FILIPINO: REVIVING THE NATIONAL SPIRIT FOR THE LANGUAGE

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Jul 15, 2018 · 8 min read

Will speaking in English always be a big deal for us?

In the Philippines, people are expected to speak fluently in English. People are expected
to know how to spell ‘basic’ English words and proper grammar.

If not, the person will have the misfortune of being called linguistically disabled.

On the other hand, Filipinos also don’t like learning the national language thoroughly.
Many folks don’t even know the differences of using “ng” and “nang” or “daw” and “raw”.

Based on my experience, student study these things only ‘pass’ their Filipino subjects.
But beyond the lackluster environment of the classroom, there is no genuine love for the
language.

Sadly, these bad habits seem to have been accepted by our society. Celebrities and
public figures, who should be the models of the young generations ignore their mistakes,
because they find it okay.

Although both languages are equally taught in schools, how come Filipinos see the
‘second’ language, English, more important?

English is considered a ‘universal’ language. Having access to it means you can travel to
different countries and still have access to that country with English, even if you don’t
know that country’s national language. There is this allure of having access to a
language that is recognized abroad.
Another reason for prioritizing English more is “to have a competitive edge when they're
all grown up and looking for work.”

I guess the most disheartening reason is that they “look down on the Filipino language
as the language of the uneducated, the jologs and the hoi polloi. It is not “sosyal.” To the
“inglesirong” academics, Filipino is not “academic enough.”

There is another cultural layer worth pointing out: that Filipinos are easily intimidated by
Filipino English speakers. Filipino English speakers are threats, because they are
automatically considered “rich and intelligent people.”

Looking back, English was “largely only spoken by the elite during the 300 years of
Spanish rule and was never widely spoken by the generally population.” We all know that
education during the Spanish colonial era wasn’t easy to attain. Only those from well-off
families were sent off to be educated.

Modernity has not broken the stereotype. People still believe that speaking English
automatically means that you were sent to a good school, and that you’re wealthy.

If not assumed as rich, English speakers are touted as “intellectuals,” too. I believe we
are all familiar with Filipinos who say that English-speaking people give them
“nosebleeds.” This is a form of smart-shaming.

When I was in elementary school, many of my classmates avoided me because I often

practiced speaking in English. I felt out-of-place. They told me that they stayed away
because they felt that they were not on the “same level” as me, that I was somehow
above them. Personally, I didn’t think this was true. My only friends were the people who
were in the same situation as me – students who liked practicing their second language,
which was English.
Shakira Sison describes anti-intellectualism as “the hostility and mistrust of intellectual
pursuits.” Speaking English apparently fit into the mold, and so, my experiences in
school fell into the same template. I was singled out as an “intellectual” and I was a
victim of anti-intellectualism.

Those who present an atypical way of thinking are ‘othered’ (perceived as different),
deemed a danger to normality, and are considered outsiders with little empathy for the
rest of the population. This is the origin of the idea that those who have alternative
opinions or are part of a counterculture are “elitist, arrogant, matapobre (anti-poor) and
aloof.”

Filipinos obviously find the English-speaking community intimidating. Before the

“intellectual” ones could step on their egos, Filipinos would immediately insult them by
saying that they are the educated people, and we are ignorant.

It is indeed ironic. The society pressures individuals to learn English well; on the other
hand, those who learned it well will be judged and criticized.

Some would even go so far as to say that speaking English endangers one’s loyalty to
the country. English speakers are accused of patronizing another country because of the
language they are more comfortable with.

During arguments, I speak in English to relay my thoughts better. There was an

unforgettable time when I was having a debate with my friend, and he retorted with
Heneral Luna’s famous line: “Ingles-inglesin mo ‘ko sa bayan ko?!”

Honestly, I don’t know how they concluded that using another language alone can mean
betraying our country. Let’s take Dr. Jose Rizal for instance. He is called the national
hero, despite that his works that freed us from the Spaniards were written in Spanish and
English.

Does that make him a traitor?

Language is not only about words, gestures, or any of those verbal and nonverbal
communication. What makes language a part of a person’s identity is the ability to
comprehend the message.

Rizal mostly wrote in Spanish because he addressed the text to the Spaniards. His goal
was to offend them, for if he wrote in Filipino, would he succeed in his mission? “It is
useless to insult or berate someone in a language they don't understand.”

It’s the same to the English-speaking community. Each has a personal reason of using
the English language, but I’m certain that it is not to show that Filipino should be looked
down upon.

I write not to state that English must not be learned, but to represent that our community
can care for our national language while being proficient in another.

Then again, is using Filipino language for daily communication enough? How can we be
sure that it is safe from language extinction?

Laurel Johnson defines this phenomenon in his article: “A language becomes extinct
when its last native speaker dies, and it’s usually the result of its speakers shifting to a
lingua franca like English, Arabic or Spanish. This implies choice, but it’s often a history
of marginalization that leads to the change.”

