on them. His image now to me has change from a good person to a very bias one. He should not be at the Philippines if he does not want to hear people speaking
    in Ilocano. He should have warned the students than to kick them out just like a single glance. That person is a Pastor serving God but he his not next to Godliness instead his like going to the wrong way for what he had just done. You are a crime for our country Reverend Brian Shah. Do not under estimate Ilocanos!
    A soft-hearted person just broke a boulevard of dreams of the young dreamers.

    1. people change because of money… maybe that’s one of the reason why a kind person change to a monster… nasilaw sya sa pera at kapangyarihan… as the bible says “THE LOVE OF MONEY, IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL” if i’m not mistaken, it is located at the book of Timothy.

      1. Sure ka po ba? Kilala niyo po ba talaga si Pastor Brian? Parang po naman kasi kilala niyo e. Ang bilis mo po magconclude. Wala namang supporting facts. At isa pa, sa dami rami niyo pong kinoment na super harsh, nadadamay ang mga estudyante, guro at faculty. Isip isip din. Oh sige, gaya rin niya, you’re letting your emotions rule you.

        1. tsk…tsk..tsk…. try to put your shoes on those 3 kids then react… tignan ko kung hindi magbago yang pagtingin mo sa taong iyan.yes i’ve known him since time immemorial….

          1. to sam the kid na na expel. anak po siya ng pastor din sa saviours for 25 years whom i heard he help mr shah built the church and school. wala pong favoritism na expel din ung bata and the day after nagpunta pa daw ung bata sa SCA to play with his frends. mas mature pa po yong na expel na bata kasya sa atin kasi na accept nya (fault) nya at yong nangyari.

            1. i know that kid and the parents as well… yes i admire him dahil na-accept n nya… walang favoritism? dnt think so…. anyway, i just pray that justice will be served to those kids…

    2. if u were once a student of SCA, how come u do not know if they have a child or none? you are not only bias but, judgemental also.

  57. Mr. Shah’s intention of promoting the English language through SCA may be good but his ways of doing so -showing cruelty to children and disrespecting not only the Iluko dialect, but also its users- are not. His policies are questionable since the Department of Education already mandates MTBMLE, in line with its K-12 program. Why should his school be an exemption to this?
    Language is supposed to be a measure of worth of the place where it is highly spoken. Does he mean to say that Ilocanos are worthless? In high school, Filipino teachers always include in their discussions Jose Rizal who said that all language -Latin, English, Filipino and even the language of angels- are equal because it was the Lord in wisdom who bestowed and gave them to us. Does this mean that his Christian school refuse to accept this simple fact?
    To truly give a solution, the ones who should be blamed are those in position -be it a politician or a DepEd official. They are the ones who drive men, such as Mr. Shah, to commit immoral acts because of the knowledge that, with their help, they will be “untouchable, invincible or well-protected.” This was also the very same explanation given to us when a teacher, from a different school, bullied and physically hurt my younger brother who was in Grade 5 at that time. For what is deporting a single individual like Mr. Shah if people in position will continue to abuse their power and support unworthy educators? There could be hundreds of cruel teachers opressing the rights of students out there, for all we know.
    I say we should take this down to the root level and hit where it truly and really hurts.

  58. kaya po hindi umuunlad ang pilipinas eh. sariling wika natin hindi po naten pinapahalagahan bagkus ipinagtatabuyan pa ng iba. paano po ba naten masusulosyunan ang mga malalaking problema ng ating bansa kung sa wika pa lang natin ay isang malaking problema na. isang malaking kalokohan po ang pag pigil sa pagsasalita ng sarili nating wika. kung ikaw mismo ay isang pilipino at ganyan po ang trato niyo sa ating wika. mas malala pa po kayo sa taong nagdodroga at pumapatay. ang mga taong katulad nyo po ay ang dapat tinatawag na salot ng lipunan. dahil kayo ang sumisira sa ating lahing pilipino. hindi po masamang magsalita ng salitang dayuhan ngunit ang pag pigil sa mga PILIPINO na magsalita ng SARILING WIKA ay isang malaking kagaguhan. kawawa naman po ang mga taong nagtatrabaho at nag aaral sa inyo. daig pa nila ang mga taong nakakulong as bilangguan.

  59. malagip ko la unay daydi seminar mi ti MTB-MLE sir nga kuna dagitay regional officers iti DEPEd nga haan dan to irenew iti Private School nga haan mangusar iti Mother Tongue… Ana ngarud tay subject da iti Mother Tongue’n? Switswitiken dan sa metten iti nakaisurat ngarud iti report card dan?

    1. Haan nga iti kinasiasino ni Ptr.Brian iti intay koma tingitingen no di ketdi iti napasamak. Due process for the affected children and maybe rechecked on the implemented policies. Yes we said rules are rules, then they should have talked or conferred with the parents regarding the matter before giving out a decision. SCA Parents enrolled their children in the prestigious school to learn better English, but SCA as a Philippine School should abide by the law of the land to follow MTB-MLE at least to primary pupils. As a Mother Tongue teacher i can say that my pupils learn English and Filipino better by starting in their L1 (Ilocano). Ammo dan nga iti Nouns ket Pangnagan ken mas maawatan da iti usar na daytoy.

  60. aBbeY dAwn : it does not fit for him to be called a pastor/reverend! first of all he doesnt even have the traits, patience and values of a pastor.. why? why does he need to dictate what language should a student/person use, may it be inside/outside the school premises, he doesnt have a single right to treat a Filipino like that just because he is the owner of the school!! he didnt even think what the kids would feel or what trauma it will cause the kids because of what he has done.. bawat tao ay isinilang sa isang bansa na may sariling lenguwahe. kung ganyan lng din pala ang gagawin nya sa bawat student n maririnig nyang nagIlokano ehh mas mabuti pang bumalik na sya sa bansa nya at dun sya magtayo ng school nya! nilalagyan nya lng ng dumi ang salitang “pastor”. i will not be shocked if one day nabalitaan ko nalang na nagsara na ang school dahil wala ng may gusto pang magaral sa school nya.. Mr. Brian Shah go back to your country if u dont want to be smashed by our cellphones!


  62. Piece of advice ko lang ha…… For the 3 kids, respect the laws. For the president, control and be careful on actions towards others. For all of us, think before we speak.

  63. What a person! Hindi sya karapa’t dapat na maging isang “reverend”.
    After what he did to the students!? He’s just showing that he doesn’t have respect and discipline. Pastor pay ah! My goodness!!!
    Are you not ashamed of yourself?!? You’re just destroying the reputations of the other “Pastors”. Mahiya ka naman. Bnabahiran mo ng dumi ang mga Pastor.
    Taga-Ilocos ka tapos ayaw mong magsalita ng Ilokano? Ikinakahiya mo ganun?? Eh t*rpe ka pala eh. tsk..

    Pumunta ka sa HELL., baka pwede dun ang mga taong ikinakahiya ang kanyang pinagmulan.. Pwede ka pa atang mag kick out ng estudyante dun.. kahit ganu karami.. TRY MO! Kahit BUMISITA KA LANG! Tingnan ko lang kung makabalik ka pa…

    1. Sa mata ng Diyos, alam niya kung ano ang 22o.Please wag tayong mag-aakusa.Wala akong pinapanigan at sana huwag nating ipakita na tayong mga Ilocano ay walang disiplina dahil tayo rin ang mababahiran ng dumi kung magsalita tayo ng masama.Lahat ng lalabas sa bunaganga natin ay replekto kung anung klaseng tao tayo..

      1. Sorry if my emotions ruled me. I am just sharing my opinion. I am also a student. I know what they are feeling right now. And that is so traumatic. At a very young age (Grade 8), they already experienced “TT” and felt embarassment.

  64. apay ngamen ta nangato unay ti panagkita tau nu foreigner ti makin bage ti uray anya nga institution? Angengga ita colonial mentality latta ti makita kadatayo.

  65. PUNISH THAT b**ch!!! or at least show him how to respect our countrymen’s dialect in our very own land. “You are not respecting my people”??? how dare u Mr Shah! You dont respect our country!

    bisaya here.

  66. We are Filipinos, therefore we should use our own language. Even though it’s a school rule. What Shah did to those students is just abusive, and nonsense. Just because they spoke Ilocano inside the school, doesn’t mean they can be abused and kicked out as soon as possible. They are also humans. they make mistakes. His rules may help the students who are enrolled but still, a NO for me. it’s so abusive and It’s not his right to abuse Filipinos because he is not even a Filipino. And for his information. Speaking in Ilocano is not a crime. Well, in conclusion, “Sa ginawa nya, siya na rin ang sumira sa pangalan ng eskwelahang kanyang itinayo”

  67. What you’re doing children is a manifestation of the will to disobey.
    And the will to disobey or disobedience itself is a supporting factor of unethical acts or thoughts.
    What I’m trying to point out is that, everybody knows we are Ilocanos, and you keep protesting?
    *Protesting = Disobedience = Loss of Ethics
    Only shows more of the negative side of Ilocanos, and I guess that is a bigger shame.

    (Pardon me for my grammatical errors)

  68. Dictatorship rules … what a world … btw. just day before yesterday as well yesterday in Spain two differents small grups of friends going to arenas sound music festival in Valencia tried to speak in valencian ( name of catalan language in valencian region ) and got beaten by guardia civil ( police ) … I mean what a f*ck is happening even in Europe … btw. how many people have right to go to school in occitan, basc, bretany inside the france etc. even europe is pretty sick place …

  69. In my own opinion,the way how the pastor intetacted with the student is totally unacceptable.It’s really bragging rights .
    Despite the regulation that SCA is an english speaking zone, we filipinos have the right also to speak our own language, we should also learn to appreciate and give importance to it, because in this simple yet significant way we are practicing a sence of nationalism.
    If the school aims students to advance into society by introducing english as their only language, they are in the wrong track because according to study students who are using their mother tongue and other languages (multilingual)

    1. Sheann
      super istrikto naman ng pare na iyon,sana naman binigyan pa ng isang chance ang mga bata,syempre di rin natin maiiwasan ang magsalita ng ilokano o anumang lenggwahe na nakasanayan na natin o nakalakihan na natin.grabe ang pare na iyon,oo gusto nyang matutung magsalita ng wikang ingles ang mga istudyante nya pero wag naman sobrang dapat kondenahin ang pareng iyon sa paggawa ng immature na hakbang,simpleng bagay lng expelled kaagad,.jaja


      ,,,,,,WHAT A RUDE INSTITUTION?????!!!!!!!!

      1. It’s a private institution with it’s own rules and policies. Sinabihan na po sila since orientation.

        1. Even if it is a private institution (beyond the mandates of DepEd), expulsion of students because of their language is too harsh what more the way the students at that age were treated.

        2. This Shah guy is a joke.First of all,he got his Singaporean panties in a knot and called a 13 year old boy a “bitch”-is Shah gay???Just asking…
          He badly needs help.Looks like he has mental issues-either schitzo or psycho.Take your pick.

  70. Study shows that multilingual person has higher cognitive level than those who are not used to.
    And yet they are just singaporians,and so? We are filipinos and they are in our teritory. Who are they to deprive us in our own native language. (Continuation of my comment)

  71. What does the school have to say about this? Did you at least try to get their say on this? This “article” is one sided and a perfect example of irresponsible journalism. This would not have been published in legitimate news sites. Real journalists practice some standards of journalistic ethics. Perhaps you’re not a real journalist, but where’s your sense of fairness? When you chose to publish anything damaging to someone’s reputation you should give them a chance to explain, refute or defend themselves. Everyone deserves that. It’s only right.

    1. The school has been speaking to the media through the principal. If you really read the article, you’d know that I talked to the OIC and some teachers. The Pastor has not granted interviews to either broadcast or print, but he is welcome to air his side. This will see print in The Ilocos Times; editors see its worthiness. I know my professional ethics. Thanks.

      1. I am sure that a lot of Filipinos,presently in residing in the Philippines and abroad would very much like to hear what Brian Shah has to say about the matter,and the concerned who told on these three young boys.I would like to hear his explanation about “punishment by reprimand” versus “expulsion”.If you look at Osfi Acad Facebook page,on July 30,a day before the boys were advised to look for another school,Brian Shah posted in part that “Tomorrow,heads will roll”. By the way,I do have n indirect association with SCA.However,I definitely would not want to support a school that expels students for such breach.Needless to say,I am absolutely sure that other schools will welcome our overseas support.
        Very informative article,Mr. Yumul.Keep writing.

        Grace (Canada)

  72. pastor shah(tninam) is someone who is a dictator. is this not a child abuse acts he made to the just recently kicked out student?

