THE MISEDUCATION OF FILIPINO According to Prof.

Renato Constantino, Education is a vital weapon of a people striving for economic emancipation, political independence and cultural renaissance. We are such a people. Philippine education therefore must produce Filipinos who are aware of their countrys problems, who understand the basic solution to these problems, and who care enough to have courage to work and sacrifice for their countrys salvation. NATIONALISM IN EDUCATION To have nationalism, Filipino must understand their Filipino culture on discipline, to have a unity in pursuing well-organized educational leaders that nationalism is important in education. Filipino must practice etiquette in education to pursue a goal. NEW PERSPECTIVE The relation of America and Philippines to improve the nationalism and to complete the agenda of our revolutionary leaders the perspective of education is to brighten the educational system and

philosophy which was first introduced by the American. CAPTURING MINDS Education is very important in our life. It will be a weapon to fight in every trial we are facing. To win something, you must strive for it. The most effective way to conquer a person is to capture their minds. Despite the terroristic way of Japanese, the Filipino was never conquered. Because of being hatred of Filipino to Japanese, Filipinos minds were so eager to let the Japanese leave our country. BEGINNINGS OF COLONIAL EDUCATION Not all who colonized our country gives us hardship or disadvantages among us. There are also advantages. Because of them we learn how to be strong, the development of our literature slowly developing. Every colony, we adopt new things. Without them we were not who we are now. THE AMERICAN VICEGOVERNOR During the American regime, the American Soldiers acted as a teacher in school. Americans influence our English vocabulary. the reason why we were fluent in

English language was that American taught us how to use it properly. They imposed English as the medium of instruction that until now we used it. GOALS OF AMERICAN EDUCATION Americans way of educating Filipino was a great blessing for Filipino. Not only to save Filipino from being illiterate and ignorant, they trained Filipino as citizens of American colony. We all know how progressive America is. America saved us from Spanish and Japanese. They taught us how to gain our independence. AN UPROOTED RACE Uproot means to force to leave an accustomed. An uprooted race means that we already leave our own race. Because of the use of English as a medium of instruction during American colony, we have already forgotten our own language. We had already forgotten our own culture. We became foreigner in our own country. ECONOMIC ATTITUDES Not only ion education our colonizer influenced us. But also in our economic life. As a colony, our

colonizers control our economic life. Even if other country is not good for industrialization, for agricultural only, still the Americans introduced to us tolls on how to become industrialized. Not only American but also Japanese. They taught us how to use these tools. Without them, we will not become an industrialized country. They showed us that our country is not only for agricultural purpose but also for industry. TRANSLANTATION OF POLITICAL INSTITUTION One advantages of America in our country is our political way of life. After we gained our freedom from Spaniards, America helped us to become a free democracy. We have been made to believe in certain political doctrines as absolute and the same for all people. RE-EXAMINATION DEMANDED To become well-educated Filipino, we must re-examine who we are before and who we are now. Educational goals should be the same whenever and everywhere.

ADOPTION OF WESTERN VALUES We all know that America is a progressive nation. as a colony of America, we adopt some of their characteristics and values and their education. Even if American education understandably lays little emphasis on the kind of nationalism we Filipinos need. Instead, it stresses internationalism and underplays nationalism. But we must not forget that we are a Filipino nation. UnFILIPINO FILIPINOS One bad characteristic of Filipinos are being UnFilipino. We were so proud when foreigners call our country a paradise on earth, but in reality there were some Filipinos experiencing hell in their life. We dont even think that our countrymen were suffering from poverty. There is no nationalism I n our hearts if we dont think our countrymen first. Like today there are so many Filipino loves to buy things which were stateside rather than made in the Philippines. There are also Filipinos who go to abroad. THE LANGUAGE PROBLEM Language problem is one of the most vital problems in Philippine education. We believe that English

as a medium of instruction is the best way to learn. In this way, we dont even think that we are Filipino. Our government must saw that our native language is important to us. Because we understand each other with our own language. Like Japan, we all know that they were a developing country. They used their own language in instruction. There are also Filipinos who loved to speak foreign language when somebody praises them. BARRIER TO DEMOCRACY Language barrier is one barrier to democracy. Using English as a medium of instruction is not that bad for Filipino. English was the language of democracy. We must learn how to speak and understand English. So that if we were going to other country, we were not going to look ignorant. Even if you dont know their language, you can communicate them with English. Because English is a worldwide language. So English language is also important to our life. But we must not forget that we are a Filipino. IMPEDIMENTS TO THOUGHT

