sábado, diciembre 31, 2011

Filipino Del Año 2011 — ¡La Gente Filipina!



Por segunda vez, ALAS FILIPINAS y FILIPINO eSCRIBBLES han elegido unánimemente EL PUEBLO FILIPINO como el FILIPINO DEL AÑO 2011!

La decisión es muy sencilla: porque una vez más, el pueblo filipino se ha unido para ayudar a sus compañeros filipinos en Cagayán de Oro (y pueblos cercanos como Iligan) que fueron víctimas de las inundaciones repentinas causadas por el tifón Sendong (y la deforestación) que ocurrió el 16 de diciembre. Miles de personas perdieron sus vidas. Muchas más perdieron sus hogares y propiedades. La escena era apocalíptica. Desesperanza parecía reinar.

Pero no. Como lo que ocurrió hace dos años, acudieron en su ayuda casi toda la gente filipina a través de donaciones así como peticiones en línea. Esto es un momento de orgullo para todos nosotros filipinos. Sin embargo, todavía hay mucho por hacer. Deberíamos continuar el apoyo porque muchas más en Cagayán de Oro e Iligan necesitan nuestra ayuda.

Aún podemos revivir Mindanáo del Norte. ¡Sí, nos podemos! ¡Y ya estamos haciéndolo!

AYUDAR CDO (Cagayán de Oro).
Dar artículos donados, ropas, y la ayuda económica.
Vayan al centro de evacuación más cercano en su área.


Hagan clic aquí para saber como apoyar las víctimas.

¡Enhorabuena, Filipinas! ¡Y que tengamos un próspero y feliz año nuevo!

*******

FILIPINO DEL AÑO 2010
FILIPINO DEL AÑO 2009

jueves, diciembre 29, 2011

McDonald's cerró todos sus restaurantes en Bolivia (Hispanically Speaking News)

No más McDonald's para Bolivia.

Se informó hace unos días que McDonald’s cerró todos sus restaurantes en Bolivia.

McDonald's sirvieron sus hamburguesas por última vez en Bolivia el sábado en la medianoche, después de anunciar un plan de reestructuración global en el que iba a cerrar sus puertas en siete países con márgenes de beneficio pobres.


Puesto que McDonald's ha dejado a Bolivia, tal vez Jollibee deba "hacer una visita" a ese país. =) De todos modos, a pesar de la existencia de McDonald's en Filipinas, se niega a rendirse y está golpeado todos los días por nuestra "abeja filipina adorable". Por eso, Filipinas continua disfrutar hamburguesas, papas fritas, y otras comidas rápidas.

Pero estas comidas rápidas están filipinizadas ya. =)


Foto cortesía de Zaldy Dalisay.

lunes, diciembre 26, 2011

Filipinas necesita casi 30 millones de euros



La ONU instó hoy a sus estados miembros a donar 28,6 millones de dólares en los tres próximos meses para aliviar la situación de los más de 640.000 afectados por las riadas que han causado al menos 1.010 muertos al sur de Filipinas.

"La mala calidad del agua y los problemas de insalubridad causan una gran preocupación sanitaria. Debemos mejorar la situación lo antes posible para evitar la propagación de epidemias que empeoren la situación de personas debilitadas por el hambre y la pérdida de seres queridos", declaró en Manila a los medios Soe Nyunt-U, coordinador humanitario de Naciones Unidas. "Me ha chocado la magnitud de la destrucción. Parece como si las ciudades hubieran sido golpeadas por un tsunami, algunas zonas quedaron completamente arrasadas", agregó.

El Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (ACNUR) anunció hoy el envío de un convoy con 42 toneladas con lonas de plástico, mantas, contenedores de agua, utensilios de cocina que puedan ayudar a 10.000 de las 44.000 personas que se preparan para pasar las Navidades hacinadas en polideportivos y escuelas convertidos en centros de evacuación. Casi todos perdieron sus casas y el Gobierno les ha prohibido regresar a sus barrios a reconstruirlas por encontrarse en zonas de potencial peligro en caso de fuertes lluvias.

A las 1.010 muertes confirmadas se suman al menos 53 desaparecidos, según el Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres, mientras que la Cruz Roja filipina afirma que los desaparecidos se cuentan por cientos y que será imposible conocer el número hasta dentro de unos días. Las autoridades han informado de que han aparecido decenas de cadáveres flotando frente a las costas de la isla de Mindanáo.

El director del Centro de Desastres, Benito Ramos, señaló que las autoridades, que preparan el entierro de cientos de víctimas en fosas comunes por la imposibilidad de identificarlas, tardarán al menos tres meses en reubicar a los evacuados.

Los daños provocados por la tormenta ascienden a 998 millones de pesos (17,27 millones de euros), principalmente en carreteras, puentes, hospitales y escuelas. El presidente filipino, Benigno Aquino, declaró el martes el estado de calamidad nacional y anunció la creación de un fondo especial de 1.170 millones de pesos (20,4 millones de euros).

La Unión Europea ha anunciado una donación de 3 millones de euros, mientras que España aportará 900.000 euros para aliviar a las víctimas. Los expertos de las agencias internacionales identifican el chabolismo como el principal factor del gran número de muertos que causan en el país los desastres naturales y que evidencian el mal estado de las infraestructuras.

*******

Este artículo (con la foto) fue publicado por primera vez en El Mundo. Se puede enviar sus donaciones por hacer clic aquí. Mil gracias por adelantado.

Mi homenaje visual a Marcelo H. del Pilar



Mi "homenaje fotográfico" a Marcelo H. del Pilar (fotografiado por Yeyette Perey de Alas el 14º de este mes). Por cierto: el bigote es verdadero. Pero me he afeitado ya. =)

El libro que llevo se titula Marcelo H. del Pilar: His Religious Conversions (Marcelo H. del Pilar: Sus Conversiones Religiosas) por Fr. Fidel Villaroel, O.P.

domingo, diciembre 25, 2011

¡Feliz Navidad! (Urbi et Orbi 2011)

Mis niños delante de la Iglesia de San Pedro Apóstol (hace un rato). La Plaza de San Pedro se encuentra en el fondo.


¡Hola a todos! Por favor hagan clic aquí para ver el Urbi et Orbi de Su Santidad, Papa Benedict XVI que tuvo lugar hace unas horas.

¡Feliz Navidad a todo el mundo! Y por favor no olviden compartir sus bendiciones a nuestros compañeros desventurados (las víctimas del tifón Washi/Sendong) en Mindanáo del Norte. ¡Gracias!

sábado, diciembre 24, 2011

Pascuas en Manila

HECHO: ¿Sabíais que los villancicos en español eran populares en Manila (particularmente dentro de las paredes de Intramuros)? Y hasta la posguerra habían villanciqueros que cantan canciones navideñas en este lenguaje.

Aquí les presento una canción llena de nostalgia por las navidades manileñas del pasado. El título es Pascuas en Manila. La compositora es Rosario Clemente Zulueta, una escritora, poetisa, y compositora de música hispanofilipina (no estoy seguro si ella todavía está viva o donde está ya). Ella grabó la canción junto con el gran erudito Guillermo Gómez Rivera en 1967 y tuvo mucho éxito en el programa de radio DZFM en Manila, "La Voz Hispanofilipina".

Mi amigo en línea, Fonsucu, subió este vídeo (con permiso del Señor Gómez) más que hace un año. Ya podemos disfrutar esta canción melodiosa en YouTube.


Intérpretes: Guillermo Gómez-Rivera y Rosario Clemente Zulueta.

Pascuas en Manila,
alegría y solemnidad.
Besos con abrazos,
oración de Navidad.

Pascuas en Manila,
cántico del corazón.
Cualquier alma humilde
lo celebra con pasión

Toques, himnos... suenan,
templos, voces... rezan.

Como añoro yo estar en Manila
en Navidad
y paréceseme recordar
tu bien de amar.

Busqué el sueño que perdí
del día en que yo me fui
de Manila
en Navidad.

(Repitan)


Continuemos la búsqueda de ese sueño perdido. Espero que un día podamos traerlo de vuelta a Manila ... en el Día de Navidad.

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

viernes, diciembre 23, 2011

¿Cómo se dice "dinero" en tagalo?

¿Cómo se dice "dinero" en tagalo?

¿Podréis creer? Se dice "pera" que se deriva de la palabra "perra" ("female dog"/"bitch" en inglés).



La perra chica era la moneda de cinco céntimos. Por otro lado, la perra gorda era la de diez. Antiguamente las llamaban así porque las monedas tenían un león grabado que representaba España. Por lo visto la representación del león no era muy buena y se parecía más bien a una perra y por eso la gente acabó llamando a las monedas perra chica y perra gorda. Y eso ha sido la práctica desde entonces.

También, la palabra "baryá" (monedas, cambio) en tagalo viene de "barrillas", unas monedas de cobre en forma de barritas (rectangulares) acuñadas en la Manila del siglo XVII para transacciones de poco valor. Con ello se evitaba tener que cortar las monedas de cuatro y ocho reales (de plata) en trozos pequeños, practica habitual en esa época.

*******

Gracias a los señores Raymundo Addun Pascual, Rafaél Martínez Minuesa, y Javier Ruescas Baztán (miembros del grupo de Facebook SPANISH language should be back in the PHILIPPINES!) por esta información preciosa. Únase a este grupo para puedan saber más sobre la identidad filipina.

Villancicos ingleses en castellano


Foto cortesía de xplr3r.

Abajo son tres villancicos ingleses populares traducidos al español.

NOCHE DE PAZ (Silent Night)

♪ Noche de paz, noche de amor;
Todo duerme en derredor
Entre los astro que esparcen
su luz,
Bella, anunciando al Niño Jesús
Brilla la estrella de paz
Brilla la estrella de paz.
Noche de paz, noche de amor;
Oye humilde el fiel pastor
Coros celestes que anuncian
salud,
Gracias y glorias en gran
plenitud,
Por nuestro buen Redentor
Por nuestro buen Redentor. ♫



VENID, FIELES TODOS (O Come, All Ye Faithful)

♪ Venid, fieles todos
A Belén marchemos
De gozo triunfantes
Henchidos de amor,
Al rey de los cielos
Todos adoremos;
Vengamos, adoremos,
Vengamos, adoremos,
Vengamos, adoremos,
A nuestro Señor. ♫



OÍD UN SON (Hark the Herald Angels Sing)

♪ Oíd un son en alta esfera,
En los cielos gloria a Dios;
Y al mortal paz en la tierra
Canta la celeste voz.
Con los cielos alabemos,
Al eterno rey cantemos,
A Jesús que es nuestro bien,
Con el coro de Belén.
Canta la celeste voz
En los cielos, gloria a Dios.

Príncipe de paz y tierra
Gloria a tí, señor Jesús
Entregando el alma tierna
Tú nos traes vida y luz.

Has tu majestad dejado
Y a buscarnos te has dignado,
Para darnos el vivir,
A la muerte quieres ir,
Canta la celeste voz,
En los cielos, gloria a Dios. ♫

martes, diciembre 20, 2011

¡El idioma español debería estar de vuelta en Filipinas!

El grupo/página de Facebook SPANISH language should be back in the PHILIPPINES! (¡El idioma español debería estar de vuelta en Filipinas!) se dedica a promover la lengua española como lengua oficial (o co-oficial juntos con la tagala y la inglesa) de Filipinas. Está conformado por ambos filipinos hispanoparlantes así como los que aún estudian este lenguaje, y otros "hispanistas" (en este contexto, los que aman la lengua y la cultura española) de todas partes del mundo que creen que el idioma español es un patrimonio filipino que se pertenece en la constitución filipina y en la mayoría de la sociedad.

