Dec.

12,2009
The Statement “If You Will Not Speak Tagalog You Are Not A
Filipino” Is A Big Lie!
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

This is the sentence being propagated by some of our Tagalog-speaking friends.

I do not know what prompted them to formulate such a big lie. Why a big lie? What
is their proof or evidence that “if you do not speak Tagalog you are not a
Filipino”? None.Nothing.This is discriminatory statement as long as our respective
languages are concern. This is just a self-proclamation and self-declaration with
no evidence to back them up. It’s just a self-serving statement of arrogance and
narrow-mindedness that only glorifies one group of Filipinos to the exclusion of
the rest of millions and millions of other groups of Filipinos in this
archipelagic country.
Did some of them read history? If they have read, do they not know that some of
our national and war heroes are mixture of groups of Filipinos who speak in
different languages like Boholano, Tagalog, Ilocano, Bicolano, Cebuano, Waray-
Waray? How about those unmentioned heroes in Mindanao who speak in Cebuano, are
they not Filipinos also? Our national and war heroes who speak in different
languages have sacrificed their lives not only for a specific group of Filipinos
but for all Filipinos in the entire archipelago. None of our heroes in the past
have uttered such a degrading statement of arrogance and in exclusivistic fashion
because they know from their innermost chamber of their hearts that we are all
Filipinos regardless of what languages we have possessed to speak.
In the past when there was no national language yet and not even Tagalog and
we speak in our own respective Mother Tongues, no-one or not a single Filipino or
group of Filipinos have dared to say towards any group of Filipinos that you are
not a Filipino because you did not speak in Cebuano or Hiligaynon or Ilocano or
Bicolano language. How come that now some of our Tagalog friends have the gall to
utter such a discriminatory, self-importance and self-serving statement of
arrogance and narrow-mindedness in thinking?
If those who have uttered the abovementioned statement feel that the Tagalog
language is superior than the other predominant languages in the Philippines, they
are utterly wrong. Any language in this country is just as good and equal as the
other languages.Repeatedly, some of our Tagalog friends must know, if they do not
know yet that our archipelagic country has many languages. That Filipinos are
composing of several groups who speak languages different from each other. Can
they ignore or reject these existing languages? Of course not. It is only
fortunate for the Tagalog language to be chosen as the national language because
at that time the President who proclaimed it was a Tagalog-speaking man.
If the choice was based on numbers or the majority, our national language
should be Cebuano and not Tagalog.The people in the huge islands of Visayas and
Mindanao speak the Cebuano language. Nevertheless, the choice was not base on
logical selection, but of the emotional, called “the nearness of the heart”
nomination. But the choice does not mean that the Tagalog language is the superior
language.Again, our respective languages or Mother Tongues are just as good as the
other languages in the Philippines.
I would like to advise some of our Tagalog friends who dare made the aforesaid
quoted statement to stop spreading and propagating this kind of misleading
conception because their language is not superior compared to our own language or
any other languages in this nation. To call the Tagalog language the Filipino
language is a big misnomer. When we say Filipino language, it is a combination of
many languages and dialects in the Philippines. The Filipino language (a mass noun
in its usage here) is not a monopoly of one’s language. It’s always a combination
of all existing languages and dialects spoken in our country. The Tagalog language
is a Tagalog language, period. If the Cebuano language was chosen as our national
language as a logical choice by the late President Manuel L. Quezon, we cannot
also say that the Cebuano language is a Filipino language. It will also be a big
misnomer to attach the word as a title. It is simply a Cebuano language chosen as
the national language, period.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against the Tagalog-speaking people in general. In
fact I have some Tagalog friends in Metro Manila when I was living there for
several years. We are only against the quoted statement that some of them are
propagating on the radio and TV stations. For instance, some Cebuano-speaking
people will tell the Tagalogs,”If you will not speak Cebuano you are not
Filipinos”. Then a group of Bicolanos will interject, “If you will not speak
Bicolano you are not Filipinos”. Another group of Filipinos, the Ilocanos will
also announce on the radio and TV stations saying, “If you will not speak Ilocano
you are not Filipinos “.Still another group of Filipinos, the Ilonggos will burst,
“If you will not speak Hiligaynon you are not Filipinos”. Then the Waray-Waray
people would say, “If you will not speak the Waray-Waray language you are not
Filipinos”.
How are these same statements of self-declaration and self-proclamation among
other groups of Filipinos to the Tagalog ears? Of course they will hate it and
feel it to be discriminating, irritating, ridiculous, absurd, disgusting and even
weird! You see, you don’t like these self-serving and self-importance statements
of egoistic fancy. We have the same negative reactions. Right?
I repeat, kindly stop propagating this self-seving, self-declaration and self-
proclamation statement with no meat and flesh to count as proof. To those non-
Tagalog Filipinos: do not be deceived by this kind of self-importance and self-
aggrandizement that pampers only the egos of the proclaimers.
