Bonifacio P. Sibayan
Bonifacio P. Sibayan is a distinguished, well-respected Filipino scholar in sociolinguistics who has made significant contributions to the education sector of the Philippines. He was a Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Education at the Philippine Normal College (now Philippine Normal University) and was most prominent as the Founding Director of the Language Study Center (LSC) at the said institution in 1964.[1] Through Dr. Sibayan’s visionary leadership, the LSC has supported numerous language programs from the Bureau of Publish Schools and served as a focal point for linguistics and language teaching research in the nation. The extensive development of textbooks carried out on the LSC’s initiative is one of his most significant contributions to the field of education. The initiative was designed to support the implementation of the bilingual education policy at the time by producing textbooks and corresponding manuals for use in public elementary and secondary schools.[2]
Alongside this, his academic profession continued as he served as the Dean of Graduate School from 1967 to 1972, and President of the Philippine Normal College from 1972 to 1981.[1] During that time, he established solid local partnerships with numerous universities and linguistic organizations both domestically and abroad, which led to the creation and joint offering of a Ph.D. program in linguistics by PNC, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle University. [2] Furthering his career as an academician, Dr. Sibayan was also a member of the Linguistic Society of America, Kappa Delta Phi – Honor Society in Education in the US, and the Philippine Society for Curriculum Development. With a lifetime membership, he was also the President of the Linguistic Society of the Philippines.[2]
Dr. Sibayan has consistently published articles on sociolinguistics and applied linguistics in the context of the Philippines. He undertook editorial positions including being an Associate Editor for both the Sociolinguistic Newsletter, and the Philippine Journal of Linguistics. He was also a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of the Sociology of Language.[1] One of many, of his known published work is titled The Intellectualization of Filipino and Other Sociolinguistic and Education Essays which consists 39 of his writings addressing the problem of language education under the Philippine circumstances.[3]
Dr. Sibayan acquired an Elementary Teachers Certificate from the Philippine Normal School in 1940 before finishing his bachelor’s degree in Education majoring in English at Baguio College in 1950. He earned his two master’s degrees abroad: Guidance and Counseling at Missouri State University (1955), and English Language Teaching at the University of Michigan (1959). He continued his education at the University of Michigan where he graduated Ph.D. in Linguistics and Education (1961). He attended various travel awards, grants, and conferences both nationally and abroad.[1]
[2] Who was Dr. Bonifacio S. Sibayan? (2022). Philippine National Research Center for Teacher Quality.
