Pepe And Pilar Roxas’ Video Eating Laswa, Speaking Ilonggo, Impress Netizens

“Laswa is da best!” 

This was the caption on politician Mar Roxas’ Facebook post featuring a video of his twins, Pepe and Pilar, enjoying Laswa–a traditional Ilonggo vegetable dish.

Getting children to eat a large serving of vegetables is an accomplishment on its own, but what truly captivated netizens was hearing Pepe and Pilar speaking fluently in Ilonggo.

One commenter praised Mar and his wife, TV anchor Korina Sanchez-Roxas, for teaching the twins Ilonggo, writing: “It’s fantastic that you’re encouraging your children to speak your native language. This not only helps them stay connected to their cultural roots but also enhances their cognitive abilities and opens up more opportunities for them in the future.”

Another praised the couple for how they’re raising the twins, saying, “Congratulations tatay at nanay ni Pepe and Pilar. You are raising your kids so well. Sana lahat ng nanay at tatay pareho ninyo. Well done, Sec. Mar and Korina.”

Multilingual Kids

In a previous video post, Korina reminds the twins to speak in English at school, during their first day of pre-school pep talk.

“In school, only Ilonggo,” Pepe can be heard saying in the video.

“No you cannot speak Ilonggo in school. They won’t understand you. Kailangan English,” explains Korina at the time.

In another interview, Korina shared that it was Mar’s idea to teach their children to speak in Hiligaynon. Growing up in Roxas City, Capiz, Mar is fluent in the dialect. His mother, Judy Araneta-Roxas, is from Negros Occidental. Mar is also the grandson of former president Manuel Roxas.

Experts say that the ideal age for children to learn a new language is between 0 and 3 years, as this is the time when they develop functional communication skills. Studies also suggest that it’s advantageous for children to learn two or more languages at a young age since this helps boost their memory and strengthens language learning abilities.

Watch the full video here:

Here’s how Solenn trains Thylane to speak in four languages.