We beg to differ.
Back in the old days, televised news reporting used to be mostly done in English. The EDSA “revolution” changed all that. Practically overnight, Tagalog news shows such as pioneer shock “news” caster Noli de Castro’s TV Patrol turned what was once a public service into mass entertainment. Key to this was the pivoting of telejournalism…
The Tagalog dialect is the pale basis for “Filipino” which is a variant of it Filipinos were led to believe is their “national language”. This is why Manila — which started as a Tagalog settlement that was turned into a colonial outpost by the Spaniards — is referred to as “Imperial Manila”. That’s because non-Tagalogs…
Current Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo has become the country’s laughingstock. Her statements turn into memes and get mocked for being pointless. Frankly, most members of the Liberal Party have become laughingstocks too, but since Robredo issues more statements compared to her party mates, she is the default spokesperson for the Opposition and therefore, their…
Read More “Leni Robredo’s statements are as pointless and dangerous as her position in government” »
I noticed something about Filipino “national heroes”. None of the ones that the nation’s “thought leaders” wax poetic about most frequently are soldiers. As I wrote a while back, most of them died with their back turned towards their assailants. They captured no territory nor held a stronghold to the death. They are hailed as…
Read More “Few (if any) Filipino “national heroes” are soldiers” »
One of the worst legacies left by the Yellowtards (Filipinos rabidly loyal to the cult of the Aquinos and who now “lead” the Philippine Opposition) is a blanket assurance that Filipinos are best off speaking Tagalog. This assurance that all will be well speaking in a language that they are comfy with came to the…
Read More “Tagalog Triumphalism has STUNTED Philippine development” »
The facts are quite confronting. Filipinos who not just speak English but speak it well and with the right accent go places. This is the reason wealthy Filipinos spend a fortune on the best private schools to educate their kids — because those who gain mastery of this important language make the most connections with…
What is the goal of the Philippines’ elite communicators and thought leaders? We are told many times by the Philippines’ so-called “social media experts” that there is a huge responsibility on our shoulders to produce and publish high-quality content that could help uplift the Philipines’ public discourse. The quality of this discourse is important because…
Read More “Should Filipino thought leaders communicate in ‘maka-masa’ style or in proper English?” »
Now here is a Tagalog word that you only hear during new year’s eve (and even then, hardly). That is “manigong” as in Manigong Bagong Taon, the Filipino greeting for a Happy New Year. I have always had a problem with this word, which I presume means “prosperous”. It is a word doused with generous…