Filipino podcast teaches phrases

Jasmine Desamito, Lori Peralta, Melvin Jadulang and Tyson Quisano record the
Filipino Phrase of the Week podcast. (photo by Steven Kaʻeo Bersamin, Ka Manaʻo)

By Elizabeth Daligdig
Staff Writer

Lori Peralta’s mother was overjoyed and proud to hear her daughter on iTunes.

“Oh my god, that’s my Lynn Lynn!” exclaimed Peralta’s mother, Melanie, when she heard her daughter’s first podcast.

Peralta is one of several students from Leeward Community College’s Sulong Aral program that produce the Filipino Phrase of the Week podcast, available for free on iTunes. The Filipino Phrase of the Week is a short lesson designed to teach useful Filipino phrases to be used in daily interactions with people. Melvin Jadulang, Sulong Aral coordinator, said the goal of the podcast is to educate Leeward students about the language since “twenty-five percent of our campus is Filipino.”

 “I like the Filipino Phrase of the Week podcast because I’ve never known how to speak Filipino, and now I know a little,” said Britney Mokiao, a part Filipino Leeward student who pointed out how one can now have access to learn new
phrases.

Sulong Aral is a program that runs on a federal grant and aims to help students of Filipino ancestry succeed in school, keep their grade point average up and provide cultural experiences. Jadulang came up with the idea to make a Filipino Phrase of the Week and post it as an iTunes podcast for all interested students to hear. He wanted his students involved with the podcast so other students could relate.

The two students who record the podcast are Peralta and Jasmine Desamito. To concoct the phrases, Desamito and Peralta researched the most common Filipino phrases that are used. The two now have 17 phrases ready to be used and based on what happens during the week, Desamito and Peralta determine which phrase would be best.  

The first podcast made by Peralta and Jadulang and released on iTunes on Jan. 7. Since students were returning for the spring semester, the phrase was “Welcome back, baligaian pag balik.”

The second week, the Filipino phrase was recorded by Desamito and Tyson Quisano, another student. The podcast featured a common phrase used by students who are still warming up to their new classmates. “What is your name? Ano pangalan mo?” an informal way to ask for someoneʻs name.

The third phrase was about the many places Leeward students are from, prompting, “where are you from, tagasaan ka?”

Each podcast is about 30 seconds long and more have been produced since the start of the semester. Desamito hopes the podcasts will educate students, enabling them to use these phrases in daily conversations.

Sulong Aral also has a study area, student lounge, and computers for students to use. The program is located in room DA-204.