Noel

 Francis  T.  Galinato  

EN10E26  

Filipino   students,   as   soon   as   they   finish   getting   a   college   degree,   clamor   for   a  

job  abroad.  Whether  the  job  offered  is  far  from  the  degree  they  got  in  college,  they’d  

still  want  to  get  the  job.  Take  for  example  the  early  2000’s  Nursing  Hype.  It  forced  

different  Filipinos  to  take  Nursing  as  a  college  degree  in  order  to  work  abroad.  Many  

Filipino   doctors   even   took   a   course   in   nursing   just   to   work   outside   the   country.  

Other   Filipinos   of   different   professions   also   took   a   course   in   caregiving   just   to   work  

abroad.  Which  brings  up  the  question  on  the  Philippine  Educational  System.  Is  the  

Philippine   Educational   System   a   failure   to   the   Philippines?   Why   is   the   Philippine  

Educational   System   unable   to   produce   nationalistic   students   who   are   willing   to  

work  for  the  country?    

The   question   on   Philippine   Education   has   been   raised   by   a   lot   of   people   over  

the  decade.  Different  reforms  on  the  system  have  been  implemented  with  the  hope  

to   produce   a   better   batch   of   students.   Classes   start   as   early   as   7:30   am   and   end  

mostly   at   5:00   pm.   Students   take   seven   to   eight   classes   a   day   with   only   a   15-­‐minute  

recess   and   hour’s   worth   of   lunch.     There   are   science   high   schools   whose   students  

are   taught   and   trained   to   become   the   country’s   next   scientists.   There   are   various  

inter-­‐school   competitions   to   hone   students’   skills   in   different   fields   of   study.   And  

there  are  different  other  education  programs  implemented  by  the  government  that  

aimed  to  develop  the  country’s  student  body.  Yet,  despite  all  these,  the  structure  of  

the  Philippine  Educational  System  is  unable  to  produce  nationalistic  students.  This  

is  highly  because  of  the  different  factors  that  shape  it.  

 When  the  Americans  colonized  the  Philippines,  they  implemented  the  public  

school  system.  Though  it  was  one  of  their  most  significant  contributions,  it  was  the  

Americans   who   designed   the   system.   The   Americans,   being   colonizers,   designed   the  

Philippine   Education   in   a   way   that   Filipinos   would   be   molded   into   Americans   –  

Filipinos   physically   yet   Americans   psychologically.1   English   was   imposed   and   the  

use   of   vernaculars   were   prohibited   in   school,   textbooks   used   were   written   by  

Americans  for  Americans,  and  students  were  made  to  memorize  literary  pieces  from  

notable   Americans   like   the   Gettysburg   Address   by   Lincoln.2   This   resulted   into  

having   students   admire   American   works   and   achievements.   With   this   type   of  

education,  Filipinos  became  more  of  Americans  and  not  Filipino.    

Currently,   the   Philippine   Educational   System   has   not   changed   significantly.  

English   is   still   used   as   a   medium   of   instruction   for   subjects   except   Araling  

Panlipunan  (Social  Studies)  and  Filipino.  The  use  of  vernacular  is  highly  discouraged  

in  elementary  schools  and  the  appreciation  of  the  English  language  is  taught  in  two  

subjects  –  Reading  and  English.    

Compared   to   the   encouragement   of   the   use   of   the   English   language   to  

children,   the   encouragement   of   the   use   of   the   Filipino   language   seems   oblivious.  

Despite  being  used  as  a  medium  of  instruction,  English,  in  the  elementary,  is  taught  

in   two   subjects,   namely,   English   and   Reading.   The   English   subject   is   used   to   teach  

children   about   grammar.   Students   are   taught   sentence   construction,   vocabulary,  

pronunciation  and  essay  writing.  While  the  Reading  subject  is  used  to  teach  children  

about  English  literary  works.  Children  are  tasked  to  memorize  English  poems  such  

as  The  Three  Little  Kittens  and  Invictus.  Whereas  for  the  Filipino  language,  it  is  only  
taught   in   one   subject   and   only   used   as   a   medium   of   instruction   in   Araling  

Panlipunan   and   Filipino.   Unlike   English   and   Reading,   which   have   specific   skills   to  

teach   students,   Filipino   is   used   both   for   teaching   grammar   and   literature.   At   the  

same   time,   Araling   Panlipunan   is   the   only   other   subject   that   uses   Filipino   as   a  

medium   of   instruction.   The   subject   Araling   Panlipunan   is   highly   resented   by  

students   because   of   its   approach   in   teaching   social   sciences.   Students   as   young   as  

seven   and   eight   years   old   are   tasked   to   memorize   their   rights   and   privileges.  

Students  are  also  required  to  memorize  the  different  regions  of  the  Philippines  and  

their  respective  provinces,  regional  capitals,  festivals,  landmarks,  and  products  and  

goods.   This   gives   the   children   and   students   the   impression   that   Filipino   is   hard   to  

learn.  Many  consider  it  “jologs”  or  inferior,  and  children  think  that  if  you  speak  more  

Filipino   compared   to   English,   you’ll   end   up   unsuccessful   and   poor.   This   leads   into  

conclusion  that  the  country’s  pro-­‐English  education  has  resulted  into  the  Filipino’s  

high   disregard   for   the   Filipino   language,   culture   and   heritage,   and   the   Philippines  

itself.   This,   once   more,   resulted   to   another   deplorable   truth   –   our   country’s  

backwardness.  

Nationalism   has   been,   is,   and   will   always   be   key   to   an   economically  

prosperous   nation.   The   Philippines,   with   the   lack   of   nationalism,   is   struggling   to  

achieve  economic  prosperity.  With  its  significantly  high  statistics  on  Brain  Drain,  it  

is   obvious   that   the   Philippines   is   a   country   of   hardworking   yet   unnationalistic  

citizens  and  that  it  is  a  country  pinned  to  economic  stagnation  and  backwardness.  If  

Engineers,   Scientists   and   other   pioneers   for   technological   and   scientific  

advancement   utilized   their   knowledge   and   skills   within   the   country,   the   Philippines  
would   have   been   enjoying   an   economically   prosperous   state   with   an   established  

Research  and  Development  industry.    

The  Philippines  national  hero,  Dr.  Jose  Rizal,  was  famous  for  the  quote  “Ang  

kabataan   ang   pag-­‐asa   ng   bayan,”   which   means   that   the   hope   of   the   country   rests  

upon   the   youth.   It   is   the   youth’s   minds   that   have   been   brain   washed   by   the   non-­‐

Filipino   ideals   of   the   Philippine   Educational   System.   It   is   the   youth   that   is   said   to   be  

the  country’s  hope.  It  is  the  youth  that’s  supposed  to  make  the  change.  But  with  the  

country’s   current   educational   system,   the   Philippines   is   placed   in   a   hopeless  

situation.  The  only  means  of  escaping  from  this  predicament  is  for  the  country  to  fix  

the  root  cause  of  the  problem,  it’s  education.    

   

Sources:    

1.  Capili,  Macario.  Why   Filipinos   are   not   Patriotic   People.   Blogspot.com,  7  Mar.  2007.  

Web.  4  Oct.  2012.    

2.   Isidro,   Antonio   Ph.D.   The   Philippine   Nationalism   and   the   Schools.   Manila:    

Philippine  Council  Institute  of  Pacific  Relations,  1950.  Print.