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Fil-Canadian empowers younger Filipinos with Tagalog lessons on TikTok

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Jocelyn Reyes-Sambilay | TFC News Toronto

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tNqNoEHfHLc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Ramon Regozo previously taught engineering in the Philippines and was also a project manager and consultant in Canada.Now, he is a TikTok sensation as he utilized the platform to teach Tagalog in a simple yet engaging manner.Regozo said he wants to empower young Filipino-Canadians and Filipinos born abroad to connect with their roots and preserve Philippine culture.&quot;What I really want is to give a chance for the young ones to learn Tagalog, like the TikTok crowd to be more involved in conversation,&quot; he said. &quot;I think that if they do, they will become more culturally aware and become more adapted to the heritage. It&#x27;s an important step to becoming more Filipino.&quot;Living in a multicultural environment in Canada, Regozo and his wife faced a common challenge among immigrant families - their four children grew up without learning to speak Tagalog.But their daughter Rachenne, despite being an adult, embarked on a journey to learn the language and pass it to her children.Rachenne began by posting TikTok videos featuring her father teaching her Tagalog words.Regozo said that with the positive feedback that they got from viewers, he was inspired to create his own videos.But his vision does not end on social media. Recognizing the need for a structured learning environment, he founded the &quot;Landas Network,&quot; an online Tagalog education platform. With over 200 members, the network encourages users to actively participate in Tagalog dialogues. &quot;A lot of it are just creative ideas, mostly from feedback,&quot; Regozo added. &quot;I formulate the topics from the need. That&#x27;s my most important tool, having a network.&quot; Jennifer Dumaran, a new member of the Landas Network, expressed her admiration for Regozo&#x27;s teaching approach.&quot;One of the things that Ramon does that I really like is he breaks it all down,&quot; she said. &quot;And like practicing any sense, record yourself and listen back. And then just getting your mouth used to how to pronounce the words and how to say them.&quot; Rachenne and Jennifer are both second-generation Filipino-Canadians. They both wish they learned Tagalog earlier in life, but they also believe that it&#x27;s never too late to reconnect with their roots. &quot;Find someone that is willing to speak with you in Tagalog,&quot; said Rachenne. &quot;And for me, that&#x27;s my parents. When you&#x27;re able to venture to other people to practice, that&#x27;s really the best way to do it.&quot;Regozo is dedicated to empowering Filipinos worldwide through his continued efforts on TikTok and on the Landas Network. &quot;It&#x27;s actually the parents of second-generation Filipinos that I want to invite,&quot; he said in Filipino. &quot;You may not realize it but your kids might want to learn Tagalog and they&#x27;re not just telling you. I invite them to tell their kids about Landas.&quot;

Ramon Regozo said he wants to empower young Filipino-Canadians to connect with their roots.