26 August 2011
Naiinis ako pero wala akong magawa kundi mag-blog tungkol dito
Naging malaking bagay pala ang sinulat na article ni Soriano tungkol sa wikang Filipino. Ngayon, nakikita ko ang status at tweet ng mga tao patungkol dito. Access denied na siya ngayon sa Manila Bulletin pero nabasa ko siya dito, sa blog ng isang kaibigan noong highschool. Sa totoo lang hindi ako na-offend. Hindi ko alam kung sinong na-offend at kung bakit sila na-offend. Hindi ako na-offend, pero uminit ang ulo ko. At iniisip ko siya ulit, umiinit nanaman ang ulo ko.
Aaminin ko, hindi na din ako masyadong sanay magsalita o magsulat sa wikang Filipino nang walang halong Ingles. Pero mas kumportable pa din ako gamitin ito sa pang-araw araw na buhay kaysa sa Ingles. Lumaki ako sa paaralan at tirahan na Filipino ang wikang ginagamit. Sa paaralan namin, mas sanay kami sa wikang Filipino. Subukan mong magi-ingles diyan at tingnan natin kung hindi ka pagtatawanan. Kaya nga iritado kami sa mga konyo mula sa mga pribadong paaralan. Nagbago ang lahat ng lumawak ang mundo ko. At totoo nga, madami palang mga tao na mas sanay sa Ingles kaysa sa Filipino.
Naiinis ako na ganito ang sitwasyon ng bayan natin. Naiinis ako na kung sino pa ang mga may pinag-aralan, sila pa ang hindi sanay sa wika ng kanilang bayan. Naiinis ako na sa Filipino subject lang ginagamit ang wikang Filipino. Naiinis ako na pinaka ayaw na subject ng mga studyante ang Filipino. Naiinis ako na napaka-bilis natin husgahan ang mga taong baluktot mag-ingles pero wala tayong nakikitang problema sa mga taong lumaki sa Pilipinas pero baluktot na mag-Filipino may "twang" pa!
Naiintindihan ko din na kontrobersyal ang isyu ng pambansang wika dahil nga naman masyado itong maka-Tagalog, paano na lang ang mga Bisaya at ang iba pang wika sa mga probinsya. Sabi ng nanay ko, sa pananaw niya, hindi tamang tawaging "dialect" ang mga wika sa ibang probinsya dahil kung pakikinggan mong maiigi, sobrang naiiba ang mga salita nila sa Tagalog. Palagay ko may punto siya. Kaya naiintindihan ko kung halimbawang Cebuano ka at mas sanay ka mag-Ingles kaysa mag-Filipino. Pero ibang usapan na ang lumaki sa Maynila pero hirap sa Filipino.
Hindi ako galit sa mga Pilipinong hindi sanay mag-Filipino. Natutunan ko na silang mahalin. Pero naiinis lang talaga ako na umabot tayo sa ganito. Sana, madami pa akong kapwa Pilipino na mainis din para magawan ito ng paraan. Sana, yung mga may anak, sanayin nila ang mga anak nilang magsalita sa sariling wika at huwag ito ikahiya. Tutal, Ingles naman na ang gamit nila sa paaralan at Ingles pa ang mga cartoons na pinapanood nila. At sa mga hindi sanay mag-Filipino, aralin niyo ang wika niyo. Mahalin niyo ito at pangalagaan. Sa mga hindi naman marunong mag-Ingles, wag kayo mahiya. Si Jackie Chan, baluktot mag-ingles, nahihiya ba siya? Hindi ko sinasabing huwag niyo na aralin ang Ingles. Malungkot man isipin, kailangan niyo ito sa trabaho at para umasenso. Pero sana, kahit kailan huwag niyong kalilimutan ang Filipino.
***
Apparently, Soriano's article on the Filipino language became a big deal. I'm reading FB statuses and tweets about it and now, the article cannot be accessed through Manila Bulletin's website. But I did get to read it through a high school friend's blog. If you want, here's the link. I don't know who got offended and why, but I wasn't. I wasn't offended, but I was really angered by what I read. And thinking about it again now makes me angry all over again.
I will admit that speaking, thinking, and writing in straight Filipino isn't very easy. There will be some thoughts and ideas that are easier to express in English than in Filipino. But on a normal day to day conversation, I'm still more comfortable with Filipino. That's because I grew up in a school and home where Filipino is used as the primary language. At our school, just try speaking in English and see if you won't get laughed at teased. We've always hated "konyos" from private schools. But when my world got a bit larger, I realized that there were more of these English-speaking Filipinos who weren't very comfortable with their native language.
I'm angered by the situation our country is facing now. I'm frustrated that those who are educated are the ones who aren't comfortable in using their own language. I hate that the Filipino language is only being used in that subject. It ticks me off that a lot of young people see Filipino as just one of their class subjects, and one they hate and fail at for that matter. And I don't think it's right that we are so easy to judge and laugh at a person who's English grammar is erroneous while we find nothing wrong with Filipinos who grew up in Manila but can't speak straight Filipino and even have a twang!
I understand that the issues surrounding the National Language is controversial considering the many languages we have in the country. My mom believes that the Philippines doesn't only have many dialects but some of these dialects are actually a completely different language of their own. I think she has a point because if you do listen to these so called dialects, it sounds so different from Tagalog. And that's why I understand that Cebuanos, for example, prefer English over Filipino. And that's ok. But not for those who grow up in Manila.
I'm not angry at the people who have a hard time speaking in Filipino. In fact, I've learned to love them. I'm angry that we got into the situation we are now in. I hope other Filipinos get angry too and start doing something about it. I hope those who have children teach their kids how to use, value, and love the language. Talk to them in Filipino, after all, they are already using English in school and even the cartoons they watch are in English. I hope that those who are not used to speak in Filipino would try to use it more often and learn more about the language and the beauty of it. And for those who aren't used in speaking and writing in English, don't be ashamed. Jackie Chan can't speak English well either, you don't see him shying away. I'm not saying you neglect the language. Sad to say, but you will need English to progress in the workplace. But I hope that no matter what, you never forget and neglect your own language.
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Agree with everything you said. :D Sabi nga ng prof ko sa Educ, hindi mo rin masasabing bilingual ang mga Pinoy maliban na lang kung talagang magaling siya mag-Filipino at mag-Ingles. Lahat halos tayo semi-lingual. Ako, semi-lingual. Although to a point, totoo yung ibang sinabi ni Soriano, I refuse to say that Filipino is not the language of the learned. Hindi lang kasi tayo guagamit ng vernacular sa klase kaya hindi tayo nasasanay.
ReplyDeleteHahaha. Napupuno na rin ang UP ng mga conyo.
Ako na-offend at nag-init ang ulo! Sana hindi ko pala binasa ung article. Lalo na dun sa statement nya na, "It might have the capacity to be the language of learning, but it is not the language of the learned." Not the language of the learned sya dyan. At meron pa syang, with the tongue of privelege!
ReplyDelete@Ella Mae oo nga.. ang dami nang conyo sa UP.. nakakainis. :[ sa UP naman Filipino talaga ang gamit eh.. kahit nung elementary at highschool. dapat lahat ng school ganun na lang. kaya naman eh.. lahat naman ng libro english kaya mapipilitan ka talaga matuto ng english.
ReplyDelete@Karins haha. na-miss kita karina, nai-imagine kita mag-react. haha. feeling ko kasi, experience lang niya ang basis niya. tska hindi kaya lahat ng galing sa private school magaling mag-english!
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