Still delayed.

I read back the now defunct Soriano’s post in some website. You might say I never got over it, and you’re right—I NEVER GOT OVER IT. haha :)

Reading closely, I realized what he’s actually trying to say. I felt so shallow and judgmental after posting my initial reaction to what I have learned and upon critical examination did I realize where I was wrong.

He was not trying to bash the Filipino society. He’s actually bringing up those wrong impressions that most Filipinos have for their own mother country.

When he shared his appreciation for learning the English language, as it was after all, the language for the privileged, and when he called Filipino as the language for the unlearned and the commoner, he meant how Filipinos brought that demise to its own national language. We chose to perceive our national language as the most common means of communication. We chose to still use English in learning and place Filipino only as a secondary topic or lesson for learning as part of our University-approved syllabus. We experimented with our language by means of coining words of no significance nor essence. We chose to believe that if we learn and practice English, this will be our main key to succeed.

Basically, we never believed in the potential of our own language. And although we use it regularly, this only proved it’s not that special.

In one of my musings, I even compared his post to some of Rizal’s sentiments on his novels. Our national hero was almost excommunicated (or was he actually? don’t remember haha) for revealing pretentious Christian practices of our church during his time. Consequently, people of his era were disgusted with his revelations, accused him of blasphemy and slander when he’s actually trying to make people realize the contradictions of reality with pure intentions of our religion. But look at Rizal’s novels now, they are the epitome of patriotism and nationalism and even the symbol of our unity.

I was wrong to prejudge what Soriano has said. My recent realizations may not actually be the same with what he tries to impart but I know that somehow, his writing serves a greater purpose than what I though to be his shallow perspective about the Filipino society.

I guess I was not really learned enough, to see through where he’s actually coming from and to understand his viewpoint. But this serves to me as a lesson as well, that with my mistakes and false judgment, I am able to comprehend and criticize, that I should not hastily jump into one conclusion without keen examination.

I believe that our education comes not from the academe itself but from how we are able to apply it, how our values affect the knowledge that we acquire in the process. Anyway learning does not stop at the last page of a book, it goes on and on in our mind and stays there until our brain shuts down itself.

I could’ve opted to write this post in Filipino, but I didn’t. I’d have to wait for an opportunity for my writing to be officially published because my native tongue deserves that special spot than just being online. :)