  73. In my opinion, this article is biased. No offense pero ang bilis niyo po naman maniwala. Let’s also here the other side of the story. And please, napakainconsiderate niyo po talaga. Dinadamay niyo na rin ung church, students at yung binibigay na edukasyon ng eskwela. Lahat naman tayo may pagkakamali BUT choice niyo rin naman kung magmomove on ba kayo or hindi. Wag po naman kayo magsalita kung di naman kayo naging tunay na estudyante sa sca. Nananalo rin sila sa mga contests. Division, provincial, regionals, nationals. Kaya hindi pa sila kilala kasi nga bago palang. Slowly they’re making progress. So please, nadadamay po ang mag nag-aral, nag-aaral dun. Sino na ang masama sa atin?

    1. the thing is you are not getting what you payed for… kung studyante ka alam mo kung ano sinasabi ko…. i’ve been a student there and my mga teacher na imbes na magturo, nagttxt. nagmimiryenda, nag wawalng bahala… RIGHT

    2. May we not judged the school it self nor Ptr. Brian as we all do not know him personally. May we just addressed the real issue behind it. SCA is prestigious on its own way! Parents enrolled their children in that school to learn English better, however the school should at least checked the implementing rules that it sets and to follow it religiously as i understood a parent conference in its 2nd offense.

    3. Bakit? Alam mo ba yung “other” side ng story? Yes, maybe the reverend wants to be firm with the rules, but he didn’t follow it himself. Diba ire-reprimand?Did he even talk to the parents of the children before he decided to expel the students? Baka alam mo yung sagot. Enlighten us. Para pagsalitaan pa nya yung bata ng bitch? If you have a child, at ganto din ang sitwasyon, what will be your reaction? Magmomove on ka na lang? Damay talaga ang school itself kasi dun nga president yung reverend diba? Dun nagaral ang mga na- kick out na estudyante. Wala ba munang discussion among the teachers and the administration bago patawan ng sanction ang mga estudyante?

  74. If fluency in English means intelligence, nagbababaw taun. Padasen you a impromptu a pagtesen or interviewen taga SCA – you will SEE THE WORLD CLASS QUALITY NGA IBAGBAGA DA…


  75. How could a pastor, a reverent, a manager and an educator caused so much pain to kids, parents and others?
    I would rather be less educated, untitled, but respectful of others regardless of language, color of skins, education and belief system.

  76. The issue is not all about dictatorship, territorial leadership, discrimination, money or whatever. Where did that all come from? -____-“


  78. Mr. President, you better go home and plant camote at your backyard because you don’t have any right to manage and govern a school…or better go back to elementary so that you learn what RESPECT and EDUCATED mean…If those kids and you were Born at the same time, chances are, they are better than you…

  79. Whether the story is true or not, the problem and the main issue here is the policy. “ALIENATING” children/young people from their selves, their identity, their language and their culture is unacceptable and a paradox of education! The school is stifling, repressing and destroying Ilocano and Filipino culture in its own ways. Give the children the right to education, the right to speak, the right to learn, the right to know his/herself, the right to explore, the right to understand our culture. Ubbing dagitoy apo, haan tay kuma nga ipalubos nga in-inut nga mapukaw ti sarita tayo, ti kultura tayo, ti kina-Ilocano tayo, ti kina-(F)Pilipino tayo.

    1. I affirm and deep gratitude for a heart lifting message, very reflective and compassionate. ” Educators are FORMATORS, builders of a holistically developed citizenry. Values are caught not taught, any action that doesn’t radiate love and compassion isn’t aligned to Christ – way. I believe this circumstance, tho how injurious it was has a higher purpose. That is for educators to reflect and learn our lessons so this unpleasant experience will contribute to the healing of our consciousness and facilitates the evolution of our souls. It’s not ours to judge but let’s all be one solid and strong to denounce evil and pronounce the truth. God bless the victims .and may both parties receive God’s healing grace .
      With God’s compassion and mercy , this will bring a life~ transforming impact in all of us. With love and care to the kids & their parents. We care that you be healed of your trauma, hurts and pains.

  80. what about the new law? Isn’t it that we are supposed to teach the students (specifically grades 1-2) in our mother tongue? nu ngarud agsaoda ti ilokanon d kadi kick out the met? PASTOR KA PAY MET NGARUD!

  81. Sometimes I am amazed at the sheepishness of so many Filipinos when it comes to how foreigners behave in their land and how foreign cultures are seen as superior by many. I mean, people died for the country to be independent from foreign oppression. They shed their blood for it. But it seems like little has changed– 90% of music on the radio is foreign, people walk around with T shirts that say “USA” and most foreigners who live in the country never ever learn any Philippine languages but are still respected by the locals and treated with deference. And many act like they own the place. You mean a foreigner told a Filipino that he cannot speak his own language in his own country?
    And it was a Singaporean who ( after being treated like a coolie by the Brits) is imposing English only on Filipinos.

  82. “Hindi mo kailangang mag-Ingles para malaman nilang matalino ka, hindi mo din kailangang mag-Pilipino para sabihing Pilipino ka” – Gloc 9 at Syke
    I’ve just read of a British English Teacher who emphasized “to mind our language”, to celebrate diversity and to question why we equate intelligence with fluency in English. A Canadian anthropologist thinks that the continued pursuit of mastering only one language (and thereby looking up to only one culture) will tragically lead us to only one mode of thinking when our diverse problems clearly require various modes of thinking…

    Now, Philippine Schools strongly insist on this English-speaking policy and must it come this far?

  83. From the letter itself “…yet you continued to defy his order”.
    What, is this school some kind of dictatorship?

    And again, “You want me throw my cell phone at you? You bit*h!”.
    They forbid speaking in any other language aside from the English language, yet vulgar words are allowed, by their own president at that.

    I can somehow understand if this was conducted by a military academy which is really strict when it comes to speaking English, but it’s a Christian school for crying out loud.

  84. Maysa nak nga Ilocano ken awan iti panpanigak. Ngem kas panangbasak kadagiti komento, agbalbalin tayo a bias ta haan tay pay a nangegan ti buo nga istorya, agrereact tayon.. akakusaran tay jay taon. Nu intay amirisen,, nagbassit nga banag lang detoy a mabalin a pagsasaritaan ti agsinnumbangir a panig ..

    1. Saan ka cguro a tata laoag sir ta maibagam dayta. Padasem ti makisarita kadgiti nagannak nga inaldaw nga umuneg rumwar dta a pagadalan. If its not big deal.

  85. It’s not about how bias the story is, and maybe there’s a bit of exaggeration; but its about the POLICY. It is so wrong. Let’s put it this way, I’m an institution and i ask the kids (who are a real citizens of Ilocos and the Philippines, kids who grew up in ilocos since birth) to STOP being ILOCANO, FORGET being it when you come to me so that you can avail of my Bourgeois-inspired commodified EDUCATION. How cool is that? Edukasyon talaga deta?

    1. True blooded Filipino, Lakay, I agree with you. Education is a social institution. It is an agency of the people, of the citizens. Yet what this school does is a silent annihilation of an ethnolinguistic group, annihilation of Ilocanos and exterminating a culture and it is tantamount to genocide. However, the FUNNY part is why the hell the parents agreed with this kind of terms? with this kind of policy? My question of interest now is who made the policy? Teachers of that school, were you not able to see this? I know that in good faith you just want a higher standard for your school, but come on, your policy is unconstitutional and a paradox to what you offer: EDUCATION. You are sending your kids to school to UNLEARN their own language, own culture? As far as i know, you can still raise the standard of your school in other ways without sacrificing your mother tongue, your culture. Look for example,Japan.

  86. they kicked out our co-ilokano from their school why should’t we just kicked their ass out of our place and country..mad is the fact that they were chinese..

  87. i dont wanna sound Ad hominem but fyi, did you know that the Mr. Rev. Brian Shah is a close friend of the great gov of ilocos norte? Thats why he has the guts to do so. With that note, im just wondering to the people who say “maka-ILOCANO da marcos”. how true is that, their friend Mr. Rev. Brian Shah deprived children speaking their mother tongue, depriving them the right to know and propagate their culture. Free thinkers, rational thinkers of ilocos wake up. Rebulosyon detoyen

    1. I don’t think he is a close friend, it just so happens that the life partner of the highly esteemed official happens to be a Singaporean, mapan laeng met a ta awan met pada jay lakay nga intsik nga taga Singapore ditoy Ilocos. but then who cares if they are friends??? what is important is we are all EQUAL.Read RA 7610.

  88. In Canada, we have experienced an ongoing scandal regarding Canada’s treatement of indigenous peoples.

    As recently as the mid-60s, First Nations children were taken by force from their villages and families and placed in “Residential Schools”.

    In these Residential Schools, the kids were forced to speak English, a language they had never learned, and speaking their own language was forbidden.

    Those who dared speak their native tongue were subjected to various methods of punishment which could range from a verbal scolding to being hit with a ruler to being beaten.

    The government of Canada issued a formal apology for this scandalous treatment of its First Nations, and those who had attended Residential Schools were very well compensated financially for the wrongs they had suffered.

    When I read this story about these Iloko children, I shook my head, for it is so similar to what happened to many of my friends. I hope Ilokanos everywhere will rise up and protest this treatment and will, hopefully, get this man fired or at the very least, reeducated.

  89. If the parents signed the agreement found in the handbook, then it’s the end of the conversation. That’s how school works. Also, he’s a 1st year high school therefore the “mother-tongue” argument is not that valid. For me, they should bring the case to DepEd to shed some light in this matter. Let’s give the man a break.

  90. DEPED wake up and better close that Christian (?) school…It should be closed and banned in Laoag City….That pastor should put up his school in America instead !!!!!

  91. Kng paano ntin inumpisahanang paglinis sa mga KAPULISAN ntin…sana po umpisahanna din ntin linisin ang laman o tagapamahala ng mga simbahan at nagpapatakbo nito lalo na ang ganitong mga KLASE na tao.THEY called themselves REV. pro cla dn ang gumagawa ng praan pra mawalan ng twala ang mga mananampalataya at kapwa nla.I BELEIVE nmn sa pinapatupad nla sa bwat School nila bt they should teach & correct their students well d 2lad nito.Dpat lng na yng tao na yn ang Patalsikin jn o kya sya ang TURUANG MAG ILOCANO.Jn kpa nagkalat sa KAILOKANWAN..IPABAGKAT U K8 TA ESKWELAAN NAY KAKABSAT TA IRUAR YO DTA ILOCOS.he he he

  92. The school policy regarding the dicipline is not disputable nor arguable, but his stupid tantrum of this so called christian pastor didn’t exercise his ability to pastor the student in a christian way rather destroyed the moral and self confident of the poor student. Tell this guy to take a hike!

  93. DISGUSTED, ANGERED, AND DISAPPOINTED!!! A pastor who is being looked up to should be a ROLE MODEL.. get out from our country you BRIAN..CONSIDER YOURSELF AS A PASTOR, you don’t have a place in our province.. Remeber you are only a TRANSIENT. We love our dialect and our language.. Why do you impose your principle of NO VERNACULAR. Remember, You are insecure and immature.. REMEBER A WELL ROUNDED PERSON SHOULD BE UNIVERSAL IN HIS WAY OF COMMUNICATION… A pastor who is a dictator should be
    prosecuted, and deported.. what a SHAME…

  94. It is this Shah and his wife who should be kicked out of this country…and I mean, literally KICKED OUT! And they should remove the word “Christian” from the name of the school because it definitely isn’t Christian. I hope the “dog” is reading all these comments – that it sends him scampering out of this beautiful country, with his tail between his legs!!!

  95. We need AKSYON AGAD! Send him back where he belong!
    What he did is not an act of A PASTOR.
    He just want to use the image,for him to get into business in our country.
    He imposed rules and regulations and yet,he himself,can not impose.
    He is A MONSTER to our youth…OUSTER him ASAP.

  96. This is outrageous! A president with that much of an authority. A school that forbids students to speak ones’s native language. And what pretentious entitlements and preaching make-up to be doing and allowing hideous acts like this!

    1. I’ve read all the comments/replies on this page but this comment from Romulo Dumuk made my blood boil…. you seem to be proud that your kids don’t know how to speak ilocano/pilipino. “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika, ay higit pa sa hayop at malansang isda.” by Jose Rizal.

  97. Sa lahat ng nag-comment, huwag kayong magtago. Lumabas kayo sa totoong pagkatao ninyo. Baka akala ng Shah na yan ay takot kayo sa kanya. Baka nakalimutan niyang nasa Ilocos region siya, at bakit naman niya ipagbabawal na magsalita ang mga students ng “ilocano.” Naringgan ko na rin siyang nagsalita ng ‘Ilocano: eh tapos pagbabawalan niya mga estudyante niya? Tama nga ang accusation sa kanya “PERSONA NAN GRATA. Pabalikin na lang siya sa Singapore at doon siya magtayo ng school na Chinese at English lang ang salita sa school niya. And besides, hindi naman outstanding chirstian school ang ipinagmamalaki niyang school. Palaban ang mga Ilokano, nakalimutan yata niya ito.

