BRIDGING THE GAP Henry F. Funtecha, Ph.D. The Filipino language as spirit of national identity

 Today, there is no denying the necessity of learning how to speak and write in the English language, especially that it has become the language of globalization. The Philippine government itself has made pronouncements with regards to the importance of being good speakers of English in order for the Filipinos to be globally competitive. This is done by the continuous use of English as the medium of instruction in schools and by making it as the preferred language of communication.

So, the question is, "Is there still a need for the Filipinos to develop a national language?" It must be recalled that the Philippines started to work for the promotion of Tagalog or, later, Filipino as the country's national language as early as the 1930s during the Commonwealth period. Yet, up to now, the people cannot even agree on what the Filipino language really is. Worst, is that there are Philippine ethnic groups that oppose the use of Filipino even in the singing of the Philippine national anthem. While other countries that started late in developing a national language already speak that singular language, the Filipinos could not even decide yet what to do. Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world, with about a thousand languages, can now claim to have Bahasa, its national language. Same thing with Malaysia. The rest of the countries in Asia have already their own national languages.

Language is always tied up to one's culture and, of course, his identity. However, the Filipinos cannot even speak anymore of cultural identity, with some social scientists even talking of a "damaged culture". As a people, the Filipinos have extensively adapted and substantially adopted the Western culture. Racially speaking, their features do not differ from the rest of the Southeast Asians such as the Myanmarese, Kampucheans, Vietnamese, Malaysians and Indonesians. Maybe, in todays world and in the future, it is only language that may make the Filipinos distinct from their neighboring Southeast Asians. Even if English is becoming to be the world's dominant language, it is still necessary for the Filipinos to speak their national language or their regional language. After all, it is the only language that can really, in essence, capture the feelings and sentiments of the people, and can represent their true spirit as Filipinos. Also, language can help promote unity within the country and develop a sense of belongingness. Chinese and Japanese display their strength and unity through speaking their own national language and they are more progressive compared to the Filipinos.

It is admitted that by knowing English, thousands of Filipinos have found jobs abroad. But, most of these works subject Filipinos to servitude to foreigners as domestic helpers, care-givers and nurses. Is this the Philippines' idea of competitiveness? True competition is when the Filipinos become capitalists, entrepreneurs, traders, school owners, building contractors, and exporters of Philippine goods in other countries.

The Philippines' national hero, Jose Rizal, expressed the utmostimportance of loving one's country through loving one's language, among others. He wrote in Filipino: "Ang di marunong magmahal sa sariling wika, ay mas masahol pa sa malansang isda." He said that it is difficult to consider one as a nationalist if he was ashamed of his own language. This is an important matter for one who does not give value to his native language, whether national or regional, to be aware of. It is sad to note that, in today's times, there are many Filipinos who admire their countrymen who are very good in speaking the English language but consider those not good in English as not as intelligent or not as knowledgeable as the others.

Yes, it is important for the Filipinos to be able to communicate very well in English. But, every one who thinks of himself as Filipino has also the responsibility to love the country of his birth and, naturally, his own language. It is only in their language that the Filipinos are able to distinguish themselves from other peoples of Asia, especially now that it is already possible to change the color of the skin and the shape and features of the face. In a sense, it is only the language that seem to be the remaining link to the Filipino spirit and his potential towards a lasting national identity.

CLASSICAL VS. POPULAR MUSIC by James Manheim

Do you like classical music?” It may be that you’re a little embarrassed by the question.”Yes,” some people answer, “but I don’t know anything about music.” Well, if you’ve encountered a piece of classical music that you loved, then you know more than you think you do. Classical music is everywhere around us—in movies, in television commercials, in schools, in the memories of our parents and grandparents. Anywhere that has caught your attention is a good place to start.

Whether you sit down to master classical harmony or rock guitar, you’ll study chords and how they fit together either way. If you learn to play an instrument, you’ll most likely learn both classical and popular selections—and you’ll find that musicians don’t tend to worry much about categories. Classical music and popular music, both part of the cultural frame of reference of most Americans and Europeans, share many aspects of musical language. Yet there are some prominent differences as well. Coming to classical music from popular music is less of a leap than you might think, but there are a few ways in which you have to retune your ears.

One important difference comes in regard to duration. Popular songs are usually brief; most of them are under five minutes long. Classical compositions, on the other hand, range from 20-second pieces to works that last several hours. The average symphonic concert work lasts perhaps half an hour, and this requires a change of perspective for those accustomed to listening to popular songs. How does a composer make such a large piece of music hang together? It’s a question worth asking of any piece of music, but for classical compositions, it’s one of critical importance.

Another difference is that popular music is mostly vocal music. Be it rock, country, r&b, or pop, ballads, or dance music, there is usually a singer and a text that carries a major share of a composition’s meaning. But vocal music is only a province, and not even the most extended province, of classical music. Even in the realms of opera and art song, the music is the message.

Though classical music is very much a living tradition today, it also has a thousand-year history of having been preserved for posterity by musical notation. Popular music, sometimes notated but often including spontaneous elements, has a deep history of its own, of course. Yet our knowledge of music that was never written down is limited to a period beginning just over a century ago, when the first recordings were made. Notation allows, if not greater complexity, at least a greater degree of control over musical events on the part of a composer external to a given performance of a piece. Whereas a pop recording, very broadly speaking, depends on an interaction between performer and song, classical music rests on a triad: composer, work, and performer.

And generally speaking, the dynamic range, the difference in volume between the loudest and the softest moments, is greater in classical music than in pop. Some pieces are very loud, some are very soft, and some vary widely within a single piece, sometimes so extreme as to have made it nearly impossible to capture the full range in recordings before the arrival of digital techniques. The distinction here is not a hard and fast one, but it’s no accident that the salesperson at a high-end stereo shop will bring out a classical CD to demonstrate what a fine pair of speakers can do.

A. PROCESSING QUESTIONS: 

1. Based on the article, what is classical music?

2. Based on the article, what is popular music?

3. How is classical music different from popular music? 

4. What are the characteristics of classical music that make it distinct among either genres? What about popular music?

5. Did your musical preference change after reading the article? Why? Why not? 

6. If there is essential information that you would like to add to the article, what would it be? Why? 

B. Complete the category below based on the article about classical and popular music. 

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

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POPULAR MUSIC

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