Este grupo fue fundado por un tal JM Salcedo García que ya no está activa pero le dio los derechos de administrador a su amigo Heyner Espada Montaño, un joven hispanista de la Ciudad de Iloílo. Poco después, Heyner eligió a otros miembros del grupo para ser co-administradores: Juan Luis García y Jordi Rodríguez, ambos de España, y; Xavier Ow Young de Panamá. Más adelante Jordi agregó su ciudadadno (de Barcelona) Carlos Sánchez Morago así como el "moderno filipino guerrero" José Miguel García.

El ilustre erudito Señor Guillermo Gómez (el líder indiscutible del Filipinismo) y un servidor completan la lista de los administradores del dicho grupo de Facebook.

Hasta este momento hay 2.344 miembros en este grupo. Muchos miembros filipinos no hablan español. Sin embargo, se unieron a este grupo porque están dispuestos a aprender el lenguaje. Otros miembros son del Mundo Hispánico que apoyan esta noble causa de la restauración de la lengua española a su antigua grandeza en la tierra filipina.

Ahorita los miembros de este grupo planean lanzar una lista de partido o party-list que se unirá (con suerte) las próximas elecciones locales. Publico aquí nuestra discusión. Lo siento si las lenguas que usamos son muchas. Es que como comenté antes no todos los miembros hablan español.



*************************************************************

In order to fully bring back the Spanish language in our country, do you think that a party-list group should be organized in order for this patriotic yearning to become a reality? (Con el fin de lograr la plena vuelta de la lengua española en nuestro país, ¿creen ustedes que una lista de partido debe organizarse para que se haga una realidad este anhelo patriótico?)

A party-list group for the Spanish language

Unlike · · Unfollow Post · Share · November 24 at 7:53pm
You, Joseph Solís Alcayde, Basilio Jubac De Castro, Jaime Vallejo and 18 others like this.

Pepe Alas NOTE: This blogpost was first published on 7 December 2009.
November 24 at 7:54pm · Like

Orion Pérez D. Sounds like a great idea :)
November 24 at 7:56pm · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas Thank you. If this idea is great, then we should not allow it to remain online.
November 24 at 8:01pm · Like

Orion Pérez D. HHF - Hermandad Hispanista de Filipinas
FHF - Frente Hispanista de Filipinas

Esto puede ser símbolo del grupo: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2053563107801&set=a.2053562627789.98255.1506265671&type=3


El Gran Escudo de las Filipinas
By: Trajano Cabrales
November 24 at 8:14pm · Unlike · 4 ·

Raymundo Addun Pascual ‎Orion, Frente Hispanista.... jeje, suena como a los de Nicaragua hace unos años que destronaron a Anastacio Somoza :) Pero, en serio, prefiero un nombre que suene popular, algo de la masa filipina eh eh por ejemplo PADRE DAMASO, FRAYLE, PUÑETA, LECHE KA, jejejje, en serio, algo que suena muy cercano a la gente. yo sugeriria: DOÑA VICTORINA.. .jejej. en serio, ejemplo:. Ang Español ay Bahagi ng Ating Kultura (ANESBAKUL). en realidad , eso. :)
November 24 at 8:34pm · Like

Pepe Alas ANESBAKUL. Eso es comiquísimo, chico, ¡jajaja! =)
November 24 at 8:42pm · Like

Pepe Alas Hon. Rep. Orion Pérez D.

Hey, I'm not kidding. We've got to keep this stuff going. Having an online presence is not enough to validate our struggle for a Spanish-speaking Philippines. And in doing so, we need a leader, a representative.
November 24 at 8:46pm · Like · 3

Orion Pérez D. I'm flattered, bro... Unfortunately, I'm based abroad right now (gotta pay the bills first) :( , but I definitely will help out in spreading the word and in other things too.

Had I not had to return to the Lion City, I'd have gotten Pepe Rodriguez helping out with a Spanish radio program (on AM radio for starters), spoke with him when I was still in Manila (Mrs. Carmen Pedrosa set up a meeting with me, him, and Manoling Morato regarding possible collaboration on Constitutional Reform - since Spain is parliamentary, regionally-decentralized, and very liberal with economic provisions as a means for creating jobs and is perhaps the best model for the Philippines to emulate).

As a side-note in our coversation, I mentioned how some AM radio stations are inexpensive for block-timers and he was keen on the radio-program suggestion when I told him how cheap 2 hours a week would cost on DWBL AM. I told him how such a program could make students of Spanish have a regular venue for practicing their listening skills, with the topics being about regular and familiar things in the Philippines - but in Spanish. Too bad I had to prioritize my own economic situation.

(I am planning a CoRRECT video in Spanish - hit two birds with one stone. hahaha! And I will justify the use of Spanish by showing that we're just continuing the pro-progress movement of the original Propaganda Movement - who were mostly Hispanistas anyway.) :)
November 24 at 9:09pm · Unlike · 7

Raymundo Addun Pascual cuando tenga tiempo. voy a hacer un video cortico hablando de las ventajas de la autonomia y federalismo en los gobiernos locales, esta bien Orion Pérez D.? puedes contratarme como actor de tu video., jeje-. Vivia en España por 5 años, la verdad el sistema alli es un ejemplo por excelencia, y eso incluye la pólitica linguistica.
November 24 at 9:51pm · Like · 4

Carlos Sánchez Morago Si necesitáis un líder yo me ofrezco. Sólo decidme en qué ciudad preferís la coronación y yo ya encargo la corona para la ceremonia :P

XD

Bueno, ya en serio. Me parece una buena idea. Estoy interesado en ver cómo se desarrolla.
November 25 at 8:54am · Like · 1

Roberto Rico Yo por el contrario creo que es mejor tener activistas en todo el espectro político, un partido cuyo principal "leifmotiv" sea un idioma no me parece que vaya a enamorar a los electores... a los electores les preocupa tener casa, comer todos los dias, tener trabajo, cuantos impuestos van a pagar, si se va a crear empleo publico, si el servicio militar será obligatorio o no....Todos esos temas caen fuera del un partido "hispanista", por eso creo que es mejor que haya hispanistas en todos los partidos, con un grupo de apoyo importante y bien organizado para que sus opiones tengan peso. Es decir que tengan peso parar decir "o promocionamos el español o perderemos votos"
November 25 at 9:01am · Like

Carlos Sánchez Morago Se pueden crear varios partidos hispanistas y que peleen entre ellos. Así, gane el que gane, será hispanista :P
November 25 at 9:03am · Like · 1

Raymundo Addun Pascual en la panorama de la politica en filipinas, si que es factible.
November 26 at 7:36pm · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual opps ¨el¨ panorama...
December 13 at 6:25pm · Like

Heyner Espada Montaño I will cover the whole province of Iloilo for the support. We need to find every member of every provinces to help us.
December 13 at 11:54pm · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas We have to keep this going. We should not remain online forever.
December 14 at 12:01am · Like

Pepe Alas The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.
—Karl Marx—
December 14 at 12:03am · Like

Ronald Bañares great idea, count me in
December 14 at 9:21am via mobile · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas This is good activism. Should we always rant about this advocacy only in the internet? Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of all this online ranting. We have to take the power back.
December 14 at 9:25am · Like

Pepe Alas Spread the word. Let's keep this party-list idea viral (if you agree to it). SPANISH language should be back in the PHILIPPINES!
December 14 at 9:30am · Like · 3

José San Martín I live in the States and am broke as a record, but I'll help however I can.
December 14 at 11:00am · Like

Heyner Espada Montaño We only need people to support during the national voting once our "Party List" gets qualified. We have to avoid collecting monetary donations. We will NOT do that. The more Filipino you encouraged to appreciate the Spanish language the better.
December 14 at 11:07am · Unlike · 3

Adelbert Batica If there's a party-list group for security guards, why not a party-list for those who espouse the language of the Philippine Revolution?! Caramba!
December 14 at 11:16am · Unlike · 5

Pepe Alas My point exactly.
December 14 at 12:22pm · Like · 1

Raymundo Addun Pascual secundo a Heyner Espada Montaño. que no se involucre el ´dinero´ en este asunto. A la hora que esto se haga, ya veremos el entierro del movimiento. En fin, ivitar la corrupción desde el principio.
December 14 at 3:33pm · Unlike · 2

José San Martín How will you go about doing all this though?
December 15 at 2:27am · Like

Heyner Espada Montaño We plan to organize a club in Manila.
December 15 at 2:29am · Like

Orion Pérez D. One idea that could work (and I mean this could really work) is to have an FM station - perhaps partly funded initially by the ICM (Instituto Cervantes de Manila) and by OEA (Organización de Estados Americanos) - which will concentrate on exclusively popularizing Spanish Latino Music such as Reggaeton (ex: Daddy Yankee), Latino pop, Rumba Flamenca (Gipsy Kings stuff), full flown Flamenco, Tango, etc and will ideally have bilingual English and Spanish DJ's who are native speakers (expat Latinos from the US who speak good English, but speak Spanish) who will use both Spanish and English to introduce the songs... (Doing bilingual introductions is a must to get people used to hearing the Spanish sentences then the English translation)

On certain days or timeslots the music is to be very pop-type, and on certain schedules, they'd have the Tango/Flamenco classical types, and then there'd also be the salsa, merengue, etc types. The music has to be both popular (and it definitely will pull in Pinoys, esp. that Latino ballroom dancing is a big thing for the Tango, Salsa, Chacha, etc), HIP: David Bisbal, Shakira, etc... All Spanish Music.

And there will be special radio programs IN SPANISH and some of them will also allow some English words (Spanglish type) to allow people to be at least with just freely codeswitching. (Singaporeans do it all the time with their type of Mandarin that suddenly switches to English for technical terminology)

Then there will also be programs that discuss how to improve one's Spanish language ability which will partly be discussed in English, and there will be TALK SHOWS in Spanish, talking about common stuff.

* * * *

Eventually, the station can be turned into a commercial venture with actual advertisements so that the station will no longer just be reliant on charitable funding.

If this can be done, this will be a DEFINITE STEP in the direction of turning the Philippines into a country with an increasing number of spanish-speakers.

It was - no doubt - the entry of Gringo-sponsored English-language broadcast media that caused English to encroach into what was originally Spanish language territory during the early part of the 1900's.

Anyone got contacts? This has to happen...
December 15 at 2:56am · Unlike · 4

Jojo Mercado Angeles Lopez yo vivo en Vancouver canada but I support you guys for this
December 15 at 2:59am · Unlike · 3

José San Martín ‎@Heyner - Like a political club or just a normal club?

@Orion - That sounds like an excellent plain honestly. But how will you get the ICM to back you?
December 15 at 3:04am · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas That is a good start. We have to make this happen!
December 15 at 3:19am · Like · 4

Orion Pérez D. Hi José, simply put, such an initiative is totally in line with ICM's aims. In fact, who knows, if ICM brings up this idea to the Crown and to the Real Academia Española, it could actually get even more backing... Private sponsors might pour in. Or if not sponsors, INVESTORS. A radio station like that will be an opportunity for ad revenue anyway.

ICM need not be the one funding it, by the way, they could merely serve as just the main contact for donors or even investors.

Ultimately, this isn't all just going to be pure altruism. It will also have a commercial aspect to it. Here in Singapore and in the rest of Asia, a lot of the D.I.'s specializing in Latin dance are Filipinos. The Philippines is the de facto center of Latinismo in Asia. Why can't it become the hub of Pan-American ( North, Central, and South America) trade in Asia?

With a Spanish language FM station (later becoming a network of FM stations in the main cities) Filipinos will get their interest in Spanish revved up and revived and a crop of fully bilingual/multilingual Spanish-speaking Filipinos will emerge who are able to use both English and Spanish and will work for the businesses (from shipping to cargo, to logistics to tourism to everything) that will be handling such pan-Pacific trade.

We must reclaim our rightful place among our Hispanic brother countries...