  98. I may not be an Ilocano per se since I’m a Cebuano, but I feel your sentiments guys.
    Language is a privilege that we are all entitled to have, for it is our symbol, culture, identity and source of life.

    That’s why I spit at signboards that say “Speak English only” even if it were an American school, simply because I do not want to reject who I really am and that I am really really proud of the language I speak and say. And I bet Ilocanos also feel the same way as I do.

    Hey, don’t get me wrong here Shah, but if you’re purpose is to inculcate English to these children, then you don’t have to worry yourself about that. Filipinos are Asia’s perfect and best English speakers (than you guys do in Singapore), even if they spend their lives speaking vernacular everyday at home or in school, almost everytime. You’d be shock that even though we don’t speak English much, we are still good at it come at the end of the day.

    You disagree? Look at me. Read my comment. Look and read at all the comments above this.

    You know what’s shitty about you? You pretend to be holy and superior but if you yourself is breaking the rules and promises that you are implementing which results into being unfair, then I think you don’t deserve to be called the “servant of God”, nor a pastor nor definitely a human being.

    For what is a leader if he himself breaks the promises that he makes? You are not a good role model and your kind absolutely DOES NOT deserve to be given an opportunity to step foot here in this country where everyone is loving each other despite regional and cultural differences.

    Magrespeto ka kay labawng dili ni imong nasod! Makaulaw kaayo ang imong gibuhat diri! Swerte ka kay but-an ning mga Pilipino! Pero mala man lang kung wala nakay mga teacher ug studyante bah, tan-awon nato asa taman ang imong pagkahawod diri.

  99. It will be interesting to see how this issue progresses after this blogpost. Keep us in the loop!

  100. The memorandum from the school’s management telling the student to transfer to another school for speaking his mother tongue and not English speaks for itself. By requiring students to speak only English, the school clearly has a policy of alienating them from their culture. The language of the letter does not lead a reader of ordinary reason to conclude differently.

    What the school is trying to do is akin to the cultural genocide that American Indians suffered in the past when they were forbidden from speaking their languages in order to assimilate them and exterminate them as distinct peoples and cultures. The motto of the US government then was, “Kill the Indian; save the human.” Australia’s aboriginals were subjected to the same form of oppression. So were other indigenous groups in various parts of the globe. Forced assimilation has since been denounced as inhuman. Why is Mr Shah, the school president, going back to the dark ages?

  101. speaking in our own native language esp. ilocano is not a crime at all.whether u are inside the campus whose strictly implementing “no ilocano/filipino speking”. there are rules and regulations that students need ti follow, yes, those students go against their school policies but dismissing them right away is not the solution to correct what they’ve done. actions and words used by the school President Shah is inappropriate.he should not built the school in Ilocos and he should not be staying in Philippines if he,himself doesn’t know the meaning of respect, respect for the people and for the country where he lives and make money from the school where the students go and learn. Dept. of Education and the government should not tolerate this kind of attitude from Shah. He should’ve give them a warning first or suspension for 3days rather than dismissing them from school.if he wants his students, and school faculty to abide with his policies then he should also follow the policies himself that was written in the school’s handbook. I live in US but i never heard anything that somebody was dismissed because of speaking different language except for english.
    I’m a Filipino and proud to be Ilocano.

  102. This is downright disgusting. Those three boys don’t deserve the stigma of being kicked out.
    What’s wrong with speaking in your mother tongue? Fining students (monetary fines) for not speaking in English is ridiculous enough (at least my school years these were the norm) but this a whole new level of crazy.

  103. That’s very sad. I teach in the US, but no one bars me from speaking Ilocano with mu coteacher who happens to be Ilocana like me. Some even want to learn it.

  104. I can’t believe he has the guts to do this jnowing that SINGAPORE is one, if not the worst English speaking nation in the world. WTF!! And his manners? You better fuckin’ get the best English speaking Singaporean lawyer you know! or might as well SCRAM to a place unkown you son of your bitch God!!!

  105. When I was still in high school, I’ve learned about the MTBLE( Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education) of the new curriculum, K-12,from our teachers. I found it an effective way of learning because we could express well ourselves and we were not hesitant to ask and answer questions whenever necessary. SCA is under Dep.Ed. and should also implement the order.I am grieving for those students who are victims of inhuman treatment and to the whole studentry who dont have freedom of speeking Ilokano and could not express themselves to the fullest which is one of the keys of learning.. In fact, it is the President of that school who committed crime if we are to realize.

  106. Poorthing… Tsk tsk tsk! What i know about singaporeans is very friendly and accomodating person. I was really shocked the way the mr. Shahs attitude and actions towards the 3 students. If these thing happened in his own country, the school is close right away.


  107. This is not how a true Christian must act. This so called “Reverend” is a shame to all Christian Workers around the world. He has no right to be called a Reverend or a servant of God if he only serves his own interest. The punishment should fit the crime. Why make a set of rules and guidelines if he will not abide by it and just do what he wants with his school.
    A modern day Hitler. tsk tsk tsk

  108. let just have him and his wife deported without due process, for them to know what it is be shamed and to be accused without due process.

  109. i think they have the point of letting everyone speak in English but not to the point of having the child treated like that just for that simple mistake. that was traumatic.

  110. just a question… if they are all speaking in english in the campus then how could they sing the Philippine National Anthem??? are they singing it in english???? lol

  111. A REVEREND???do u deserved d title?what do u think d ilocanos(filipinos)?filipino workers in singapore can speak mandarin & other language while u singaporean can’t even pronounce d letter dare u treat our children that way.??GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY & treat ur fellow singaporean d way u want.remember….u r in our country making money,making business…. YOU R VERY DISRESTPECTFUL to d filipinos,acting like an uneducated.and…….YOU r CHRISTIAN….SHAME ON U,REVEREND .

  112. It’s sad that this guy is being tagged as a Christian, when his words and acts contradict the fundamental teachings of his claimed faith. We should just drop the Reverend each time we refer to this guy and just leave it as Brian Shah. Surely, he is not a Christian.

    In this light, I think it is also wise and fair not to tag terrorists as Muslims, simply because their claimed faith is Islam. Islam is a religion of peace, and anyone engaged in terrorism is by all means a Non-Muslim.

    I know this is off-tangent, but I’d say it nonetheless. He claims to be a Christian, but his actions and words say otherwise. We should learn to condemn the arrogant act, the harsh words and the ignorant fool, and not the Religion he happens to be a part of, or at least was a part of.

    Let us apply this rationale in our daily lives and maybe, just maybe, a better world will come to us.

  113. . . . and a reverend too??? these chinese people are too much. they bully us at sea now at land, in our own territory!! let us send them back to singapore. . they have no right to trample us like rags!!! i feel the boys pain n shame, they would carry this stigma for the rest of their lives. . so so sad for them 😥

  114. That pastor is so mean, he should be out in our country. His attitudes towards expelling those students reflects the way he manages the school and even trying to smash his cellphone unto the boy and saying that b*tch word to him. So disgusting, we can’t deny the fact that some close to Christians that leads to another is not really what they are. They were dressed and look like a son of a Christian but not. Expelling those students were very traumatic to them, yes they are. Speaking Ilocano is a crime? A big NO! A foreigner who said and acting like a pastor is merely such he is not a pastor- to be called.

  115. Naopenup na nga rin lng sa previous comments, LOOK AT THIS:

    For the record, may gadget din si pastor for listening. Pwede niyang itago kahit saan para “MAKINIG NG USAPAN”. This is the extent of how he MEANS BUSINESS. Student din ako noon dyan kaya alam ko.

  116. The school policy which makes speaking in vernacular inside the campus a ground for expulsion in school in DISCRIMINATING and it violates freedom of though, opinion and expression. The school board should look into how it practices respect for human rights as embodied in universal declaration and international treaties and laws. It should also adhere to Philippine policies on education which recognizes and directs all schools to teach human rights. As for the president of the school, he should learn to respect the Filipno culture. The DECS should review the school’s discriminating policies in line with Philippine’s commitment to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.This “CHRISTIAN” school I hope is not a “hypocrite” school.

  117. Hey! Your school policy is definitely unconstitutional! Anti human right! Our native tongue is Ilocano….let anyone speak and express himself in this dialect just like our fathers! Do you think that speaking English makes the students better? I guarantee that is not true!

  118. What a lousy bigot for a pastor — a dismal failure of being Christian. Teach him what the word “inclusive” means — it’s a present-day term that seems to fall beyond his ability to understand.

  119. Yes, we have to exercise speaking English in schools because it helps to learn the language. But dismissing them because of speaking Ilocano? That’s insane! The President of that school should be deported as soon as possible. Poor Children. 😦

  120. May sayad ata tong christian pastor nato. hindi sya nagiisip na siya ang dayuhan sa lugar na yan, at gumagawa sya ng sariling bulok na sistema kahit may batas nang nakasulat sa kanyang paaralan. dapat paalisin na yang christian pastor na yan at isama na nya ang kanyang tiwaling relihiyon at paniniwala.

  121. Ilocanos arise! This creep from somewhere should be kicked out of Ilocandia, in fact, from the Philippines! Filipinos should love what they have, not allow a foreigner to dictate on them to discard their own language and culture. It is actually how the Christian Spaniards destroyed the indigenous cultures of the Philippines, and look at the lack of pride of many of what they should be proud of about their country and people in the Philippines! Speaking one’s native tongue in fact makes one recognize his own identity and start feeling real love for one’s country. Truth is I am part Ilocano, and I have tried to speak Ilocano even when I cannot speak it perfectly. You bet, I am proud to be Ilocano!

  122. DepEd must do something and give sanctions to this Shah and his school. He must not be allowed to trample on our rights to preserve our cultural heritage as Filipinos. Why can he not be deported and let him go back to his own country. He has no place in our educational system! His name Shah makes him even a tyrant …

  123. That principal, too, should be reprimanded. What’s wrong with those kids speaking in Ilocano? I learned to speak English, Spanish, and French myself using only Japanese in school as a matter of fact, or English in UK when I studied French there. These stupid creeps who still suffer from some colonial mentality should not be allowed teaching Filipinos not to love what they have! This school should be subject to some investigation by authorities there. I would remove my child from that school if I were a parent there.

  124. i’ve been in this shool four six years and i know what the rules are but expelling those three kids because of speaking in their own mother native tounge what kind of person are you? what heart do you have? may GOD save you for you don’t know what you are doing…..

  125. Truly, this is not a Savior’s academy. This is a Savior’s enemy. The DEPED should be alerted by this kind and way of bullying students. Brian Shah, shame on him for using the word “reverend” before his name, should be the one to be expelled and banned from entering the country. His ignorance of the DEPED’s Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education program is not an excuse for him since he is the (self posted?) president of that academy. He should have updated himself of the country’s education system and rules before implementing any regulation detrimental and prejudicial to the people where he established his academy. I support the suggestion that he be declared as “PERSONA NON GRATA” not only in Ilocos Norte but in the Philippines as well!!

  126. Some people are missing the point. Yes, rules are rules but who made these rules? The school heads themselves. These rules apply not only to students but parents, or guardians as well. This happened during their break period. One traitor student reported them to the dictator. He maybe was after the reward . I would agree for certain punishments if the Ilocanos words were offensive or malicious. But they simply spoke the dialect. Now, some are saying we are only seeing the other side of the coin. No! There had been efforts to get their side but they refuse to come out in the open. One thing is clear, this pastor abused our own dialect, the Iluko, and it’s within our territory.

  127. Hey this is off-tangent. Totally. 🙂

    It’s sad that this guy is being tagged as a Christian, when his words and acts contradict the fundamental teachings of his claimed faith. We should just drop the word “Reverend” each time we refer to this guy and just leave it as Brian Shah. He is a disgrace to the religion. Surely, he is not a Christian.

    In this light, I think it is just as wise and fair as not to tag terrorists as Muslims simply because their claimed faith is Islam. It is a man’s actions that determine his faith and not his display of words uttered out of sheer self-importance. Islam is a religion of peace, and anyone with a sound mind would know that terrorism is by all means not Islamic. Thus, anyone who terrorizes in the name of religion is a disgrace to it. Clearly, terrorists are not Muslims.

    No one should condemn Brian Shah. His actions are detached from the true essence of Christianity. His being a Christian did not lead him to do what he did to those poor kids. Instead, we should learn to condemn his arrogant act, his harsh words, and the ignorant fool he has become.

    May we live with this kind of rationale in our hearts then maybe, just maybe, a better world will come to us.

  128. Sir blogger.. paki research po kung ano ung Iloko word na sinabi ng mga bata.. un ata ang wala kulang sa report mo..

