Senator Robin Padilla
MANILA, Philippines — Neophyte Senator Robin Padilla on Monday expressed dismay over Filipinos’ preference for the English language, even in government documents.
It is one of the reasons he is pushing for the passage of his bill that will provide for the equal use of Filipino and English languages in all government issuances and documents.
“Sa karanasan ko po, hindi nagagamit ‘yung Filipino, laging English lang. Katulad sa batas natin ‘pag lumalabas ang batas natin, English. ‘Pag sa korte, ‘pag nasentensyahan ang tao, English ang binabasa,” he said in an interview at the Senate.
(In my experience, the Filipino language is not often used. It’s always been English. Just like when we craft laws, it’s written in English. In courts, English is also used to read a sentence.)
“Parang sa akin unfair ‘yun. Parang hindi patas para dun sa mga kababayan natin na ‘di ko naman sinasabing hindi nakakaintindi ng English ano kundi masyado kasing ‘yung may kinalaman sa batas, ‘yung mga English niyan masyadong hindi mo talaga din maitindihan. Kailangan na talagang magkaroon ng parehas na pagtrato sa salitang Pilipino at English.”
(For me, it’s unfair. I think it’s not fair for our countrymen – I’m not saying they can’t understand English, but legal terms are really difficult to understand. There must really be an equal use of the Filipino and English languages.)
READ: Divorce, equal use of languages among Robin Padilla’s first Senate bills
Padilla stressed that every Filipino could ask for Filipino translation when requesting official records from the government.
“Huwag dapat matakot ang kababayan nating mag-request. Kasi siyempre minsan nasanay tayo, masyado tayong Inglisero, masyado tayong ‘Amboy’ [American boy or Filipino acting too American]. Dapat masanay tayong Filipino na hingin ‘yan. Hingin ‘nyo,” he said.
(Our people should not be afraid to make that request. But, of course, sometimes we got used to communicating in English – we talk in English too much, we’ve become too “Amboy.” So we should get used to requesting a Filipino translation.)
But even without his proposed legislation, Padilla pointed out that Section 7, Article 14 of the 1987 Constitution already states that Filipino and English languages should be used for communication and instruction.
In schools, the senator also believes there is a need to bring back Philippine history subject and home economics.
READ: Lawmakers seek revival of PH history as separate subject
He lamented that Philippine history was the first casualty of the current K to 12 program.
“Ang akin naman, mag-sentro tayo sa Philippine history kasi ang Philippine history dito imposibleng ‘di mapagusapan ang Asian at World History. Kasama tayo noong araw pa…Ang gusto ko lang mag-sentro sa atin,” he said.
(For me, let’s focus on our Philippine history because, in Philippine history, it is impossible not to tackle Asian and World History anyway… That’s all I want, that we focus on our history.)