Do you realize the importance of English in the world today?

Filipino people love their country, love their culture and take pride in their language. This is not to say that even if the English language is used in Philippine schools, we have already disrespected and have ignored our national language.

A minority faction is continuing to fight for the use of our native language in schools. They are blocking the implementation of Executive Order 210 (series 2003) which is "Establishing the Policy to Strengthen English as a Second Language in the Educational System." They claim that the EO allegedly deceives the public in its content and that it is more directed toward establishing the English language as the primary language and not as a secondary language to be used as a medium in schools. Then, they say that the EO contradicts our Constitution. So what do they really want? Do they have intentions of helping our country progress or do they want us to continue being primitive and backward.

Don’t they realize that we already have an edge over other Asian nations and the rest of the world in speaking the English language? In fact, even if India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates, etc. speak English, they carry a strong accent which makes it difficult for people to follow. So, the way Filipinos speak English is better understood and this is why many international companies prefer to hire Filipinos. Why do you think we have so many OFWs around the world? Yes, even the Filipinos who live far in the bundoks land a job abroad. Now don’t tell us that English in the Philippines belongs only to a small population and that those from the provinces do not use it.

Do you realize that many of the textbooks used in public and private schools are donated from abroad? They are all written in English. In fact, the books or textbooks written in English are the ones used in the schools and public libraries. They are professionally written, meeting international standards and are far off better than the ones made locally. For your information, the books used in the provinces and hard to reach areas are the ones donated by foreigners. Even books published in the 1960s written in English are still welcomed by our local folks. I should know, schools are close to my heart — both public and private. I have visited private and public schools around the country — Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao even those in far to reach areas. They all have more books written in English than in their native dialects (of which they have almost none existing at all) or in Filipino. So, do your research before objecting to something that can make or break our country.

When the Aquino Government imposed the use of the Filipino language or the regional languages in schools (circa 1988), our literacy rate tremendously dropped. I think their intent was to strengthen national pride — little did they know that patriotism or love for country was very strong in the hearts of the Filipinos during that time. As a result, the program to implement the use of the national language confused the schools as to how this was going to be achieved with the very little materials on hand. School heads, teachers and students were like headless chickens following something which had such weak foundations and preparations especially since the teachers have not mastered Filipino in its real or purest form. So, Taglish evolved. Thus, the birth a new informal language. It is only now that we are starting to recover because many are now conscious of the importance and the advantages of the English language. Many schools, public or private alike have realized that English is the only way to move forward.

The British Council says "English is the main language of books, newspapers, airports and air-traffic control, international business and academic conferences, science, technology, diplomacy, sport, international competitions, pop music and advertising. Over two-thirds of the world’s scientists read in English. Three quarters of the world’s mail is written in English. Eighty percent of the world’s electronically stored information is in English. Of the estimated forty million users of the Internet, some eighty percent communicate in English, but this is expected to decrease to forty percent as speakers of other languages get online."

In 1919, US President Woodrow Wilson had the Treaty of Versailles (which ended the First World War between Germany and the Allies) written in English as well as French. Since then, English has taken root in diplomacy and gradually in economic relations and the media. The language now seems set to have a monopoly as the worldwide medium of communication.

Today, economic globalization is going hand in hand with the growing use of English. People are being encouraged to use or send messages in English rather than in their own language. Many do not mind. They see this as part of the unavoidable trend towards worldwide uniformity and a means whereby a growing number of people can communicate directly with each other.

As Roland J. Breton, a geolinguist from the University of Paris states: "The spread of English may be seen as a positive development which saves resources and makes cultural exchange easier. After all, it might be said, the advance of English is not aimed at killing off local languages but is simply a means of reaching a wider audience... A person makes a mark through his or her ability to use the most useful language or languages. And over several generations, the most useful language eliminates the others."

Our country is already in a chaotic situation – from the problem of illiteracy, unemployment, the spoils of public office, bureaucracy, political or extrajudicial killings, corruption to the coming May 14 elections — let us not confuse it all the more. Instead, we must put all our energies on the more practical solutions in order to see a brighter future for our nation. Do not forget that the country’s growing prosperity and commercial aggressiveness are due to the extended use of the English language by our countrymen.