21st CENTURY LITERACIES - It should therefore be noted that even in Miller’s

definition of literacy, the act of reading implies a

level of understanding. Simply knowing how to
A. TRADITIONAL OR CONVENTIONAL say a word (or a series of words) is not the same
LITERACY as being able to understand what it means.
- Literacy is defined by dictionaries as the state of Without understanding of the meaning of the
being able to read and write (Literacy, Literate, words, reading has not taken place. Based on
n.d.). this, Schlechty (2001) defines the concept of
- The word “literacy” stems from the word functional illiteracy as the state of being able to
“literate,” which first appeared in the 15th read, but not well enough to manage daily living
century and is in turn derived from the Latin and employment tasks that require reading skills
word literatus, meaning “(a person) marked with beyond a basic level.
letters” – that is, “distinguished or identified by - This synchronicity between decoding textual
letters” – and it carried with it the idea that such symbols and being able to extract and
a person was cultured and educated. Since the understand their meaning is a necessary part of
subjects of the time (e.g., grammar, logic, being literate, even as the new contexts of the
arithmetic, geometry, etc.) all had written texts 21st century change the nature of what the “text”
(which were composed of letters) that had to be is, and what it means to “read” and “write.”
studied, the ability to read and write was
therefore of prime importance, leading to the
strong association of being “literate” with the B. EXPANDED VIEWS OF LITERACY
ability to read and write. - Despite the ubiquity of the traditional view of
o Miller (1973) divides this conventional literacy, Roberts (1995) notes that “in the past
concept of literacy into three sub- fifty years, hundreds of definitions of ‘literacy’
categories: have been advanced by scholars, adult literacy
1. Basic literacy – It is the ability to workers, and programme planners,” with even
correspond visual shapes to spoken sounds the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
in order to decode written materials and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2006)
translate them into oral language. Simply acknowledging that literacy as a concept has
put, it is the ability to recognize letters and proven to be complex and dynamic, it being
words. This would be akin to recognizing continually defined and interpreted in multiple
that the sequence of letters “b-a-s-a” forms ways.
the word basa in Filipino, even without - In 2004, UNESCO formally defined literacy as
understanding what it means. “the ability to identify, understand, interpret,
2. Comprehension Literacy – It is the ability create, communicate, and compute, using
to understand the meaning of what is being printed and written materials associated with
read. To capitalize on the example above, varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum
this would be like knowing that basa can of learning in enabling individuals to achieve
mean either “to read” or “to be wet.” their goals, to develop their knowledge and
3. Functional or Practical Literacy – It is the potential, and to participate fully in their
ability to read (i.e., decode and community and wider society.”
comprehend) written materials needed to - Note that “reading” does not appear in
perform everyday vocational tasks. This is UNESCO’s definition of literacy. instead, literacy
the equivalent of reading the text “Ang bata has taken on a definition more akin to “knowing
ay nagbabasa.” and being able to about something and what to do with it.”
understand that basa here refers to reading - In this vein, Mkandawire (2018) more succinctly
and not to being wet. posits that literacy is “a form of knowledge,
competence, and skills in a particular field or
- Based on this conventional view of literacy, we area,” being supported by UNESCO (2006),
notice two things for reading (and therefore Barton (2007), and Mkandawire, Simooya-
literacy) to exist: (1) a text (consisting of symbols Mudenda, & Cheelo (2017), which
and grammar) to be read; and (2) a meaning or acknowledged that –as we have just pointed out
message being communicated by the text for the –modern views appear to equate literacy with
reader to extract. Without a text, there would be knowledge.
nothing to read; without meaning, the text is - This shift in the definition of literacy from
reduced to series of incomprehensible doodles. “reading and writing” to “knowledge” is especially
important as we explore the “new” literacies of
 the 21st century that seem far-removed from the understand the message of being presented and
contexts upon which conventional literacy is to manage the information encoded therein –
based. skills which, as following chapters will further
- When viewed from the perspective of reveal, are coming into use again in the 21st
conventional/traditional literacy, the concept of century literacies. The difference is that now we
“new” literacies is a bit of a misnomer, as even are not analyzing smoke signals or bouquets,
these new literacies of the 21st century make but rather sounds, texts, and images from a
generous use of being able to read and write, hundred different sources at a nearly non-stop
rather than supplant them as skills necessary for rate to the point accuracy, validity, and reliability
survival. However, when viewed from the of the messages we interpret form the basis for
perspective of literacy as knowledge, the new some very important personal and collective
literacies begin to make sense as they are the decision-making.
“skills and bodies of knowledge” that are
necessary for survival and productivity in the o Another difference involves the
information age. question of necessity: One did not
- In the same vein of reasoning, the new literacies need to be literate in the language of
are not “new” per se –as in the sense that they flowers to live a fruitful and fulfilled
never existed before. Rather, we consider them life in Victorian-era England, but to
to be new because the contexts in which old be not media or digitally literate in
skills and knowledge are being employed are the 21st century makes one
new, both in nature and in scope. The ability to vulnerable to manipulation by those
translate textual information into images is not a who are, and such manipulation can
new skill, but it is the ability to do so in a way easily cost an individual time,
that is concise, complete, and clear that is money, property, and even life.
certainly new, given that it will be how ninety - These so-called “new” literacies arose from the
percent of the population will be informed on the increasing availability of communication
issue. Similarly, being able to verify the truth- technologies that were once unavailable to the
value and veracity of a document is not a new average individual. Technologies like blogging
skill –but being able to do so when there are a and vlogging, social networking, and even text-
hundred similar documents available online messaging change and expand both the extent
o Case in point: Throughout history, and the form of our communication –blending
humans have communicated on text, sound, and images in ways unforeseen and
levels apart from the spoken and unprecedented (Richardson, 2014). Never
written word, for example, visually, before have the opinions of a twelve year-old
using the long-distance child in an unheard-of town in an unheard-of
communication system of smoke country been available for everyone on earth to
signals used by the ancient read and hear, and while adults might scoff at a
Chinese, the ancient Greeks, and child’s opinions, that child might have more than
indigenous peoples of North a thousand online subscribers who certainly
America. think his or her opinions are important, maybe
In the Victorian era, there was such even more so than the opinions of adults.
a thing as the “Language of - Simply put, three things have been critical in the
Flowers,” where the kind, color, and rise of the new literacies:
arrangement of a bouquet of flowers 1. Increased Reach – We are
were used to communicate communicating with more people, from
messages that could not otherwise more diverse cultures, across vaster
be spoken aloud in Victorian society distances than ever before.
