Activity 7: Read the following passage and analyze the author’s purpose, tone and persuasive techniques used by completing the table that follows it.
Exit Essay: Save the Filipino Language
The Filipino language plays a huge part in the lives of the countrymen. It is the heart and soul of the country as it symbolizes oneness in words, speech, and thought. Language is something one continuously learns as he/she grows up. Truly, a country’s language paves way for bigger and better opportunities that will benefit everyone. But what will happen to this optimistic view of the future if the means of learning one’s language is taken away from him? This has been one of the hottest issues present in Philippine society today – the exclusion of the Filipino subject in the tertiary level.
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has already released a revised general education (GE) curriculum that implements the dropping of the mandatory Filipino subjects on the tertiary level. The CHED memorandum order on the new curriculum notes that the integration of GE courses in senior high school – Grades 11 and 12 – has created a window for the revision of the current curriculum in colleges. According to CHED, the revision of the curriculum aims to promote the development of a student’s intellectual competency, personal and civic competency, and practical skills. CHED also claims that the Filipino subjects taken under the K to 12 program are sufficient given that students already have 108 hours under the said subject in Grade 11 alone. “The proposed GEC strips away remedial courses, those that duplicate subjects in Grades 11 and 12, and introductory courses to the disciplines,” CHED explained in CMO 20-2013.
The new curriculum includes the following core courses: Understanding the Self; Readings in Philippine History; The Contemporary World; and Mathematics in the Modern World. Also included are Purposive Communication; Art Appreciation; Science, Technology and Society; and Ethics. It requires three courses on the Arts & Humanities; Social Sciences & Philosophy; and Mathematics Science and Technology clusters. It also mandates the three-unit Life and Works of Rizal course. As a whole, the number of GEC units has been reduced from the current 63-51 units down to 36 units for all college students.
The revision of the curriculum has met various violent reactions and oppositions from stakeholders, linguists, academics, and even students themselves. Movements from different universities concerned are currently in motion in order to fight for the life of the Filipino subjects in the tertiary level. David San Juan (2014), a professor in De La Salle University-Manila, pointed out that while the memorandum stated that the optional provision for the teaching of the courses in Filipino dilutes its purpose as most universities in the country uses English as its default language. In addition to
the statements of oppositions, the Kagawaran ng Filipino of the Ateneo de Manila University avers that “Hindi lamang midyum ng pagtuturo and Filipino. Isa itong disiplina. Lumilikha ito ng sariling larang ng karunungan na nagtatampok sa pagka-Filipino sa anumang usapin sa loob at labas ng akademya.” UP DFPP also reacted on the revision of the curriculum expressing, “Ang pagtatanggal ng siyam na yunit ng Filipino sa kolehiyo ay isang anyo ng karahasang pangkamalayan. Nilulusaw nito ang pagpapahalaga sa kasaysayan at kabihasnang tanging Filipino ang makakapagpaliwanag.”
On a personal account, being a student myself makes me think twice about the revision of the GE curriculum in college. Through the years of my schooling, the Filipino language has been one of the most important factors that shaped me as a person. It is the language I use at home, in school, and nearly in everywhere I go every day. I couldn’t stress even more the fact that I am a Filipino living in the Philippines. I grew up in a family that treasures the native language of the Philippine culture. Hearing about the mandatory exclusion of the Filipino subjects in college irks me mostly because I cannot see the point if it is really necessary to remove the Filipino language when in fact; it plays a big role in the development of the country. Resorting to dropping these subjects in favor of others, let alone its mere deletion, is senseless. There are far more ways to address the issue of the student’s incompetence and the revised curriculum is not one of them. It is a shameful act to kill the nurturing of the native language. We are Filipinos and our language is something we should be proud of – something that we must treasure. Save the country from senseless actions by fighting for the life of the Filipino subjects. It is not impossible to oppose such acts if all countrymen are united towards achieving one goal. The time to act is now – before it is all too late.

Purpose/Context:
Author:
Audience:
Topic & Position:
Research/Sources:
Proof/Evidence:
Organization:
Style:
Drawing Conclusions: