Lawmaker calls for learning of Mandarin in English-centric Philippine schools

Congress Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan said learning Mandarin at an early age would double the edge Filipino workers have from their fluency in English. - AFP

MANILA, Feb 12 (The Straits Times/ANN): A lawmaker in the Philippines is pushing for measures that will promote the learning of Mandarin among Filipino students to make them more attractive to employers abroad.

“We already have the edge because our workers can speak English. We should now aspire to double that advantage by encouraging more Filipinos to learn Mandarin at an early age,” said Representative Marcelino Libanan in a Facebook post on Sunday.