  129. Reverend Brian Shah, where are you from? Do you have your own language? English is just a borrowed language not an indigenous language in the Philippines. As a leader, respect is an important quality. Bullying is not acceptable everywhere!

  130. Han met-a nga mabalin dayta! Haanak nga taga Ilocos Norte ta taga Mt. Prov. ak ngem makisympatya iti garaw tapno ni Rev. Shah iti maikkat. Will I be expelled here?

  131. calm down guys, lets try to do the right thing here….. let the parents bring this “PERSONA NON-GRATA” to court. we can not correct this mistake by doing another one. don’t get me wrong I hate this person as much as you do but never the less I will not become the person I most despise.

  132. okin-inana daytoy nga brian shah, jay shah jay iran, pinuted da ti a-angsan na idi, dapat pati daytoy yot ni ina na nga brian shah….nagtutured daguiti taga laoag, apay nga saan yo nga ipakni ti yot ni ina nga marabutit. no ditoy tagudin dayta, kinugit min pati lateg na.

  133. Very un-Christian for a president to do that. I hope DepEd steps in and that the expelled students would have a chance to study again, as waiting for the next schoolyear is simply wasteful.

  134. Attention Mr Herdy!

    TskTskTsk.. Are you a journalist? Graduated from UP Diliman? LOL i dont think so. YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT’S THE MEANING OF JOURNALISM. This blog is totally out of line. ONE SIDED.

  135. I challenge that idiot reverend to sit down on a phone and talk English 8 hours straight to an English speaking native. I bet my balls he wouldn’t last an hour.

  136. paging any willing lawyer to please take d cudgels in filing charge/s against this school.

  137. that stupid singaporean must not enforce an outdated/obsolete policy! a monster in a pastor’s cloth!

  138. Kick out those 3 juvenile delinquents and give justice to the other students who are following the school rules. If they do not like the school policy it doesn’t mean that they should break it.

  139. Don’t you dare call this beast “Reverend”! What a hypocrisy! It makes me wonder why the parents of the expelled pupils still appeal to have their kids accepted back in that school? I’m sure there’d be a lot better schools out there. Living in an English-speaking country now, I don’t see the advantage nor the necessity of requiring/imposing such “laws” in schools!

  140. Fuck you Shah go back to your home of origin where ever it is you mother tongue is not even English but a Fucking Chinese cantonese or mandarin whatever fuck you go out from Ilocos Region if you don’t want someone speak their own dialect you are a fucking bastard pastor anyway.

  141. The school made a big mistake implementing such rules and conditions. its unfair and illogical. Pero sa tingin KO may pagkakamali din ang mga mag-aaral o magulang doon. Ba’t kasi sila sumangayon sa mga ganoong klaseng patakaran in the first place.Hmm. There’s really something wrong here.

  142. What a childish act. Pastors are some of the people whom I admire, because I’ve known them as a good one, that’s why knowing this act of a pastor was heart breaking. Where is second chance? Where are the good acts that pastors are telling us to do? I understand the rule but the punishment was over exaggerated, cleaning a room will make the violation erased. For the three kids, cheer up! you don’t deserve that act , you deserve better.

  143. papanong naging CRIME ang pagsasalita ng ILOCANO ? ang akala ko kapag pastor mababait hindi naman pala lahat … sobra naman ata yan .. nagsalita lang ng ILOCANO KICK OUT agad ? kahit policy pa yan hindi naman ata mabuti na ikick out ang mga 3 esyudyante. ang masasabi ko bakit ganoon ang inasal ng pastor? disappointed ako.. nagagalit ako sa pastor . dapat ibalik na yan sa pinanggalingan niya , ganoon ba dapat magsalita ang isang pastor sa kanyang mga estudyante? siak ket ILOCANO nak . ken han ko nga ibain ti agsao ilocano , proud nk nga ILOCANO NAK … #ILOCANO NAK 🙂


    1. Excuse me? Don’t you dare call our president a devil because your worse, not only worse but the worst because your calling him a devil and he didn’t even did something wrong to you…and he did the right thing because the three violated the rules of our school.

      1. And another Brian Shah fanatic here. Your school’s English-only policy is a failure thus far. Let me correct your English.

        Excuse me? Don’t you dare call our president a devil because YOU’RE worse, not only worse, (sorry I can’t emphasize the comma) but the worst because YOU’RE calling him a devil and he didn’t even DO ANYTHING wrong to you. (sorry again, I can’t emphasize the single period) And (notice that we must always use a capital letter when starting a sentence) he did the right thing because the three violated the rules of our school.

  145. May I defend your “accusative” comments.
    I am a graduate of sca. I’ve been studying there for 7 years. And believe me when I say, pastor brian shah is not a “pig” and definitely not “stupid”. This 3 boys were called to their attention because they disobeyed the school rule. I know it was a mistake for pastor brian to scold them in such a harsh way. This past years, he had been very considerate about students who uses our native language, however he MIGHT got fed up about the said mistake so then he MIGHT decided to let students learn the value of following the school rules… I believe that petitions were still being processed when suddenly, parents of the said kids couldn’t wait any longer so then they’ve decided to enroll them in another establishment. My point is, pastor brian is just trying to inculcate discipline among the students, and by God’s blessing, let’s all hope and pray that the dismissal of the students would just be an option, not a choice.

    And, please stop accusing the Singaporean Pastor a “pig”, “stupid”, “son of a bitch” or any cruel words you can compare him too. Thank you 🙂

    1. And this is the evidence of how GOOD English is taught in SCA. What are you defending? You claim to defend their “accusative” comments, yet the body of your comment defends Pastor Brian Shah, which you write as pastor brian shah. You use “this” to refer to three boys and past years, when “these” should have been used. “Students use their native language,” not “students uses their native language.” “He might have gotten fed up,” and “he might have decided,” not “he might got fed up,” and “he might decided.”

      I laugh at your school’s dated and archaic belief that prohibiting one from speaking the native language and forcing him to speak English in every situation no matter what is the best way to learn English, and to become educated. Jesus! You can’t even use English properly. Mind you, speaking and writing English is not even intelligence. You can speak English all you want with the accent and all, but it doesn’t really prove anything until you show something substantial academically or even in wisdom.

  146. Excuse me? Our school is an english speaking school not because pastor Brian wants to limit our usage of speaking our local language but he just want to train us in speaking the International language which is english and its for our own good because we need the english language in order to communicate with the foreiners and for dealing with other people in the feild of bussiness…right? And dont you dare judge our president because he just did the right thing and the three violated the rules of our school, and RULES are RULES…

          1. dagitiari…
            Ah pudno ta kunam.Agpakpakarigat pay lang..I am an English teacher.Product of MMSU.I teach in Canada.I only speak English when needed to.
            I speak Ilocano as much as I can and loving it!!!

            1. siak man met

              ayna yro ken anjela di yo kad ibabain ta kararua yon….. saan yo ipukpukkaw nga taga sca kayon ta madlaw unay…. english yo pay laeng ket taga sca kayo a pudpudnon hahahahaha

          2. Ohhh plsss… Im only in 7th grade and Im 12, im not perfect, and I corrected it. And I know that all of us had a mistake like this before even you specially when we’re rushing and Im not yet a product of SCA because im still in the process of education.

            1. Ken apay usarem pelang ti skul nu adda mt katumbas na nga ilokano word.sao kala nga sao nu nagkamali ka met kadeta nga inbagam. Kasla dika agkamkamali bakbaketan/laklakayan ka payen dika la mabain kitam man ta tawen mu ken ta tawen ko kasla ka lang kalaingan nga ammu na amin nga ilokano a linguahe.. Tatta ibaga yo kanyak nu dikay nagkamkamali pulos kadigita ibagbagayo, ibagayon ta dyuray ag sorry nak kanyayo tattan..

    1. Yro, I can tell you are one of the dismal teachers in that school. Your Inglis is so bad, sounds like Singlish, the one that you had learned from a singa poryan. Go improve your inglis before you ever come 50 meters to a computer!

      1. Are you really seeking for justice for abused children? I tell you your name here don’t fit your personality,for telling that harsh words to me. and go improve your personality before someone will get revenge on you.

  147. i heard he’s a singaporean. so what? ano to asaran?? hindi natin pwedeng gamitin ang sariling wika? sabi nga ng kakilala ko, inabuso lang niya ang hospitality nating mga pilipino. and he’s definitely right. pastor pay met grud a makuna. sa pagkakaalam nating lahat, HINDI ganyan ang behaviour ng isang pastor.. kung nandito sya sa pilipinas, he must accept and respect our culture at lalong lalo na ang wika natin. Kung ayaw nya, he’s free to leave the country..

    Sa mga studyante ng Saviour’s Christian Academy, mag isip isip na kayo. hihintayin niyo pa bang ma-expel because of a very stupid reason?? Well, goodluk to all of you.

    1. Awan basol ta eskwela ta apay inaprobaan ti DepEd nga mabalin didyay a rule no dida kayat, ta DepEd a ti pabasolen yo haan nga ta eskwela

  148. In one’s own country, one must practice the right to speak in his native tongue. Enforcing such a policy and acting all berserk like that is absurd and should make us all aware about what’s happening to our culture scene. He’s Singaporean but he is forcing his own ideologies onto our youth, our OWN YOUTH. When in Ilocandia speak as the Ilokanos do. You are not a part of our culture and you don’t have the right to do that to our people. Go back to where you came from.

  149. Guys the problem is the policy itself (Im referring to the STRICT English speaking policy, just to be clear). This is NOT an issue of a bias story (because obviously there are exaggerations in it) or religion or morality. (As many are surprised the way a Christian, man of God, a pastor acts. Many are surprised and condemning the man. I tell you people, don’t be surprise. Being a Christian will not make you different from other people, it wont give you an excuse not to commit sin, it wont make you holy and righteous). Anyway, I just want to reiterate that the MAIN PROBLEM is the policy of the school. It is so intriguing to know how they came up with that kind of policy. Did the teachers, the directors ever think of this? and if it is Mr. Sha’s ideas, why did they not defy it? If the teachers and the directors of that school are RATIONAL ENOUGH (even if you say they are not Ilocano), they wont think of this lame policy. Aside from practically this a silent annihilation, a genocide of an ethnolinguistic group, the ILOCANOs, it is also a contradictory to what the teachers and this school provide and offer: EDUCATION. Education is everyone’s right. In education you will learn. But this school deprives you of that right, this school let you unlearn your identity, your being, your culture..Culture is very important. Think about that directors and teachers of that school. Reconsider your policies. Rectify, make amendments. Teachers should know more about this than me. Let us not act too late before our culture, our ethnicity fall into decadence and soon we(Ilocanos) will be wiped out from the Philippines and lo and behold we welcome and embrace the superior English identity, leaving Ilocano into oblivion. Thank you.


    1. yeah right… and when he breaks his own protocols, you’re just gonna tolerate it?

      before you root for your lovely president, always put in your common sense and in your head the sentiments and the unfortunate fate of these kids who have a future shining bright ahead of them.

      if they really did break the rules, then follow up a due process. Not an instant kick out which was never in your handbook.

      yes, sure it’s an international language. but human minds are very very flexible and dynamic which means that no matter what language he speaks, for as long as he or she develops it in a desirable environment, that will even motivate him or her more.

      you don’t believe me? I speak Cebuano all day but I’m this excellent in English. You know why? It’s because I grew up in a favorable environment wherein I am encouraged and inspired by people around me, thus learning for me was fun and enjoyable.

      Tell your “lovely” president that there are other ways in approaching a vision. It’s not true that there’s only one way to and in managing it.
      You have to balance. You have to consider. You have to know the 6 numbers of the dice and consider the most perfect strategy that encourages inclusive and holistic growth of a person.

      Heck we’re not robots. Duh!

      1. Btw, its not instant kick out they have been warned for the same reason but they did not learn from that warning and they did it again so our president dismissed them and I understand your point because i also speak iloco all day but they are inside the campus when they spoke iloco and we should respect every rule that is given by a certain school or even our own community. A lot of people say that our school should not give a policy that will lessen the use of our own language but I believe that it is not the school’s fault because why did DepEd approved and agreed to the policy if they dont like it?

        1. oh no,… don’t get started on blaming DepEd.
          this problem is of your school’s and not them.

          but well, okay. since you want it that way, then let’s play a blame game.

          the new policy adopted by the Education Department is the MTBMLE or the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education, which reinforces the use of the mother tongue in everyday conversations in classes, (except for English subjects/courses).

          what DepEd is doing is adhering to the Constitution’s rules and orders. Article XIV Section VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates the Government to “take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system.”

          now, if DepEd is now adapting the MTBMLE, your school should have the initiative and the prerogative to adhere to the Education Department’s system and standards – meaning, that in your school, students can freely speak Iloco and English deemed under normal circumstances or else, it will soon suffer sanctions. And if you love your school, then I suggest talk to your lovely president about this.