(Greenaway, 1884). For example, a 2. Increased Means of Communication –
bouquet of oak leaves (representing We are communicating in more ways and
strength), purple roses (sorrow), at faster speeds than ever before.
white lilies (resurrection), and pale- 3. Increased Breadth of Content – We are
yellow tulips and rosemary (memory communicating about more things than
or remembrance) would altogether ever before.
communicate a message of - How do we work together with people of different
sympathy, usually over the death of cultures who might have vastly different
a loved one. perspectives on communication, work ethics,
- Successfully interpreting these “visual values, religious beliefs, and worldviews? What
languages” required a kind of “visual literacy” to do we when some of these might be mutually
 exclusive to our own? In an age where - explore the merging demands for knowing how
information is power –where knowing more and to effectively and sustainably manage the
knowing first can spell the difference between natural resources that our increased
success and failure –how do we leverage both industrialization and demands for productivity
current and emergent technologies so that our are so rapidly eating up. The chapter also
endeavors are both productive and profitable? explores how this increase in productivity also
Moreover, how do we navigate and manage the brings with it an increased demand for arts and
veritable minefield of information that was once aesthetics and the need to develop ways of
considered taboo and private and is now online, effectively communicating through the creative
for all the world to see and judge, whether we arts in industries dominated by objective data.
like it or not? e. Finally, Critical Literacy
- Answering such complex questions requires new - addresses the increasing need to discern the
sets of skills and knowledge –ones that our underlying (and often tacit) messages behind the
school system have never had to teach before. new “texts” of the 21st century, particularly in an
With these changes in with whom, how, and why ever-increasingly multicultural society where
we communicate, new literacies, are required ideas, cultures, and ideologies vie with one
not only to make sense of the changes, but also another for power and dominance in the minds
to use these new technologies and paradigms in of the masses.
meaningful and productive ways –something
required not only of students, but of teachers as
we GLOBALIZATION

- Globalization is the process of interaction and

LITERACY IN FOCUS integration between people, business entitles,
governments, and cultures from other nations,
a. Globalization and Multicultural Literacy driven by international trade and investment and
- discusses how our increasing ability to supported by information technology (Levin-
communicate with almost anyone, anywhere, in Institute, 2017).
real time requires new skills and attitudes in - Because our exposure to the concept of
interacting with people with cultures, globalization has largely been through an
perspectives, worldviews, and priorities different economic lens, it is tempting to limit globalization
from our own, particularly with the end-view of as something that concerns economists and
not only peace and understanding, but also businessmen. But globalization and its effects go
mutual benefit and productivity. beyond import or export and Foreign Direct
b. The chapter on Social and Financial Investment (FDI). Notice that in our illustration,
Literacies the friend of the two people in question were
- meanwhile explores the need for the ability to affected by their interaction, even if they
navigate our own social networks – of both the themselves had never been to Korea or had not
online and off-line variety –to not only met a Filipino. Now scale this up to the point
communicate clearly, but also to leverage where it is not just two people from two different
resources which we ourselves might not countries, where we are no longer integrating
possess. At the same time, the chapter just languages or mannerism, education,
addresses the notorious problem of short- technology, manufacturing, ways of doing
sightedness in Filipino culture regarding business, ideas, and whole worldviews. This is
personal finances and how this must be globalization as we know it today.
addressed at an increasingly earlier age to help - Globalization as a phenomenon is no new.
mitigate the ever-widening gap between the rich Nation and culture have been interacting and
and the poor. integrating with one and another for millennia.
c. Media and Cyber/Digital Literacies - What is different now, however, is the speed at
- explore the emerging need to locate, verify, and which globalization is happening, its overall
ultimately manage online information, especially scope, and its effects in the lives of ordinary
in an age where information is power and where people. Not only are we interacting with, learning
having the right (and wrong) information and the from, and integrating knowledge gleaned from
ability to communicate it with others and use it to other cultures and nations at an unprecedented
address real-world problems easily spell the rate, there is now also a sense that no matter
difference between both personal and career where one lives or how limited is one’s face-to-
success and failure. face interaction with members of another nation
d. Ecoliteracy and Artistic and Creative Literacy or culture and how limited one’s time is spent
 online, globalization and its effect are but usually low-pay jobs; (2) Profits from these
inescapable. Even remote villages will be investments are repatriated, rather than invested
exposed to the latest KPOP hit, if they have in the host country, therefore inhibiting domestic
access to a radio. If they produce rice, they will capital and economic climates favorable to
also feel the effects of more affordable rice foreign capital that in turn limit domestics labor’s
imports from Thailand and Vietnam. If they have ability to obtain better wages. In simple words,
access to a kerosene stove, they will feel the “the rich become richer, and the poor become
effects of the fluctuations in oil prices originating poorer.”
from Arab nations. All these things take place - Hout (1980) observes that international
without having to know anyone from or anything dependence (another word for globalization)
about Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, of the Middle tends to suppress adult wages, which in turn
East. perpetuates the role of children as economic
necessities (the familiar saying “kapag
maraming anak, maraming katulong sa
A. THE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION hanapbuhay”), leading to explosive population
- The effects globalizations are multi-dimensional. growth.
