miseducation of filipinos

A Few General Comments
The first thing that I would really like to comment about is the choice of vocabulary of the author. The author blatantly has a wide command of the English language. And it’s such a good thing for him. But sometimes not good for me, cause I really have to prepare our mini dictionary on my side in case I’ll encounter an alien word.
On the content, it’s really not a waste of time reading the article. Not only will you learn new vocabulary but also your eyes will be opened to a fact that has long existed in which our eyes are just so blinded to see, because we are just so pre-occupied with the idea that the Americans are totally of help. But then again, we must remember that the world is created with symmetry, that in every evil, there’s goodness, and that in the presence of advantage, there’s a disadvantage.
Education is indeed a very vital factor for one’s development. And as we all know, through education, one’s mind is molded because of the teachings, ideas, and values taught to him. Due to this fact, it’s only either of the two that will happen: the person will become productive provided that he was taught with the right things, or, the person will become otherwise since he acquired negative things. So here comes Renato Constantino, educating us the right way.
I wrote some learning and comments from selected parts of the article. And these are as follows:
Compared to US, our country is still in the process of improvisation or still underdeveloped. Culturally speaking, US has firm tradition or has it’s own culture which was not influenced by other cultures. It has developed freely which sprang from its indigenous people. Indeed, US is the master of it’s own house. And provided that we are a corollary of the certain country’s intense desire to spread their seed, we couldn’t deny the fact that we have already adopted some of their cultures and traditions, including their language. American education stresses the importance of internationalism and we simply follow the lead without knowing that our very own foundation of nationalism is weak, making this move disadvantageous. To site is our national virtue of hospitality which, according to the article, has transformed into a stupid vice. (Adoption of Western Values)
Due to the failure of Philippine education, we became so ignorant to the fact that we allowed aliens to strip us of our possessions and wealth. We even praise them for their success, not knowing that some of it is mainly caused by us. They even labeled our country as paradise, but as a matter of fact, Philippines is a heaven just for them but not for some of our countrymen. Because we are still an indirect colony of other countries, many Filipinos fought for complete or total independence and freedom, getting nothing in return but negative thoughts and opposition. Due to colonial education, Filipinos find it hard to grasp the nationalistic principles that must be learned. (Un-Filipino Filipinos)
For a child to master a foreign language, he must first master his own. Because no one is brave enough to advocate the use of our native language as the medium of instruction, the use of English has become dominant. Because a lot are illiterate on this, the use of English as a medium of teaching is an ineffective step, thus producing citizens who do not have mastery of English as well as their native language due to the deliberate neglection to it. Simply put, the masses are becoming more and more illiterate even to their own language. Since many find it hard to use English, many also find it hard to express and lack of expression prevents learning or development of thought, leading to cultural stagnation. (Impediments to Thought)
It is true that we are being dumped with American forms of media. And we can’t deny the fact that mass media is a great factor in molding our character and ideals. It greatly affects our system. Due to this fact, we can’t help but get affected and infected with the whole Americanization thing. And the only way to cure this? Philippine Education. I agree with what is stated that Philippine Education should produce men and women who are not only educated or who do not only know how to read and write and add and subtract, but also men and women who know and who are aware of the present situation of the country and should do something about it for it’s betterment. Philippine education should not only teach the students the basic knowledge and skill but also inculcate within their hearts and minds the values and teachings of our fellow noble countrymen such as Bonifacio and Rizal. Filipino should not only go to school to get a degree or diploma, but should also embed within themselves the values and characteristics that this drowning nation needs. As a saying goes, "Application should always go with education, because the latter is nil in the absence of the former." (Needed: Filipinos)
Two Parts I Like Most To React
a) The Language Problem
Until now, the issue on what medium of teaching should be used is still unresolved. It has been long debated, but still majority is in favor of the English language. Even this fact suggests and strongly proves that we are still an indirect colony of United States and are still dependent on them.
But based on my personal point of view, I am in favor of the use of English as the medium of instruction because first of all, English is the international language. We cannot communicate with other nationalities without it. But this doesn’t really mean that my mind is polluted with the Americanization thing. Or maybe is it? I don’t know. What I’m trying to depict is that the use of English is a practical way for us, Filipinos to be globally competitive. Though I am in favor of the English medium, it does not mean that I look down our native tongue or I completely reject it.
b) Barrier to Democracy
English is considered to be a barrier to democracy. This is very visible during campaigns and public addresses. We knew that most politicians communicate to the masses with the use of such language. I don’t know if they do so just because they don’t want to inform the masses of their hidden agenda or they just want to impress the masses that they are English-literate? Or they just consider the native language as the language of the uneducated because of their belief that English-literates belong to an elite group? Either of those, one thing is for sure: they don’t consider the fact that only a few could articulate thoughts in English. Only a few could even read and write with the use of that language. Due to the lack of command of English language, the masses who only half-understand what is said to them are already contented to leave everything to the leaders. As what is said in the article, "people don’t even think it is their duty to know, or that they are capable of understanding national problems." It’s such a sad fact.
Is The Article Still Relevant, Or Not?
The article has presented enough hard and believable facts. So I really think the article is still relevant and should be disseminated. The author has convinced me with his ideas and opinion. So, I’m sure he could also convince others the same way that he did to me. He bombarded me with hard facts and great ideas. His write-up is great. It’s indeed worth reading.
Considering the present situation that our country is facing right now, I think this article could help a lot. Filipinos nowadays have already that colonial mentality. And maybe they’ll change if they’ll read this. Our country needs people who are willing to change our country for the better which will benefit the many, not only himself. Because we are so dependent on America, I think it’s time to wake our fellow countrymen to this fact.