Forgotten Relic

Leaders among the world have their own sets of reforms on how to well preserve the genuine relics of their native country: scrolls, pots, vases, etc. Some of the places within their scope are also preserved – from houses, streets, churches, and even century-old trees are also included to the preservation priorities. Almost one-third of the division of budget are spent to these types of conservation projects to shorten the diminutive threat of culture extinction.

But the effects of this culture ailment leave a problem that most of us didn’t quite notice – a problem whose remnant left over isn’t that noticeable: the domination of foreign languages against our native one.

Most of our co-Filipinos today think that in order for them to be competitive on their chosen fields, they have to well-manage their subtle English matters, not knowing that on every step that they take on what they think is the better path, merely leads them to the utter pits. Due to this indolent behavior, many think that to have a brighter future, they must engage themselves into the world of pretentious English men who wants to be the dominant inhabitants of our world of not proud-to-be natives. The notion of this alarming tyrant manifests on our current condition and yet, no one is bothered to take a single amount of action. Alarmed and unconscious – this is currently our stand in the present; hopefully not in the near future.

Mr. Conrado de Quiros (a columnist of Philippine Daily Inquirer) was right when he pointed in his opinion write-up entitled, “Tails and Wags,” the notion of eliminating the implementation of using the English medium in teaching the known complicated subjects: Math, Science, Physics, and other fields of profound teachings. He (Mr. de Quiros) was right when said that, “What in the world is wrong in expressing a scientific calculation in the medium of our vernaculars?” The point here is that the children are having difficulties on grasping their craved knowledge on a particular subject, doubling up their efforts because of the English medium. Why not teach them in their native talks – if they’re Hiligaynon, teach them through Hiligaynon; if they are Kapampangan, teach them through Kapampangan. Instructors are not going to be devoured by simply doing that, and at the same time, the children will certainly be gratified knowing that their native talks would be the primary key to their success of snagging in the offered knowledge of their chosen fields.

Take a look at the Japanese and the theme speaks for itself – see the difference. They teach their novices in the language that they perfectly know, and look at them now, continuing the growth of their prosperity; with simultaneous success of not losing their connections around the world.

It would just take us a matter of loving our country in order for us to love our language. Make ourselves efficient out of what is in store for us. Include our language to our well-kept genuine relics.