          The first American school in the Philippines, Silliman University, had a rule that mandates all staff, faculty and students speak English solely in its vast campus. However, this does not mean that we have to force ourselves in conversing the said language in situations wherein understanding comprehensively is impossible.

          What’s good is that this American school itself has approved MBTMLE given the fact that it’s a private institution.

          If circumstance requires that you speak Iloco to aid a pupil/student in understanding the complications of a course, then by all means, help yourself and him/her.

          Now, let’s talk about this controversial kick-out. Again, if there’s no due process nor dialogues going on between the affected parties (ie. parents, PTA, etc.) and the Disciplinary Board, then this by all means define illegal notice of transfer and is deemed injustice.

    2. Let’s say for the sake of argument that your school’s English-only rule is indeed implemented in order for you to be brilliant in speaking English. Now, you are saying that Rev. Shah “just did the right thing and the three violated the rules of our schools.”

      Are you telling us that your school president just did the right thing by yelling at one of the students “You want me to throw my cellphone at you? You b*tch!”

      Are you telling us that speaking the vernacular language is enough reason to expel these students? Conventionally speaking, when you are delinquent or when you are a violent kid in school, you will be expelled. Should we equate these Iluko-speaking students to the delinquent and violent school kids?

    3. First of all, Im not judging Mr. Shah. Yes I understand that in good faith he just wanted or your school just wanted a higher standard of education, You want your students to be globally competitive and that is indeed splendid but the problem is you are compromising your culture, your identity, your ethnicity.You are putting it into jeopardy. I understand the inevitability of speaking English in this modern society and the rise of globalization. Yes English is a global medium but do not stifle and repress the so called- inferior language on the other hand. It is also our social, cultural, and moral obligation to preserve our language. Considering that you are a school, it should be your duty. And since you are an institution you are more capable of influencing these children/young people. You have to understand that you are dealing with them(children/youth). They are the next generation. So what and who will be the next Ilocanos? To make it simple, you are killing your own. Aside from that, what’s the message or the lesson you will get from this policy? – that ILOCANOS or FILIPINOS are inferior? You can raise the standard of your school in other aspect without sacrificing your language and culture. Look at Japan for example. Are the Japanese good English speakers? but they are globally competitive. And let me just make myself clear, Im attacking NO ONE but only the policy.Thank you so much for your understanding. Peace and Love

    4. Writing this in English, just to humor the regulation. “Respect for the rules,” am I right? 😉

      Three things:
      (1) The use of the English language in the documents presented (the pictures) is quite… unfortunate, for a school hell-bent on implementing English as the sole language of instruction and communication within the campus.
      (2) The policy is wrong by all accounts. International language? For the students’ good? To talk to foreigners and other people in the “filed” of business? This policy establishes nothing. Regardless of whether the story is biased against the school’s president or not, the policy does not hold validity – DepEd is right in saying that this private school is under its supervision. What escapes me is how this particular regulation became valid in the first place, given its cultural insensitivity.
      (3) Touching on Christian faith – Jesus was a God of integration. Take, for example, the parable of the Good Samaritan, or his interactions with Gentiles (non-Jews, who were social pariahs at the time). Seems to me that this pastor isn’t much but a pretentious, self-righteous, selfish ass without much regard for the Good News of the Lord – screaming instead his own words of authority.

      Here’s to hoping that these children get the due justice they deserve.

    5. I’m sorry to say, your English is really bad. 😦 I hail from a school that’s totally liberal about language, yet I have better command of English than you do. Filed or field?

      Anyway, if a school that heavily forces English onto children would produce bad English speakers like you, then I guess we could rest our case. Or do you want me to translate this into your vernacular, so you’d understand?

    6. Go over again your student handbook barok, then analyzed every statement that was written in there. Your Pastor and president should have been more humane in making his decisions. Ok rules are rules, and is equated with punishment for every violation but the thing is, was there a due process? Ana kadi ti ibagbaga na jay handbook yo? Ask students to transfer for violating the rules? What is reprimand? Is it the same with expulsion or asking them to transfer? What is the difference between asking them to transfer and expulsion? Not all who graduated in your school are that good in English. May be you are one of the best in that school but not necessarily all of you because of the policy.

      Another thing is giving out a memo with the word “effective today” awan kadin time maiteden for the students to look for a better school? In other words, forcing or not the students to transfer because of the memo is not a simple issue. Nu ngarud suspendiem ta studyante ket haan pay nga basta basta how more nu patalsikem mon di ba? Adda kuma nalag lag an nga panusa before the expulsion, like reprimand, then suspension, and maybe expulsion. Let us try to understand also the students and parents.

      1. Kastoy kamin deta sir, nagsao da idi ilokano tapos na warningan da,kabigatan manen ket nagsao da man ti ilokano’n isu na punwan tay president ken haan lang nga ilokano a linguahe nagsao pay tay mesa ti dakes. Ken dyoray man napagsawan na dagidyay talo ket nagsori mt kadidyay mesa a parent dagigyay napatalsik.

        1. Apay ngamin tinakaw diay nagipulong tay Math Project ni Carl, of course makapungtot diay natakawan ti project a.Di koma diay student nga nagipulong ti investigate da.To cover his ass napan naginpupulong, ket anak sa pay ti Dentist dayta nga nagtakaw ti Project.

  151. I am an ilokano and I am proud of my dialect. My point now is many of us are posting comments to the point that we are bullying Reverend Shah and we are now being rude to him. Yeah karapatan tayo apo ti agcomment ngem responsable tau kuma met ti iyablat tau a sarita. Kasla met laengen you are becoming the person you are hating. It is really discouraging on my part kasi nga ilokano tau and yet we are deprived from speaking our own dialect. Ngem apo pada a ilokano kitaen tau kuma met no ana talaga ti nangyari and let dep ed investigate and if pastor shah made a mistake then I am sure he will accept the consequence.

    As far as I know with the mother tongue it is only used in grades 1-3 and not until grade 12. I challenge the writer of this article also to write about the side of pastor shah and let us not be bias naman sana. Ammuk apo a natrauma dagidiay ubbing ngem saan kadi aya a ti panagreport or panagcommento ket dapat amwem ti dua a side before you give your judgement?

  152. NO NO…excuse me old r u now? not ur own u have to learn also in speaking chinese? korean? or any language? becoz of dealing foreigner and for business purposes? advise ur president “there r many ways of disipleaning ‘ one is fine and/or suspensions…tell him instead of kicked out…” ket manayunan pay ta kuarta na..di na pay kayat..100 per word..isnt that enough? come on..u hypocrite..spelling laengen. di pay husto ta insurat mo. kasano ka nga nag adal? we r not judging ur president..what he did, is unjust and that is his need to judge him..the story tells it so..RULES TA RUPAM…

    1. Oi no sino ka man mas wrong pay ta pinag spelling mo. Sao ka la nga sao sika met ti adu kamali na. Duh.. Bulag ka ba?

      1. Strongly agree Yro…ipakita tayo kuma met nga edukado tayo tapno di ibagga ti sabali ah pampalengke style tayo.

  153. Source:
    MANILA, Philippines – “Advised to transfer” and “expelled” are two different things. At least that’s how the management of the Saviour’s Christian Academy (SCA) in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, puts it.

    The school was trying to clarify the blog post that has sparked criticisms, even condemnation – that SCA kicked out 3 Grade 8 students after they were found to have spoken Ilocano on the English-only campus during a break.

    “The use of the word ‘expulsion’ is not appropriate. They were just advised to transfer,” SCA legal counsel Jaime Agtang told Rappler over a phone interview on Wednesday, August 7.

    1. Paging SCA Counsel Agtang:
      Lay off the “lawyer lingo” okay?? I totally get it.We are not dumb and stupid.In this case,”advised to transfer” and “expelled” are the same color.Don’t be ridiculous.Thank the stars these boys are not your children or brothers or else you will be all blowing your stinky ass dissecting the phrase “punishable by reprimand”.Your retainer fee must be worth it and maybe these “advised to transfer” boys may have contributed the mighty peso to pay you.Just saying…wink wink nudge nudge.

      1. Agtang’s grandson is a classmate of those expelled students, which doesn’t speak fluent English himself, Agtang should know better before he says that. How does he feel if that happens to his own grandson???Come on Atty. Agtang I am a parent myself of another Grade 8 student at SCA, stop defending and abusive person, don’t be a hypocrite.

    2. The use of the word advise in a formal letter means notify. Sa tagalog po ay abiso o bigay-alam. And because of the added time element “effective today” it becomes a FORCEFUL NOTICE.

  154. DepEd Laoag should take action on this issue seriously. Kung walang action para na ring nagpasampal kayo ng ($$$) sa mukha sa n’yo!!!!

  155. This is plain bullshit. Speaking in english does not mean you can learn and understand more than to speaking in your local language. thats why some of the filipinos doesnt even understand what they’re doing cause they were taught in english instead of being taught in the preferred language where they can understand it better

  156. why could an president do such things. And all so be called as PASTOR?. Where are your CHRISTIAN behavior? Hindi naman lahat ng bagay kaze nadadaan sa INIT ng ulo. Kailangan din kase turuan din ninyo ang sarili ninyo sir kung paano makipagKausap, magpayo at PAG-UNAWA sa mga student ninyo. Ehh kung ipapatuloy ninyo lang ba ang ganyang pagUUgali ehh. Di mawawalan din sila ng RESPETO sa inyo. Mauulit at mauulit din lang ang lahat.

  157. Brian Shah is liable for the crime of abusing a child. Cristeta Pedro is also liable for not reporting and countenancing the crime. What is DSWD doing?

  158. Between this pastor with his lowyer Jaime Agtang, and the students who witnessed the incident of verbal abuse and evil gesture of smashing his cellphone, who do you think is more credible?

  159. As a retired PhilAm currently residing in Ilocos Norte, I am appalled that they even allow this type of Education in our Province. I Speak English as well if not better then most of the people here since I was raised and educated in the US and I’ve never seen such ridiculous nonsense. With that said…the Policy is clearly defined and thus the three children were asked to transfer to another school. No-one was forced to attend this school but yet they knew the English speaking only policy so they should adhere to it. If you don’t agree with the policy, you should never have attended this type of school in the first place. The writer of this article is just creating more problems. Apay? Madi ti inaramid na kunam? Ana kayat mo ngarud? Isu pi ti problema ditoy? No one follows the rules or they want the rules to bend to benefit them. Please people, what’s done is done. The children were all old enough to understand the rules and if they didn’t, then it was the parents fault to not help them understand.

    1. Besides, it wasn’t actually mentioned in the article no anya ti inbaga dagijai ubing. I am teaching in a Christian school and there are grounds and caveats to the rules which are being considered. Apay no dakes piman jai inbaga ti ubing… Haan tayo ammu…

    2. Why would you even try to defend the school? It is not the policy of the school that is in question here but rather the ethics and character of this Singaporean of a man who is not even deserving of reverence. Why would you try to hit a child just for speaking his native tongue? What is so morally abhorrent to justify the same? For God’s sake that is a child.
      And even the policy of the school is horrendous to say the least… except of course if the man behind it is just another victim of Western influence, then he needs not our judgment but our pity.

    3. Attending the school is not a point here. As correctly pointed out by many of the people here, it is the process by which the students were expelled, if it can be called process at all, for what happened was complete disregard of due process, a constitutionally protected right, which Shah might not be aware of, but then ignorance of the law excuses no one from compliance therewith.

      The other issue here is the inherently wrong policy of the school of banning the NATIVE LANGUAGE inside the school premises. Sure, rules are rules, and we ought to follow them, but there are limits to just saying bending oneself to rules. Shall we follow a rule, knowing that it wrong? In this case, violated and infringed are the very person of each student, free speech, linguistic and cultural rights, freedom of thought, among other things. Ala, no surottayo a surot a ditayo man laeng analisaren dagiti madi a pagalagadan, ay-ay pay dagiti sumaruno a henerasion, ta ti ipatawidtayo kadakuada ket sosiedad nga awan man laeng pinamaliwanna manipud iti nasipnget a panawen ti pananglais kadagiti karbengan kultural and linguistiko. Pity the future generations if we don’t fight this injustice today for they will inherit an inferiority complex based on the idea that our language is inferior and wanting in sophistication and beauty, when it is as versatile, as expressive, as alluring, and as captivating as English or any other western foreign language.

    4. maysa pay daytoy JV di maka awa awat. so what no nagbasa ka america? is that a big deal? you don’t even understand what is the meat of this blog. Go back to america and buy some brains at wal-mart before you ever touch a computer and reply in this blog!