El Gran Escudo de las Filipinas
By: Trajano Cabrales
December 15 at 3:36am · Unlike · 3 ·

Raymundo Addun Pascual dapat may internacional chapter din, para que haya lugar para los pakialameros espangoles y latinoamericanos , oh diba? a mi a veces me enoja a que los estrangeros se metan tanto , work out negative publicity de ¨España¨, i mean, ... yun, naintindihan nio na kahit konti . Ok ito, trilingué!!!
December 15 at 3:42am · Like

Pepe Alas This is what should be discussed on this page. Now, what I dream of having is for this country to have at least a small community (literally, a neighborhood) of Spanish speakers. But Orion's initiative is more feasible. This community will come in later (and perhaps it would be inevitable). I plead to all members to help us to gain contacts with the media regarding this radio AM/FM plan.
December 15 at 3:43am · Like · 4

Raymundo Addun Pascual es que ya estamos cerca en eso, cuando tengamos el ¨critical mass¨¨, aunque sea virtual, tendremos la comunidad. lo que si hacen falta son las tertulias, café merienda, chismes en vivo.
December 15 at 3:46am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual Será bueno si se reunen ustedes con el Senador Edgardo Angara, ya que tiene mucha experiencia y sabiduria en cuanto a la politica.
December 15 at 3:54am · Like

José San Martín ‎@Orion - That's a perfect plan. Maybe even from there we can spur more people to take up our cause. Perhaps even get a decent amount of Spaniards/Latin Americans to move to the Philippines somehow so that Spanish can have some sort of base presence to help spread it around in the mean time (Probably not gonna happen. But that would be a great thing if it did). Then in a few years when there is enough Spanish speakers, we'll have more of a force to help us get Spanish re-instated as an official language.
December 15 at 3:55am · Like · 2

Orion Pérez D. Thanks José and Pepe... :) I'm semi-active (used to be much more active years ago, but work these days is busy) with the Círculo Latino de Singapur and many of the people there lament the fact that the Philippines should actually be their BASE OF OPERATIONS for trade and investment in Asia. And most of these people are connected with their Trade Missions and Embassies, so these sentiments are semi/quasi-official...

(Latinos - like Filipinos - often give the right of first refusal for a project or some important thing to relatives and/or people they know before opening it up to others: The Philippines is part of the family, and so they'd prefer to give us their business over some other country... Why else do many Spanish companies set up their Asian HQ's in Manila? Why else is Instituto Cervantes de Manila actually the main HQ for the IC's in the Asian region? Because of sentimental reasons which in fact creates jobs for Filipinos)

Actually, while I don't play up (not yet, while it's still early) the aspect of reinstating Spanish as an official language ENSHRINED IN THE CONSTITUTION, I have that reserved under the "Economic Liberalization" point of the CoRRECT Three Point Agenda, because these days - and the Instituto Cervantes de Manila will back me on this - the whole Spanish Language Initiative in the Philippines is no longer just about Culture and History but is now more about ECONOMIC GAIN.

S. Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, and even Singaporeans are actively learning Spanish for commercial/business purposes. In the Philippines, thanks to the Call Center and Outsourcing industry, Spanish learning is increasing again. But how much more if we shifted the Constitution to allow more foreign businesses to come in easily? The companies from Latin American brother countries will have less legal obstacles in setting up trading firms and other offices in the Philippines in order to facilitate trade with Asia.

PANAMA in particular (and I know the technical guy handling Seafaring stuff in Panama's Consulate in Singapore) is keen to have offices in the Philippines because not only are they a major Shipping "Flag", the Philipines is a major Seafarer supplier. Cooperation between the two países hermanos would be a very formidable alliance.

Start Cycle:

More Latin-American and Spanish companies in the Philippines = MORE SPANISH-speaking Filipinos.

A Spanish language FM station in the Philippines = More Spanish-speaking Filipinos.

More Spanish-speaking Filipinos = More Spanish-speaking TOURISTS and businessmen/investors coming in

More Spanish-Speaking Tourists and Businessmen/Investors coming in = More jobs for Filipinos requiring Spanish

More jobs for Filipinos requiring Spanish = Surge in MORE SPANISH SPEAKING FILIPINOS

Loop at the Start of the Cycle...

* * *

With such a scenario, there's no other way but up...

********

If ever I had the chance to address the U.N. General Assembly (like the little girl who addressed it), I would give a very short intro in English, and give the bulk of it in SPANISH, mentioning that it is important that the speech be delivered in the original unifying language of the Philippines. That's how it should be...

Overnight, more Latin Americans and Spaniards would visit the Philippines as tourists and investors...
December 16 at 12:49am · Unlike · 3

Pepe Alas Amigos, let's keep the fire burning.
December 16 at 1:13am · Like · 1

José San Martín Once again, that's perfect. So it looks like we have to get a hold of the ICM so they can help set up the FM station. Then from there you can point out the rest of your plan to them and hope they back it. Then like you said, it's only a few steps from there before Spanish once again has a major presence there. Like you said, there's no other way but up.
December 16 at 1:56am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas There is another organization that is striving so hard to help our country bring back the Spanish language as an official language, the Asociación Cultural Galeón de Manila (http://www.galeondemanila.org/) or ACGM. They are the same group that invited me to that documentary (http://alasfilipinas.blogspot.com/2011/10/entrevista-con-la-asociacion-cultural.html) they are doing regarding the Spanish language situation in the Philippines. The only problem I see here is that the government might not give them much importance for the fact that language promotion is being done by external forces. ACGM is practically a non-Filipino group. Although it elected Señor Guillermo Gómez Rivera as its honorary president, it is based in Madrid and is founded and run by Spaniards. I am afraid that some hispanophobes in the government (and there are still many of them) might not take this group kindly. What I am trying to say is that a movement such as that being done by ACGM should be emulated by us Filipinos.

Asociación Cultural Galeón de Manila - Inicio
www.galeondemanila.org
December 16 at 2:10am · Like · 4 ·

Pepe Alas We should ALL familiarize ourselves with ACGM and support it. And make some noise that it is not just them (the Spaniards) who are interested in bringing back Spanish as an official language in the Philippines.
December 16 at 2:11am · Like · 3

Pepe Alas It is a shame that we are allowing Spaniards such as the people at ACGM to do the work that we are supposed to be doing for ourselves. It's time to act. It's time for this group to come out from the internet.
December 16 at 2:31am · Like · 2

Pepe Alas Sorry if I keep on using the invader's language, i.e., English, on this thread. This is for the benefit of members who are not yet fluent in Spanish.
December 16 at 2:35am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas Now, first thing's first: a name. Since I do not see any opposition (at least, not yet) on the idea of creating a party-list group to make Spanish as an official language once again, we need to come up with a name.
December 16 at 2:36am · Like · 2

Orion Pérez D. Indeed, perhaps a homegrown Filipino Hispanista group led by Sr. Pepe Alas - whom I think is currently the most visible Hispanista among the emerging leaders' generation (30's) (and moreover, based in the Philippines too) should be formed with ACGM playing a back-up connections-logistical-other support role...

Right now, there are some major areas where Spanish can be made to "infiltrate" mainstream Filipino culture:

1) Spanish-language pop music
2) Ballroom Latin Dance music
3) FOOTBALL Mania (Real Madrid, FCB, Latin American clubs)
4) Call center/Outsourcing jobs
5) Tourism
6) Trade (Mexico/ Venezuela for oil; South America for minerals)
7) Exchange Student Programs (Filipinos sent to Latin America to learn Spanish; Latin Americans sent to the Philippines to learn English AND disseminate Spanish and TEACH competitive Latino-style FOOTBALL TECHNIQUES; and even teach competitive basketball --> Spain does well in basketball too!)
8) Many more

Indeed... What would be a good name? :)
December 16 at 2:37am · Like · 2

Eddie Añonuevo Is there a Hispanic Fiesta in PI? One that recognize and celebrates all the positive contribution that gave birth to our hispanic culture. This fiesta will help eradicate the negative mentality towards the we so called 'kastila'. It will also promote education and a sense of awareness. Its time to to embrace all the contribution of our hispanic culture.
December 16 at 2:46am via mobile · Like · 2

Eddie Añonuevo Id really like to be a part of this but im in the US.
December 16 at 2:47am via mobile · Like

Eddie Añonuevo This fiesta will also unite the filipinos that are spanish speakers. We can organize spanish poem culinary, competition, filipino folk dance etc..
December 16 at 2:51am via mobile · Like · 1

José San Martín ‎@Pepe- While I do agree that Filipinos should be the main ones doing the work for this. We shouldn't deny the Spaniards or anyone else's help either. We need to work together with whoever wants to help us.

@Orion - I like the one you brought up before. Hermandad Hispanista de las Filipinas.

@Eddie - I don't know honestly. But if there isn't that would be another good way to help spread the idea around while putting it in a cultural context. We should definitely add that to the list.
December 16 at 2:57am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual sabi ko ANES-BAKUL, pangalan jajaja. soy partidario de que se llame en Tagalog.
December 16 at 3:04am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual con una traduccion al español, por supuesto.
December 16 at 3:04am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas ‎José, I never mentioned anything that we should deny the Spaniards' or anyone else's support. Please read carefully what I have been writing on this thread. Thank you.
December 16 at 3:05am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas ‎Eddie, I am not aware of such a fiesta existing here. But that would be another marvelous idea. We have to come up with something like that.
December 16 at 3:07am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual How about BAHAGI as the name of the group, sounds like BAHAG, pero bueno, suena bién.
December 16 at 3:10am · Like

José San Martín ‎Pepe - Sorry about that, I misread what you typed.
December 16 at 3:11am · Like

Pepe Alas ‎Orion, thank you for the recognition. Unfortunately, I am not a leader. I can be verbose online, but not in person. I am more of a listener than a speaker. The most I can do is write. What we need is an outspoken leader, someone who can literally speak for us in Congress, somebody who can debate on-the-spot. That is something I can never do, sadly. Even if I may have all the best arguments in the world, for instance, I am 100% sure that I will be easily clobbered in oral arguments because, as I have said, I am not really that articulate in person.

Any takers?
December 16 at 3:11am · Like

Pepe Alas No worries, José mi amigo. It happens sometimes. =)
December 16 at 3:13am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual ‎Pepe Alas, Senator Ed Angara would be good start to bring up the idea, he could suggest allies, leaders, strategies.
December 16 at 3:14am · Like

José San Martín ‎@Raymundo - We do need a Tagalog translation of our name, but I think to make our point it should be written primarily in Spanish.
December 16 at 3:15am · Like

José San Martín ‎"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.

We are a small group now, but as long as we truly dedicate ourselves to this then we will succeed.
December 16 at 3:18am · Unlike · 4

Raymundo Addun Pascual al contrario, en mi humilde opinión, debe de tener un nombre pricipalmente en Tagalog, para acercar el tema a la masa fiipina. La realidad es que con el lavado cerebral que tienen la mayoria de los filipinos sobre ¨España y los españoles¨ , creo se nos aleja de la gente llevándonos el nombre en español a primera orden. Pero no me entiendan mal, sólo digo esto en el comienzo del movimiento, luego el nombre en español se va destacando poco a poco.
December 16 at 3:22am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas Or we can have translations of the name of this would-be party list. One in Spanish, one in Tagalog, and one in English.
December 16 at 3:35am · Like · 2

Tierra Adorada La Lengua Española Filipina, La Comunidad Hispana Filipina, La Liga Filipina Española, La Solidaridad Filipina Hispana, El Partido Español Filipino.
December 16 at 3:37am · Like

Orion Pérez D. La verdad es que los nombres de los dos partidos principales de Filipinas tienen nombres en español...

