Education in the Philippines

When the Spanish colonized the Philippines, the ilustrados were considered the elite because they were wealthy, highly educated, and mestizo officials of the republic. They were also the people who knew how to speak and write in both Tagalog and Spanish. In the article, The American Indian Education in the Philippines Paulet explains, “The United States wanted to create not an educated elite but an educated populace. Only such a populace could support the governmental and economic system the United States envisioned for the Philippines.” The opening of the public school in Manila took place in 1899. The Americans wanted to unite the Filipinos through education by preparing them for self-government and teaching the English language as a means to communicate with everyone on the Philippine Islands. The United States found similarities between the Indians and Filipinos because they viewed them as being uncivilized and divided for having different races, dialects, and customs. Education was used as a tool to mold Filipinos to think, talk, and act in the American way. In Constantino’s article, The Miseducation of the Filipino, he states, “In 1903, many officers, among them chaplains, were detailed as superintendents of schools, and many enlisted men, as teachers.” The military taught Filipinos the American language, laws, and civilization though American Indian education. Paulet explains that the American Indian education successes and failures were the perfect rubrics to guide the Filipinos. Americans believed it was important for the Filipinos to learn their intentions and understand that they could progress under American direction.

As a result of the United States colonial policy through American Indian education, Filipinos have become divided in social classes and their ideas or opinions are not fully expressed by the people due to the language barrier. According to Constantino, “English has become a status symbol, while the native tongues are looked down upon.” I found this to be true after I talked to Justin and Santi who were students from the University of Ateneo. They had explained that while growing up, people who spoke in Tagalog were looked down upon because it was used by the lower class. The lower class was known to be poor and uneducated. Santi explained that he was born in the Philippines and his first language was English. His parents spoke to him in English and did not bother to teach him Tagalog. When I asked him if he faced any difficulty for not being fluent in Tagalog, he mentioned that he had failed a class that was taught in Tagalog in high school and it lowered his cumulative grade point average. He also said that he blamed himself for being resistant to learning and speaking any Tagalog. I was surprised when I heard this and it made me realize that the United States colonial policy that was implemented over a hundred years ago is still affecting the Filipino minds today. When I lived in South Korea for two years and did not know how to speak in Korean very well, the Korean people looked down on me. The older and traditional Korean people would shake their heads as a sign of shame. Regardless of where I grew up, the traditional Korean people expected me to uphold my Korean language and culture. It was interesting to learn languages have different statuses in various countries. Santi and I have different citizenships, our first language was English, and we both have the desire to learn Tagalog. Santi has made it a goal to be fluent in Tagalog to ensure his children will learn it as their first language.

Constantino had said, “Schools reflect superiority of social status. Today, public schools are looked down upon. Only the poor send their children to these schools. Those who can afford it, send their children to private institutions.”  There is commercialization of education in the private sector and standards were lowered because of the inadequate facilities of the public schools. When the University of Washington students and I took a field trip to Ateneo University (a Jesuit private school which is similar to Seattle University), the first thing I noticed were the nice buildings and classrooms. The campus was environment friendly and the buildings looked new and had nice facilities. It was the complete opposite from the University of the Philippines. The second thing I noticed was the English language being used all over campus. I met a student from Seattle named Lyrah who had informed me that her first language was English and learned Tagalog at the university. Due to the language barrier, she is able to choose the option “T” Tagalog or “E” English when she registers for classes. If she checks off “E”, the language of the course will be taught in English. She also mentioned that students are able to choose whether or not they want to submit their homework in English or in Tagalog. This option is available because Ateneo University is one of the most expensive universities in the Philippines and a majority of students are mestizos and come from wealthy families that are politicians or work in large corporations. These students are similar to the ilustrados because they are the upper-class and know a language (English) that was taught exclusively to those that had an education. Lyrah explained that everyone she had met on campus knew how to speak English. Lyrah informed me that tuition is 120,000 pesos a year which is equivalent to about $2, 820. In public universities, tuition ranges from $500-1,500 per year depending on the student’s financial background. I met another student named Leah, who informed me that she knew both English and Tagalog. Because she is not fluent in Tagalog, she has a difficult time understanding the professor when he or she uses words Leah is not familiar with. Even though a student has the option of choosing a course in English and Tagalog, he or she is faced with a language barrier when the professor mixes both English and Tagalog. With the given information, I was able to distinguish the class differences and the language barriers between the students and teachers.

                   (A class in session at Ateneo University)

                      (A classroom at University of the Philippines)

             (A building at University of Ateneo)

      (A picture with Justin and Hanyeo at Ateneo University)

