He speaks many languages, but this educator is passionate about keeping Filipino alive

Key Points

• Ong is a polyglot who speaks English, Tagalog, Hokkien, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, alongside Spanish, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese at varying levels of proficiency. He is also continuing to learn Russian and French at a conversational level, and Polish, Italian, Bahasa Indonesia and Quechua.
• He said he once placed greater importance on English, recognising the educational opportunities and global advantages that came with being fluent in the language. But his travels and exposure to different cultures deepened his appreciation for local languages and their role in preserving history, culture and identity.
• Ong is now one of the language educators involved with The Filipino Saturday School, a community initiative responding to interest among Filipino-Australian families who want younger generations to learn more about their language, culture and heritage.
• According to community surveys and ongoing engagement led by the school’s Project Coordinator and Organiser, Jade Cadelina, there is strong interest across generations in learning more about Filipino language, culture and heritage, particularly among parents who want their children to have opportunities they had limited access to growing up.