“Each year twenty-five languages die out.” One of the dead languages is Latin.
Regardless of knowing that many words originated from Latin, yes, there are no more
living speakers. It’s sad that the language where various words came from was not
saved from this circumstance.

Our carelessness for the basic rules of our own language might just be the cause of its
death. First of all, we must study Filipino thoroughly. Love for the national language
should be taken seriously. It’s like loving ourselves first before another. How should we
love someone else suitably if we don’t love ourselves?

It is very essential to share the knowledge—through facts and in deeds. Knowing the dos
and don'ts of the language is insufficient if it will be stuck in the mind. Use the heart
along with what we know and apply what was learned, then the rest will follow.

This does not end in the citizens. Making foreign countries aware of our language would
be beneficial too. It is a promotion of a culture, just like how many Filipinos desire to
learn Korean, Japanese, and other languages. Remember that Filipino is that these
other languages.

Express the Filipino spirit in productive ways. Don't just sit there to chit-chat about things
that won't help you or the country grow. Write songs or books. Discover new words in
Filipino that aren’t very familiar with. Dive into the history of our language and find out
what makes ours unique.

We don't have to speak Filipino every time. In fact, the people who speak in English can
even use that the additional intellect in supporting the national language too.

I am not the best in Filipino myself. I would search for the translation of English words
into Filipino. My vocabulary in my own language is more limited compared to what I have
in English, but there's no doubt that I love Filipino. Although I said that I can relay my
thoughts better in English, I can release my emotions more in Filipino. One thing clear is
that no matter which language we prefer to speak or use, we must never forget to love
our own.

No one else can understand our language better than us. It's like the Bible, which I think
was originally written in Hebrew, some text translated in English won't mean the same
way as it did in the original. This is because there are symbols in that language for that
certain word only their people can decode.
“National unity depends largely on mutual understanding of each other’s language and
culture.” How can our nation move forward if Filipinos don’t even come in harmony in
loving the national language?

Language comes along with literature and culture. Of course, literature would only be
present if there is a language, while culture is attached to language, as well. These
three-way relationship “plays a vital role in man’s education and national development”.
To be able to penetrate into a culture, one must review their literature because these
“can be regarded as an authentic mirror image of its society and time.”

The simplest way to show that these three affect the national development is to take
Rizal’s works as an example. His novels are known for being eye-openers of the
Filipinos in the past. “Through historical literature, our knowledge of the society is
widened. This knowledge helps people in charting new and humanistic, sociopolitical and
economic course, which leads to a new world order. This is the contribution of literature
to national development.”

National development is like the growth of a plant, and communication can be compared
to breathing. Communication won’t be effective without proper practice of the language.
Breathing is a necessity for us because it is how we take oxygen from plants and provide
carbon dioxide for them. In the same sense, we give the nation the needed information
and messages in order for the country to develop the way we want it to.

Our love for Filipino should not begin and end during August (which is the celebration of
‘Buwan ng Wika’). It’s not about how grand we dress for that day or how many Filipino
games or contests we win. The activities for the celebration is not only for students to
have fun, but to gain knowledge. It happens every year, so that we have an annual
reminder that we should never forget to enrich our language.

The question has changed. Will Filipino finally be a big deal to us?

SOURCES:
Why you should encourage your child to love the Filipino language - https://

ph.theasianparent.com/encourage-child-love-filipino-language/

Betraying the Filipino language - http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/opinion/content/

366049/betraying-the-filipino-language/story/ - June 17, 2014

The Problem with Filipino views about English Speakers - http://www.getrealphili

ppines.com/blog/2015/08/anti-english-mendicancy/ - August 5, 2015

ENGLISH IN THE PHILIPPINES: TAGLISH, CALL CENTERS AND CHEAP ENGLISH

SCHOOLS - http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6c/

entry-3860.html

What's up with the smart-shaming? - https://www.rappler.com/views/imho/109333-smart-

shaming - October 15, 2015

When speaking in English… - http://opinion.inquirer.net/104563/when-speaking-in-

english - June 6, 2017

Why did Jose Rizal said "who does not love his native tongue is worse than putrid fish
and beast", when almost all of his novels or poems are written in English or Spanish? -

http://ningaskugonbaga.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-did-jose-rizal-say-who-does-not.html

What is language extinction and why should we care? - https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/

my-grandmothers-lingo/article/2016/10/06/what-language-extinction-and-why-should-we-
care - October 6, 2016

6 Creative Ways to Save Endangered Languages Before They Disappear - https://

www.rd.com/culture/save-endangered-languages/ - September 15, 2016

The Importance of Preserving and Promoting Languages: A Liberal Arts Perspective -

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-zimmerman/the-importance-of-preserv_b_120

88728.html -September 20, 2017

The Role of Language and Literature in National Development - www.academypubl

ication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol03/05/05.pdf – 2013

|| This column is for the segment “VERITAS” by Jehrubi Anne Villamin, a columnist of the
Katipunan ng Alternatibong Dibuho, Liriko, at Titik.