As shown earlier, they range from economic to - In a chain reaction of negative effects, this
cultural, on both national and individual levels. explosive population growth creates a large sub-
- Meyer (2000) summarizes the effect of sector of society that is insulated from economic
globalization as follows: development yet competes for resources with
1. Economic, political, and military the rest of the population. Coupled with the
dependence and interdependence economic inequalities in which this society is
between nations; concluded, this encourages political instability,
2. Expanded flow or individual people resulting in policies that favor the redistribution
among societies; of income, which in turn discourages investment,
3. Interdependence of expressive culture which then shows economic growth.
among nations; and 2. Political and Military
4. Expanded flow or instrumental culture Dependence/Interdependence
around the world. - Survey conducted in late 2018 found that three
1. Economic Dependence/ Interdependence in five Filipinos believe that the United States
- When the term globalization entered the would intervene on behalf of the country in case
Philippine public mindset in the early 90s, it was of war (Viray, 2018) Despite the current very
popularly understood to be a mainly economic conservative stance of the US on its foreign
phenomenon, and a negative one at that. The policies, this can be taken as evidence of the
idea that foreign-owned businesses could come Philippines’ dependence on both the political
into that country and freely “set-up shop,” and military power of the US in order to maintain
thereby choking-out local industries was not a its sovereignty as a nation-state in the Southeast
welcome though it was erroneous. Asian region. Similar things can be said of
- While Philippine society has come to realize that Russia and the many communist nations
this early perspective represented a shallow throughout the world.
understanding of globalization, the fact of the - The point is that where there are some forms of
matter is that globalization has brought economic dependence/ interdependence,
economic development to our society as a political dependence/interdependence is not far
whole. By attracting Foreign Direct Investment behind, as the participating nations strive to
(FDI), new technologies, employment protect their investments and interest in one
opportunities, and money have come into the another.
country. The phenomenon of a taxi driver owning 3. Expand Flow of Expressive and Instrumental
multiple smartphones to browse social media Culture
while stuck in traffic because of the rise of the - Expressive culture, as the term suggests, deals
number of vehicles in our roads is testament to with how a particular culture expresses itself in
this fact. its language, music, arts, and the like.
- This does not mean, however, that there have Globalization encourages the monetization of
been no negative effects of globalization. Kentor these cultural artifacts and their imports/exports
(2001) notes that foreign capital dependence among participating cultures; the increased
increases income inequality in four ways: (1) It consumption of which changes the consuming
creates a small, highly paid class of elites to culture.
manage these investments, who create many 4. Instrumental culture, on the other hand, refer to
“common models of social order” (Meyer, 200) –
 that is, models or ways of thinking about and is British in origin, referring to a psychiatric
enacting national identity, nation-state policies hospital in London by the name of St. Mary
both domestic and foreign, socio-economic Bethlehem that was once representatives of the
development, human rights, education, and worst excesses of insane asylum during the 14th
social progress. century and “bedlam is a corruption of the word
5. Expanded Flow of People among Societies “Bethlehem” in the name. While it is one thing to
- The fact the globalization encourages the know that meaning of the word, note that it is
movement of people between nation-states knowledge of its cultural origin that better
should come as no surprise to us. The Philippine enables a person to both appreciate and
Statistics Authority (PSA) estimated that there participate in conversations and activities
were 2.3 million Overseas Filipino Worker - Of course, by its very definition, cultural literacy
(OFWs) during the period of April to September is culture-specific, but is not limited to national
2017, who were responsible for up to 205.2 cultures, contrary to what many people assume.
billion pesos in remittances (Philippines The culture of one workplace can be very
Statistics Authority, 2018). different from another, just as the culture of a
- Meyer (2000) observes three reasons for this: particulars school can differ widely from another
socio-economics migration, political expulsion, school nearby.
and travel/tourism. - There are too many cultures for any one person
- Socio-economic migration explains the to be literate in all of them. As more and more
Philippines’ OFW phenomenon. Filipinos travel Filipinos travel –both domestically and abroad –
abroad to find better economic opportunities for as the result of globalization and increased
themselves and their families for lack of said opportunities it brings, the need to develop new
opportunities here. cultural literacies comes to the fore.
- Political expulsion, on the other hand, has more  Cultural Literacy in the Philippines
to do with trying to escape the political climate of - The National Commission for Culture and the
a particular country, thereby forcing an individual Arts (NCCA) is the government body tasked with
to the political climate of a particular country, the domination, preservation, and dissemination
thereby forcing an individual to seek asylum of Philippine culture, both locally and abroad.
(and ultimately, resettlement) in another more Part of how the NCC is addressing this and
favorable country. related matters is through the establishment of
- Travel for the sake of leisure (i.e., tourism) is a the Philippine Cultural Education Program
strong indicator of economic development as (PCEP), which “envisions a nation of culturally
more and more Filipinos are able to finance literate and empowered Filipinos” (NCCA, 2015).
short-term travels abroad, fueled by curiosity Designed to make cultural education accessible
that is fed by social media and enabled by to all sectors of Philippine society, the PCEP
globalization. held national consultative meetings,
conferences, workshops, art camps, and
festivals on culture-based teaching and good
B. CULTURAL LITERACY governance from 2003 to 2007. As a result of
- Cultural Literacy is a term coined by Hirsch Republic Act 10066 (2010), PCEP has been
(1983), referring to the ability to understand the designated as the body, together with the
sign and symbols of a given culture and being Department of Educational (DepEd), tasked to
able to participate in its activities and customs as “formulate the cultural heritage education
opposed to simply being a passive (and outside) programs both for local and overseas Filipinos”
observer. The sign and symbols of a culture that are to be an integral part of Philippines
include both its formal and informal languages education in all its aspects.
its traditions, and the like –most of which are - Cultural education –and thus cultural
assumed and unstated. Thus, they are learned literacy–in the Philippines is quite a challenge,
by being part of the culture, rather than by any given that Philippines culture is a complex blend
formal means. of many indigenous and colonial cultures and
- To illustrate this, consider the following varies widely across region, and the average
statement: “The classroom was in absolute citizen is almost as ignorant of other Philippine
bedlam.” Without any sort of background, the cultures as foreigners are. To point out, consider
reader is forced to guess the meaning of the the question, “What makes something or
word “bedlam” from its context within the someone ‘Filipino’?”
