GRPundit

When was the last time that we saw science and technology imparted to others in the " jejemon " language? Considering that even the Tagalog dialect is not up to the task of articulating scientific concepts, any attempt to communicate science in jejemon will ultimately fail. Amazingly, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) sees religious teachings as a body of knowledge that actually could be reduced to jejemon-speak. Perhaps this reflects the real nature of religious doctrine. Is religion something that could be taught in jejemon ? Apparently so ... [Archbishop Socrates Villegas, incoming vice president of the CBCP] said the youth, which are “like parched dry sponge[s]," are “being misled by wrong teachings." “In their thirst, they absorb all and retain them regardless of the purity of source. I pity our youth," he said as he rallied the Catholic Church to “join the arena of public opinion" by using “new methods and approach...

Seems like even the "experts" can't agree on exactly what a "dialect" is and how different this is from a "language". Some say Tagalog is a "dialect", and some say it is a "language". The challenge to "linguistics expert" community, as such, is to provide some consistent guidance around what exactly differentiates a "language" and a "dialect"? I'm tempted take advantage of this chaos among the "experts" and crown myself a de facto expert on the subject. But maybe I might serve the "debate" a bit well by deferring to that other Oracle of internet truth. Here is what the venerable Wikipedia (my boldface for emphasis) has to say...

Name-calling is the oldest trick in the book. It's a trick used by people who lack the ability to explain their point convincingly. It is also a diversion tactic because it draws the arguments away from the main idea. Plus, it is nothing more than an attack on the messenger instead of the message. In public forums, debates have this tendency to escalate into pissing contests once someone resorts to name-calling. Calling your opponent stupid, an idiot or a moron is a sign that you are getting frustrated. Frustration in public forums is easy enough to detect when people start using name-calling. Those who use this tactic do not seem to realize that they are the ones who look like morons. Before you call someone a moron, you need proof that he is. Ask yourself the following questions: 1. Did your opponent hurt/offend himself or other people as a result of what he said. 2. Did your opponent waste resources/time/money? 3. Did your opponent say something that is libelo...

It's a subconscious aspiration that is a legacy of 400 years of subjugation. Becoming white or associating with Euros is a ticket out of poverty, and every gene in our cultural DNA is telling us so -- even to this day. Identifying with Tagalog speaking as a source of pride, it seems, is a conscious denial of a subconscious aspiration -- like a quivering smile flashed in the aftermath of a bald lie uttered. I recall a few hours ago reading a comment on a blog post: "Love of the 'native tongue' is a security blanket for losers who missed out on acquiring solid proficiency in English" (or something to that effect). That pretty much describes 90 percent of the Philippine population. Is the adherence to Tagalog motivated by rational thinking? Or is it motivated by a deep fear of being caught outside one's comfort zone?

Whatever it was said by whoever this James Soriano is, if it is the TRUTH about the utter lack of intellectual tools Tagalog provides its speakers, then no apologies are needed to be given to those who take offense from these words. Tagalog is a quaint dialect at best. Perhaps we continue to hang on to it because it gives us that warm fuzzy feeling. The reality today is quite stark, however. Tagalog DOES NOT DELIVER. The sooner we as a people come to terms with that reality, the sooner we can move on to much bigger things. http://patiss.tumblr.com/post/9408998934

Chicken and egg situation. Perhaps there are more pressing needs to upgrade the impoverished physical facilities of the Philippine public school system - classroom shortages, books, etc. The poverty of the Philippine school system, however, is but a component of the broader impoverishment that crushes Philippine society overall at all fronts. Therefore, the more fundamental question is: What is at the very root of this pervasive and profound impoverishment of the Filipino?

Medium of instruction -- the debate on the continued use of the Tagalog dialect in Philippine public schools -- underlies optimal use of whatever assets are deployed to support effective education of Filipinos. In his tweet , blogger Paul Farol begs to differ slightly... @benign0 Arguing over medium of instruction is putting the cart before the horse in a situation where the cart is broken and the horse is all but dead. The child of an average Filipino cellphone subscriber goes to a public school which not only lacks classrooms, but also has only 1 comfort room which they must share with at least 200 other students -- that comfort room has one toilet bowl and one wash basin, indoor plumbing is optional. They learn lessons from a teacher in a class of as many as 100 students and they must try to learn their lessons in a room that is either too hot or damp from floods or leaking roofs. They must try to learn from books that are either outdated, misprinted, or printed with factual e...