Nacionalista y Liberal

(Es por eso que "Liberal" se pronuncia con el acento en la última sílaba)
December 16 at 3:42am · Like · 2

Tierra Adorada Si asi es. Tenemos crear una lista de los politicos que apoyaran este movimiento.
December 16 at 3:49am · Like

Tierra Adorada Movimiento del Renacimiento de la Lengua Española? Honestly, its hard to eradicate the word ¨español´.
December 16 at 3:50am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual ‎Orion , mis amigos que son liberalistas, con demasiado inglés en el cerebro, siempre llaman su partido en inglés Liberal Party, y al otro Nacionaliista Party
December 16 at 4:13am · Like

Adelbert Batica Es el Partido Nacionalista, o...Partido Naciona-listo? Pero me acuerdo bien que, durante mi niñez - ambos partidos tenian latifundistas (okay, "hacenderos") como miembros.
December 16 at 4:27am · Like

José San Martín Whatever it's gonna be called, it just has to reflect the Spanish history and culture of the Philippines. I still like "Hermandad Hispanista de las Filipinas", but I also like "La Solidaridad Filipina Hispana". I say we just make a list then put it to a vote.
December 16 at 4:32am · Like · 2

Pepe Alas Nawáy magtulóy-tulóy ná ang adhicáing itó at hindí maguíng niñgas-cogon lamang.
December 16 at 4:49am · Like · 3

José San Martín Where will start though? I've been thinking and I think we should start out in Zamboanga City. The Chabacanos will probably be more receptive to the ideas since they are more hispanic culturally and language wise. Then it could branch out from there.
December 16 at 6:23am · Like · 1

Raymundo Addun Pascual en cavite tambien
December 16 at 6:51am · Like

Pepe Alas The first thing that has to be done is that we meet up in person. But of course, all of us meeting up is quite impossible. All members are located in different parts of the world. So let's be practical. Let us start where the action is: Metro Manila.

We can meet up with the country's leading Hispanist/Filipinista, Señor Guillermo Gómez Rivera. Let us set up a date and a place. Probably next year/month, which is January since many people are busy this month considering the Holiday Season.
December 16 at 8:38am · Like · 2

Pepe Alas Atty. Benedicto, do you see any legal impediments in setting up a political party / party-list organization that will be setup solely to bring back the Spanish language as a co-official language of the Philippines?
December 16 at 8:39am · Like

Pepe Alas I would love to have Senator Angara lead this party-list. However, I don't think that is possible because he is currently serving his fourth term in the Senate. Furthermore, he will be very busy in the coming weeks/months because of this impeachment thing going on.
December 16 at 8:44am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual no, not the senator himself but he might lead you to people.
December 16 at 10:09am · Unlike · 2

José San Martín I wish I could but I'm unemployed and have no money. I may be be getting a well paying job soon though so if we get a solid plain in action perhaps I could make it later next year after I've saved up some money.
December 16 at 12:37pm · Like

Katherine Bea Romero I do think so
December 16 at 2:13pm · Like

Pepe Alas Indios Bravos. Just a suggestion. Or maybe Círculo Hispano-Filipino.
December 16 at 11:14pm · Like

José Angelo Bermúdez I don't mean to butt-in, but I would avoid adding the term 'Hispano' or Spanish to the name just because it might alienate people. I know you consider Filipinos to be 'Hispanic', but most Filipinos do not and probably won't identify with it. There is a tendency to dismiss the cause as something elitist or exclusive to 'Spanish-Filipinos'. I could be wrong here, but that's my take of the Filipino psyche. Circulo Filipino sounds cleaner and more palatable to the masses. Just an honest opinion :)
Saturday at 3:01am · Unlike · 3

Kriztian Jake Sta. Teresa estoy de acuerdo con José Angelo. tenemos que enfatizar en un concepto donde el español es parte innegable de ser filipino. tambien tenemos que informarles a los filipinos, que ser hispanohablante tiene sus ventajas. eso puede ser cultural o economico. pero en mi humilde opinion, sera mas atractivo si enfocamos en las ventajas economicas.
Saturday at 3:10am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas Yes, I think José is right. The word Filipino is enough. Any suggestions for a name? And we all have to agree with it.
Saturday at 3:15am · Like

José San Martín I both agree and respectfully disagree. While I do agree with the thought that we just have "Filipino" in the name it will be received better and probably with much less stigma, I'm afraid if we leave out Spanish/Hispano they won't understand out position. But José Angelo does bring up a good point so I guess we should go for it. But if we go this way then our name definitely has to be primarily in Spanish (With translations in all the other languages of course). I propose something like "La Hermanidad Filipina".
Saturday at 3:25am · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas Anyway, the word "Filipino" is already Spanish.
Saturday at 3:26am · Like · 1

José San Martín I'm just saying. For instance, if we choose the name I proposed, I think we should always primarily say "La Hermanidad Filipina" as opposed to saying it in English, Tagalog and all the other languages to emphasize what we're about. But of course for things like pamphlets, fliers, websites and whatever else we'll have to spread the word about us we should have translations so everyone can read.
Saturday at 3:34am · Unlike · 2

Pepe Alas ‎Javier, espero que leas esta discusión. Necesitamos tu aportación.
Saturday at 3:55am · Like

Adelbert Batica ‎"Indios Bravos" is a good one. We have to ID and define the "marginalized sector" this party-list will represent. (At least that's what the "rules" of the game require.)
Saturday at 6:00am · Like

Eddie Añonuevo I dont think the usage of 'Indios' would be appeal to the modern Filipinos, because the term had long been used by the Spanish to denigrate the indigenous people of the Philippines and the Americas. The use of 'Filipino' is more forward. I like the sound of La Hermanidad Filipina.
Saturday at 6:16am via mobile · Like · 1

Roberto Rico The name "Filipinos" is simple and it clearly defines what the members want to become...real philippinos, with no shame for being filipinos.
Saturday at 6:18am · Like

Tierra Adorada La Hermanidad Filipina suena muy bien.
o puede ser: La Solidaridad Filipina, La Liga Filipina, El Circulo Filipino, La Comunidad Filipina.
Saturday at 8:28am · Like

Tierra Adorada y también quiza, escriba una carta formal a los políticos que puedan ayudar esta causa.
Saturday at 8:32am · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa ‎Eddie Añonuevo,
the term Indios has long been used by the Spanish (and many others) to name the indigenous people from the Philippines and the Americas.

And from India, where Columbus, who first coined the term, thought he had landed. You can say he was being mistaken, but not racist.

There's NOTHING derogatory about the term. NOTHING at all. Rizal used it and he was proud of it. You feel ashamed now because of the military propaganda embedded into the Filipino physique for so long, but it's about time you shake it off once and for all.
Saturday at 9:19am · Unlike · 2

Ronald Bañares whatever decision you all come up to hermanos, suportado co cayo
Saturday at 9:33am via mobile · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas I didn't know that thinking up of a name would be this hard, haha!
Saturday at 9:34am · Like

Pepe Alas Maybe we should just resurrect the name of Rizal's ill-fated La Liga Filipina.
Saturday at 9:35am · Like

Pepe Alas LA LIGA FILIPINA. Like it if you all think it's a perfect name for this political party. =)

Once we have agreed with a name, let's move on to the next process.
Saturday at 9:36am · Unlike · 2

Tierra Adorada La Liga Filipina is perfect because it signifies history and connects from the past and at the same, connect it to the present and the future.
Saturday at 9:38am · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas The name is totally in Spanish, but even the average Filipino as well as kids who do not know Spanish are familiar with it.
Saturday at 9:40am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas So let's go with the name LA LIGA FILIPINA?
Saturday at 9:40am · Like · 3

Tierra Adorada I like it, but members need to vote. List all the names suggest then members should vote.
Saturday at 9:41am · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa Can I suggest you get rid of "La"?
Saturday at 9:43am · Like

Pepe Alas Atención: José Miguel García Juan Luis Garcia Guillermo Gómez Rivera Heyner Espada Montaño Carlos Sánchez Morago Jordi Rodríguez Xavier Ow Young
Saturday at 9:46am · Like

José San Martín My only worry is that some Filipinos might be offended by the name. Since Rizal is seen as generally opposing Spanish rule (Though others say he just opposed Spanish clergy) due to the black legend, I don't know how a party-list group advocating the return of Spanish as a major language with that name will be received.
Saturday at 11:06am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas ‎Guillermo Gómez Rivera Salvador Malig Jaime Fábregas Fernando Zialcita Gemma Cruz Araneta Ed Farolan Javier Acgm Edgardo Angara — Todos ustedes son gente influyente. Ojalá que ustedes puedan hacer algo para ayudarnos a establecer un "party-list group" para reestablecer el idioma español como lengua co-oficial en nuestro país (junto con inglés).
Saturday at 11:21am · Like · 2

Pepe Alas Por favor.
Saturday at 11:32am · Like

Adelbert Batica Yes, "Liga Filipina"!
Saturday at 12:26pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta I do not agree with your idea of establishing a party to bring back Spanish. A language cannot be imposed upon a people, they have to first find it useful in their daily lives and learn to love it. Gemma Araneta
Saturday at 12:53pm via · Like

Heyner Espada Montaño Hello Gemma Cruz Araneta How can the people love the Spanish language and find it useful again?
Saturday at 12:55pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta La Liga Filipina had three objectives none of which specified that we should use the Spanish language. Pls do not take the name of Rizal"s Liga in vain. Give your party another name, please. GCA
Saturday at 12:58pm via · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. Frist, we should stop the continuous and chronic Spanish bashing in our media... we should stop picturing the Spaniards as villains per se. We should emphasize the importance of Spanish in our culture, in our history, in the Spanish civil war which graduated into the Philippine Revolution. Then we can also show how Spanish can help us in the economics of the stomach.... Observe how Japayukis master the Japanese language despite the atrocities the Japanese Imperial Army committed during the War.
Saturday at 1:00pm · Like · 1

Heyner Espada Montaño The letters from the past does not constitute the meaning of the present. Something in history is valuable. Something from the present is worth a space for a fight. Rizal has his own cause we don't take it in vain. Anyway it is just a proposal. ~~peace
Saturday at 1:02pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta I don't know . I find it useful because I can read the works of Rizal, del Pilar, Mabini and others in the language these were written-Spanish. But that is my own personal experience. I like reading contemporary works in Spanish like the novels of Garcia Marquez. But that is me, I cannot speak of the rest of the more than 94 million FiliPinos. Gemma Cruz Araneta
Saturday at 1:03pm via · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. Correct, but the way our civics, and history is being taught in this Tagalog/Filipino dominated educational system, the hatred of Spain, Spaniards and Spanish has reached irrational levels. Such that we have Filipinos denying our true identity. We tend to admire the Chinese, Koreans, and even the once hated Japanese. We envy the Malaysians, and Indonesians, who were then so much behind us right after independence in 1945. And most of all we worship Americans who supposedly delivered us from the evil clutches of Spain.
Saturday at 1:06pm · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. We need to "detox" our people first before we can even make Spanish attractive again.
Saturday at 1:07pm · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa

The reformists' La Liga Filipina | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online
www.mb.com.ph
Saturday at 1:09pm · Like ·

Gemma Cruz Araneta In 2013, the country will celebrate Bonifacio @ 150. Brace yourselves for another ferocious bout of Spanish bashing. GCA
Saturday at 1:12pm via · Like

Heyner Espada Montaño And they will call for Tagalog Nation supremacy of arrogance. No wonder why Martin Delgado from Iloilo at first fought the Katipuneros.
Saturday at 1:15pm · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. Unless, we can show that Bonifacio wrote in Spanish... I remember the poems that you read over in your program, Gemma Cruz Araneta. The fact he could compose those poems show that he had good mastery of the language. We can also emphasize that it was this language that united the Filipino people that lead to a Philippine Revolution. How else could Tagalogs command Warays? Ilocanos command Tagalogs? Tagalogs command Bicolanos? etc., etc. In what language did Filipinos read the works of Rizal? What was the language that inspired many of our nationalist writers? What was the common language of Filipinos during and right after the revolution, unsuccessful as it is thanks or no thanks to the Americans?
Saturday at 1:17pm · Like · 1

Rafael Martinez Minuesa Actually the Chinese, Koreans, Malaysians, Indonesians, and all the rest of Asian countries apart from Japan were far behind the Filipinos right before the US invaded the islands. That's a fact.