The politicians today are also not fluent in Tagalog because it is rarely used by the upper-class. Constantino explains, “A clear evidence of the failure of English education is the fact that politicians address the masses in their dialects. Lacking mastery of the dialect, the politicians merely deal in generalities. Because of their lack of command of English, the masses have gotten used to only half-understanding what is said to them in English. They appreciate the sounds without knowing the sense. This is a barrier to democracy.” Because of this language barrier, people are unable to understand everything the politicians address in their speeches. The people who are not familiar with the English language are only voting for these politicians because they can speak English very well. They have a certain mentality when they hear politicians speak in English. The people believe that these politicians are well-educated and therefore capable of running the government. I expressed my concern to Rose, a member of LFS (League of Filipino Students) and asked her why a Tagalog speaking candidate has not run against an English speaking candidate. She explained that there have been Tagalog speaking candidates who ran against English speaking candidates to better represent and communicate with the Filipino people but they did not receive enough votes. Sometimes elections are rigged so that certain politicians remain in power and other times the Tagalog speaking candidates do not have enough money to hold a large campaign to promote themselves to the Filipino people. It is an issue when a large number of the people’s voices are not heard because the politician is not fluent in their native dialect. I was also curious to why most of the population were uneducated. Rose explained that education is free from primary school to secondary school but students need to pay for uniforms, supplies, transportation, and be able to have enough money to print their homework. Constantino stated, “Educators seem to avoid the subject of language which has resulted in the denial of education to a vast number of children who after the primary grades no longer continue schooling.” Not only do students have a language barrier at a very young age, their families do not have enough income to provide them the proper education. I can definitely relate to the people who did not understand English. I remember when I first learned Korean as my second language. It was difficult to learn Korean syntax, grammar, and the proper pronunciation of words. I had to remind myself that the English sentence word order is subject-verb-object (I love you) whereas Korean is subject-object-verb (I you love). There are so many components to learning a language. An example is learning the 6 different styles of Korean speech: Plain, panmal, familiar, semi-formal, polite, and formal style. Although it was difficult to learn Korean, I always had an interest and a sense of pride in learning more about my Korean culture. I cannot imagine being forced to learn a language in educational institutions especially if the Filipino people have no interest in the English language.

Constantino said, “No one is brave enough to advocate the use of our national language as the medium of instruction.” I disagree. After I talked with Professor Jose from the University of the Philippines he explained that instructors are now given the option to instruct classes in English or Tagalog at the University of the Philippines. He explained that English is mostly used in math and science classes. Tagalog is used to teach Philippine history, culture, and language. The instructors at the Ateneno University also have the option to teach in either English or Tagalog. As time progresses, efforts are being made to make Tagalog a medium of instruction.

Constantino also states, “The proliferation of private schools and the simultaneous deterioration of public schools have resulted not only in lower standards but also in a definitely “un-Filipino education.” Public schools may have resulted in lower standards in regards to building and classroom facilities but both the University of the Philippines and University of Ateneo offer Tagalog language classes and Philippine History (Commonwealth of the Philippines, pre-colonial, post-colonial etc.). Hanyeo, a student from the Ateneo University informed me that graduation requirements of four semesters of Tagalog language and Philippine history show that nationalism is being taught in Philippine education. Tagalog language classes also include Filipino cultural studies (food, clothing, customs etc.). She also explained that students majoring in development studies focus on nationalism and nationalistic ideas. Hanyeo also said every year it is mandatory for students to participate in a social analysis session and take part in community work. Issues and possible solutions are brought up during the social analysis sessions to better the lives in the Philippines. Constantino mentioned, “Philippine history books have portrayed America as a benevolent nation which came here to save us from Spain and to spread amongst us the boons of liberty and democratic.” When I asked Lyrah if Ateneo University history books portrayed this, she said that her history teachers did not use textbooks. She explained that Filipino history is truly taught through the minds of the Filipino people at this university. America is not viewed as a benevolent nation, instead as a country that believes they are superior to the inferior Philippines. History professors emphasize that the Americans colo nized the Philippines for expansion, economic and trade purposes.

(Banners of Jose Rizal – Filipino national hero at the Ateneo University are displayed as a symbol of nationalism)

Enrolling in an Arnis class for one semester is also a physical education requirement. On December 11, 2009, Republic Act no. 9850 declared Arnis as the national martial art and sport of the Philippines. I was informed by one of our Arnis instructors that in 2010, the state made Arnis a requirement to conduct Arnis in both high schools and universities in the Philippines. Arnis training includes both single and double stick techniques which are used for self-defense. Arnis fosters both patriotism, nationalism, and promotes liberation and development. The University of Washington students and faculty were given the opportunity to take three Arnis classes and participate in an Arnis competition with Taguig University students. We were taught by Arnis instructors who were also policemen. Together we learned the 5 blocks, 7 strikes, 12 strikes, and 21 strikes with a single stick. Although it was very difficult to master all the techniques in three days, everyone had a positive attitude and some of us were able to walk away with wins. The bruises on my arms and legs continue to remind me of all the sweat and hard work I put into Arnis. ;) Learning Arnis was challenging but it truly instilled Filipino pride.

                                            (Arnis instructors)

                   (Arnis duel with my roommate)

Nationalistic ideas are also being portrayed in the University of the Philippines through student activist organizations such as Anakbayan. The University of Washington students and I attended a session with LFS students and learned an anti-imperialist perspective on Philippine history, society, and revolution. This organization takes an active role in organizing and educating youth by raising political consciousness through discussions. Anakbayan have been on a continuous struggle for genuine democracy. Not only does Anakbayan address issues in discussions, they act upon their goals of improving conditions in the Philippines and building an anti-imperialist unity among the Filipino people. Anakbayan protested during the 2011 SONA (State of Nation Address) by President Begnigno Aquino to establish their presence and let their voices be heard by the people and media. Anakbayan have also made efforts in presenting a solution to free the oppressed through a national democratic revolution that asserts national sovereignty against United States imperialism and aims to uphold the majority’s democratic interest. There are several other activist organizations that are present at the University of the Philipines: League of Filipino Students, Alay Sining, Center for Nationalist Studies, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines, and Student Alliance for the advancement of Democratic rights in UP. After talking to students, faculty, and members of the community, I firmly believe Philippine educational institutions have made necessary changes to instill nationalism and nationalistic ideas in the minds of the Filipinos today. I truly hope educators and student organizations will continue to emphasize Philippine nationalism and unity to benefit the citizens of the Philippines.

(A picture with Anakbayan – University of Philippines and League of Filipino Students – San Francisco, CA)

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

If you were an educator in the Philippines, how will you emphasize nationalism or nationalistic ideas in educational institutions?