We can live in peace and unity despite our diversity of cultures and languages
by respecting and equally treating each other’s languages with equality and
fairness. In deed what does it mean? This means that if you are a Tagalog whose
interest in business is in the Cebuano-speaking regions, you must prepare yourself
by learning Cebuano in your place. Let somebody who knows the language teach you
to speak the language. Read regularly materials written in the Cebuano language.
Listen always to speakers of this particular language. So that when you set foot
in the place you can already speak in their language. A Tagalog-speaking
individual should not get angry if a man he has met in the Visayas or Mindanao
will not answer or talk to him in Tagalog. If somebody would respond to him in
Tagalog, well and good. But if not, just keep your cool. You have no right to get
angry with anybody in a place where the people speak a language different from
yours. If you are an Ilocano or a Bicolano in a group of Cebuanos who speak in
their language during their conversation, avoid interrupting them to stop speaking
in their Mother Tongue. Instead listen to their conversation even if you do not
understand what they are talking about. Respect them and have good manners. If you
are interested in their language ask them to teach you their language. The same
attitude and respect should be adopted by other group of Filipinos towards his
fellow Filipinos who speak in different languages.
What I say here was what I did before I have decided to go to Manila during the
late 1970s. I read Tagalog materials and listen to Tagalog speakers and watch
Tagalog films. At the time I arrived in MetroManila, marunong na akong magsalita
ng Tagalog. You see! You should do what I did. You can do it. Why not?
To other groups of Filipinos like the Ilonggos, the Bicolanos, the Wary-Warays,
the Ilocanos, the Kapangpangan, Cebuanos and others, do what a Tagalog is going to
do if you have plans to conduct your businesses or visit in other parts of the
country as tourists or visitors. You should adopt yourselves to the languages of
the locals by learning and knowing to speak it while you are still in your
respective places. Let someone who knows the language you want to learn teach you.
It would be better also to learn the languages of our respective grandfathers or
grandmothers whatever maybe are their languages. Like me my late mother is from
Southern Leyte while my late father is from Northern Samar.On the other hand, my
late mestiza maternal grandmother (she is half Spaniard and half Ilocano) hails
from Ilocos Norte, while my deceased mestizo maternal grandfather(half Chinese) is
from Maasin,Southern Leyte.
Now, how can we, each group of Filipinos preserve, improve and sustain our
respective Mother Tongues (languages)?
First, speak and write always in your respective languages to your fellow
provincemates.Talk and speak only in either Tagalog or English to other groups of
Filipinos who could not understand your Mother Tongue. Read always some materials
written in your respective tongues, not only Tagalog and English. Even if you
choose to live outside the Philippines in the future, always speak in your mother
tongue to your fellow Filipinos who can understand your language. Never! Never!
Never abandon your own language because it is part of your culture and identity.
If you abandon your language you lose your culture and you have no identity. Can
you live with that? Of course you can acculturate yourself in a country of your
choice, but you should not abandon your inherent language. Pass it on to your
children even if they were born outside the Philippines. This is also important
that they know how to speak the languages of their respective parents
Second, languages that are predominant in different provinces and regions in
the country should be taught as subject in schools, from grade one up to college.
Some may ask: why should we have to have a subject in our own languages? Because
we need to improve our ways of writing and speaking in our respective Mother
Tongues. We also need to refresh our knowledge of our languages. To know more on
its syntax and sentence constructions, correct pronounciation, proper usage,
grammar and other things that we need to know to familiarize and get acquainted
with our respective languages. If the Tagalogs and the English people are studying
their own respective languages as subject in schools, why can’t ours also? The
Tagalogs already know their language but they still study it in school. The
English people already know their language but they still study it in school .If
these people are still studying their languages which they know already, why can’t
we? We must study our respective languages in schools like what the Tagalog and
the English people are doing. This is a must now. We have also the legal basis in
our1987 Constitution to anchor our intense desire to make our respective Mother
Tongues as subjects in schools from grade one up to college in provinces and
regions where it has the jurisdictional dominance. Article XIV, Sec.7 on 1987
Constitution states the teaching of Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education
(MLE).Atty.Manuel Lino Faelnar suggested that the word auxiliary in auxiliary
language as part of the provision in Article XIV, Sec.7 should be erased as part
of its amendment. I’m wondering why our lawmakers used the word “auxiliary” when
what is appropriate and proper word to use should be main language or Mother
Tongue.