sentence. As it turns out, “bedlam” refers to a - The average reader will be hard-pressed to pin
scene of uproar, confusion, and chaos. The term down a definite answer. De Leon (2011) argues
that this is in part due to a colonial mindset
 among Filipino artists that inhibits the full C. MULTICULTURAL LITERACY
development and realization of Filipino artistic
creativity –a kind of artistic and cultural creativity - As cultures begin to mix and change as a result
that is fully Filipino. of globalization, conflicts inevitably arise over
- De Leon (2011) coins this propensity for Filipinos identity, values, and worldviews. This situation
to look at their culture and themselves through consequently needs for a literacy that enables
western lenses as the Doña Victorina Syndrome, us to quickly and easily identify and resolve
a kind of inferiority complex wherein anything understood as multicultural literacy.
and everything natively Filipino is considered by - Multicultural Literacy, as a set of skills and
the Filipino themselves as being inferior, knowledge, is difficult to define because of how it
backward, and worthless in comparison to their changes depending on the context in which it is
western counterparts, and therefore a source of discussed. For example, multicultural literacy as
embarrassment and unease. defined in American literature is different from
- As De Leon puts it, our low self-esteem borders how it is deployed in a more European context.
on self-contempt, perverse delight it belittling - In America, multicultural literacy has very strong
ourselves, lack of respect and goods, concepts, leanings toward knowing or identify the poly-
techniques, approaches, and expertise (2011). ethnic origins of knowledge with express goal of
The biggest challenge then, according to him, is fostering equality, diversity, and social justice.
the deconstruction of the negative self-images This is in direct response to the “Euro-centric”
and notions of ourselves that we have imbibed and “white-dominant” traditions of educations
over generations more through “a workable, that in the eyes of America cultural minorities
effective program of education that can make (particularly the blacks) is a farm of racial
Filipinos more responsive and sensitive to injustice. This is very foreign to the Philippines
Filipino dignity, needs, values, and cultural context, which despite having our own deeply
potentials and assets.” ingrained traditions of discrimination, does not
- For De Leon, it is excellence in the arts-via an have the same issues of discriminations as in
expression that is truly Filipino-that can form the the United States, nor the same amount of
core of national unity. Of course, this remains to hospitality. Nevertheless, the fact that the
be seen. perceive need for multicultural literacy stems
from slighted sense of justice for “the other” (that
 Challenges for Cultural Literacy in the is, any individual, group, or culture that another
Philippines individual, group, or culture considers “ not of
- As Applebee (1987) observes, interesting us,” for any reasons) cannot be ignored in our
discussions on cultural literacy give rise it same attempts to pin down a functional definition of
very difficult questions which are particularly multicultural literacy for ourselves.
important to a multicultural and multilingual - Meanwhile, in Europe, multicultural literacy
nation like in the Philippines. comes more in the form of intercultural
o What kinds of knowledge constitute communications competence (ICC) which is
defined by Dusi, Messetti, and Steinbach (2014)
cultural literacy? Is it knowing fact,
as a composite of skills, abilities, attitude,
names, and dates, or is it something
personality patterns, etc. necessary for clear and
more experiential like being familiar
productive communication with cultures other
with a story or a particular song?
than our own. Similarly, Fantini (2006) defines it
o If culture is more “caught than
as “a complex of abilities needed to perform
taught,” should cultural literacy be
effectively and appropriately when interacting
one of the goals of education? If
with others who are linguistically and culturally
yes, how does one teach it?
different form oneself.”
o Whose culture must we be literate in
- Clearly, the broader and more magnanimous
to be considered “culturally literate”?
European definition of multicultural literacy is
Who decide which cultures are
more fitting for the Philippine context, even if the
included and which ones are
exact definition of what is, there would also be
included, and on what bases?
wise to include how justice contributes to the
o How is cultural literacy to be
literacy; that is, there would be no discussion on
assessed and evaluated? How can multicultural literacy if not for the lack of justice
we know someone is “culturally in a multicultural discussion or discourse.
literate”? - We define multicultural literacy here as the
knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that
any communication with a culture different form
 our own is clear, productive, and respectful such 4. Accept that there are limits – At some
that their differences are celebrated and neither point however, one or both cultures will
culture is demeaned a treated as inferior. be unwilling/unable to adjust their wants
- It is important to realize that under this definition, for the sake of the other any further.
a “different culture” is not just limited to Beyond this point, the productivity of the
“someone from another country,” but could also interaction drops and one must either
include someone whose gender, economic change the purpose of the interaction or
walk way, accepting that what you want
background, religious beliefs, sexual orientation,
cannot be had from that particular
or even sense of fashion is different from our
source. Attempting to force the other
own. party to adjust (when you refuse to do
- The skills and knowledge required for one to be the same) only results in
multi-culturally literate are not mere language misunderstanding, hurt, and conflict.
skills, since it is assumed that some medium of The sooner we accept this, the sooner
communication already exist between two we can set realistic expectations of one
cultures. Rather, true multicultural literacy another.
consists of perspectives, attitudes, and beliefs
about other cultures that affect the manner in D. ISSUES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
which we communicate and motives behind our MULTICULTURAL LITERACY IN THE
communication. Here are some examples: PHILIPPINES
- A number of important issues stand in the way of
1. Be selfless – An attitude of Philippine educators attempting to learn
selflessness-one that less concerned multicultural literacy for themselves and teach it
with how I feel and more concerned with in turn to others, which are different from what
how I am making others feel—is crucial can be found in Western literature, particularly
to multicultural literacy, as so much of those of the United States.
the offence and conflict associated with
the meeting of different cultures is the  Conflicting Requirements for Peace
result of a “me first” attitude: I should be - When all is said and done, the heart of
accommodated, you should be the one multicultural literacy is peace among different
to adjust to me, I should feel cultures-that is, productive and non-violent
comfortable, etc, Such selflessness is interaction. It is easy to assume that all cultures
not instinctive to people, and is value peace to the same degree and are
especially difficult when one feels therefore willing to make the same compromises
insecure of oneself and identity. in order to attain it, but this is not necessarily
2. Know that good and useful things true.
can (and do) come from those - Take for example the Israel/Palestinian conflict,
different from us - Hand-in-hand with a which is really a conflict over territory: Both sides
dismissive attitude toward another desire peace, but they do not desire it enough to
culture is the idea that nothing good can be willing to compromise. In a very real sense,
come from them. Furthermore, there is a both sides rather live in perpetual conflict with
tendency to ignore or outright dismiss one another rather than give-up their claim to the
evidence to the contrary. Simply land which each side believes is rightfully theirs.
