KAPAMPANGAN LITERACY MOBILE APP LAUNCHED. Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan (third from left), together with Richard Daenos, president of the City College of Angeles (extreme left), PAMANA awardee for Heritage and Culture Mike Pangilinan (second from left), Culture and Heritage officer Joy Cruz (fourth from left), Tourism Officer John Montances (extreme right), Councilor Amos Rivera (second from right) and Stephanie Orlino, senior manager and head of Education Programs of Smart Communication lead the launching of the first Kapampangan literacy application at the Angeles City Hall on Monday. Named "Singsing," the mobile literacy app aims to promote mother tongue-based learning to school children. (Photo courtesy of Angeles City government)
ANGELES CITY -- The first-ever Kapampangan literacy mobile application was launched here on Monday in a bid to promote mother tongue-based learning to school children.
The launching of the mobile application named “Singsing” held at the city hall was spearheaded by the city government in partnership with Smart Communications as well as local culture and arts advocates.
The mobile application was created to serve as an interactive learning tool for pre-school children, as it features words, letters and numbers, all in Kapampangan.
The software was developed by the students of the City College of Angeles (CCA) and OrangeFix Media, while the content was provided by Sinupan Singsing: Center for Kapampangan Cultural Heritage.
Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan said the project will help safeguard the city’s advocacy of promoting Kapampangan as the official language of the city alongside other official languages.
The application will also further the cause of Ordinance No. 424 of promoting the use of Kapampangan language, especially to young Angeleños and the generations to come.
Pamintuan attributed the project as another milestone for Angeleños whose love and unwavering dedication to promote Pampanga’s rich arts and culture have resulted in the shedding of its “Sin City” image.
“We have come to the age where heritage, culture, and the arts are of most importance to our people. We are now reaping all what we have sowed during the earlier years of my term and now, there is indeed a renaissance of culture and arts in our city,” he said.
“While we are enjoying the advantages of urbanization, we have been keen in protecting the soul of our city - its cultural heritage legacies,” the mayor said.
Culture and Heritage officer Joy Cruz said the application manifests the collaborative and unified efforts of the public and private sectors towards attaining this goal of the city.
"An app intended to teach pre-school children to speak, read, and count in Kapampangan," Cruz said.
Stephanie Orlino, senior manager and head of Education Programs of Smart Communication, said the app is part of their nationwide endeavor of promoting digital learning through the use of the Amanung Sisuan or the “mother-tongue”.
The ‘Singsing’ app can now be downloaded for android handsets via Google Play for free.
Smart Communications disclosed that additional features will be infused to the app in the future updates of the mobile application. (PNA)
