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The Philippines Bilingual Education policy emphasises the need to develop literacy in Filipino as a linguistic symbol of national unity and identity and in English as a language of wider communication. However, many Filipino children begin their education in a language they do not speak or understand as well as their first language. In this setting, only the learners' first language can provide the kind of bridge to a personal identity that incorporates both an ethnic and a national dimension. The author contends that a technical model of literacy acquisition that emphasises literacy primarily as an economic skill for use in the workplace cannot achieve the policy goals. An alternative, ideological model of literacy is proposed which develops the critical thinking skills of the students, builds cognitive and affective domains, and values their local language experience and culture. Thus, by first establishing the empowering role of language in the social system of the students' community, groundwork is laid for the expansion of the students' identity to include their role in the larger national and international contexts.
