Panagbasa'y Pangasinan ed Teoria tan Praksis

Say inkorit kon artikulon pinauloan koy "Reclaiming identity toward decolonisation: Pangasinan studies in theory and praxis" et pimmaway la ed AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples 4 (2) 2008: 102-122. Bisita yo'y kawing: http://www.alternative.ac.nz/journal/volume4-issue2. 

No say Kastila et salita na lapag a bansa (2)

The policy of Castilianization during the Franco regime, which led to severe
suppression of Catalan, Gallego, Basco, gave rise to clamors for equality of
these languages with Castellano as official languages in their respective
regions. The generalissimo's policy was integration, unification, homogenization
through state education, the imposition of Spanish and repression. It would be
interesting to compare this with the policy of bilingualism that was adopted
during the Marcos years. In 1978, with the return of democracy, a new
constitution was promulgated that recognizes the rights of other Spanish
languages. In other words, this is not "pure speculation." Spanish was imposed
to the detriment of other languages.

The Malolos Constitution did "impose" Spanish as the national language "in the
meantime." It would be straining between the lines to say that Philippine
languages were made "co-equal." This is pure and simple "speculation." It only
says "optional" and since we do not know how they will be regulated by law, we
don't really know if they were contemplated to be "official languages."

At least the Americans taught English in contrast with Spain's refusal to teach
Castilian to the natives although we owe it a little to them that our languages
were kept alive. Spain did not want to assimilate the archipelago and integrate
it to the Spanish nation. Spain in 1898, instead of surrendering to the
revolutionary forces because it considered an abasement to deal with the indios,
the height of imperial hubris, negotiated with the Americans and sold our
country for $ 20 million dollars.

Although we owe to a very little extent the unity of the Philippine nation to
Spain, a unity that served the empire, which was preceded by the racial and
geographic unity of the archipelago and the peoples before Magallanes, it was
Rizal who conceive the idea of a Filipino nation separate and distinct from
Spain and it was the Revolution of 1898 that gave birth to that nation.

"Another chain around our neck." DILA, 3 October 2009.

No say Kastila et salita na lapag a bansa (1)

If the Philippine republic had succeeded in 1899, Spanish could have contributed
to the slow death of languages just like what English and Tagalog are doing now.
Spanish in Latin America replaced the indigenous languages becoming extinct in
the process save for a few others because it was taught to them and when the
creole nationalists won their independence they imposed the language.

Rizal in El Filibusterismo said through Simoun when the latter was arguing with
Basilio regarding the teaching of Spanish: "Os ligais para con vuestros
esfuerzos unir vuestra patria a la Espana con guirnaldas de rosas cuando en
realidad forjais cadenas mas duras que el diamante!" Pedis igualdad de derechos,
espanolizacion de vuestras costumbres y no veis que lo pedis es la muerte, la
destruccion de vuestrad nacionalidad, la aniquilacion de vuestra patria, la
consagracion de la tirania! Que sereis en lo futuro? Pueblo sin caracter, nacion
sin libertad; todo en vosotros sera prestado hasta los mismos defectos. Pedis
espanolizacion y no palideceis de verguenza cuando os la niegan! Y aunque os la
concedieran que quereis? que vais a ganar? Cuando mas feliz, pais de
pronunciamentos, pais de guerras civiles, republica de rapaces y descontentos
como algunas republicas de la America de Sur! A que venis ahora con vuestra
ensenanza del castellano, pretension que seria ridicula si no fuese de
consequencias deplorables? Quereis anadir un idioma mas a los cuarenta y tantos
que se hablan en las islas para entenderos cada vez menos!..."

But when Basilio said that Spanish would make them closer to the government and
it will unite the islands, Simoun declared: "Error craso!... El espanol nunca
sera lenguaje general en el pais, el pueblo nunca lo hablara porque para las
concepciones de su cerebro y los sentimientos de su corazon no tiene frases ese
idioma: cada pueblo tiene el suyo, como tiene su manera de sentir. Que vais a
consequir con el castellano, los pocos que lo habeis de hablar? Matar la vuestra
originalidad, subordinar nuestros pensamientos a otros cerebros y en vez de
haceros libres haceros verdaderamente esclavos!

Rizal would suggest through Simoun: "...os olvidais de que mientras un pueblo
conserve su idioma, conserva la prenda de su libertad, como el hombre su
independencia mientras conserva su manera de pensar." "...tratad de fundar los
cimientos de la patria filipina...""... cultivad el vuestro estendedlo,
conservad al pueblo su propio pensamiento, y en vez de pensamientos
subordinados, pensamientos independientes..."

Need I say more?

Making official all the major languages and creating a provision that would
allow minority languages to be taught in their schools, colleges and
universities would be the best choice rather than electing a foreign tongue to
dominate "nuestra pensamientos" once again. In any case, English and Spanish
should be taught in schools.

"Another chain around our neck." DILA, 2 October 2009.

Anacbanua: Say unan pilikula ed Pangasinan

Manbantay tayo'y sangkaunaan ya pilikula ed Pangasinan, say Anacbanua (Child of the Sun) ya indirihe nen Christopher Gozum. Finalist yan pilikula ed 2009 Cinemanila International Film Festival. Onpaway ed Cinema 6 na Market, Market! ed Bonifacio Global City, Taguig no Oktubri 17, Sabado, 9 na labi tan Oktubri 22, Huibes, 5 na ngarem.