We, the Filipino community comprised of Westview students, staff, and parents are at risk of having the Filipino program taken away from us. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, Filipino classes at Westview are being phased out. Incoming Filipino 1-4 students were asked to switch to Spanish. By the following 2027–2028 school year, Filipino 5 through Honors 8 will be removed entirely.

The problem is that these classes are vital to the Westview Community. The Filipino classes are a place of belonging where people can be themselves, no matter ethnicity, gender, or background; that is the spirit of Bayanihan, or together as one. For Filipino students, this classroom is the one place on campus where we see our heritage reflected and can belong. Events, like Philippine Culture Night, consistently draw massive turnouts. These celebrations are largely driven and sustained by the passion of students within the Filipino program. By eliminating these courses, we lose a piece of our identity. To maintain and foster a safe community not only for Filipinos but for everyone at Westview, we must unite as a community of students, parents, and educators to support and continue the Filipino classes. We are still unsure why they made this decision, but we clearly do not have the support of Westview Admin or Poway Unified School District to continue and promote the class.