I am not one to promote the language of the Foriegn invaders, however we must choose between translating ALL AND EVERY piece of text/software in the Philippines to Pilipino or totally replace Pilipino with English(to western standards) in the country.. In China for example, they translate every piece of computer software/hardare and documentation to Mandarin Chinese so the popultion does not have to learn English.

India on the other hand is having trouble in this area despite its growing tech industry, and despite English being the 2nd language because the general population is not very fluent in English. Problem is,Â*EVERYTHING of relevance is already printed in English. What happens is that the non-english speakers become the have-nots and cannot find good jobs(sound familiar?) while the English speakers are able to get into Law, medicine, become an engineer, an attorney, a computer programmer, a diplomat, even a teacher because English is the main language of textbooks, science and technology used in Philippine schools and Universities. So we need to either translate everything into english, including our government documentation, imported computer software, hardware, history text etc.. etc.. OR give English an even greater role in Filipino society ie. removing Tagolog.. and believe me, i hate saying this but it looks like it may be the best solution outside of begging the United States for statehood. I am as nationalistic, idealistic as few are but the current system is not working. I would prefer to translate every single, and i mean everything.. to Pilipino(or Cebuano), but admittedly realize that is a daunting task to take on.

Here is an article on the very subject..


WHAT should be the language of instruction in school -- English or Filipino?
By Iluminado Varela Jr.


Congress, which is mandated by the Constitution to decide the issue, remains silent about this.

The Philippine Constitution provides that, "Subject to provisions of law and as the Congress may deem appropriate, the government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system."

Since 1988, when Congress was restored, no enabling law has been enacted. Until Congress speaks, one can only guess if it is English or the national language for schools and official communication.

Meanwhile, Pilipino became the medium of instruction in schools in all levels without efforts to truly develop Pilipino as an efficient medium of instruction. Thus, the off-and-on debate whether it is English or Pilipino goes on.

In the last three decades or so, English proficiency in the Philippines declined. Inaction in Congress has partly been blamed.

Shortly after her election, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared her new language policy hoping to reverse the decline of English proficiency among Filipino graduates.

"Until Congress enacts a law mandating Filipino as the language of instruction, I am directing the Department of Education to return English as the primary medium of instruction, provided some subjects will still be taught in Filipino," she declares during her keynote speech at the Far Eastern University's anniversary rites.

The President's initiative was well-received by Filipinos. English, which was first taught more than a hundred years ago in the country, has given Filipinos a decided advantage over other non-English speaking peoples in commerce, business, overseas job opportunities, and other activities.

But President Arroyo's directive to the Education department is only a temporary answer. Debates will continue until Congress gives its decision to fashion out a long-term language policy.

Meanwhile, the reasons to put back English in its prominent place in the educational system continue to grow. Consider these:

A Filipino cannot be a lawyer, a doctor, an engineer, an agriculturist, diplomat -- or even a teacher -- without learning English or using it in school because English is the main language of textbooks, science and technology used in Philippine schools and universities.

For the Filipinos, English means money. For example, the number of call center jobs prove this.

Conversely, Filipinos are losing out in overseas maritime jobs because former English non-speaking foreigners (Taiwanese, Koreans, etc) have learned English to qualify as seamen.

There are now an estimated 12,000 South Koreans who come to the Philippines to learn English since its cheaper here than in, for example, the United Kingdom, where around 700,000 people go to learn English, spending as much as one billion British pound.

English enjoys official or special status in at least 75 countries with a total population of over two billion.

About 80 percent of the world's electronically stored information is in English.

http://www.journal.com.ph/news.asp?p...y=18&year=2005