"When I was living in the Philippines, I wasn't nationalistic. Like a lot of people back home, I had a bit of colonial mentality," saad ni Angela Dela Cruz.
Nang umalis ang ngayong-Sydneysider na ito sa Pilipinas, saka lang niya natanto ang kahalagahan ng wika't kulturang kanyang kinalakihan.
Ang paglisan at pagpapahalaga
"I realised what our culture had to offer when I studied high school in Australia. For example, we have a very strong work ethic. It's what sets us apart from others."
Habang ang work ethic na ito ang pagkakaiba niya sa iba, ito rin ang nag-buklod sa kanya sa iba pang mga Pilipino. Nang madiskubre niya ang pagmamahal niya para sa kanyang kultura, binuo ni Angela ang Sydney Filipino Society sa University of Sydney.
"When I graduated, I couldn't contribute in the same way I did when I was in school; but I still wanted to do my part in preserving the Filipino culture in Australia. Then, my older sister gave me a suggestion," aniya.
Angela helped establish the Sydney Filipino Society in the University of Sydney. Source: Angela Dela Cruz
Ali-Bata
Sinabi ng kapatid ni Angela na may kakulangan sa Filipino-Australian market na maaari niyang punuan.
"My sister said that it was hard finding resources in Australia to help children learn Filipino. That's when I decided to create an online bookstore I named Ali-Bata. Alibata is the colloquial term for baybayin, the indigenous script in the Philippines. I hyphenated the name because I wanted it to be child-focused ('bata' in Filipino means 'child')."
Ang una niyang napiling mga libro para sa kanyang child-focused na negosyo ay galing din sa kanyang sariling kabataan.
"I hyphenated [Ali-Bata] because I wanted it to be child-focused ('bata' in Filipino means 'child')." Source: Angela Dela Cruz
Naalala ni Angela ang mga librong gaya ng 'Luis and the Enchanted Creatures' at 'Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Lola'.
"I wanted to share with [my nieces and nephews] the love I had for these books," saad niya.
Maliban sa mga dati niyang paborito, nagdagdag din si Angela ng mga bagong materyal "that share culture and are informative" gaya ng 'Francesca' at 'Larga'.
Angela wanted to share her love for Filipino books with her nieces and nephews. Source: Angela Dela Cruz
Kung nasaan sila
Hindi man magulang si Angela, paniwala siya na maswerte siya "to see how my siblings are raising their kids so I have an idea of how I want to raise my own."
At para kay Angela, sigurado siya na gusto niyang palakihing bilingual ang kanyang mga magiging anak.
"Being bilingual has a lot of benefits - longer attention span and better ability to multi-task. There are a lot of cognitive benefits. You are also able to connect with family, such as grandparents and relatives in the Philippines, who don't have English as a first language. My godchildren who started learning Filipino early and use it at home are fluent even now that they're going to daycare."
Ngunit para sa mga batang hindi marunong ng Filipino, saad ni Angela na hindi dapat mawalan ng pag-asa ang mga magulang.
Language is as much about culture as it is about literacy. Source: Angela Dela Cruz
Ayon sa kanya, malaking tulong ang pagbabasa, panonood ng mga palabas na may Filipino translation at paglalaro ng mga Filipino na laro gaya ng patintero.
"We meet them where they are at and we find what they are interested in. Do it bit by bit. Word by word. As long as you make an effort to learn the language and the culture, that's already a big step."
"Do it bit by bit. Word by word. As long as you make an effort to learn the language and the culture, that's already a big step." Source: Angela Dela Cruz
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