For instance, the Binisayang Sinugboanon or simply Cebuano should be taught as
subject in the Cebuano-speaking provinces and regions. In the Ilonggo provinces or
regions, the Hiligaynon language should be taught as subject in schools. The
Waray-Waray should also be taught as subject in Waray-Waray speaking places in
Leyte and Samar.Although there are places in Leyte and Samar whose inhabitants
speak in Cebuanos.In these places, the Cebuano language should be taught as
subject as well. The same also in the Bicol provinces, Ilocano subject in the
Ilocandia regions, Pampango subject in the Kapangpangan provinces, Pangasinan
language in Pangasinan, others If the Tagalog language is being taught as subject
in the elementary up to college in the whole country, why can’t our respective
Mother Tongue also? The inclusion of our respective languages (Mother Tongue) as
subject in the elementary up to college in various places where it has its
palpable dominance should equally be granted. If there’s a need for our respective
Representatives to lobby it in Congress, then they should do it now. Each of them
should enact separate laws for their respective jurisdictions making the
predominant languages be taught as subjects in places of its dominance. The
teaching of the Mother Tongue in its area of dominance should perpetuate from
generations to generations, just like what we have observed with the Tagalog and
English subjects.
 I have the belief and perception that a wide reader and broad-minded President
who is open to ideas, whether he or she is a Tagalog- speaking or not, will
approve this novel idea if he/she knows that such provisions in the teaching of
our respective Mother Tongues have existed in the 1987 Constitution for the great
improvement and the intellectualization of our respective Mother Tongues in this
country of diverse cultures and languages. If in case we would fail, the children
of the members of the Akademiyang Bisaya and the children of these similar
organizations in other regions and provinces of the country who are concern in the
preservation, patronization and intellectualization of our respective languages
should relentlessly continue to pursue this goal until such time that we will
reach our great desire for this purpose. There’s the need also for other
predominant languages in the entire country that I have mentioned here to form and
organize their own respective Academy. Like the Akademiyang Ilocano,Akademiyang
Bicolano,Akademiyang Pampango,Akademiyang Hiligaynon,Akademiyang Waray-Waray and
others with similar function to that of the Akademiyang Bisaya who is in charged
in the monitoring and control, preservation, patronization, improvement,
sustainability and intellectualization of each of our respective languages.
Third, thru the initiative of the members of the Akademiyang Bisaya and the
rest of the other Akademiyas mentioned here, a powerful cable TV music stations
with nationwide coverages should be established in regions or provinces where
various Mother Tongues are predominant. The musical programming in these music TVs
must give more emphasize on playing 60%Cebuano songs(5% only for yagayaga songs of
the new breed of bisrock bands),20% English songs and 20% Tagalog songs. To the
other Akademiyas in other regions of the country they could pattern their musical
programming after the former in terms of percentage in the playing of various
songs. Good that we are playing Tagalog songs in our FM/AM radios in our places in
VisMin area. But the Manila-based music TV never gives a room in playing Cebuano
songs. You can just imagine that.
In these music cable TV stations, like in the common programming of TV
Channels, the Binisayang Sinugboanon must be required as the medium in the inner
circle among its employees in written communication and in speaking. They can also
use the English language in written communication. As we understand, the English
language is no longer a foreign language to the educated Filipinos. It should be
the second language to them. It is a universal language. It is the language use in
global communication, commerce, business transactions, in Medicine, Science, Math
and Technology. It is also the language use in the computer-internet links. Every
educated person in every country worldwide should have English as his/her second
language If the self-proclaimed nationalists who criticize those who speak and use
the English language in their writings still consider it as a foreign language,
they just want to create for themselves an isolation and a vacuum of…and want to
remain in the state of stagnation. But are they? To be frank most of them are just
pretending to be as such but like other Filipinos, they are conscientiously
studying the language they seem to dislike and use it as their medium in
criticizing fellow Filipinos who openly speak and write in the English language.
Some of them are even taking up their Masters Degree in the US and in other
countries. Isn’t it? They are just great pretenders! Besides, to be a true
nationalist is in the heart, regardless of what other language or languages he/she
has learned to speak aside from his/her, and not just on the tip of ones tongue.
Similar implementation of the rules in playing the percentages of songs in the
three languages be also adopted in all FM and AM stations in the Visayas and
Mindanao. Our disc jockeys should promote more of our songs in the VisMin areas-
love songs, ballad, country, folk songs, jazz, rock, others. Let our
airlanes/airwaves be filled with beautiful Cebuano songs. Disc jockeys ought to be
the promoters of our very own songs, by giving more concern in playing Cebuano
songs during the day and not only during the dead of night or as opening music
program at dawn when most of the people are still sleeping.
The three measures that we have discussed here are part of the effective ways
to devotedly patronize, nurture, cherish, improve, love and intellectualize our
respective Mother Tongues in the Philippines. Since these measures are also
applicable with other nations of the world with different languages akin to the
Philippines, each group of people in every country throughout the world should
also do the same approaches.
We hope that our concerned educators, scholars, the academe and our language
experts will apply and implement the aforementioned ways to really achieve our
goal of preserving, improving, sustaining and intellectualizing our respective
Mother Tongues in this archipelagic country. The members of the Akademiyang Bisaya
and other Akademiya organizations in the whole country should tap now their famous
writers, language experts and linguists in their Mother Tongues in writing grammar
books. This is now the right time for grammarians in our respective Mother Tongues
to start writing books on grammars, because writing books of any kind is not easy.
It takes months to finish it.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)