Re: Filipino sucks, Why bother with Filipino?, and Why cant we just speak English? I know a lot of people in Ateneo who despise Filipino, more specifically Tagalog, simply because they didnt grow up speaking the language. I understand the difficulty; I was brought up in a home that speaks English and Bicol only. Ive always hated Filipino as a subject, but learned to appreciate it when I entered college. Fast-forward to college: My Filipino professor actually mentioned that the national language itself isnt very national as not majority in the Philippines speak it as its mother tongue. While it does not incorporate all the dialects in the country, though, its what weve got for now and unless you have the time and willingness to create a language that is truly Filipino, please have the decency to appreciate what we have. Let me present two points why Filipino is a necessity in my life. From here on, let me use Filipino and Tagalog interchangeably. 1. Communication As someone from Bicol where the dialects are too diverse, I find Tagalog very useful as it is actually used in many regional competitions and seminars, at least in my experience. The same can be said for national conferences. I know that English is more preferred in the corporate setting, but how do you relate with other Filipinos? I had Japanese and Chinese roommates before and they all learned Filipino during their stay here. I kept asking them why they bothered with Filipino when they could just speak English, and they told me that they wanted to connect to the commoners in a more heartfelt way. These foreigners volunteered their time to learn the language to help our fellow countrymen. Theyd spend their weekends playing with kids and talking with the manongs ang manangs in the urban areas. As much as we aim for our dream corporate jobs where English is a necessity, let us also not forsake a language that will help us connect to the masses. This could well be the reason why even our president, the highest ranking official in the country, uses Filipino in his speeches. 2. Identity Heres another observation: No matter how advanced South Koreans technologies are and no matter how much they are willing to learn English, they always put prime respect and appreciation for their language. Hangeul is also their identity. In the same light, Filipino is also our identity no matter how much you deny it. Again, as a national language, Filipino has many flaws, but as Filipinos, it is still our duty to learn it. (Ngayon, kung nagtataka ka kung bakit Ingles ang ginamit ko, gusto ko lang kasi talagang mabasa to ng hindi magagaling mag-Filipino.) - Hindi Malansang Isda, SOSS, 201*
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 16:05:21 +0000
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