An impediment means hindrances. A foreign language is a hindrance to instruction. Language is a tool of thinking process. Through language, thoughts develop. We must first study our own native language before foreign language. Because if we use foreign language as a medium of instruction, students have to master new sounds, new inflections, and new sentence construction. In this way, the student cant express his/her feelings and lack of expression will lead to prevention of further development of thought. We must learn to use our own before others. THE PRIVATE SECTOR As a graduate of private school in my high school life, I could say that not all students of private school were come from rich family. Because there were some scholars offered for deserving students and there were foreigners who sponsor the studies of deserving indigent people. OTHER EDUCATIONAL MEDIA Other educational media was being influenced by the Western cultural materials which slowly diminished the Filipino culture in educational

media. Even though some of our sectors in the field of education is striving to improve our educational media but there still a big relation effect in our culture when American colonized our country. NEEDED: FILIPINOS The education of Filipino must know that we should possess a nationalism of Filipino culture in teaching so that we can attain a better principle and vision in the field of education. Let us also remember that our hero die for the freedom not only in physical and emotional aspect but also in psychological aspect to free us from mind colonization. Education not only productive men and women just to imply the Western culture but to imply our own Filipino culture. The culture that will guide us in total freedom. We must remove the mark of different country that colonized our nation and our culture. We must think of ourselves of our own freedom, of our own principle, of our own future for the salvation of our culture. REFLECTION: This essay really touches my mind. This essay pointed out that we must be nationalistic in education. Not

only for education, but as well as in our country. We must learn how to use our native language properly. Before we move out to foreign culture, we must learn our own culture first. at present, these essay is still applicable. Because there are instances in the essay that was still happening at present. Like there are Filipinos who went abroad to study. There are Filipinos who were really proud when they speak English rather than their native language that lead to the miseducation of Filipino.
In the 1960s, the nationalist diplomat-historian Renato Constantino pamphlet The Miseducation of The Filipino started to become popular. The pamphlet exposed the Philippines subscription to American-imposed Western thinking which he blamed for the countrys lack of economic initiative which in turn perpetuated its poverty despite being bestowed with bountiful natural resources. Decades hence, the Filipinos miseducation continues. The countrys elite and middle class use English a language not really spoken by the masses in newspapers, journal articles, speeches

etc. Most of them stupidly support the hegemony of English as the main medium of instruction in schools. Recently, most of them also sang hosannahs to the Aquino regimes K to 12 scheme which aims to convert the country into a source of Englishspeaking, highly-Westernized, and at the same time politically moronic and thus docile cheap semi-skilled laborers and professionals. Theres no attempt to develop a nationalist education system which will build the foundations of a progressively selfreliant economy. The countrys doomed as usual.

care enough to preserve our culture and tradition? I agree with Renato Constantino's statement in which I would quote "Education is a vital weapon of people striving for economic emancipation, political independence and cultural renascence." One must be aware of the country's problems, understand the solution and be caring and courageous enough to work and sacrifice for our country's salvation. We Filipinos must work hand in hand to achieve one goal. In my opinion, many Pinoys want the Philippines to be an American state because for them, lying in independence could mean poverty. Hopeless and grim as it may seem. For me, it's not just the government and the system that has problem here, it's the people and their manners plus attitude. It is also said that the most effective way of subjugating people is to capture their minds. In doing so, we are tricked into doing or being someone we are unlikely to be and some of our beliefs and stand can

