“Filipino Language; A Dynamic Medium that Bridges Cultural Differences”
(A Reaction Paper on the Article “The Metamorphosis of Filipino as National Language”)
“Man is a dynamic reality” (Feztin, n.d.). He is capable of conforming himself to different circumstances or events that may confront him. He can adjust to other realities of life that are offered in the course of his existence on earth. Thus, just like man, language has also its own dynamicity. As man evolves in his day to day living, language also transforms according to the needs of its environment. For this matter, I can say that, language has a placed in the existence of man. Lewis Mumford (1966) once wrote in his work entitled “The Miracle of Language”;
“Modern man lives in the world of words, and the kind of world he lives in depends to a surprising extent on the words he uses, reads and hears…”
Just like many other languages, the Filipino language also had its own journey before its recognition as the national language for the Filipinos. It also undergone many issues and arguments, debates and comments before finally it reached the highest pedestal of linguistic supremacy in the Philippines. Indeed, those are the things discussed on the article written by Jessie Grace U. Rubrico on her “The Metamorphosis of Filipino as National Language.” She pointed out the events that unfold throughout the history in which the Filipino language was questioned, criticized and doubted by some scholars and grammarians. The article also emphasized the evolvement of such language from its limited lexicons until it was added from the borrowings from other languages such as English and Spanish and how this Filipino language conformed to the needs of other cultures throughout the land. Lastly, and perhaps the most important of all is that, this article showed how the Filipino language bridged cultural differences among Filipino people.
As a Filipino youth of today, I believe that there is really a great need for us, Filipinos, to have a language that is common to all and will serve as our national expression of communication. Thus, I believe that we should be thankful for having Filipino as our national language. We should be thankful to the many individuals, mandated groups, government offices, linguists, grammarians and language advocates who really worked hard in accomplishing a remarkable task---to create a language that will serve as our identity as Filipino nation. The dynamicity of such language really filled the gap between cultural differences among people from different provinces of the Philippines. From having very limited lexicons, the Filipino language emerged to a fully bloomed medium that every Filipino people are using now especially when it comes to their intercultural dialogue. Indeed, I also believe that a national language must not come from a certain or single dialect from our country or from other countries because if and then the case will be like that, chaos will be a great possibility among cultures. In addition with this, I also believe that a national language must not be indeed a foreign language, the English language for example. It will only denote our individuality as Filipino people. Personally, just like the proponents of the Filipino language, I believe that a national language must be a union or the reduction of the principal dialects of the islands so that it will not create any bias to each existing cultures of our land. Hence, I believe that the Filipino language stand brightly and proudly on this matter.
In the end, I say that it is always great and we are indeed blessed in having a common language that serves as our spirit as one Filipino nation. However, it is our responsibility as Filipino people to take care of this treasure and to be always proud of it no matter where we may be. Indeed, just like a man, the Filipino language also proved to the whole world that it can be of something. Just like man, the Filipino language is indeed a “magnum miraculum” (great miracle).
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