acknowledging that good ideas and  Nationalistic and Regionalistic Pushback
products preparing our minds to - The increasing demand for multicultural
perceive them as being equally sensitivity, inclusion, and diversity in the recent
valuable. years has also given rise to resistance from
3. Be willing to compromise – Any groups who believe that their identity is being
significant interaction with someone “watered-down” by the needed compromises.
from a different culture is government by - Case in point is the very recent proposal of
the principle of “He/She wants “Ortograpiya ti Pagsasao nga Ilokano” by official
something, and I want something.” In of the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) in
the other words, cultures do not interact October of 2018. The proposal was met with
out of pure magnanimity. If both of you
intense backlash from group of Ilokano writers
are willing to give the other what they
want, well and good. But what happens and language advocates over the “incompetence
when one or both are unwilling to give in preparing the Ilokano orthography that didn’t
what the other wants? There must be a conform with the existing orthography being
compromise: a reciprocal adjustment of used by the Ilokano writers and experts,”
demands and expectations to claiming that the proposed orthography was
accommodate what the other party is based on Tagalog and not Ilokano and that the
willing to give. commission’s attempts to compel the regional
 language to conform to the standards of the selfish in or decision-making no thinking about,
Ortograpiyang Pambansa (National not caring about its implications for others? And
Orthography) would “destroy the identity of the how many times have we justified such behavior
Ilokano language” (Dumlao, 2018). “because of the circumstances” or “because
 The Persistence of the Problem everyone else is doing it”?
- On the surface, multicultural literacy might seem - In other words, “Why should I value another
to just be a matter of “good common sense,” and culture, another society, another person more
understandably so, no one actively desires to than myself and my own?” If we subscribe to
experience discrimination regarding what they Dawkins’ (2016) concept of a “selfish gene”-
know and what they can and cannot do simply where on a genetic level, the more two
on the basis of race, ethnicity, or in the case of individuals are genetically similar to one another,
the refrain from such behavior under the the more sense it makes to behave selflessly
assumption that “if you don’t do it to me, I won’t toward one another and selfishly toward others
do it to you.” And yet, to our horror and shame, who are different-then we can easily frame the
the practice persists. Worse, we sometimes find issue of discrimination of cultural discrimination
ourselves participating in and justifying such and justice in necessary for my survival, and
discriminatory behavior—if only online and not in therefore it is in my best interests(genetic and
real life (as if anything written or posted online is otherwise) that I maintain the status quo-or
not, in fact, in real life). reverse it, as the case may be. Educators like
- Therefore, the primary issue that educators face Freire (2000) have recognized and written
in teaching multicultural literacy to their students against such a monstrous perspective-and
and learning it for themselves is, “Why does this rightly so-but have also admitted that when the
problem persist?” Or to put it in another way, oppressed are freed from their oppression, they
“Despite all out advance in science, technology, inevitably become the new oppressors
and culture, why is this still a problem today?” - A majority of research on multicultural literacy
- Boutte (2008) suggests that issues of stems from the West, specifically the United
discrimination in all its forms (racial religious, States, and focuses on teaching teachers to be
tribal, cultural, etc.) are really issues of hatred, more multicultural in their pedagogies.
which she defines in an educational settings as o Learn about other cultures. Banks (1991a)
“the lack of compassion and lack of respect for posits that the first step to teaching
the tights of other,” and that such hatred must be multiculturalism is knowing about cultures
fought and its roots must be attacked, because that are not your own. It follows that if you,
for as long hatred exist in the human mind, real the teacher, know only your own culture,
peace will be impossible (Vreeland, 2001). then you will be unable to teach your
- To date, no literature exists within academia that students to appreciate a culture that is
gives a definitive authoritative and final answer different from your own.
to these questions. o Familiarize yourself with how
 The Question of Value discrimination and prejudice appear in
- Another issue in teaching and learning your own culture. Boutte (2008) and Banks
multicultural literacy is better posited as a (1991b) agree that teachers must be able to
question: “Why should I treat people of another identify and confront patterns of
culture with respect?” discrimination and prejudice in their own
- It might seem that the answer to the question is lives before they can teach their students to
simple one: for peace. But as we have seen do the same. For example, when someone
earlier, it is easier, not everyone values peace to you just come out of your mouth in
the same degree. What if, for a certain culture, it response? Do they express genuine
is easier to just destroy anyone who opposes acceptance, or do they betray some long-
them rather than expend the effort needed to held preconceptions about people from the
come to a mutual understanding? region?
- Such statements might sound crass, but only if o As you are, so will you behave. Key to
we believe that we, as a society, are above such genuine multicultural literacy is core values-
things. How many times have we broken “small” that is, what you, the teacher, really believe
laws and rules of etiquette-running red traffic about people who are different from you; not
lights “because no one is there to catch me,” or the kind of belief that you can just say you
asking a vendor at a flea market or tiangge to list possess when talking to your class, but the
a different price on the receipt than what an item kind that determines your behavior when
is worth-because it is more convenient than to you think no one is watching.
do otherwise? How many times have we been
 Simply put, if you do not truly believe that - The Philippine Government recognizes the role
those who are different have value equal to of financial literacy in honing individuals and its
your own, it will show, and your students will contribution in the betterment of the society. In
detect it. It will be seen in the words you line with this is the passing of the Republic Act
use, in the expression on your face, in the no. 10922 also known as the Economic and
change of you behavior when you think no Financial Literacy Act. This is an act declaring
one can see, etc. The converse is also true: the Second Week of November of Every Year as
of you do believe others have value equal to Economic and Financial Literacy Week.
your own, no matter their social class - Below is the detailed information about the R.A.
educational background, skin color, or 10922
regional accent, it will show; and what is o SECTION 1. Title.— This Act shall be known
shown is what students will learn. as the “Economic and Financial Literacy
o Model more, tell more. Young students, by Act”.