According to the article, it seems that foreigners, especially the Americans influence us in a lot of different ways. They influence us in terms of speech, sense of style and clothing, food we eat, the movies we watch and even how we think and decide. And for that, I can say that our minds are somewhat manipulated by the Western culture and thus, we think and act as if we were like them. Where is the modern day Crisostomo Ibarra and Maria Clara who took their stand for the traditional way of living? Where are the people who

be swayed by such illusions of freedom to express. As long as feelings of resistance remain in the hearts of the vanquished, no conqueror is secure and as long as we are strong and sure of ourselves, we can avoid being swayed by others. The Filipinos mentality sometimes just escapes me. Many are bias and many are just plain jealous of the fact that Filipinos can be smart too. A lot can't still accept that fact. On the other hand, there are several weak beings that move beside the "authorized" person holding the power against them or what we call "puppets". The American culture has been a part of the Filipino's lives. But despite of that I believe that we must preserve our resources and Filipino values to an extent. The fact still remains that these people are in a conquered nation whose national life had to be woven into the pattern of American dominance. The drawback is that we still rely on first world countries such as the United States for support financially and

economically. Absurd as it may sound but the truth remains that we are poor and we need them to survive. A classic example would be us students most especially those taking up Nursing. We are struggling hard to finish this course because of its demands abroad. Many are aiming to seek for better job opportunities abroad. I would be lying if I say that I am taking up Nursing because I want to serve my country, but who doesn't want a brighter future? Now where's my sense of nationalism? I say I'm just being practical. It's much better to accept the fact that we, Filipinos are diverse in culture and language as well as our way of thinking because we have been influenced by so many cultures internally and externally. It is true that education will bring emancipation and the right education will broaden our perspective and hopefully, appreciate and capitalize on the diversity to propel us forward. My Reaction top Prof. Renato Constantino's Book

I totally agree with this. Education must both be seen not as an acquisition of information but as the making of man so that he may function most effectively and usefully within his own society. I also agree with Prof. Constantinos position that Education should not be mere memorization of information just to pass tests. It is good to note, though, that Philippines is not the only country doing this. Japans education system is also geared towards passing examinations so that students can go to prestigious schools, colleges and universities. The next statement, education must be relevant to the Filipino and to his country. Education must empower him and teach him to discover what he can do for his own progress and the progress of his countrymen is absolutely right in the context of what should really happen in the countrys education system. I think that the new government is trying to correct some problems of our educational system. Philippines is one of the few countries that are not adopting the K-12 education system. Personally, I was shocked when I

first taught outside the country. Our countrymen should make some rightful sacrifices to correct the system. We need to catch up with international standards. The next statement of Prof. Constantino reads and I quote, Experience has shown that children who are taught in their native tongue learn more easily and better than those taught in English. This is correct when we look at our regional and national situation. Our educational administrators and policy makers should make our education in the lower years easy to understand while building our capacity as a nation to meet the demands of globalization. There is also a need to emphasize the study, use and mastery of the English language. I agree that we need to use our native language to understand things better and faster. But we should also put more emphasis on our capacity to excel in the lingua franca of the world in this age of globalization. The world is becoming one in terms of its capacity to communicate to each other due to the advancement of technology.

Let us not diminish our natural ability to speak and write English fluently by over-emphasizing Tagalog as our national language. Any Filipino who speaks a different dialect than Tagalog can argue this easily. Those of us who have lived overseas easily understand how important is English in our life outside the Philippines. We are hired and we are able to teach outside the Philippines not just because of our good work ethic but also because of our Englishspeaking ability. If Prof. Constantino believes that learning is easier and better when ones native language is used, I would say why not use Cebuano to teach Cebuano speaking people? Tagalog is my national language. Tagalog is not my native language, it is Cebuano. This reasoning can be applied to all the other nonnative Tagalog speakers in the country. Teach core subjects in ones native language (Bicolano, Ilocano, etc.) and we will see what happen. . .