    5. Hey you proud PhilAm Ret. Army did you watch the Umagang Kay Ganda News this morning, Dep Ed Secretary Umali was interviewed re: this case and Sec Umali clearly said it is WRONG for Brian Shah to expel these kids, Brian Shah should review the school Handbook himself before implementing such rules.

    6. There are higher mandate/rules lakay being violated. That’s the issue…. not just the rules of the school. Ket ana nukua no nabayag ka dta naggapuam? Kayat na a sawen a nabiitka pay ngarud ditoy lugarmi? Ridiculous nonsense kunam ngem nag comment ka met apu lakay!!!

  160. Hindi naman nararapat na parusahan na Lang basta basta ang mga batang nagsalita ng Ilocano. Sa ginawa ni reverend shah, tinanggalan niya ng Karapatan ang mga bata. Sana’y dumanaan muna siya sa tamang proseso. Hindi lamang ang magustuhan niya ang nasusunod.

  161. And Shah calls himself “Reverend”? What a shame! He has no right to bully Ilokanos; worse, in the capital city! He should be kicked out of Ilocos, or better yet, out of the Philippines!

  162. Rules are rules. Yes! A violation should be commensurate to the offense. Expulsion to a minor offense its an over-kill already. Note: Dismissal to a school is reflected on the STUDENT’S PERMANENT RECORD, meaning it will be a permanent stigma on their part as a delinquent learner.

    Simple ANALOGY:

    Offense: BEATING THE RED LIGHT (Punishable ONLY by fines to a maximum of TEMPORARY IMPRISONMENT)



    A_S_A_L (Ang Sa Akin Lang)

  163. Second sentence should be: “A violation should be commensurate to the punishment.”

  164. I am wondering how they sing the Philippine National Anthem. Observe ko nga minsan. What about punishing Shah to sing the Ilocos Norte Hymn every morning.

  165. It wasn’t mentioned in the article if what were the exact ILOKANO WORDS uttered by the kids. Can we try to look into that? Perhaps, it is to understand where Mr. Shah’s decision of expelling the kids came from.

  166. Factors to consider:
    -the school is a Christian school.
    -the reason for expulsion is negligence/defiance of the rule
    *If these two factors would be put together, it is a must to know if what were the EXACT ilocano words uttered by the kids. It is for everyone to look at the issue with utmost objectivity. I, for one, subjectively condemn the behavior of the school owner. However, there might be something behind the offense of the kids. Perhaps, the “content/context” of their Ilocano words have triggered such decision made by the school owner.

  167. May I know what’s your point here Herdy. Is it the speaking of Ilocano inside the school, or is it the lack of due process in the application of penalty?

    For me, the rule is laid out in their handbook, so students and employees are bound to follow. Penalties are also explicitly stated. So don’t go there if you can’t follow and if you cannot stand the heat of the penalty. But if the violation is not covered in the penalty and applied without due process, then it is a different thing.

    Everybody has the right to speak their own dialect, it’s inherent to us. But I would like to opine that speaking of Ilocano is not the real issue here. As I read the article again, I saw that it is the lack of due process and inappropriate application of penalties, based on the handbook’s screenshot.

    And to those attacking the writer of Journalistic bias…. Man, this is an opinion article, so it is obviously bias on what the writer thinks and believe. This is not a news story, so put your criticism in its proper place. I always alert herdy if he’s gone too far of being bias, but this time I have to defend him.

  168. tama bang pagbwalan sila sa kanilang sariling lengwahe? indi nman diba? awn krapatan na tpnu ibga na ti ksj nga ti pnagsao ti ILOCO ket CRIME! amu na ngata t saw-saw-en na? ken maysa adda met gyam j handbook da nga ti pinagsao ti ILOCO ken j uneg ti campus kn nu mdama t klase da ket haan nga dagus nga makick out! dpat pinagsabhan na lng muna sila bago nya trinato ng ganun ang mga bata. ngayon nagkakaroon na ng trauma ang mga batang kasangkut sa pangyayari.then, whom should be blame? is it the children who speaked ILOCO in their campus or he the reverend? reverend ka pang naturingan huh!

  169. well all ican say is that you can talk and talk but in the end it will be a cold day in hell if i will accept back the three expelled pupils… THATS MY FINAL WORD!!!

    1. this is a fake. no other intention but to create more trouble. readers beware

      1. well thank you for defending me, i will give you 100% discount if you enroll your children in my school, i will guarantee you that your children will speak better english more than that of an englishman!!!

        1. You got me totally wrong.Im actually crucifying you. Looks like you got your wires crossed.Sorry you misunderstood.What I posted is not a complement at all. 😦

        2. impostor … somebody is using the name of Ptr. Brian… ashame on you, you don’t even know the spelling !! lol!

  170. Nagawan nga babain na metten! Jusko! Makuna kadi nga pastor dayta? Ay apo.. Nagbastos..

    Sorry pero nagsasabi lang ng totoo..

    DON’T ENROLL AT SAVIOURS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY , Maiparit ti Ilocano didiay nga school,, mga kapwa ko Ilokano get out from this school…….

  172. What about Cristeta Pedro? She is as liable as her Shah. She has personal knowledge of crimes and yet she does nothing. Cristeta Pedro, you must be a desperate person that you throw away your education to the pigsty. You cant stand for what is right!


  173. wake up!!!!!!! DepEd of the phillipines!!!! how could an institution like that operate with its rules clearly breaking your laws?

  174. “They have been warned already but kept breaking the rule” Clearly that’s inappropriate conduct and subject to expulsion.

    1. They were never warned, if you want to implement rules, if they were warned, it should have been documented since there is a guideline in the school handbook to follow. Again to accuse someone one should have valid proof to support such accusations.

  175. I am an educator here in America and I have a comparative assessment on how the teachers at the subject school speak the English language. I have talked to some of their teachers and have listened intently. How can the students excel in the language wherein these so called teachers have a BELOW SUBSTANDARD English being oral and written..Just the way they talk you think people will understand your accent??? Think about it…

  176. I think he is more of a moron. Unprofessional. He is just educated but no manners…. he himself couldn’t abide the rules of his school. –how could he be so cruel. An Ilokano land where Ilokano natives everywhere is prohibited to speak their own language?-wtf. Alien like him should be kicked out of the country… shame-shame.

  177. Only one side is presented here. How would we know that perhaps a warning was made and the student may have defiantly told the authority to drop dead. We really don’t know the other side of this.

  178. Ngayon lang ako nakarinig ng isyung gantito.3 student expelled by Christian School for only speaking Ilocano ? sana hindi nalang sila nagpatayo ng ganyan eskwelahan dito sa Ilocos, kung babastuhin lang pala ang mga lahing ilokano sa kanilang eskwelahan. Bilang ilokano na estudyante ako’y talagang nabigla sa isyu na to. Pastor pa naman yong nagsabing “Bitch” sa isang estudyante.

  179. I understand your opinions,but pls. Stop judging the school because you dont know how the students of this school are feeling.we all have feelings right? The students are also having a hard time avoiding criticisms from other schools. So pls., Have mercy for the sake of hundred students from that school.

    1. Yro, this is a very classic case of our modern local culture…kung walang problema, no one seems to care..kung merong isang problema..everybody starts kicking in and all good deeds and intentions are negated (kung election time nangyari ito, malamang pati pulitiko eh sasawsaw). Instead to amicably settling or resolving eh..mag-aala katipunero ang lahat and all emotions will go along with it.

  180. Isang ako sa may mga anak na nag-aaral sa SCA. Masasabi ko na ini-enroll ko ang mga anak ko sa SCA dahil sa mga rules and regulations nila at sa pag-didisiplina nila sa mga studyante nila.

  181. Dios ang may dahilan kaya mayroon tayo ngayong mga sarili nating mga wika.
    Nasa Genesis 11:1-9 ang tungkol dun (Tore ng Babel).
    Kung iginagalang natin ang Dios, dapat igalang din natin ang wikang ipinagkaloob nya sa atin.
    Baka lang kasi di alam ng mga namamahala sa “Saviour’s Christian Academy” sa Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.
    Kakahiya naman kayo, tinawag nyo pang Christian ang school nyo, mga wala naman kayong alam sa Biblia..
    Ikaw ang walang galang, ir-Reverend Brian Shah…

    1. I see you are biblical, but you can’t suppress tyranny (the way you looked at it) by acting like one (using harsh words)

  182. I, together with the whole UP Timpuyog-The UPLB Ilocano Students’ Organization, expresses our dismay in this incident. We believe that speaking the vernacular language (Iluco) in our schools should not be discouraged and banned. Isn’t that the Mother Tongue Language included in the new K-12 program of the DepEd? We also believe that the said students should be given a proper due process and not instantly sanctioned in any form. We believe that the school is a venue for nurturing knowledge and catering the welfare of the students for their holistic development, so it is only proper that the cultural thoughts and principles should flourish in this institutions.

    We condemn this repressive school policy! We fight for our right to develop our vernacular language!

  183. its more appropriate to teach the students of living in good manners,its the most important and not that foreign language.anyway they are ilokano and not alien lke that of brian shah.go home on youre lang in outer space.yuo have no place in the ilokano land….maawatam?

  184. ang gagaling nating manghusga….in fairness to Pastor Brian… mnapakarami na niyang nagawang mabuti dito sa Pilipinas, particularly in Ilocos…IKAW ANO NA BA ANG NAGAWA MO SA BANSA MO o sa ilocos man lang???MANGURAKOT???Pinapalayas niyo ang taong di mabilang ang mabuting nagawa……dakdak kayo nang dakdak, tignan niyo muna ang sarili nyo…

    1. Lakay tama ka. Marami na siya nagawang mabuti sa bansa. Samantalang ako, wala pa.

      Ang pagbabago ay kelangan mag umpisa sa aking sarili. Kaya kelangan ko nang gumawa ng tama at mabuti para sa ating bansa at ilocos, … eto ang:

      pag KUNDENA sa mga dayuhang gaya nya. Mabuhay ang Pilipino. Maraming salamat po.

  185. In my opinion, phrases like “linguistic disrespect” and “language tyranny” do not fit into the SCA picture. I am not a language expert, but these are my humble definitions. Linguistic disrespect is looking down on a certain language or being biased against a certain language because this language does not come up to speed with perceived standards. Language tyranny, likewise, is the use of seemingly beautiful language to sow fear, hatred, war and all forms of negativism.
    Mandating students not to speak any language or dialect other than English within the school campus and in other school-related activities is a matter of inculcating discipline in them as the school sees fit. Moreover, English, not Ilocano or Filipino, is the global and Internet language which Filipinos should hone in order to be competitive in the global market, especially now that the Philippines has overtaken India in business process outsourcing (BPO). As to how the school implements this policy, I cannot categorically say.
    Another point is whether expulsion or kicking out is synonymous or one and the same as an advice to transfer. The proper definitions and delineations are necessary to determine what will or will not hold water in court, if it comes to that.
    One last point is that all the stories we hear and the news we watch and listen to are according to just one side, the side of the aggrieved as related by a blogger. Has any of those who have commented gone to the school to verify what really happened so as to have a more objective and fair perspective of the whole picture? If they are not able to reach any reliable school representative, then they should refrain from publicizing mere opinions based on just one side of the coin.
    I have no child enrolled in that school, but I intend to withhold any judgment until I shall have had some firsthand information on SCA’s side in order to have a more intelligent appreciation of the facts and a more balanced conclusion.

    1. Yes I understand that in good faith the school just wanted a higher standard of education, They want their students to be globally competitive and that is indeed splendid but the problem is you are compromising your culture, your identity, your ethnicity.You are putting them into jeopardy. I understand the inevitability of speaking English in this modern society and the rise of globalization and I agree that English is a global medium, but do not stifle and repress the so called- inferior language on the other hand. It is also our social, cultural, and moral responsibility to preserve our language. Since SCA is an institution, they are more capable of INFLUENCING these poor children/youth. You have to understand that you are dealing with these “young people”. Although the school’s intention is very magnificent like I said, but unconsciously at a very young age you are ALIENATING them to their own culture and identity. You are instilling them that culture is not important or that Filipino and Ilocano identity is not to be valued. You are instilling in these young minds the inferiority of our culture and our identity. May I reiterate that modernization and globalization somehow necessitates the use of English language. My point is,” don’t worry Filipino/Ilocano culture haters”, our culture is gradually falling into decadence; but may I ask that please do not HASTEN this predicament. Is that funny enough? I hope that WE will together/ hand in hand help preserve our language and culture or let us contribute to the preservation of it. The youth are are the next generation. So what will be the next Ilocanos made of? Who will be them? To make it simple, let us not kill our own. (because in my end, this school’s policy is a silent annihilation) The GOOD NEWS is you can still raise the standards of your school and be globally competitive in other aspect without sacrificing your language and culture. Look at Japan for example. Are the Japanese good English speakers? (but they are globally competitive and hi-tech).

