Pinoy Pride! Filipino Instructor to teach Filipino course in Harvard

“ALAM ko pong ito ay #parasabayan at dalangin ko po na patuloy nating ikarangal ang pagiging Pilipino saan mang sulok ng mundo.”

Filipina teacher is leaving a legacy to Philippine Linguistics as she has become the first instructor to teach the Filipino Language in Harvard in its 400-year history.

On August 25, the Harvard University Asia Center announced the hiring of Lady Aileen Orsal as a Preceptor in Filipino Language this coming fall. 

“Maliit na bahagi lamang ako ng istorya at ang pagkakataong maituro ito ay bunga ng pagsisikap ng mga taong patuloy na inadhika na magkaroon ng mayaman at makabuluhang programa ng Filipino sa pamantasan (I am just a part of this story- and the opportunity to teach [Filipino Language] is the result of the work of those people who advocated for have a rich and significant Filipino program in the University) ,” Orsal said in a post on her Facebook page.

Orsal is a former Cavite State University Filipino instructor, who graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Mass Communication in 2012 from the same University. 

She finished her M.A in Philippines Studies in 2017. 

Before stepping into Harvard, Orsal taught at different universities such as Cavite State University, Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute at the University of Wisconsin, and Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University, where she assisted in teaching Filipino in introductory and intermediate levels.  

According to The Harvard Gazette, Orsal is set to teach Filipino courses in the elementary and intermediate levels. 

The teaching position of Orsal is funded by the Harvard University Asia Center. 

With reports from Alyza Santos