Have you guys experienced these policies?
I remember the first taste of this policy when I was an elementary student in a private school. I thought it was dumb because we’re filipinos and it wasn’t even an international school, but since I was good at English, after some time complaining I let it go because it didn’t affect me that much, and I didn’t want to be seen as a bratty kid.
Now in college, we visited a museum showcasing the local Filipino culture. After exiting the museum, I glimpsed a sign that said something along the lines of “This is an English Only Zone”. I felt betrayed, because the museum was benefiting from Filipino culture but at the same time they’re suppressing it. Just like my previous private school, is it all just for the prestige?
And I think to my current situation. I am barely a fluent speaker in Tagalog. I often trip when it comes to uncommon words in Bisaya. And the worst part is that while filipinos are very ubiquitous around the world and on the internet, there are a dearth of resources in learning the national language at an advanced level, let alone the regional ones. I don’t even know where to find Bisaya fiction in my city!
How much more until we start forgetting ourselves in our self-loathing? When we start forgetting how to convey intelligent thoughts in our language to the point we sound stupid if we don’t speak in some other language?
I daresay you name that museum, it needs to be known so that we are properly warned.
Rarely in my experience since because I was educated in public schools and there is no language enforcement and never been tapped on the shoulder just because of a language to speak.
With regionalism being strong in some places, there are some Bisaya – either Cebuano, Ilonggo, or Waray, etc. – who see Tagalog as a form of “cultural imperialism” from so-called “Imperial Manila” and as such they would actively or passively oppose it, and instead rather use English as a bridge language to try talking with other Filipinos from other parts of the country. Yeah, and some have weaponized language to the extent they would give certain perks and privileges to those speaking their own language.
In addition, some individuals or organizations are enforcing the concept that English is a language of the “educated” or the “civilized”, and asking people to leave their regional language behind their homes.
I’ve said some personally identifiable information here on my account so babanatin ko if ever it becomes controversial, and there’s a lot of cases where anyone being criticised on reddit are good at tracking the people there and identifying them and making it an issue on Facebook lol. But I’ll DM you if you’re okay with it.