      I agree with you that this blog may be bias and exaggerated but my argument attacks no one but the policy(strict English) alone. In line with my argument, I think that the blame should not be pass on Mr. Shah alone. It takes a team to create this policy. What about the administrators and the teachers? And especially what about DepEd? They should be the regulating body. HOW COME THEY APPROVED THIS POLICY? They must be forgetting that before DepEd, they are called DECS = Dep. of Education, “CULTURE” and Sports. Lastly what about the PARENTS? The parents loved and liked this policy also. Don’t tell me they don’t know about it. They have the authority also , they should have voiced out in the first place against this cultural insensitive policy but they did not because they love it. Like the one comment I read that broke my heart. A parent said, they said they love the school’s policy that’s why they enrolled their kids. Awan ma-saok kadidiay apo. It just made this blog and the arguments non sense. Fellow Ilocanos i hope that we will be more critical and rational about this. Think first before we agree on a certain policy. It is our culture and identity that is at stake. Agyamanak unay apo. Dios ti ag-ngina. Peace and Love

  186. Some of you may find the last paragraph of my comments disturbing, some may be offended but that is the truth,it hurts. I just want to reiterate that my comments and arguments are based solely on the policy(strict English). About the so called immoral actions of Mr. Shah, I’ll leave it up to you. Agyamanak unay apo. Pada nga Ilocano, pada nga Pilipino. Dios ti ag-ngina. peace and love

  187. over,Pastor ka pa mandin,how can you give traumatic experience to these boys… are so cruel.walang masama if they speak in ilocano since this is the native language in Laoag….Ania kamet Pastor!Di ka lang mabain ta aramid mo….

    1. bat ganun naman ang naging asal ng pastor? nagsalita lng ng ILOCANO kick out na agad ang 3 studyante…at parang di narin sya pastor dahil sa pagsasalita ng masama sa 3 studyante bakit naman ganun ang inasal ng pastor? ..i want justice for the 3 students….

  188. wala siyang karapatan para pagsabihan ng bit*ch ang mga estudyante dahil mga bata pa lamang sila… pastor pa manding naturingan pero bakit ganon??? parang sinayang niya ang pastor na turing sakanya.. he is not a pastor anyway, he is a monster…
    justice for the student~!

  189. Personal Opinion on the Matter
    I am the father of one of the Elementary graduates of SCA. We as a family are proud of the SCA program especially on how the English language is being taught and applied within the school. Languages can only be taught if they being used as part of your day-day conversations. Since the mother tongue (Ilocano) is already extensively used at home and outside the school, using English within the school is a good approach to apply the language being taught as an hourly subject. You cannot confidently speak English unless you actually use it. Imposing the use of English language within the school premises not only creates the proper confidence to use it, but also creates the “venue” or atmosphere to interact to everyone and apply the English language verbally. Kapag nasa labas ka ng school, sino naman po ang puede ninyong kausapin using English on a day-day basis? Even in college, communication students have speech labs but still ineffective because it is only of short duration and you don’t speak naturally. These experiences had helped my son a lot when we migrated here in Canada. Even if you are in Philippines, English is being used at professional jobs. During interviews, a lot of intelligent folks get flunked because they are not able to express themselves and will awkwardly look very nervous. The actual practice and mastery should start at an early age. I support the endeavor the school is making.

    The manner of reprimanding is another story though…but one should open his/her mind a little bit and should see the light at the end of the tunnel. There was a time Pastor Brian got annoyed with us because we accidentally spoke in Ilocano…but that was fine with us because we know that we too have to abide with the school regulation that we fully supported that time. We see the “good” of what is being done. He is a type of person who asserts himself emotionally to his intentions. By way of his culture, he takes rules and regulations very seriously. My family is saddened of the controversy and hope that the number of open-minded people out-weighs the opposite ones. I believe if one is defiant of the rules and regulations of the school (which is for educational purposes) and feels he is not comfortable with it, then he/she should consider going to another school that he feels right for him…it is everybody’s choice. But if one tries to destroy someone and an institution’s reputation…then it is simply a good manifestation of arrogance, pride, anger, uneducated and disrespectful (no humility as a value), behaviour that no one in the professional world will even tolerate. If one is already reprimanded and maintains the same violations over and over, then he/she no longer respects the institution/individual. Good luck on your professional career if you maintain this attitude. I feel the so called “outrage” is more of a misplaced sympathy with a touch of vendetta.

    Pastor Brian is Singaporean and English is also a second language to him and hence, the way he expressed his words (especially with emotions) might not consider the right choice of words. And even, worst, others might even take his “metaphors” literally (he is not an Ilocano language hater). We may alternatively assess a person’s worth on his good intentions not by his mistakes all alone. Hopefully, a thin red line can be drawn in between as this incident should provide lessons learn for us and also for him.

    This is my personal opinion and I respect everyone else and hope my opinion is also equally respected.

    Food for Thought:
    Problems cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created them – Albert Einstein

  190. We have a right to speak an Ilocano. i don’t agree that speaking in vernacular is prohibited within their campus. it is only my first time that a pastor said a bad word “Bitch” to the students who spoke in vernacular. Why did the pastor do that? Does he really looking down to us?

  191. Good point and well stated sir.
    I think your statement seems to be equating not only intelligence but as well as nobility (or a well and highly educated man) and superiority to good English speaker.
    What is really behind the need for Filipinos to speak good English? Obviously we already know the answer. -To get a life we deserve. A high-end life that is given by a high-end job (but will never be given by the state because the state cannot support its people that’s why it has to send OFWs around the globe; to find job in a capitalist conglomerate (which I think Capitalism is the main culprit); “at para bumagay” in the aristocracy. My concern now is what about the poor? The street children? What about the native ethnic groups? Will they be outcasted and will never experience a good life? Will they ever be treated as inferiors? May we have equal rights in education. May we have equal and mutual respect for every language,culture and ethnicity.
    Im just a simple Filipino/Ilocano living in the mountains far from civilization that long to build a country that I can be proud of. If we keep instilling to our children that we Filipinos(Ilocanos in this case), our language, our culture, our identity are inferior, then we will always be. My main point in this argument is to destroy these kind of mind-sets that we were used to. I just hope that my own language, culture and identity will not be buried into oblivion. Thank you. Dios ti ag-ngina, Dios ti kumuyog apo. PEACE and LOVE

    1. The intention of imposing the English language inside the campus is to create an equal atmosphere for the students to actually practice and use English to interact each other. Once they are out of school, I do not see any limitations or prohibitions to use either the Ilocano or Tagalog dialects. The implementation of the policy is more to encourage the students to use the English language to communicate each other. So parang yung itinuturo sa kanila (for one hour) sa English subject ay nagagawa nilang pagpraktisan sa labas ng classroom but within the vicinity of the school. Since everyone is expected to communicate to each other within the campus in English, it creates an equal ground for practicing it as the other party is also expected to reply in English. So within a group, if someone is fluent, he/she would be able to influence others within that group. Bottom line, the policy was for educational purposes and reasons are what I have already described in my earlier post. It was never to suppress anyone from learning and using our dialect beyond the campus, we already have all the time to do that.

      Another point is that our government, public, especially the private sectors use English communication extensively, oral and written. Engineering, medical, math, business and other courses use English. Job interviews often use English language. Hence, you do not have to be overseas to need it. It is already part of our modern norm in the Philippines whether you accept it or not (reality check). Whom to blame for this? Certainly not the schools, but the government who are setting everything on a higher level…better yet, the politicians in our country. In Brazil, their medium of instruction is in Portuguese, everything written, from signage to books), are in the Portuguese language, engineering and all courses are taught in Portuguese. This is because that is what their government have set. I know because I have worked there once and whenever I am on a meeting, I need an interpreter to communicate. Some Brazilians may have been educated with the English language, but it is their choice to use it and more often, they refuse to use it and play dumb about it. However, this is not the case in our country.

      The school does not intend to suppress our culture, our right to speak Ilocano or whatever dialect. The school only intend to educate its student one step further by creating an atmosphere to apply, in a way, that you will get an equal response and not criticized to be “maarte” or whatever. That is all their intentions. It may be non-conventional compared to other schools, but that that does not mean it is totally wrong. One should only understand the good intention. Pastor Brian (and perhaps his advisers), during his long stay in the Philippines reaching out as part of social work and interacted to people and children may have seen the need to take one step further. That teaching it one hour everyday is not enough and unfortunately, there are no separate classes to apply English interaction naturally at an early age but to use the same campus atmosphere.

      With regards to nobility, if you say I am an educated person, yes I am if you believe that an educated person is someone who maintains his values and respect. An intellectual person is learned…but not all intellectual persons are said to be “educated”. As an example, try to watch a Senate hearing, you will see samples there . The school is just a “conduit” for learning and change. It would be unfair to blame a school for all the misfits or unequal education or poverty. Saviour Christian Academy is a school and is open to everyone regardless of status of living. Equal rights of people to education you say? I believe you are already preaching to the choir, as it is happening everywhere in the Philippines. I graduated in MMSU, Batac because I cannot afford to study in La Salle or Ateneo. I graduated in elementary in a public school. Nakipag-sugsugkillak idiay Paoay golf course and nakipagpalpalaak idiay Candon Ilocos Sur just to obtain some additional amount to support my education (pati jueteng pinasok ko). I am no aristocrat gayyem. If the country is able to support its people as you said, than I should have not gone to Saudi as an OFW and should have stayed with my family. For your information, narigat ti biag ti OFW, narigat ti mai-yadayo iti familia. The government calls us “modern day heroes”, hell yeah in a way, but this is just to “sugar-coat” their failure and inability to provide a better life to the people.

      Now going back to the subject matter, I had also some personal interaction with Pastor Brian in the past when my son is still studying at SCA. He is a good person…and he is having good intentions and visions that he has to take some parts of the educational system to a higher level to cope up with changing times. He is strict. His leadership is strict and as a school president, he should be. And as a leader, you are face to make difficult decisions to maintain your policy which aims to support and attain the school goals and visions. You cannot put the blame of unequal opportunity to education to the school…that is just unfair. Blame that to our government and perhaps, some of us probably for being irresponsible to ourselves. I received information that the students who were requested to transfer to a different school were making violations of the school policy repeatedly and was given warnings on several occasions. Pastor Brian, being strict as he is, is forced to make a difficult decision, and as a leader he stands by it. What are policies worth if they are repeatedly being violated? Worse, if these repeated violations are accepted, then others will follow up to a point where the rules and regulations are no longer respected and followed. Look into our past government actions, they spent millions for trial and convicted Estrada of corruption…only to be pardoned later by the Arroyo government later for “reconciliation” and got everybody fooled. An ordinary person will never stand a chance in court without some form of influence. How can people respect laws in our country if we see how laws are bent and manipulated to get away from it. I would assume Pastor Brian made a difficult decision to let these kids go with the intent to protect and maintain the sanctity of the school regulations which the students and parents understood for years (considering these kids were not first timers). We have to look into the issue as it is and as simple it is and not try to compare such situation on a global scale which tends to be excuses to violate regulations that were presented, accepted and understood.

      Thank you for your reply to my opinion and I respect your side of the table.

      Food For Thought:

      Go Placidly, Amid The Noise and Haste – Desiderata

  192. Globalization, modernization, commercialization,cosmopolitanism.
    Their rise gradually overcomes the indigenous, vernacular and inferior languages making English language sits on the throne. I agree to you and I accept and understand the INEVITABILITY of speaking English in this modern times. Yes I agree that’s the reality. With this, I hope you also agree that our language, culture and identity is falling into decadence INVOLUNTARILY. This scenario is imperative to globalization, modernization…etc.. etc. Reality check right? If people can’t see this, well maybe they just really don’t care about their identity and culture or their nation or maybe they just don’t think at all.
    Are we just gonna let our language, our culture, our heritage and our identity, decades from now, be buried in oblivion? Education should empower people to become active citizens and participants in the transformation for the betterment of their society. According to UNESCO, “Learning should also focus on the values, attitudes and behaviors which enable individuals to learn to live together in a world characterized by diversity and pluralism”. The great dilemma here is that education must also protect and cultivate the language and culture at the same time. It is a sort of paradox to the righteous and brilliant intention of the school to speak and learn English. This is where the problem is-How to settle both of our conflicting ideas. You have a point, I have a point. I just thought that the school should not implement right away that kind of cultural insensitive policy but rather study, analyse it intensively, critically and rationally and should be viewed from different perspective.
    And btw, WE(me and my thoughts 🙂 ) are not attacking Mr. Shah, just for the record. It is the policy alone. Also I am not questioning his leadership. Perhaps I admire his strictness and firmness; I admire the “rules are rules” that we have to follow(I just hope it is not selective implementation); and perhaps I would also do the same to those kids if they violated the rules for many occasions already (if the policy is just rational and good). Those are the things I admire. No questions about that.