Also a fact that Malay and Chinese pirates, Japanese and US military forces have mistreated and massacred the population in ways and numbers that the Spanish never did, in spite of having stayed there for much longer periods of time.

Not sure why people is afraid of acknowledging those historical facts.
The US is gone now, and anyway their leaders are very different from the ones who massacred and oppressed the Filipinos during the last century. They are not going to get mad at you for revealing the truth today.
Saturday at 1:23pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta No, I don't think there will be a call for a "Tagalog" nation, that idea went out of style with Quezon. The National Historical Commission which usually takes charge of these celebrations should receive, as early as now, proposals from all sectors. Address all communications to Dr. Maria Serena Diokno,please.
In the meantime, you may want to read Rio Almario's JACINTINA, recently published by UST Publishing House which Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim launched last 15 Dec at the monument of E Jacinto.; and a previous book of Almario, PANITIKAN ng REBOLUSYON ng 1896. He doesn't bash the Spanish language.
GCA
Saturday at 1:28pm via · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. I agree, but it seems that our educational system is slow in adapting to changes, correcting errors, and updating to changes.
Saturday at 1:30pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta They are not afraid of acknowledging, the people DO NOT KNOW.
Saturday at 1:30pm via · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta I really don't know what our educational system is interested in these days.
Saturday at 1:33pm via · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. A ok... then we should make an effort to make these known... thus, a need for a party list as Pepe Alas proposes. May I suggest that the name should start with either the number 1 or the letter A. So that our party list will be in the top ten, most voters vote the party list without thinking and check the first names that the see on the list.
Saturday at 1:34pm · Like

José Angelo Bermúdez Just an opinion but I don't think a 'detox' is necessary per se. Filipinos are Hispanophobe only in a passive sense. What do I mean? I mean that nobody in the country hates modern Spain or its people. This 'Hispanophobia' is nothing but a FLEETING disdain towards a romanticized concept of the Spanish Empire as well as characters in Rizal's novels. Many Latinos I know (Mexicans mostly)l harbor ill feelings towards this same abstract idea of the colonial Spain. At the end of the day, I really dont think it matters what people think about something that doesn't exist.

The Filipino's negative sentiments towards a bygone empire are harmless. If you can teach them that Spanish is our own and not just the Kastila's and if you can get them to buy into the belief that learning Spanish will benefit them in an economic sense then they WILL learn it regardless of whether or not they continue to hate colonial Spain.
Saturday at 1:37pm · Like · 3

Gemma Cruz Araneta Believe me, that party will be such a turn off.
Saturday at 1:37pm via · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. I hope I am correct... adapting the school curricula to available jobs in the job market, thus, we see courses like Culinary Arts, Multi Media Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Institution Managaement, Hospitality Track, so on and so forth... courses like Engineering will always remain as today there is a dearth of engineers in the country... we also see doctors taking up nursing as a second course... law is now in the back burner, and UP is no longer the prestigious school it was before... it is now over taken by DLSU, DLSU-CSB, ADMU, UAAP, MIT, SFU, among others.
Saturday at 1:41pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Don't even try saying that SPanish is our own, just make it useful economically. Get all the OFWs in Spain to say so. Show more telenovelas with subtitles, not dubbed. You'll see how attitudes will change.
Saturday at 1:43pm via · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. What happened to TVE? Why don't i see it in Sky? Is this part of Spanish bashing? We should promote more Spanish cable channels. How many English language channels are there on cable TV? How many French? How many Korean? How many Chinese? FYI there are even Arabic, and Indian channels.
Saturday at 1:48pm · Like · 1

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. ‎Gemma Cruz Araneta: Subtitles should be in any of the Philippine languages, e.g. Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilongo, Waray, Chabacano, etc., etc.. and not in English. So Filipinos can see the relationship between many of our Philippine languages to the Spanish language.
Saturday at 1:50pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Yes, that is the point.
Saturday at 1:52pm via · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. We can also have a cinema festival of old Filipino movies done in Spanish. We can have subtitles too.
Saturday at 1:52pm · Like · 2

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. As far as I know, we had some pre-war films in Spanish. Now the hard work will be to research on these, recover them, and if allowable, restore them.
Saturday at 1:53pm · Like · 1

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. We can also promote the originals of many Filipino songs, and kundimans which were originally written in Spanish. Guillermo Gómez Rivera has a collection of these, and he has posted them in You Tube. No offense to Don Guimo, but how I wish he could get different singers particularly young ones to sing them... then post in You Tube.
Saturday at 1:57pm · Like · 1

José San Martín I believe Mrs Gemma Cruz Araneta proved my earlier point. If we use "La Liga Filipina" as our name people may get offended the same way. We should just come up with another name. (Sorry if this is a double post. My earlier post disappeared from my page.)
Saturday at 1:57pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Ceferino, it has to be contemporary, none of the white sharkskin Commonwealth suits. I am the only one around who finds that elegant.
Saturday at 1:59pm via · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Contemporary! Singers and songs who are definitely post - Julio Iglesias.
Saturday at 2:02pm via · Like

Pepe Alas Y Josh Santana también.
Saturday at 2:03pm · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa Most likely TVE has been censored in the Philippines again.

It has nothing to do with anti-Spanish feelings, but rather with nudity scenes broadcast during morning time in Philippines (night-time in Spain).

Those scenes are also banned in Spain during daytime, but apparently the people in charge of TVE aren't able to grasp simple global notions such as the Earth spinning around the Sun and those sort of things.
Saturday at 2:06pm · Like

Pepe Alas To make Spanish as a co-official language (once more) does not necessarily mean that it has to be imposed on all Filipinos. In Guatemala, for instance, Spanish is an official language but it is not universally spoken by the indigenous peoples there. The same case with Guinea Ecuatorial.
Saturday at 2:12pm · Like · 1

Gemma Cruz Araneta Oh,dear! Galileo suffered in vain!
Saturday at 2:16pm via · Like

Pepe Alas Or to be on a safer side, why not give Spanish a "cultural language" status, or something like that? The point is to give it back to the people. Because, in the first place, it should have never been taken away from us. I'm sure Rizal et al. would have been happy to hear that an initiative to reinstall Spanish back to its former glory is taking place.
Saturday at 2:16pm · Like · 3

Gemma Cruz Araneta In this utilitarian and materialistic world, it has to be useful, revenue-generating, sad to say.
Saturday at 2:18pm via · Unlike · 2

José Angelo Bermúdez I agree about leading with the economic. That is the only way, unfortunately. The cultural value of the language will be realized later on. It will be inevitable once the number of speakers in the country increases
Saturday at 2:19pm · Unlike · 3

Pepe Alas Me, too. Economics will be and should be at the forefront, definitely. Culture and history/identity will have to take a backseat. That's fine with me. Because in the long run, Spanish will eventually take over the Filipino psyche. It will be inevitable.
Saturday at 2:20pm · Like · 2

Gemma Cruz Araneta It has regained its official language status thanks to Gloria Arroyo.
Saturday at 2:21pm via · Like

José San Martín Spanish would be very useful. I believe it was Mr Orion Pérez D. who showed how it would help by bring in companies from Latin America/Spain, the tourism industry, etc.
Saturday at 2:23pm · Like · 1

Rafael Martinez Minuesa On average a bilingual worker (Spanish-English) makes 30% more in the US.
If we're talking call centers that figure is even higher.
Saturday at 2:24pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Get the OFWs into the picture. Besides, the OfWs are not from the local Spanish mestizaje
Saturday at 2:24pm via · Like

Pepe Alas ‎"It has regained its official language status thanks to Gloria Arroyo."

I don't think this is enough. What I want is that the language should be placed in the mainstream. That the masses will be familiarized with it. That soon there will be at least one or two communities that speak entirely in Spanish. This should become a national movement. Too ambitious, yes. Wishful thinking to many. But I say, one stone at a time. One stone at a time.
Saturday at 2:27pm · Like · 3

José Angelo Bermúdez Sorry, I must have missed this. Spanish has regained its official status? Since when?
Saturday at 2:27pm · Unlike · 1

Rafael Martinez Minuesa What does Spanish mestizaje have to do with anything?

Anyway, one of the strengths of the Philippines is outsourcing, it's taking over India in many aspects. No need to ask OFW's, just ask anybody employed in that industry in the Philippines how much more money they make by being bilingual.
Saturday at 2:28pm · Like

José San Martín Spanish is official in the Philippines?
Saturday at 2:29pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta I don't think that can happen in our lifetime. Mainstream? That's a tall order. And for the masses to use it? I don't think that will ever happen.
Saturday at 2:29pm via · Like

Pepe Alas ‎"And for the masses to use it? I don't think that will ever happen."

Yes. But to see at least a community or two using it would already be a success.
Saturday at 2:30pm · Like · 2

Gemma Cruz Araneta Since Gloria Arroyo went to Spain, signed some kind of a MOA and issued the official documents upon return, an executive order, I think.
Saturday at 2:31pm via · Like

José Angelo Bermúdez From what I've read, these were only initiatives towards promoting the use of the Spanish language, rather than its restoration to official status.
Saturday at 2:32pm · Like

José Angelo Bermúdez If it were restored to official status, we would have won that part of the battle already. How I wish LOL
Saturday at 2:32pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Try it in your own community then, like the Zamboanguenos are using Chabacano.
Saturday at 2:32pm via · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta If they find it useful they will find ways to learn it, like some tourism guides who enroll at the Instituto Cervantes.
Saturday at 2:34pm via · Like

Pepe Alas Spanish is not yet official. What Arroyo did was issue memorandums on its teaching:

1) http://www.deped.gov.ph/cpanel/uploads/issuanceImg/DM%20No.%20490,%20s.%202007.pdf

2) http://www.deped.gov.ph/cpanel/uploads/issuanceImg/DM%20No.%20144,%20s.%202009.pdf

3) http://www.deped.gov.ph/cpanel/uploads/issuanceImg/DM%20No.%20442,%20s.%202009.pdf
Saturday at 2:35pm · Like · 1

José San Martín According to wikipedia "The constitution designates regional languages such as Bicolano, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog, and Waray-Waray as auxiliary official languages, and mandates that Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a voluntary and optional basis" I think you mean when she signed to agree to help promote it and install Philippine Spanish friendship day.
Saturday at 2:36pm · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa I would personally employ a bilingual person, specially for outsourcing
which is what I'm doing. It isn't a romantic reason, it's business.

By the way, I'm actually looking for Web Developers, Designers and Marketing people based in Cebu City. Bilingual preferably, we are bidding on projects that require us to build also a Spanish version of the website.
Saturday at 2:39pm · Like

Heyner Espada Montaño Madam Gemma Cruz Araneta, There has been a superfluous of Nurses after the whole nation thought its a passport to quality life. Now that Spanish call centers started to grow in the Philippines and gave higher compensation than the English counterpart, the increase number of students had been enrolled in language institutions to learn Spanish. If this will be the trend it will surely be possible.
Saturday at 2:39pm · Unlike · 2

Gemma Cruz Araneta Of course, who wouldn't? Nothing to do with romance.
Saturday at 2:40pm via · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta What I heard is that Spanish call centers were shocked to know that there are very few people in this country who speak the language.
What does the mestizaje have to do? Don't you know?
Saturday at 2:41pm via · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa With the added advantage that Filipinos don't have to emigrate anywhere to work on outsourcing>

But they have to be prepared to work night time, Not everybody can do it..
Saturday at 2:42pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta That is why Spanish has to be useful, in the financial sense. That is the only way.
Saturday at 2:42pm via · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa What does the mestizaje have to do? No, I don't.

