Filipino as a People and a Language

“I believe that it is all about not having enough love for our national language” (Pride in the Filipino Language).

The article that is going to be discussed talks about the shortcomings of many Filipinos when it comes to their own national language. As stated in Article XIV Section VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, “Filipino” is the national language of the Philippines; however, as Filipino is mostly based off of Tagalog, and those people who speak Tagalog are more often than not the ones who use the Filipino language, they often call the national language “Pilipino.” This is erroneous because the term “Filipino” was used instead of “Pilipino” to include the other regional languages of the Philippines as most of these languages have the letter “F” and Tagalog does not. “Pilipino” is just another word for Tagalog or the language used by people in Manila.

Another thing that was brought to light was the fact that almost every country actively promotes and uses their own national language like the United States of America, China, Japan, and Korea; however, here in the Philippines, most people prefer to use the English language in official or business matters.

As Filipinos, we should be able to use our own language. Not only in private conversations with friends and family, but also publicly in official and business matters. The intelligent use of Filipino is very crucial in the development of the language, and it is said that language is the mirror to culture. Having a weak national language would equal a weak culture. As diverse as the Philippines is, I do not believe that our culture is week; therefore, let us show just how strong our culture is by showing how strong our language is. Let us promote the intelligent use of the Filipino language.

http://www.manilatimes.net/pride-in-the-filipino-language/205842/