nature, will have difficulty in exercising o SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy.— It is
empathy toward those who are different from declared the policy of the State to develop
them. The ability is there, but it will naturally national consciousness on economic and
lack practice. It is therefore not enough that financial literacy by declaring the second
teachers tell them to be more week of November of every year as
compassionate-you, the others look like on a “Economic and Financial Literacy Week”.
day –to-day basis. The State recognizes the growth potential of
the country through a financially literate
people who make sound financial decisions,
FINANCIAL LITERACY mobilize savings, and contribute ideas on
improving economic and financial policies
- According to Kenton(2020), “Financial literacy is and programs.
the ability to understand and effectively apply o SECTION 3. Participating Government
various financial skills, including personal Agencies.— To ensure meaningful
financial management, budgeting, and observance of the Economic and Financial
investing”. He added that proper budget Literacy Week as herein declared, the
distribution, track spending, effectively pay off National Economic and Development
debt, and having a retirement plan are the basic Authority (NEDA) shall lead the participation
tenet of Financial Literacy. The National of government agencies and
Endowment for financial Education defines instrumentalities during the Economic and
financial literacy as “the ability to read, analyse, Financial Literacy Week. As the lead
manage, and communicate about the personal agency, the NEDA shall plan, initiate,
financial conditions that affect material well- execute, and encourage knowledge-
being”(Alana and Ignacio,2019). Financial expanding activities on economic and
Literacy is the key in attaining financial stability financial literacy which may be adopted by
through proper financial decision making in government agencies and instrumentalities,
terms of budgeting, saving, banking, paying off including local government units (LGUs),
depts, insurance, and tax and retirement government-owned and -controlled
planning. In Addition, Hastings,et al. (2013) as corporations (GOCCs) and educational
cited by Alata and Ignacio(2019) defined institutions.
financial literacy as: The NEDA shall convene for the purpose
1. knowledge of financial products (e.g., a the relevant agencies, to include the Bangko
stock vs. a bond, fixed vs. adjustable Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the Department
rate mortgage); of Finance (DOF), the Department of
2. knowledge of financial concepts (e.g., Education (DepED), the Commission on
inflation, compounding, diversification, Higher Education (CHED), the National
credit scores); Youth Commission (NYC), and the
3. having the mathematical skills or Department of the Interior and Local
numeracy necessary for effective Government (DILG).
financial decision making; and All heads of government agencies and
4. being engaged in certain activities such instrumentalities, including LGUs, GOCCs,
as financial planning and those identified by the NEDA as
relevant agencies, are hereby directed to
collaborate and cooperate with the lead
THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL LITERACY ACT
 agency in advocating and implementing o SECTION 9. Effectivity.— This Act shall take
activities to celebrate the Economic and effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in
Financial Literacy Week. the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of
o SECTION 4. Economic and Financial general circulation
Literacy of Students and the Youth.— To
improve the economic and financial literacy BENEFITS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY
of students and the youth, all public and - Financial Literacy prevents financial abuses
private elementary and secondary schools which may lead to people becoming victims of
under the DepED, the state and private predatory lending, subprime mortgages, fraud,
colleges and universities under the CHED, and high-interest rates, potentially resulting in
the Technical Education and Skills bad credit, bankruptcy, or foreclosure. People
Development Authority (TESDA), and the could avoid money woes like a whirlpool debts
NYC, in coordination with the NEDA, are by being aware of when and where to properly
hereby mandated to conduct spend money. Financial Illiteracy may impact not
consciousness-raising and knowledge- just individuals but also National Economy as a
expanding activities on economic and contributory factor to bad business cycles, low
financial literacy including the setting up of savings rate and decrease value of money and
literature comers, organizing fora, trainings, inflation(Tayne,2014). Numerous research have
and conducting basic economic and shown that an individual’s financial literacy level
financial management classes. has far-reaching implications towards his
The DepED is also encouraged to assess behaviour in terms of finances. Students
and revise the high school economics exposed to financial education believed the way
curriculum to make it more age-appropriate, they managed money would impact their
and ensure that economic and financial future(Tayne, 2014).
education becomes an integral part of - Being financially literate made so many people
formal learning. reach the peak of financial success. Logan Allec,
o SECTION 5. Communication Arm.— The owner of Money Done Right -listed the benefits
Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the of being financial literate :
Presidential Communications Development o The first benefit of being financially literate is the
and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) ability to recognize a bad financial deal. I’ve had
are hereby mandated to allot airtime for unscrupulous financial advisors try to talk me
programs, and produce and disseminate into financial decisions that would benefit them
printed and online materials for economic and not me. Due to my financial literacy, I knew
and financial literacy awareness and to walk away from those deals.
enhancement. o The second benefit of financial literacy is the
o SECTION 6. Private Sector Participation.— lower cost I pay for my bills since I make less
The NEDA, in coordination with the financial mistakes. Due to financial literacy, I
Philippine Economic Society (PES), and in know the negative impact missing a credit card
partnership with other academic and payment will have on my monthly bills. I’ll make
professional institutions, shall lead and sure never to miss that payment and will always
encourage the participation of the private try to avoid paying interest.
sector and civil society during the Economic o The third benefit of financial literacy is the peace
and Financial Literacy Week. The PES shall of mind that comes from knowing I’m planning
plan, initiate, and encourage knowledge- for retirement. Retirement is not something that
expanding activities on economic and worries me because I know how to create a plan
financial literacy which may be adopted by that will put me in the best possible position to
the private sector and civil society in their be prepared for my later years in life.
respective offices.
o SECTION 7. Separability Clause.— If any
provision or part hereof is held invalid or
B. COMMON CONCEPTS UNDER FINANCIAL
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or
LITERACY
the provision not otherwise affected shall
 INVESTMENT PLATFORM. Investment
remain valid and subsisting.
