The winter term at Rizal Center’s Tagalog Class will begin on Monday, January 19, 2026, in 2-hour sessions in 15 meetings, for a total of 30 hours. The class will meet every Monday and Thursday from 6 to 8 pm.
The nurturing warmth and spirit of the Philippines’ heritage language is designed to temper the frightful blast of frigid temperatures in Chicago. There is comfort in knowing that fellow kababayans and young Filipino Americans can and will take part in the joy of discovering the essentials of family roots and country.
The first Tagalog Class in Rizal Center started last Spring with six students. The just-concluded (October 30) Fall term graduated 17 students who all found a home in Rizal Center via their 30-hour Tagalog training journey and the welcoming ambiance of RC’s year-round historical and cultural offerings, its board of directors, its staff, and many volunteers that keep the center humming with action and activities.
Rizal Center is pleased to continue offering Tagalog instruction to fill the increasing interest and demand of the community to learn the language that facilitates communication between and among multigenerational Filipino-American families. It also instills pride as it mirrors cultural values and strengthens identity, especially in the face of globalization and dominant languages.
Here’s a video of a student expressing herself in Tagalog after just 30 hours of training. She can now share her thoughts naturally — saying things like “Masaya ako at nakilala ko kayong lahat” (“I’m so glad to have met you all”) and “Nagpra-practice akong mag salita ng Tagalog kasama ang Mama at Papa ko” (“I’m practicing speaking Tagalog with my Mom and Dad”). Beyond gaining confidence and ease in real conversations, she built a bridge to her family and cultural roots. (Video was taken from the Tagalog Class Fall graduation, 10/30/2025.)
Many students have shared that learning the language has opened the door to more heartfelt conversations with their parents — connections that often didn’t exist before
Those interested to join the next Tagalog Class may contact Connie Triggiano 847-275-4139 or Sally Velasco 773-433-0053 or better yet, email connietriggiano@gmail.com for specific information.
Connie Triggiano is currently Board Secretary of Circa-Pintig, a Chicago community theater organization. She works as Academic and English tutor assisting foreign students to pass IELTS, TOEFL, Celpic, ESL and other English exams to gain admission to universities in English speaking countries. She also trains greencard holders to pass US citizenship exams and interview. She worked for many years as Vice-President of Chicago-based Leo Burnett Advertising in its Manila office where she managed the advertising accounts of the country’s biggest brands: Procter & Gamble, Pepsi Cola International, BPI, Vicks, Wyeth and Cathay Pacific. She edited a travel newspaper in Singapore and taught college freshmen in a local university. Connie graduated with a BA degree, major in English, from the University of San Francisco in California while working as an information officer for a United Way agency. She took up MS in Advertising at the Asian Institute for the Development of Advertising, UST Graduate School.
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