NAME: PONTALBA, EDRIAN JOSE A. TEACHER: MS.

JOANNE CALIBUSO
GRADE & SECTION: GRADE 10- ST. FRANCIS DATE: AUGUST 2, 2018

“OMITTING FILIPINO SUBJECT IN COLLEGE”

What is the best thing I have done for my country? I actually don’t know because at my age, it is
impossible to do something big. Then I realized, it isn’t important on how big it is. I think the best thing
I’ve done for my country is to be proud that I am a Filipino.

Being proud that I am a Filipino is not quite easy. Sometimes, I even doubt it because of our
government. The people have to rally on the streets to get what they want. I feel like it is telling me that we
have to go to war first before we can gain peace. When I was in Grade 7, we studied Philippine History. I
then appreciated peace. It was not just about the Filipinos fighting Spanish but how we fought for our
independence.

Now, if someone will ask me what is the best thing that I have done for our country, I will them that I
am proud to be a Filipino.

The differences between Filipino, Pilipino and tagalog are often forgotten by people in the
Philippines. In fact, many Filipinos are unaware of the differences in these word because of the thought
that the Filipino language has been naturally learned by Filipinos so they do not, or we, value it so much.
In my point of view, Filipino language learning is important because it is the duty of a Filipino to know and
use properly our language and to fully understand our history and culture.

Filipino, our national language, has been a lot way in our history. Some constitutions have also been
changed to reach its current state in the Philippines. Our national language based on the tagalog language
is truly important because Filipino is our identity. Filipino’s should know that we must enrich, appreciate
and rejuvenate our cultures.

We do not say that speaking often the English language is bad, in fact, it is good for our lives.
English is our universal language and one of the two official languages in our country, and we use reading
books, at school, in the Internet. Wherever we go, we will need it. The bad habit of having a relationship
with the English language is the Filipino people’s total obsession. In my perspective and based on the
articles I read, our culture is much better in our own language than any other language.

Upon issuing the CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013, Filipino teachers and writers
have united to stand up against the policy because it omits Filipino teaching as a subject in College. Why
the Filipino subject in College shouldn’t be removed? What is the significance of Filipino subject? How can
this make an impact on our Philippine Education System and our Filipino cultures? I, as a young Filipino
citizen, I observed that most of us really don’t know how to use our Filipino words properly, even the
College graduates and the old ones don’t know. The Filipino subject is about Filipino language that is a
very important subject for Elementary, High School, Senior High School or even College students because
it is culturally diverse. It cannot be separated and this is what we use to communicate and provide
information. If we do not apply this subject in college then we can have communication gaps.

This language is very important because we use it everyday and it bind us from foreigners or folks.
The Filipino language should not be removed from Universities because it is the only way to educate
students in the real world and in our society. Additionally, in the removal of this language as part of the
College Curriculum, our language and identity will gradually disappear and die because the removal of
Filipino subject in College is also to remove the identity of the Filipino people because the use of Filipino
language is a way to express yourself and ways to preserve the culture and the familiarity of us. So, we
should all patronage our own language.
 The Filipino language professor explained that the national language is still quite young and it has
yet to be completely intellectualized or used in different fields, and also Filipino language is the key to
national unity and fostering understanding between all citizens here in the Philippines.

We must not omit our own Filipino subject in College years. I am not against nor disregarding the
idea of focusing in our chosen field in College but this is not about our Land and our Country.

Michael Tan’s essay. He wrote, “If we want a national language, and respect for all our Philippine
languages, our young must grow up hearing and using these languages as part of daily practice- not just
for casual conversation but as the language of transaction for science, business, the arts. It must be a daily
practice that becomes part of us, part of the way we think and alive”

Furthermore, according to Dr. Jose Rizal youth is the hope of the people and education is the key to
development. How can the youth become the Hope if they themselves do not value our languages which is
the alliance of our culture? How can we?