Platform is a vital online service which allows
o SECTION 8. Repealing Clause.— All laws,
you to buy, sell and hold funds. Famous
decrees, orders, rules and regulations or
investment platforms in the Philippines includes
parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are
First Metro Securities, COL Financial, CoinsPro
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
and Seedbox.ph
 FUNDS. Funds refers to a particular amount of denied when applying for a loan for it puts the
money made available or allocated for a lender at risk.
particular purpose.  SAVINGS ACCOUNT – A savings account is a
 FINANCES. The monetary resources of an deposit account which bears interest where you
individual, organization, company or can store your money in a bank or other financial
government. institutions. Savings account lets the consumer
 DEBIT CARD. Is a rectangular plastic card used have an easy access of his/her money.
in paying purchase. The debit card is used by  INTEREST RATE (variable and fixed) – An
swiping the card to the merchant’s card reader interest rate is the percentage of a loan charged
and entering a PIN(Personal Identification to an individual for borrowing the money. In an
Number). This allows the direct transfer of interest-bearing savings account, an interest rate
money amounting to the purchase’s price from is portion of the savings paid by the bank or
the owner’s checking account to another bank other financial institutions as an incentive for
account. maintaining an account.
 CREDIT CARD. Is a rectangular plastic card
which allows users to access credit facilities or
allows owners to avail products on a basis of C. LEVELS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY
credit. - Incharge(2017) as cited by Alana and
 STOCK. A stock is a type of security that Ignacio(2019) listed Six Major Characteristic
signifies ownership in a corporation and types in how people view money:
represents a claim on part of the corporation's  Frugal: Frugal people seek financial security by
assets and earnings. living below their means and saving money.
 INFLATION. Is the substancial increase of price They rarely buy luxurious items; they save
of goods and services resulting to the decrease money instead. They save because they believe
of the purchasing power of money. that money will offer protection from
 DEFLATION. Also termed as the negative unprecedented events and expenses.
inflation, Is the great decrease of price of basic  Pleasure: Pleasure seekers use money to bring
commodities. pleasure to themselves and to others. They are
 PURCHASING POWER. Refers to the value of more likely to spend that to save. They often live
money on the basis of the amount of goods and beyond their means and spend more than they
services that you can using a unit of currency. earn. If they are not careful and do not change,
 ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE (APR) – APR is they may fall into deep dept.
the interest rate in an annual basis charged for  Status: These are the people which uses their
borrowing money money in showcasing their financial status. They
 ANNUAL PERCENTAGE YIELD (APY) - APY is tend to show off their luxurious and branded
the interest rate in an annual basis paid on a items. Their main agenda is to make people
savings account, certificate of deposit, or other around them know that they are financially
account that earns compound interest. capable.
 BUDGET – A budget is an estimate of your  Indifference: These are the people who sees
income and expenditure for a specific period of money and other luxury in life as something of
time, e.g., one month. This is the basis for little importance. They tend to craft their own
planning your finances. items and even grow their own food instead of
 CAPITAL GAINS – Capital gain is when the buying them.
value of an asset increases more than the  Powerful: These are the people who makes use
original purchase price. Capital gains are not of money at their own benefit. They tend to use
realized until the asset is sold. money to exercise power and control over
 CHECKING ACCOUNT – It refers to a form of others.
bank account which allows the owner to have an  Self-worth: These are the people who spend
easy access to his money. Access to money is money just to put value to themselves. They also
possible through ATM withdrawal, issuance of tend to see the worth of a person based on their
cheque or through debit cards. financial status.
 CREDIT SCORE – A credit score is a ranking or
a number assigned to an individual which
reflects his/her creditworthiness. Credit scores
D. FINANCIAL LITERACY IN THE PHILIPPINES
are realized by the amount of debts, number of
- “State of Finacial Education in the Philippines,”
open accounts and timeliness of payment
an article by Go (2017) listed events which
among others. The score ranges from 300-850.
manifest the current standing of the country in
A low credit score has a high probability of being
 Financial Literacy and the events are as
follows(Alana and Ignacio,2019):
- An estimated 20 million Filipinos saved money
but only half had bank accounts-World Bank
Study,2014.
o The country is lacking of a national strategy in
educating Filipinos towards financial education
and literacy- a result conducted by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) in 2018.
o The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released
the national strategy for financial inclusion,
stating that while institutions strive to broaden
financial services, financial literacy should
complement such initiatives.
o Only 25% of Filipinos are financially literate. This
shows a large percentage not properly educated - Needs are things we need in order to survive in
about financial concepts such as inflation and this society. In older times, needs are limited to
diversification- Standard & Poor’s(S&P) Ratings food, shelter and clothing. The degree upon
services survey,2018. which the needs are met affects the functionality
o Only 1% of the Total population in the of an in individual. For example, a student who
goes to school with an empty stomach is
Philippines have invested to stock market even if
expected to function poorly in class. This is
it has been existing for Ten Years now.
because of the fact that one of the basic needs
o More than 80% of the Working Filipinos
wasn’t fulfilled. On the Contrary, if that same
belonging in the middle class have no formal
student goes to school with all of his/her basic
financial plan.
necessities met, he/she is expected to perform
better.
- Today’s needs might include things such as
E. DEVELOPING FINANCIAL LITERACY education and healthcare for these things have
 NEEDS VS. WANTS been proven to be an effective factors in man’s
- The difference between Needs and Wants is a survival. Therefore, It is worth noting that as the
concept worth knowing. Awareness of this allows world changes, the man’s basic needs adapts to
individuals from different financial status make it.
informed decision making in terms of managing - Based on the meaning of needs of Needs and
their finances. Below is a detailed comparison of Wants mentioned above, individuals who plans
Needs and Wants by Surbhi(2016). their financial resources must put “Needs” above
“Wants”. Prioritizing what you we need more
than what you want gives us higher assurance of
financial stability.
- In a world where material things give so much
pleasure to us,human beings, it is a must to
practice utmost self-control in handling our
finances in a way that financial abuse will not
exist.

 ASSETS VS. LIABILTY

- “A person can be highly educated, professionally
successful, and financially illiterate.” - Robert
Kiyosaki
- Robert Kiyosaki is the author of the best-selling
book entitled “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. Rich Dad
Poor Dad is about Robert Kiyosaki and his two
dads—his real father (poor dad) and the father
of his best friend (rich dad)—and the ways in
which both men shaped his thoughts about
money and investing.