    Thank you also for your time to read. Dios ti kumuyog, Dios ti ag-ngina apo.
    Peace and Love

  193. And I equally admire and respect your opinion as well. I also hope and pray that the things we have highlighted associated to the issue at hand would plow more improvements in our educational system in such a way that a good balance can be drawn between preserving our culture and heritage, as well as supplementing knowledge with skills that would empower our youth to stand with the changing times.

    My children are English speaking (with all the accent there is) outdoors here in Canada but are Ilocano or Tagalog talkers at home and whenever they see kababayans who are equally fluent in our language and/or dialect.

    I do not see any bad on what SCA is implementing within their campus. They are simply taking the school training one step further but within the confinement of the campus. I do not see anything wrong with that since there are is still other subjects were Filipino language and heritage is studied upon in SCA. After school hours, the students are able to speak our dialect and it our role as parents to keep the heritage. The main source of learning and maintaining our culture and heritage is more influential in our homes and outside the school premises depending on how you stand as a parent. The school (on an early age of the student) is more supplemental in nature. If you are in the Philippines, that is not a problem at all. If your children is studying in a foreign country whose educational system is consistent to that country, then this issue of loosing our culture and heritage becomes a problem and more struggle to the parents for sure.

    I also hope that a lot of us should see more facts, know the root-cause, know the person in question better and get a clearer head and not mix higher level issues with a single issue that was a result of constant insubordination and disrespect. Let us empower everyone around us with respect and understanding rather than resorting to aggressive reaction. We are no longer under colonial rule. It is unfortunate that these kids who were requested to transfer became the centre of a lot of outrage and now become more of a victim of various opinions. They have to guided accordingly so as to understand that they are old enough to consider responsibility of their actions and behavior. Instead of fueling their wrath and disappointment, this should serve as lessons and they should move on with proper guidance and maintain their values. Let us help the family recover and move on.

    Dios met ti agngina kadayo amin.

  194. I recently graduated at Saviour Christian Academy. To be honest the school rules are painful. But, Rules are always a rules. The problem is why did Rev. Sha expel the students as like that. The fact that he must give them a warning for violating the house rule like giving them suspension instead of expulsion. Maybe some of us thinks that it is a some what called DISCRIMINATION for some of Rev. Sha rules are do not speak vernacular inside the school these are our National Language “Tagalog” and our Local Language “Iloco”. We know that Rev. Sha is not really from here. So we know why he doesnt want any other language in his school. but then he should not stop his students not to speak in their native language. As a filipino we ha have a saying “TAAS NO KAHIT KANINO ISIGAW SA MUNDO TAYO AY FILIPINO”.

  195. Primebel’s admiration to Shah and the school is commendable. But sorry Primebel, your Shah doesnt speak English. And do not mislead us into believing that English is spoken at SCA. IT IS NOT AND IT NEVER WAS. Iloglish, Taglish or Singlish are the only languages spoken inside the school. Ahhhhh ,,, and ahhhhh and ahhhhh and ahhhh and ahhhh… ahh befoe and after every werd are not features of the English language.
    I never went to a school that mandates English-only as a language but I learned several languages with the help of my first language which is Ilocano. And I do not speak with ahhhs and ahhhs and ahhhs whether I visit Canada, US, UK or Australia or country that speaks the language.

    If you *do not see any bad* in the SCA policy, better shut your mouth. You are just spreading mediocrity after mediocrity. That policy is ill-informed. Real educators recognize the value of one’s lingua franca in learning a foreign language.
    If you *do not see any bad* in what Shah had done, you better keep your admiration to him. He committed a crime of child abuse and you still condone him.
    Again, Im sorry to say that your kids never learned English in that school. They only learned ahhhEnglish-ahhh uhh ahhhh, right?

  196. Primebel, before you talk about respect of law, examine yourself first. You openly admire Shah and consistently condemn the violation of rules by the 3 children. You can gain an iota of credibility of what you are talking about if you remain neutral and gin a bit of respect if you stop admiring and defending criminals. Obviously, like many lowly creatures, you do not consider physical threats and verbal abuse as crimes. You will only be treated with respect, not disdain if you act like a human being. You talk about violations of rules committed by the children, but you admire the violation of the country’s laws committed by Shah. You also never talk about another violation committed by another student that triggered one of the 3 children to swear in Iloco. Someone stole his folders. That was never addressed by the school.
    Understand the issues here.
    1.Rules were violated by the 3 children. They were severely punished not commensurate to their offense.
    2. Rules, their own rules, were violated by the school, and they are being rightly condemned (and yet you want to praise the school).
    3. Crimes were committed, first by one thief (student), then verbal and physical abuse by Shah and the principal. The thief got away with the crime. You also want Shah to get away with his crimes.
    4. A policy was made, and that policy was formulated by polpols who have no knowledge at all about the value of one’s lingua franca towards a foreign language.
    5. Crawlers like you insist on the import of the school policy. Show me the proof. Not ahhhh-ah ahh ahhh Eglish ahh ahh ahh ah. European students speak several languages, and yet they are very fluent in their lingua franca.

  197. What I have mentioned my personal opinion as to the best of my knowledge thinking that this forum welcomes reactions and opinions (whether you are pros, cons or in between). I never bullied anyone and I also respect anyone who disagrees with me. You accuse me of praising the school and being one-sided and yet you want me to stop and keep my mouth shut…simply because I tend to disagree with majority of you here…isn’t that ironic. I can’t describe anyone with names (“crawlers”, etc)…that is not my nature. By the way my family, including my children, are very good Ilocano speakers.
    I have placed my opinions in this forum based on my family and children’s personal account with the school which we supported and our children got benefited, nothing more…nothing less. If you have a different side, I respect that and I won’t tell you to shut up. I already shared all my part and there is nothing else to say so I will keep my silence for good. The authority having jurisdiction on this issue is the Department of Education and allow them to do their rightful investigation and any outcome, I will be glad to accept without bullying anyone. Napag-uusapan lang gayyem so keep your cool and be subtle.
    Again, this is my last post. I would like to extend my appreciation to all your reactions. I have read them and understood them. Whether you want to accept or not, it is a fact that SCA has taught my children well and we are all happy for that and sad that SCA will have to go through this controversy. I can only pray for everyone’s strength. I would personally extend my respect and appreciation to “Pudno nga dara ti Pilipino” for his/her opinions as well.

    Bye now and I pray for the peaceful resolution of the issue at hand. Hope SCA, DepEd and parents of this kids come up with a some form of amicable settlement very soon if possible

  198. I’m glad you had stopped misleading us into believing that students learn English from SCA- because that foreign language was never taught in that school. Thank you.

    1. (Just for you “Justice for the Abused Children”) I never tried to mislead anyone. That is your opinion. I can humbly say that I have learned some points from you (of course I drop the intimidation part). However, I also disagree that English is not taught in SCA. If English is a subject on a particular school curriculum, then they are teaching it. Otherwise, you are already saying that all English subjects in Elementary, High School and University are not being taught. If that statement of yours was a “metaphor”, sorry did not get it. If you could have said that not all students become good English speakers out from these English subjects, then I could have totally agreed with you.

      I believe I already send my message clear enough to others for their own personal assessment. It does not matter how much you are going to hate my opinion or how much emotions or bullying you’ll do on me. Those behavior problems are MORE on you than on me. There are still logical people in here that believes on the balance of opinions and they are of more important readers to me than you are (silently). I checked previous replies and it seems you have the habit of preying on selected comments…well, like I said, it is more on you than on me.

      If this blog was intended to be ONE-SIDED only with the purpose on fueling the outrage, imposing or encouraging negatives against SCA policy and attacking the SCA president and principal, and not to openly allow people to provide their comments either pros, cons or neutral, then this is not the kind of blog I expected it to be. It seems anyone here who will provide anything positive to SCA will be verbally persecuted or crucified. Anyway, wish all the best na lang gayyem and ang puso mo na rin, be happy…it is still a wonderful world kapatid.

      1. Only for Primebel: Of course, it is one-sided when people refuse to understand the issues presented, and remain blinded by their own established beliefs. As for me, I strongly believe that abuses should never be tolerated, justified, and their perpetrators remained unpunished(they are even revered). I also believe that comments should be one-sided and not people-centered. Your comments were focused on praising the tormentor and totally refused to understand that this was a case of abuse. As for the foreign language bEing taught in that school, it is Singlish or Taglish or Iloconglish. My goodness! It is never English as you wanted people to believe.
        Again,banning the use of one’s mother tongue is counterproductive. If these people were competent, they should have known that mother tongue is important before one learns a foreign language. I’m sure you’ll agree. Im sure you learned a foreign language after your mastery of your mother tongue. Dont tell me you learned a foreign language while being prohibited from speaking in your native tongue.THANK YOU

        1. The previous message posted was supposed to be my last. But given the circumstances, I made more research on the issue at hand. Here are my personal comments:

          SCA may be has a set of guidelines on how an “expulsion” should be administered which is already specified in their handbook. I am pretty sure the DepEd has also guidelines on schools in administering an “expulsion” process as SCA has to be consistent with the DepEd guidelines. Overall “due process” should be conducted before anyone gets an expulsion. Technically, the offense made requires reprimand (may be in verbal or written form). I do not know if the decision resulted from a “due process” or if there was “due process” consistent with the SCA policy which in turn should be consistent with DepEd guidelines. This is a matter that DepEd should investigate. Unfortunately, this will end up as a post-decision as the children is already out of SCA. I am not aware of the DepEd guidelines, but shouldn’t DepEd issued some form of a “restraining order” to SCA if the “expulsion” is questionable? Perhaps, this is again a result of a slow-paced rule of law…nagdusa na yung mga inosente bago pa sila i-absuelto. Whether pastor Brian used his authority as president over the SCA Disciplinary Board and bypassed any “due process” is something that has to be investigated swiftly, that all depends on DepEd now. If there was no “due process” and SCA’s procedure on imposing expulsion is bypassed, then I totally agree with “Justice for Abused Children’s” concerns. The door should swing in two directions…and so does the rule of law. I believe the GREATER ISSUE here is how the manner of expulsion was arrived at and implemented. I believe DepEd should look at this seriously so this incident will be handled more carefully and prevent from happening again. I believe DepEd should do better than making their comments publicly by taking appropriate actions towards this incident. The school principal is the overall administrator of SCA (this is evident by the “expulsion” letter as her signature is there). If there is an SCA disciplinary board, then work flow process should be followed in making decisions (especially delicate ones). If pastor Brian, being the president, directly influenced the principal and SCA board (if there is any) in imposing this expulsion decision and there was no “due process”, then this is what went wrong.

          On the other hand, in my own opinion, I still maintain that there is nothing wrong with the policy of speaking English within the elementary and/or high school campus as long as it is for educational purposes only and reprimanding is only the maximum offense. The probable exception is that if this repeatedly and purposely violated such that it results to disrespect and total insubordination and comes to a point where both the school and parents are not able to stop it. This means, the school and parents should first work together. The only technical thing that will stop the school in implementing the “English Speaking Only” policy in SCA campus is if DepEd impose an order to the school (OR school) to stop such practice. Perhaps, this is where this blog will help for starters hoping it will not be another classical “ningas-kugon”.

          Like I have said, if it is for educational purposes, I do not see anything wrong with SCA’s English-speaking only policy within the campus (except for subjects that requires our native language to be used). This the drawn line where “Justice for Abused Children” and I are standing on difference of opinion. My family and I have known pastor Brian and the teachers for years before my son graduated from SCA. They are not bad people. The policy helped my children a lot kahit hindi verbally perfect ang English execution nila…they have developed the confidence to use it in appropriate occasions. They never lost their heritage as they are still very good Ilocano/Tagalog speakers (timangken latta nga Ilocano no agsao and behave). The confidence was a starting point for them to grow further and be good speakers later. You can criticize me all you want but that is the truth on my side…it may not apply to others as it also depends how “hands-on” are you as a parent in guiding your children. Everybody will have differences in opinions and that should not be a cause of wrath or hatred to one another.

          Again I respect your opinion and I appreciate you raising this concern and spear-heading this on another level so that things will get improved in the long run and hope our opinions in this blog, whether it is pros or cons, can be used to proactively create improvements and solutions and not to solely to destroy an institution’s or someone’s reputation or instill hatred and disrespect. It is also “un-filipino” of us we do that to one another in making discussions like this.

          I would appreciate if this Blog can suggest alternatives to this policy’s intent so we can be more PRO-ACTIVE and provide suggestions to DepEd. Indentifying the problem and providing alternative solutions is being pro-active

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