P is for Perspicacious Part II

You should really read the first part before you delve into this one. P is for Perspicacious Part I. But if time isn't on your side then I guess you can skip over straight to the sequel. However, I must warn you the impact won't be the same. But I digress...


The foundation for the educational system in the Philippines after American occupation was not to help expand the intellect of the Filipino but rather to pacify him/her so they could become good colonials following the lead from America. 

General Macarthur is quoted as saying, "This appropriation is recommended primarily and exclusively as an adjunct to military operations calculated to pacify the people and to procure and expedite the restoration of tranquillity throughout the archipelago." (Constantino, Miseducation of the Filipino, 178pg).

This was a strategic execution on behave of the Americans to help subdue the Filipino masses during the time of war. Give them what they desired most, the chance for an education (mind you under the colonial rule of Spain, education was exclusively reserved for the wealthy elites). 

Only catch is that instead of an education system formed around expanding the mind of the Filipino academically and helping him/her to become a good citizen of the country, it was used as a method to pacify the people returning to a state of exploited captivity. 

Being taught the American way of life and expecting absolute compliance to a people that thought differently, lived differently, loved differently, raised families differently and ate differently was wrong to do. That's not right. They have their own culture innate to them that should be honored just as much. 

The echos of civilizing the savages rang throughout the States. White Man's burden strikes again, more people like Indians with their own way of life that doesn't resemble ours. Welp. Only way to save them from eternal damnation is to teach them to be like us. Because we know what to do. They don't.  

This resulted in having the Filipinos educated in a way that was foreign to their natural way of life. 

As time goes on this natural way of life gets diluted, altered in form. It's a slight detail but rather noticeable. The pride in ones natural state, within one's own country slowly evaporates from the hands that clutch on to it desperately. Slowly but surely amnesia sets in. An integral piece of the Filipino culture loses it's luster. National pride is replaced with international acknowledgment of the colonizer. A dependency develops. A false inferiority complex is once again presented. First it was Spain and now America. "Where is the personal sovereignty for the Filipino!" shouts the dissenting masses, holding on to the courageous belief of self-governance as being guaranteed to all people regardless of race, ethnicity, or culture. 

Fast forward to the present. 

And we're dealing with a slew of problems that plague the motherland. Dependency on foreign economies. Corruption. Third world poverty. 

My observations have led me to believe there is a connection between education of the people and the current condition that the country is in. 

In The Miseducation of the FIlipino, Constantino argues that a change in the education system can bring forth a nationalism that can help bring the Philippines out of its current state. 

If you were to ask me there's a distortion here. The message sub-consciously being conveyed is don't trust your heart or your instincts for that matter. They will betray you. Follow these rules. This way of life. Don't think like that, think like this! The confidence in deciding one's own fate begins to erode. Empowerment is gone. Lost is the essence that creates realities. 

I can relate. 

Prior to returning to school, I was a full-time resident of Lakewood, Washington. My mindset was completely different. I lived in a world where the emphasis was inebriation, debauchery, and figuring out who was coming through to kick it. Maybe a few of us went to community college but for the most part we were in our early 20's working 9 to 5's. Some of us raising kids of our own. Once our paycheck came, we jumped off and threw parties. We were young people growing up with limited guidance. So we made the best of it and trekked our own course, in hopes that it was in the right direction. 

During this time my perception of myself left me insecure.  I didn't believe in who I was. I concluded I would be destined to suffer limitations that would bring about a lifetime of unhappiness and disempowerment. I was the victim. Life had victimized me. I reacted with a facade of confidence, attempting to masked the uncertainty underneath. I found that by ignoring these fundamental beliefs that rendered me in a pitiful state, I could painfully trudge along with my life, killing my soul slowly by numbing my body through instant gratification and 24oz Coors Light cans. In my little world this was tough times. 50 cents above minimum wage, stuck in the system. College dropout. Worrying about rent. Giving my mom half of my paycheck. Depending on my dad. And all the while praying to become the best rapper in the world.   **God save me from this life I'm living… 

I was lost. Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

And as I look back upon it now, I can see that by not believing in myself, my life manifested an impoverished state that was rare with joyous moments. I couldn't allow myself to enjoy myself. I was suppose to lose. That's how it was and that's how it would be. 

But something inside of me wouldn't quit. It refused to believe in the notion that I was inferior in accomplishing what my heart desired. 

After a painstakingly long process that lasted over four years of my adult life, I came to the realization that if I continue to focus on the limitations,  my reality will reflect that mindset. However, if I change how I thought, I can change what I see. The concept is easy to digest but developing the awareness to accept this belief is a discipline requiring a daily commitment. 

The conclusion I have arrived to, is that if I continue along with a belief of empowerment and devotional love for one's self, I can prevent from creating the circumstances and emotions intertwined in limitation-- a reality I frequently encountered in my past. 

If you were to ask me, that could be a possible first step to a solution resolving the Filipinos psychological plight in this day and age.  

John Eklof