- One of the noteworthy statements of Kiyosaki is
when he claimed that someone doesn’t need to
earn a high income to be rich for rich people
 make money work for them. In here, he they are treading water simply trying to stay
discusses one of the most vital concept in afloat.
financial literacy- assets vs. liabilities. Asset is - Kiyosaki(2013) added, they often think more
something that brings you money while liability money will solve all their problems but money
to put in its simplest definition is something that rarely solves the problem, rather it accentuates
takes money away from you. their spending habits.
- According to Kiyosaki, real assets fall into the
following categories:Stocks, Bonds, Income-  THE MIDDLE CLASS FLOW CHART
generating real estate, Notes (IOUs), Royalties - Compared to the Poor Class whose finances
from intellectual property such as music, scripts, flows from income straight to finances, the
and patents, Anything else that has value, Middle class makes sure that his finances
produces income or appreciates, and has a makes a way in the liabilities. Although both are
ready market. While liabilities are the luxurious labeled as people who lives paycheck to
things which needs maintenance like cars and paycheck, the middle class in general is seen as
house. However, some liabilities can be an asset a better financial manager compared to the poor
when used to generate an income like a pet (ex: class. One of the compelling reasons perhaps is
a dog) bought for the purpose of reproduction the fact that most middle men has high paying
and offspring selling. jobs and therefore can afford to invest for such
- Below are the Big Ideas in the said book lifted liabilities.
from: - How the middle class behaves in their cash flow
1. The poor and the middle-class work for chart is both a typical and smart move according
money. The rich have money work for to Kiyosaki. People who follow this cash flow
them. pattern probably have high-paying jobs which
afford them nice doodads (another term for
2. It’s not how much money you make that liability) like big homes, fast cars, and any
matters. It’s how much money you keep. number modern-day comforts And what they
3. Rich people acquire assets. The poor don't buy with cash, they gladly charge with their
and middle class acquire liabilities that credit cards(Kiyosaki,2013). He coined this in his
they think are assets. book Rich Dad Poor Dad as "working-class
dream."
4. Financial aptitude is what you do with
money once you make it, how you keep
people from taking it from you, how to
keep it longer, and how you make
money work hard for you.
5. The single most powerful asset we all
have is our mind.
- But What really makes the rich dad rich? And
the poor dad poor? According to Robert
Kiyosaki, the thin line that separates the rich and
the poor is their mindset towards assets and
liabilities. Poor and middle class acquire
liabilities first than assets while the rich acquire
assets first before liabilities.
- Kiyosaki presented in his book three flow
charts,one for the poor, one for the middle and
the last one is for the rich. Try to observe the
cash flow pattern of a poor person below.

 THE POOR CLASS FLOW CHART

- As you can see, the poor ones are those people
who has a hard time trying to make ends meet.
These are the people who are hardworking yet
still struggling to survive. They’ve got their
paychecks only to pay their monthly expenses.
They can’t even invest for either an asset or a  CASH FLOW PATTERN OF THE RICH CLASS
liability. - If you are going to take a closer look at flow
- As Kiyosaki(2013) put, They are hard workers, chart of a rich person, you may observe that
often doing two jobs just to make ends meet, but compared to the poor and the middle class’s
they have a hard time getting ahead because flow chart, something is missing-A job. The rich
class is the only class which prioritizes assets
 more than liabilities and that makes them rich! This principle made most of the millennials
Kiyosaki(2013) “So while the poor and middle- invest in experiences more than assets or
class go to a job and earn their income through liabilities. Diversifying money will save us all
with a paycheck, the rich make passive income from having a miserable life in our twilight age.
by acquiring assets”. He added “the rich don't - Alexander’s diversification strategy is the
work for money, instead they work to acquire following:
assets.
a) He includes 10 to 12 diversified stocks on
average from different industries, sectors and
geographical region. By diversifying his portfolio
mix, he leverages risk.
b) He includes investments that incur different
levels of risk. For instance, when stock prices
decline, bond prices rise because an increasing
number of investors shift their money to bonds
for greater safety. If the stock market declines, a
portfolio consisting of stocks and bonds is
expected to perform differently than a portfolio
consisting of stocks only.
c) He calculates the standard deviation of his
diversified portfolio. Ideally, the standard
deviation of the portfolio is lower than the
standard deviation of each individual asset. For
example, assume the following returns of two
stocks of a diversified portfolio:

 PRACTICAL TIPS IN DIVERSIFICATION OF

MONEY
- Have you heard about the adage “ Don’t put
your eggs in one basket”?. Literally because if
you put all your eggs in one basket and the
basket fell down, tendency is you will lose all of
your eggs in one snap. Figuratively speaking,
this adage talks about putting your resouces/
assets in diverse instruments. And this is what
diversification is all about. Following this
principle have saved numerous individuals in
times of crisis. Take a look at this illustration
about where all that millennial money goes. - If stock A has an average expected return of
5.17% and stock B has an average expected
return of 6,24%, the portfolio standard deviation
is 3,75% (check out the Portfolio Standard
Deviation article on how to calculate the
standard deviation of a portfolio). In this case,
the portfolio standard deviation is higher than the
standard deviation of each stock. Therefore,
knowing the standard deviation of the portfolio
can lower the portfolio volatility.hat should be in
your portfolio?

- You only live once-perhaps this one of the few

lines that most millennials are living up with.
 WHAT MUST A DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO
INCLUDE?
- A diversified portfolio must include
stocks.According to investopedia, A stock is a
form of security that indicates the holder has
proportionate ownership the issuing corporation.
Domestic stocks therefore are proportion of
ownership over a local company whereas
Foreign stocks are proportion of ownership over
a foreign company. Buying stocks provide us
benefits such as dividend payouts and capital
gains after the stock’s increase over time.
- It must also include Bonds. A bond is an
interest-bearing security that obligates the issuer
to pay the bondholder a specified sum of money,
usually at specific intervals (known as a
coupon), and to repay the principal amount of
the loan at maturity.
- Compare to stocks, bonds are less volatile
making it a better option when unpredictability
hits the stock market. The negative side of
bonds is that it doesn’t offer a higher ROI (return
of investments) however it is way safer than
stocks.
- Other ways in diversifying your money is through
Short-term investments, International stocks,
Sector funds, Real estate fund, Commodity-
focused funds, and Asset allocation funds