I can imagine is part of the demonization brain-washing, right?
Saturday at 2:43pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Speaking in Spanish is a point of snobbery. Most locals think so, believe me, I work in Manila City Hall.
Saturday at 2:46pm via · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa Speaking in Spanish is what over 500 million around the world do on a daily basis as their native language. Not to speak of the ones that have it as a second language or are learning it.

It doesn't really matter what a few million think, sorry to say. And I work with people from all over the world. Never ever heard that Spanish is snob or anything like that. It sounds kind of funny to hear that.
Saturday at 2:52pm · Like · 1

Heyner Espada Montaño For us here in Iloilo, Spanish is an old thing. But latest trend for younger generation is equipping themselves with second language. So why not Spanish? Maybe a snob for Cory Aquino generation.
Saturday at 2:55pm · Like

Pepe Alas Nothing wrong with romance. Love will keep us alive.
Saturday at 2:56pm · Like · 1

Gemma Cruz Araneta It's like that in many parts of the country, funny indeed. Ni modo.
Saturday at 2:58pm via · Like

Ronald Bañares if I would be able to learn spanish, then I'd be trilingual already hehe.
Saturday at 3:02pm via mobile · Like · 1

Rafael Martinez Minuesa Oh well, it will go again soon, don't worry.
The Internet has the power of ... Love? :)
Saturday at 3:02pm · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Just do it. I am trilingual.
Saturday at 3:07pm via · Like

Rafael Martinez Minuesa I'm still wondering about the mestizaje part.
Saturday at 3:17pm · Like

José Miguel García For me, a movement such as that which is aiming to recover the language of the developmental intercourse of events that resulted to the birth of our nation, should be named consistent with its aim. If it is "La Liga Filipina" or "Liga Filipina", it would give the impression that we are still in an era of our history under the Spanish Government with reformists calling the attention of the said government for reforms. But we are no longer under the Spanish Government and calling for reforms in the said government. Nor are we continuing the call for such reforms.

If this movement is aiming to recover the Spanish Language back because it is part of the development of our nationhood, it should be clear about the rationale behind such aim. The only rationale is that because today, we do not have a functioning nation. The cause is that we do not have a concept of nation. This was caused by the experience we had when we were born as a nation was snatched away from us. Our experience of having become one of the better economic, political, and educational development in the world during the time we were born as a nation in 1898 was grabbed away. Our experience of having been one of the most potent defense system in the world for having been able to defend our nation against the emerging most powerful nation in the world at that time, the United States of the North Americans when they invaded us in 1898, was buried to be hidden. It was only because the north americans resorted to massive kidnappings and extermination of the civilians among us that those of the defense forces among us, were compelled to give in to their demand for us to surrender to them.

It was these experience of the excellence of our nationhood that was hidden away from us that we have lost our concept of what it is to be a Filipino Nation. Instead, the north americans tampered with our history, and our national developmental code and replaced it with their synthesized developmental code that injured our inherited developmental code- Heredity Injuring Virus.

The rationale is that our era today is the more subtle continuation of the north american invasion and continuous attempt to abort the birth of our nation the invading forces started in 1898. This explains why our defense system today continuous to remain hostile against brother filipinos in conflict with the interests of the north americans. this accounts for why our defense system today remains impotent in defending our nation against foreign invaders. This inspite of the massive U.S. tutoring, guidance, direction, support package, and military aid of our defense system. This accounts for our perpatual dependency on the north americans for our political, economic, defense and educational systems development.

This explains why inspite of the Spaniards having been long out of control of our country, we today, just like we, after one generation of U.S. massive tampering with our educational system in the 1900s, still despise anything Spanish. Spanish food is the only exception to this rule.

This accounts for our having a gap between what we are today, a dysfunctional nation leading to nationhood disintegration- Alienation Impotency Dependency Syndrome, and what we were before we became a nation- disintegrated, disunited, individualistic and clan oriented.

The rationale is that, in order to counter this continuation of this developmental virus, we have to recover that gap which made us not just a nation, but made us experience the peak of our nationhood we never had before and which we have never experienced after. The rationale is that we need to have a counter to this pathological development. We should develop a potent resistance to this pathological developmental strain.

We can refer to our rich treasure of inheritance from our hidden or non-hidden history. We can continue from where Gen Artemio Ricarte or Gen Antonio Luna left. We can refer to the publication of Luna which was, La Patria or La Independencia. Or we can name it in line with this principle of recovering our inheritance.
Saturday at 3:18pm · Unlike · 2

José Angelo Bermúdez It's great that everyone agrees that leading with the economic is the pragmatic approach. I've honestly felt that too much time has been wasted promoting Colonial Spain on this group, rather than the Spanish language itself. There’s been so much regurgitation of pro-Spain trivia and an excess of efforts trying to convince Filipinos that Colonial Spain 'wasn't so bad’ or trying to correct the little inaccuracies or biases taught in schools. It’s a thankless task if you ask me. Trying to clear the name of some bygone empire is a waste of anybody’s time. So long as you teach Filipinos the practical significance of learning Spanish, then they will learn the language. That’s all I care about. I don’t give a hoot about vindicating Colonial Spain.

Go to Instituto Cervantes or even the Modern Language programs in Universities like Ateneo or La Salle. Most (if not all) of the people taking up Spanish are taking it because of its perceived future economic benefits or as a hobby. I can guarantee you absolutely NOBODY is taking it because they read from somewhere that Filipinos had cheap electricity under Spain, or that they were taught that Spain created all this infrastructure or weren’t as cruel as the Brits. None of that stuff is interesting or even remotely relevant to Filipinos. All Filipinos care about is how the language benefits them economically (and to a lesser extent, culturally – which is what Pepe and the rest of us want). As far as Colonial Spain’s reputation, to hell with that.
Saturday at 3:22pm · Like · 1

Rafael Martinez Minuesa In my humble opinion (and I'll leave you guys alone) you must use what you already have. You have the English language, use it.

But you also have Spanish language and culture, it's not just the food.. Most Filipinos who have learned Spanish will tell you how easy it was for them to learn, because is there, it has never been lost.

All countries are mixed race, all are mestizaje, Spain, England, US, Malaysia, there's no country on Earth whose people isn't mixed-race, whoever tells you the opposite is lying to you. It's time you part away with so much BS

Bye
Saturday at 3:27pm · Like · 3

Gemma Cruz Araneta Exactly! The language should once and for all be separated from colonial politics. If it is useful, Filipinos will learn it. Those who think that speaking Spanish is unpatriotic are grossly misinformed.
Saturday at 3:30pm via · Like · 3

Orion Pérez D. Ma'am Gemma, you might be right that a party-list focused solely on reinstating Spanish might be considered a "turn-off" by those who do not understand the reasons (or by those who refuse to understand it)... However, what if a party/party-list is established with a somewhat broader set of aims to reinstate the Philippines' historical primacy (and historical preservation of heritage sites/historical buildings) as they were in the late 1800's?

Bringing Spanish back would definitely/totally/absolutely be part of it, as would simple things like preservation of historical buildings, the return-to-use of historical coats of arms issued by the Spanish Crown to old cities, and even taking steps to return the Philippines to becoming the trading hub between the Americas and Asia.

Pepe's suggestion that perhaps we could start first with giving Spanish a special "cultural language" or "special historical language" status might be a good first step.

Whether we like it or not, we need to learn "How the Gringos did their Sajonizacón campaign to us" to know how we could at least get back that part of our identity that we lost.

And how did the Gringos do it? Mass-media. Radio. Movies. Television. Newspapers. The School system.

And better JOB OPPORTUNITIES for those who spoke English.

Indeed, because of these steps, English started to take root sometime after twenty years of Gringo occupation (the first 20 years still had the educated/prosperous sectors of the Philippines being a largely Hispanophone society, but on the 20th, 30th year, the products of the Anglicized public school system were just coming out of school)

So if we could at least do the same:

USE MASS-MEDIA...

Radio (FM - for Latino, Spanish pop/dance music interspersed with bilingual English-Spanish music introductions and talk shows and news presentations - taken straight from Agencia EFE feeds)

Radio (AM - for pure talk shows - mostly in Spanish but relaxed enough to allow guests to use English or Vernacular words here and there - and "how to learn Spanish effectively" programs that will be in English - meant for beginners, but will concentrate on teaching conversational phrases)

TV/Cable - Have channels with subtitles dedicated to just presenting Spanish-language movies and TV series.

Movies - aggressively promote the Spanish-language Cinema genre. Market them CHEAPLY.

Newsletters/Internet Blogs - Pepe's doing a great job with that; Also back in the early 90's, Salvador Malig was editor of the Spanish section "Crónica de Manila"

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

No ifs, no buts: Remove protectionist provisions in the constitution to allow foreign investors in... Among those ready and willing to come in are SPANISH and Latin American companies who see trade with the booming Asian Region as a must, and where else should they base their Asian Regional Operations other than "one of their own?"

As more and more Spanish and Hispano-american companies set up in the Philippines, providing obvious higher salary incentives for those who are equipped to speak Spanish.

Right now, in BPO and Call Centers companies in the Philippines, those equipped to speak Spanish and English command better salaries than those who only speak English.

Ultimately, JOB OPPORTUNITIES are the areas where a language becomes useful and totally takes roots.

SCHOOL SYSTEM:

If the school system brings Spanish back even first as an elective, it will make Filipinos who come in contact with the RADIO shows, TV episodes, MOVIES, Internet blogs more equipped to really understand what's churned out for the Spanish-language mass media initiatives.

Schools that have a Spanish program cannot and should not just limit Spanish to the classroom...

They should have SIGNAGE that is bilingual: EXIT/SALIDA; LIBRARY/BIBLIOTECA; etc

More importantly, there should be more tie-ups with schools in Spain and Latin America for exchange programs... Send Filipino students to universities in Spanish-speaking countries and bring in Latino/Spanish students to the Philippines for cultural exchanges.

RETIREES MARKET:

...Very much related to the JOB OPPORTUNITIES part, Spain's graying population can retire to comfortable but inexpensive areas in the Philippines (preferably create an enclave where many of them can be together) where opportunities for "caregivers" and nurses who know Spanish will be created.

Moreover, these Spanish retirees can even offer their services as Spanish-language TUTORS to students studying Spanish in the nearby schools.

This can in fact be a basis for Pepe's idea of having Spanish-speaking enclaves and communities in the Philippines...

OVERALL:

With many other Asians also looking to learn Spanish, the Philippines can become another magnet for students learning Spanish (and even ICM is experiencing this: Koreans are enrolling in Instituto Cervantes).

(Many months ago when I was still in Manila, I was together with Mr. Manoling Morato & Mrs. Carmen Navarro vda de Pedrosa meeting with Mr. Pepe Rodriguez, and he toured us around the classrooms in ICM and in a few classrooms, I saw a lot of Korean students. Many many years ago, in one advanced Spanish course I took in ICM, I had a Japanese classmate and an Indonesian classmate.)

This is akin to tourism revenue but is even more long-term. Ultimately, the main point should always be to make this initiative into something that translates into JOBS and economic opportunities for Filipinos.

When Filipinos realize that speaking Spanish PAYS (and pays better than speaking English alone), then that's when Filipinos will really FLOCK towards learning Spanish...

...VOLUNTARILY and with GUSTO. :)

************

This will work...

The Gringos DID IT TO US and turned the originally Hispanic Filipinos into Sajonistas, but we can use the same process and mixture of "ingredients" in order to RECTIFY the situation.

At the very least, these will be steps that will enable the transformation we seek. And we'll be more ECONOMICALLY-VIABLE as a result.
Saturday at 3:37pm · Like · 5

Orion Pérez D. ‎...Almost forgot...

If in Schools, the native-speaking Spanish-language teachers had HALF of their staff being Latin Americans who "look Pinoy", then guess what, Spanish will lose its association with Caucasianness and will be seen more and more as a language that can be spoken regardless of racial background.

