I FIRST CAME to know of the existence of Dr. Ernesto Constantino's presumably now rare book in 2008 when I Google-searched for any material about Isinay available in the Internet.
You see, except for one election campaign pamphlet written by former Nueva Vizcaya Governor Alfonso Castañeda for Mrs. Betty Calderon when she ran for governor (a copy of which was lent to me two years ago by Bona^ si Isinay Dopaj President Lilia Castañeda-Magquilat), I have yet to see a printed material on or using Isinay. All my life in Isinay country, the reading fare we had in the house were in English (e.g. Philippines Free Press), Iluko/Ilocano (e.g. Bannawag), and Tagalog (e.g. Pilipino Komiks).
Thus, under the circumstances now of the Isinay language fast slipping away due to dwindling users let alone lack of literature, finding any Isinay item – no matter how poorly written, no matter how vaguely relevant, no matter how trivial – would be like discovering a large mudfish in a carabao pond known to have no fish at all.
The internet hits I got of Constantino’s 561-page “nabalitu-an an libru” showed an unadorned slightly green cover of the book, plus notes to the effect that a copy is available in this library and that. No review whatsoever was made of the book. The sites that allowed a sneak of its pages did not go beyond its table of contents and a few snippets of the inside pages. Modesty aside, I therefore feel that this writeup might just be the first such book review of the UP Professor’s obra maestra.
ABOUT THE BOOK'S AUTHOR
WHO IS Ernesto Constantino? Which part of Dupax, or Bambang, or Aritao did he come from? If he is not an Isinay, how in the world was he able to write a book like that? Andiye sin^tonar ta nileleman an nangapyat ma^pen libru an mi^pun si Isinay? (What qualifications did he have to come out with so thick a book about Isinay?)
Definitely intrigued, I Google-searched "Ernesto Constantino." And here's what I got from his curriculum vitae in http://www.languagelinks.org/oldsite/book/authors_econst.html --
ERNESTO A. CONSTANTINO
Academic Rank: University Professor
Primary Academic Unit: Department of Linguistics
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
University of the Philippines
Date and Place of Birth:
August 25, 1930 / Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija
Educational Background:
AB English (cum laude), U.P., 1953
PhD Linguistics, Indiana University, 1959
Summer Program in Linguistics, Linguistic Society of America, University of Michigan, Summers 1956, 1958
Post-doctoral studies in Malayopolynesian Linguistics, Yale University, 1958-59
Graduate Studies in Linguistics, Cornell University, 1955-56
Positions Held:
University Professor, U.P., 1993-1999
Professor of Linguistics, U.P., 1969-1992
Associate Professor of Linguistics, U.P., 1965-69
Assistant Professor of Linguistics, U.P., 1959-65
Graduate Assistant, U.P., 1954-55
Student Assistant, U.P., 1952-54
Chairman, Department of Linguistics, 1963-72, 1982-85
Chairman, Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature, 1969-74
Visiting Research Professor of Linguistics, Institute for the Study of the Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo, Japan, 1981-82
Senior Specialist (in Linguistics), East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, 1968-69
Associate Linguist and Associate Director, Philippine Languages Project, Pacific and Asian Linguistics Institute, University of Hawaii, 1968-69
Fellow, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, 1963-64
Fellow, Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University, 1955-56
Fellow, U.P., 1955-59.
Other services or contributions:
I was able to contribute significantly to the adoption and development of the Filipino national language. The 1971 Constitutional Convention adopted the proposal, popularly known as the "universal approach", submitted by the UP Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature and the Department of Linguistics, both of which I was the chairman from 1969 to 1972, for the development of Filipino as the national language of the Philippines in place of Pilipino. Subsequently, the 1986 Constitutional Commission adopted Filipino as the national language of the country even though as early as 1970 the UP had already adopted and started using this language as the national language. Thus the Filipino national language is the distinct contribution of the UP whose linguists were singularly consulted by the 1986 Constitutional Commission for the adoption of this language by the 1987 Constitution as the national language of the Philippines.
I was one of the three U.P. faculty members who made decisive contributions to the framing of the final version of the law entitled "An Act Creating the Commission of the Filipino Language, Prescribing Its Powers, Duties, and Functions, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes." I have attended meetings and conferences in linguistics and Austronesian languages in the USA, Great Britain, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Moscow and Jakarta in which I read papers. I have attended far more meetings and conferences (including symposiums, seminars and workshops) in the Philippines on linguistics, Philippine languages, language in education, language in science and technology, folklore, and other topics. In almost all these academic gatherings, I was a paper reader, or a discussant, or a reactor.
As could be deduced from his enviable credentials, Dr. Ernesto Constantino is not only more than qualified to author a book on Isinay. As a nationalistic Filipino and coming from a province not far from Isinay country, he is also one champion for Isinays that your Isinay Bird would very much want to meet soon – even if only to kiss his hand and say “Manmano wa^ ira^yu, Apu Maestro!” as well as to give AMMAIN SALAMAT (big thanks) on behalf of all surviving Isinays as well as the miseseyunur an bona^ si Isinay (next generation of Isinays).
[DIOY SI ATUPTUPNA]
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