why filipino, why english? is it so much for this discussion?
By nena_bandida
@nena_bandida (23)
Philippines
October 10, 2011 7:31am CST
we cannot deny the fact that the philippines is a mix of culture brought upon by the history itself. this is why our country regarded as a country of having no own culture, no filipino identity to be exact.
on the other side, we cannot blame our leaders if some of them are in favor of pursuing to make tagalog as our national language in all our transactions. i think and am much sure that we cannot pursue this goal since we are born and raised by the roots of our history. even how determined our legislators and our leaders are on this goal we cannot set aside our past and we cannot go out of it. it is so sad that the rich culture we had from our ancestors were already forgotten and not followed. i can say truly that our culture is very rich because of the inter culture that came into.
our intercultural involvement with our colonizers has resulted to cultural diversity. in every part of our archipelago, cultural diversity in us is very evident. many says that differences in us is due to our geographical make up. our philippine historians acknowledged that our colonizers used it in their own advantage to dominate us in all aspects.
1 person likes this
6 responses
@kareemadivina (1230)
• Philippines
10 Oct 11
I can only say that Philippines is an American -friendly country.We always love to follow America and the ways of American people.Because of these we are slowly losing our culture from the language we speak,the way we write,and the way we dress.I love being a Filipino but I think other nationalities are better than us in preserving their own culture.I appreciate Indians and Arabs for preserving their identity wherever they maybe.
I mean who amongst Filipino of these generation can write using alibata?Why can't we see someone walking in the street wearing Filipiniana dress or Barong Tagalog.We'll admit it or not, we are only using it few times during some occasions,and some Filipinos has never use it.
@nena_bandida (23)
• Philippines
11 Oct 11
you are not serious, right?
weird.. these people (i mean men) wearing palda everywhere.. gosh, we are living forward my friend.. kudos to us.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
11 Oct 11
I am in complete agreement with kareema. I have been in contemplation that we, as a people are very accommodating and very submissive to the people or nations that colonize us....and sadly, we cannot let go. In return, they are part now of our unique culture but in the midst of these things, we cannot really identify ourselves or hold something that we can claim as unique as ours. Like in these discussion, there will always be debates whether or not, we are ;left better with or without English./ Granted that English gave us a unique advantage of being 'globalized', it also left feeling that without English, we might feel that we are nobody or useless.
Preserving culture is different from identifying it. We have been colonized and we have been accepting of other's traditions and mediums that we did, in a sense, left our own, thinking that the other culture is better than ours. Perhaps, this lost cultural identity is a result of the people's ethnocentrism but we also have a part on this.
There is nothing wrong on looking back, because we affirm what we have today from the past. we might look forward in everything that is advanced but there will always a part of us that is connected to the 'antiquity'. Something unique that defines us everywhere we go.
@nena_bandida (23)
• Philippines
12 Oct 11
it is good to be sumissive/subservient at times but placing ourselves just to please someone is not good. well, sometimes we tend to become a carbon copy of the one we idolize. i don't find anything wrong imitating our idols like the way he or she dress and speak as long as you are not losing your real identity. but in the real sense of the world it is very hard to pretend to be someone whom you don't admire. for me i am doing it sometimes just for the sake of admiration and no more. when i pretend i always make sure that it will be for the improvement of my personlaity and making sure also that everybody will like me and they will know that i am just pretending. people around are our mirrors. i know that every individual is unique and no matter how we try, our real self will come out. i think losing our real self or our identity is one of the worst things a man could ever do. the rest of your paragraphs is okay with me.
@hexebella (1136)
• Philippines
10 Oct 11
you are indeed right, we are mix of cultures and if we will go back in history, we were muslims prior to the coming of the spaniards.
in regard to the language, i would still prefer to use English as the medium of communication in both private and government sectors. Our excellent english skills has given filipinos an edge in the international job market. If we are a first world country like Japan, Germany, France, etc., we can make use of filipino to be the only language to be used within the country.
@hexebella (1136)
• Philippines
13 Oct 11
we are a 3rd world country hence we need to speak english and enhance this skill to be competitive in the international job market. These first world countries i mentioned above who don't use english in their day to day transactions need not go out of their country to earn a living as they have jobs in their countries
@nena_bandida (23)
• Philippines
15 Oct 11
for instance, having a decent job is a manner of being civilized. you can't be competitive if you are not being civilized. can't you see your make up that differ you from other people who come from progressive countries who don't speak english, for instance mid east?
@nena_bandida (23)
• Philippines
10 Oct 11
3rd world, speak english and that you feel like being civilized, in all manners.
@nena_bandida (23)
• Philippines
10 Oct 11
i just came from two discussions with the same outline; letranknight and shattered started those discussions. i was trying to paste the links but no success
@nixiecole (358)
• Philippines
10 Oct 11
Well, I think we still do. The mix of the different cultures is our culture. I think that despite the different countries that had stayed here, we Filipinos still managed to keep our old culture present in everything that changes in our society.
@jojobadillo (149)
• United States
11 Oct 11
Someone told me that we Filipinos can be compared to a bowl of salad"we're all mixed up"that we have no sense of history....and worst having no culture.In my mind I could not agree more.
Sometimes we are in a situation where we don't know how to react or respond intelligently.as oppose to asking what made him think that way, I responded quite defensively telling him,having a sense of history or culture will not make my salary/pay any higher,until now I kind a hold true to that statement,how ignorant or stupid it may sound.
@nena_bandida (23)
• Philippines
12 Oct 11
if you are an overseas worker, yes, it does make sense.
i also have a korean national classmates and they feel dominants in general manners. however, in some instances like the manner of popular dressing and speaking, they are far behind. on their own, they may be trendy, otherwise
@jojobadillo (149)
• United States
11 Oct 11
Someone told me that we Filipinos can be compared to a bowl of salad"we're all mixed up"that we have no sense of history....and worst having no culture.In my mind I could not agree more.
Sometimes we are in a situation where we don't know how to react or respond intelligently.as oppose to asking what made him think that way, I responded quite defensively telling him,having a sense of history or culture will not make my salary/pay any higher,until now I kind a hold true to that statement,however ignorant or stupid it may sound.