Sometimes, there's a psychological perception-barrier that occurs when people only see "white faces" speaking Spanish on TV/Movies... But when more and more Filipinos accept that "brown people" speak Spanish too - by showing them more movies and cinemas from Latin America that portray ordinary "brown" people speaking in Spanish, then definitely there will be less of this psychological issue.

...Having Spanish-speaking Latin American exchange students from the more "indígena" countries where the people are more likely to resemble Filipinos in terms of looks and complexion will work wonders in getting more and more students to want to learn Spanish.

********

I almost forgot too... Use the increasing interest in FOOTBALL in order to get more Spanish-language footage of Latin American and Spanish League football/"soccer" games which will definitely feature INTERVIEWS with the star players and/or coaches. Instead of dubbing the interviews in English, have them subtitled.
Saturday at 3:47pm · Like · 3

Gemma Cruz Araneta That is why the OFWs should be brought into the picture, telenovelas from Latin America where not everyone is white and they are not Spaniards, foot ball players and boxers who do not come from the elite are effective purveyors of the Spanish language.
Saturday at 3:53pm via · Like · 1

Adelbert Batica My good friend, Raymundo, hangs out with folks who look very ilocana and who only speak da spanis. It's high time for the Filipino to stop thinking about "Spanish" in terms of the "Padre Kastila" or the "Guardia Civil". Many of the personalities I admire the most, were Spanish speakers, among them - Camilo Torres, Che Guevara, Jacobo Arbenz, to name a few.
Sunday at 1:37am · Like · 1

Raymundo Addun Pascual Adelbert, ilocano ak, jejejeje ilocana ni Mayang.
Sunday at 3:20am · Like

Pepe Alas ‎"I can guarantee you absolutely NOBODY is taking it because they read from somewhere that Filipinos had cheap electricity under Spain, or that they were taught that Spain created all this infrastructure or weren’t as cruel as the Brits."

I agree. That is why few individuals like me exist. To make some noise. I am compelled to exalt our colonial past because (among MANY other things) I wish for our countrymen to gain the self-respect that they used to have, and to battle neocolonization.
Sunday at 3:46am · Like · 3

Carlos Sánchez Morago To exalt a colonial past doesn't mean anything bad. Spain once was a province of the Roman Empire and when I say that was good doesn't mean I think italians are better and that I want to be italian because I have any sort of inferiority complex XD
Sunday at 3:51am · Unlike · 3

Pepe Alas ‎José Miguel García is correct. Maybe it's not OK to use Rizal's "La Liga Filipina" for a name. Let's just think of something else.
Sunday at 4:53am · Like · 1

Orion Pérez D. Asociación para el Progreso Filipino

(just suddenly thought of using something that starts with A so that it would be at the top of the list. The name is simple enough for everyone to understand. And it doesn't sound too "Spanish" because it sounds "vernacular" enough.)

And for short, "Progresistas" would be the nickname... ;)
Sunday at 5:02am · Unlike · 3

Pepe Alas I'm OK with that. How about the others? ¿Qué tenéis en mente?
Sunday at 5:10am · Like

José San Martín I'm ok with it too.
Sunday at 5:31am · Like

Eddie Añonuevo Also our party should also support the preservation of our heritage landmarks, for these special place tells stories about of our past. For example the restoration of Intramuros in Manila, the heritage houses in Binondo, Iloilo, Cavite etc. They should be restore for the interest of education, preserving our history, and heritage, and eventually tourism will take place also in the process.
Sunday at 7:27am via mobile · Like · 1

Eddie Añonuevo Wow it sounds so overwhelming to do all this, thats alot of work, i think its very patriotic and very Filipino. If we dont do it then who will.
Sunday at 7:31am via mobile · Unlike · 2

Eddie Añonuevo I know that these ideas might not be a priority but i think our party should also colaborate with environmetalist or groups of filipinos who are trying to preserve our historic and natural treasures.
Sunday at 7:46am via mobile · Like

Eddie Añonuevo Omg! 'Man in the mirror' song by michael jackson played while i was typing this lol.
Sunday at 7:52am via mobile · Like

Tierra Adorada Asociacion para el progreso filipino is nice.
Sunday at 8:30am · Unlike · 1

Adelbert Batica ‎"Frente Amplio Filipino", pero la aggrupacion debe tener un program progresista. Asi que los de las izquerdas no nos puedan atacar; y si nos atacan los de Derechas, pues - salimos como los "good guys" en peliculas waspo usenses.
Sunday at 8:36am · Like

Carlos Sánchez Morago ¿Qué es un "programa progresista"?
Sunday at 8:39am · Like

Guillermo Gómez Rivera The Filipino language, Tagalog, Chabacano, Bisaya, Ilocano, Bicol, etc. will all be strengthened if the 32 letter abecedario is restored in the teaching of Filipino (based in Tagalog and all our other native languages including Chabacano). In the implementation of the K-12 policy that includes the use of the native mother tongue, the restoration and use of the 32 letter alphabet will do good to all Filipinos even in the need to restore Spanish to them.
Sunday at 9:17am · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. I agree... dunno why the geniuses in government had to reinvent the wheel, and fix what ain't broke.
Sunday at 9:18am · Like

Guillermo Gómez Rivera Let us all write Fr. Armin of DECS to put the 32 letter Abecedario, read in a mix of Batangas Tagalog and Cavite Chabacano. And that will sold the illiteracy problem of RP and also restore notions of Spanish to our people.
Sunday at 9:20am · Like

Guillermo Gómez Rivera El idioma Filipino, el tagalo y todas nuestras lenguas indígenas, quedarán reforzadas si el abecedario de 32 letras, antes utilizado por todas nuestras lenguas, se restaura con la enseñanza de nuestras lenguas maternas según la nueva politica de instrucción dinominada K-12.
Sunday at 9:21am · Like · 1

Guillermo Gómez Rivera Todos los favorecedores del retorno del idioma español a Filipinas deben exribirle al Hermano Armin del DECS que restaure en la enseñanza de nuestros idiomas maternos este idioma materno.
Sunday at 9:22am · Like · 2

Pepe Alas Pero Señor Gómez, ¿está de acuerdo con esta idea de crear un partido político (un "party-list" nomás) para reestablecer el idioma español como idioma oficial (junto con tagalo e inglés) de Filipinas?
Sunday at 9:30am · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta You don't need a political party to return the 32 -letter alphabet. Can you imagine shepherding an alPhabet bill though Congress?
Sunday at 9:39am via · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta It may sound good to you but , in my opinion, it sounds anachronistic. Besides, the heritage conservationists are already succeeding in spreading the advocacy, slowly but surely, without invoking the SpAnish language. The key to achievements in heritage conservation is adaptive re-use which makes built heritage an income-generating asset. The Tourism sector has finally grasped that, the Office of the President also. The PPP will turn Mla Post Office into a 5-star hotel, conserving it at the same time. The urban rehab will include heritage structures south of the Pasig and this will surely spread to across the river. So, I do not think you should use heritage conservation (of any historical period) to promote and /or advocate the "return" of any language. Your efforts, though well-meaning, will not help the cause of heritage conservation in this country. Gemma Cruz Araneta
Sunday at 9:39am via · Like

Ceferino Benedicto Jr. If the Post Office will be converted into a five star hotel, where will be our main Post Office?
Sunday at 9:57am · Like

Pepe Alas This party-list group is not just about heritage conservation. I've already said my piece about this issue in the article that I posted here (the blogpost above).
Sunday at 10:25am · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Acc to the director, their operations have been reduced and they don't even use the entire building.
Sunday at 10:29am via · Like

Gemma Cruz Araneta Obviously. But there seems to be an intention to use heritage conservation (and environment was also mentioned) to gain ground .Gca
Sunday at 10:34am via · Like

Pepe Alas That is just a suggestion from Eddie Añonuevo.
Sunday at 10:54am · Like

Fernando Zialcita Post Office as hotel? Gasp!! Looks too forbidding! Plus it's in the middle of traffic. Another Shopping Mall? He-he. The Courts of Justice that were supposed to be built on the site of the demolished Jai-Alai might be better located here. It is grand and imposing. This was one of the anchors of the Civic Center conceived of by Daniel Burnham and the American government -- a la The Mall of Washington DC. Our Civic Center was supposed to begin at the Post Office and extend down to the Bay and included in its scope: Metropolitan Theater, City Hall, the National Library (now Museum), the Departments of Agriculture and Finance (now Museum and DOT), Luneta, and the Grandstand.

Fernando
Sunday at 8:57pm via · Like · 2

Juan Luis Garcia me pregunto porqué la señora Araneta no es más pro-activa en su blog y sus artículos con la defensa del español ? Les guste o no, el idioma español es herencia fundacional, histórica y patrimonial para los filipinos.
Sunday at 9:16pm · Unlike · 2

Gemma Cruz Araneta Dear Fernando, be happy that it will be given adaptive re-use which will save it from the wrecker's ball. Gemma
Sunday at 11:05pm via · Like

Orion Pérez D. Dr. Z, methinks they got their idea straight off from Singapore's re-use of the Singapore Post Office into the Fullerton Hotel which used to be the Post Office Building of Singapore as well and somehow resembles the Manial Post Office as well.

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/public/-Nyr2VvNTr9hRv2IYXMBgSXN74gAaskKloXf4OzfxUrgB4-5zUT79p2wdY_z0sqXGaXKqYEUiuR49tPuTfdjG_O1W79Z4BRmdYd1fS5ZMFormAxciErPO7_X

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By the way, to everyone interested in looking at how Lee Kuan Yew got Mandarin becoming the de facto "language of Singapore's ethnic Chinese" there's a book called "My Lifelong Challenge: Singapore's Bilingual Journey."

It talks about how Singapore made the majority ethnic-Chinese community of Singapore which used to speak a lot of different Southern Chinese "dialects", mostly Hokkien, then Teochew, Cantonese, Hokchew, Hokchia, Kwongsai, Toisan, Hainanese, Hakka, etc, end up using Mandarin - a foreign language from the North.

Mandarin was, for all practical purposes, a foreign tongue to all of them. Hokkien (called "Fookkien" by the Cantonese, and is the term used informally in the Philippines) had the most numerous speakers, Teochew next... Mandarin, however, was the pronunciation used by by Magistrates in Yuan (Mongol/Khan-ruled), Ming, and Qing (Manchu-ruled) China when communicating among themselves.

Mandarin was also officially used by Communist Mainland China and Kuomintang Taiwan while the Southern "dialects" would be used only by a few overseas communities.

Mandarin had an advantage: it was a neutral minority language which historically had high educational and official prestige, which most Southern Chinese did not use natively at home... Mandarin is what Southern Chinese used to speak to those other Southern Chinese who did not speak their own native "dialect." Mandarin, in the 1800's, was what a Hokkien used to communicate with a Cantonese or Hakka speaker.

This is analogous to the issue with Spanish: It was a neutral minority language which HISTORICALLY had high education and official prestige, which most native Filipinos did not use natively at home... Spanish is what a Filipino used to speak to other Filipinos who did not speak their own native language. Spanish, in the 1800's, was what a Tagalog used to communicate with a Cebuano or an Ilocano speaker.

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I would suggest this book to everyone who is looking to help revive Spanish in the Philippines.

While the focus of the book itself is about how Mandarin was promoted in Singapore, the insights are clearly useful to us for our struggle and the hindsight knowledge we get from LKY's experience will come in very handy.

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/public/-Nyr2VvNTr9hRv2IYXMBgSXN74gAaskKloXf4OzfxUrgB4-5zUT79p2wdY_z
lh4.googleusercontent.com
Sunday at 11:45pm · Like ·

Orion Pérez D.

Launch of "My Lifelong Challenge: Singapore's Bilingual Journey" by Lee Kuan Yew
www.asiaone.com
Lianhe Zaobao and The Straits Times will jointly launch a new book by Mr Lee Kuan Yew on Nov 28 at the Singapore Conference Hall.
Sunday at 11:46pm · Like ·

Pepe Alas The Spanish language IS our own. Whether you like it or not. Es talismán del alma filipino. We need to take that power back.
Yesterday at 1:05am · Like · 3

Pepe Alas ‎"Speaking in Spanish is a point of snobbery. Most locals think so, believe me, I work in Manila City Hall."

This should never be made a basis of not promoting the Spanish language. If locals think that speaking Spanish is a point of snobbery, then let us make it's censure as part of this party-list's goals. Let us help these locals unveil themselves of this cloak of ignorance instead of letting them walking in the dark. That is the right way of thinking.
Yesterday at 1:12am · Like · 2

Pepe Alas But I am confident that the die is cast. A large majority of this Facebook page wants the Spanish language back in the Philippines (in an official status) at all cost, whether if it's for economic or "romantic" reasons. What we have to do now is ACT. Let us first think of a name for this party-list group. I'm already OK with Orion's suggestion. I just couldn't figure out how to finalize it. And after finalizing it, let's move on to the next level:

We (or at least, those who can make it) all meet up.
Yesterday at 1:17am · Like

Orion Pérez D. Ma'am Gemma, those "locals" have forgotten that back in the early 1900's, speaking in Spanish was the normal thing that educated Filipinos would do and not-so-educated Filipinos would aspire to, while speaking in English was the point of snobbery.

That's why we need to co-opt media: popularize Spanish through Spanish pop-music (Shakira, Bisbal, Selena, Daddy Yanky, Wisin y Yandel, etc) and Spanish dance music (mambo, chacha, merengue, salsa, tango, etc), and get the cinemas showing subtitled movies (into English and the vernaculars) that feature "Pinoy-looking" Latin Americans from humble backgrounds (pref. not from Argentina/Chile) as characters to make ordinary Filipinos identify more with them.

This is a sort of Propaganda Movement of sorts and we need to hit the psychology right...
Yesterday at 1:19am · Unlike · 4

Raymundo Addun Pascual one strategy is to feature more Latin American, rather than Spanish (of Spain) commonalities with the Philippines.
Yesterday at 1:23am · Like · 3

Orion Pérez D. ‎...it's a two pronged attack:

1) get Filipinos realizing that Spanish suits us (it is spoken by people just like us), plus it was already spoken by our ancestors...

2) get as many jobs requiring Spanish ability to come into the Philippines in order to "reward" those who made it a point to learn it well. When learning Spanish pays, people will learn Spanish. (Hate to say it but I think it was Sir Ceferino who mentioned that Japayukis or aspiring Japayukis learn to master Japanese because of the obvious economic benefits that learning Japanese affords them.
Yesterday at 1:23am · Like · 2

Pepe Alas ‎Guillermo Gómez Rivera José Miguel García Juan Luis Garcia Heyner Espada Montaño Carlos Sánchez Morago Jordi Rodríguez Xavier Ow Young — Por favor ayúdenme finalizar un nombre para este partido político que estamos planeando.
Yesterday at 1:27am · Like

Orion Pérez D. Oh, and I meant "Argentina and Uruguay", not so much in taking out Chile because Chile actually does have a significant population that looks "Filipino" or at least Filipinos can identify with... That aspect is very important because that makes it easier to break down the psychological "hindi ako bagay" barrier.

When I taught English and Spanish (as an extra sideline) in China back in 2004-2005, students learned a lot more from me than from their white English teachers or even the Caucasian Spanish teachers because they identified more with me, them feeling that I looked Asian enough, had black hair - like them - for them to emulate the way I'd speak. The students' parents confided in me in saying that the students felt "if an Asian like him can pronounce English/Spanish natively and authentically the way he does, then so can we."

(I taught the Gringo accent when teaching English, and used a Mexican seseo accent when teaching Spanish because many had trouble doing the TH sound)
Yesterday at 1:30am · Like · 2

Juan Luis Garcia IDENTIDAD FILIPINA
Yesterday at 1:31am · Like

Javier Acgm Hi Pepe, thanks for mentioning Asociación Cultural Galeón de Manila (ACGM) in your post above. Our group aims to promote the awareness of Spanish-Philippine ties through conferences and research on Philippine culture and history. Rather than aim for the recovery of the Spanish language in RP, ACGM tries to raise the awareness of our common culture and historical bonds. Bringing back Spanish is the prerogative of Filipinos. We can only support you, and inform our audience in Spain of these ties. The TV documentary which we are working on, is an example of this. BTW, thank you Pepe, and thank you Gemma Cruz Araneta for your participation in that project.
Yesterday at 1:59am · Unlike · 2

Adelbert Batica Raymundo - I try my best to project the Latin American side as much as I can, mainly because I'm more familiar with that part of the globe. I've never been to Espanya, and my associations with Spanish speakers right here in the heart of Waspolandia have been with Latin Americans. Still, the miseducation of the Filipino has really grown huge and strong roots, that even some of my good friends on the Philippine Left would try to mock me when they heard me speaking kastila with Salvadorenos, Guatemaltecos, and others (during the Central American crisis). At the same time, I have to agree with Pepe - we don't have to yield to the ignorant. Like we've been saying all along - Spanish became the language of the Philippine Revolution. And people better not forget that!
Yesterday at 3:19am · Unlike · 3

José San Martín So then "Asociación para el Progreso Filipino" is the party-list group name?
Yesterday at 3:33am · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas ‎"So then "Asociación para el Progreso Filipino" is the party-list group name?"

Maybe we should arrive at a consensus. Or we choose among the best five names, then have the members vote which one they think is the best.
Yesterday at 3:37am · Like

Pepe Alas Ewan co lang cung di cayó maiyác. Vamos a ver si este vídeo no emocionéis hasta el punto de llorar.



This "OFW phenomenon" must be put to an end. It may have brought economic gains to the country, but it has left millions of Filipino families in emotional anguish.
Yesterday at 3:37am · Like ·

José San Martín I just didn't know if it was official yet or not. When do we vote then?
Yesterday at 3:40am · Like

Pepe Alas We already have ""Asociación para el Progreso Filipino" from Orion Pérez D. and "Identidad Filipina" from Juan Luis Garcia. Let's wait for three more suggestions.
Yesterday at 3:41am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual otro ejemplo del lavado de cerebro de los Filipinos: cuando comenté en un blog que ¨ojala¨ se enseñe una vez mas el español en Filipinas, el autor o la autora respondio: ¨ipagdasal mo na rin na bumalik and and mga español sa Filipinas¨¨. como si eso si tuviera que ver. Ang tatanga !!! y se atreven a escribir blogs además para escritores envenar mas la juventud filipina. El lavado celebral empieza desde la niñez, en el cole sobre todo. Lei algo que , creo que era David Salcedo Sánchez quien compartio una pagina de uno de los textos que se utilizan en la primaria que contiene esas insensateces de la colonización española.
Yesterday at 3:42am · Like

Pepe Alas I am encouraging more Filipino members to join this forum and to make suggestions (no disrespect to our foreign brothers).
Yesterday at 3:42am · Like

José San Martín If I may, I re-submit my suggestion for "La Hermanidad Filipina".
Yesterday at 3:42am · Unlike · 1

José San Martín Just so there's more options, I do like Mr Pérez' suggestion more though.
Yesterday at 3:43am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual Frente Hispanista Revolucionaria!!!! lol
Yesterday at 3:46am · Like

Carlito Daguman OK Fidel..... LMAO!
Yesterday at 3:56am · Like · 1

Raymundo Addun Pascual opps RevolucionariO dapat, kasi masculino yung frente. i correct myself for those of us who are still learning spanish.
Yesterday at 4:05am · Like · 1

Pepe Alas You were correct. Frente is feminine: LA FRENTE.
Yesterday at 4:32am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual no, Pepe, El frente (association, mass movement), La frente (head part)
Yesterday at 4:48am · Unlike · 1

Carlos Sánchez Morago Pero frente de batalla es masculino: El frente :P

A menos que quieras decir que tu frente, la de tu cabeza, es revolucionaria XD frente es masculino :P
Yesterday at 4:48am · Like

Pepe Alas Ay, meganón palá. Di co alám, ¡hahaha!
Yesterday at 4:51am · Like

Pepe Alas So far, here are the suggested names for this party-list group that we're planning to mobilize for the Spanish language in the Philippines:
1) Asociación Para el Progreso Filipino (Orion Pérez D.)
2) Identidad Filipina (Juan Luis Garcia)
3) La Hermanidad Filipina (Jose José San Martín)
4) Frente Hispanista Revolucionario (Raymundo Addun Pascual: ¿serioso, chong? lol. Bacá ipasará tayo ni P-Noy, ¡haha!)
Any more suggestions?
Yesterday at 4:58am · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual Jejej, Pepe, yung Frente, yun yung underground and armed department ng Party list. lol
Yesterday at 5:16am · Like

Adelbert Batica Raymundo - "Frente Amplio Filipino" na lang, para legal org, tulad ng Frente doon sa Uruguay.
Yesterday at 5:30am · Like

José Miguel García I do not know if this name for a political party already exists today. First of all, this is not the Nacionalista Party of Manny Villar. This is the original Partido Nacionalista, the political front founded by Gen Macario Sakay, Santiago Alvarez, and Pascual Poblete, leaders of the filipino defenders against the north american aggressors. The vision of this party was the liberation from control of our nation by the U.S. who were tampering with our national identity and development. Since we have the same vision today I would suggest two names if with your permission: 1. PARTIDO NACIONALISTA; and if we want to avoid potential stumbling blocks then we opt for 2) PARTIDO NACIONALISTA FILIPINA.

Manuel Quezon took this name for his own but with a superficial goal of independence.

For more insights on this name PARTIDO NACIONALISTA, refer to: http://www.filipinojournal.com/alberta/our-columnnist/philippine-history/macario-sakay-supreme-president-of-the-republic-of-katagalugan-1901-1907-a-true-revolutionist-and-patriot.html

Macario Sakay: Supreme President of the Republic of "Katagalugan" ( 1901-1907 ): A True Revolutionist
www.filipinojournal.com
Filipino Journal Alberta - a Filipino Canadian journal newspaper in Alberta Canada and the pulse of Filipino community since 1987
Yesterday at 9:53am · Unlike · 1
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Pepe Alas ¡Me encanta!
21 hours ago · Like

Raymundo Addun Pascual Ito serioso: Asociación Nueva Generacíon Filipina . justificación: it begins with A, it emphasizes the role of the youth, it somehow connotes a break from the old elitist tradition....
21 hours ago · Unlike · 3

Pepe Alas I'm just waiting for confirmation from the other administrators of this page. Once they are all OK with the suggested names for the party-list, then we will have an election via the "Ask Question" tool.
20 hours ago · Unlike · 4

Pepe Alas People, please help spread the word about this campaign of ours, particularly to those who are non-members. We have to make this party-list a reality. I believe that we are all in congruence that the Spanish language must be given back its official status in the constitution.
8 hours ago · Like · 1

Jojo Mercado Angeles Lopez i am asking alot of our filipino friends here in Canada to also join with us and to to know about this group
7 hours ago · Unlike · 1

Pepe Alas Gracias, Jojo. =)
6 hours ago · Like

Pepe Alas Damas y caballeros, les pido su permiso para publicar este hilo de discusión en mi blog ALAS FILIPINAS.
18 minutes ago · Like

Pepe Alas Quisiera publicarlo también en FILIPINO eSCRIBBLES. Gracias por adelantado.
about a minute ago · Like

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Si ustedes quieren ser parte de este movimiento histórico, por favor únase a nosotros en Facebook.

El idioma español debería estar de vuelta en Filipinas... ¡Ahora mismo!