Sa araw na ito ipinagdiriwang ang ating kalayaan sa Espanya noong ika-12 ng Hunyo, 1898.
Maari bang balikan ang mga taon nang walang pag-aalinlangan? Malaya nga ba tayo? Minarapat kong gunitain ang mahigit isang siglo nang nakaraan sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng sariling wika. Ngunit saan ako mag-uumpisa? Sa panahon ng aking kapanganakan o noong unang panahon? Wari ko, sa wika pa lang napakarami nang dapat gunitain.
Nakalimutan na nga natin ang ganda ng ating sariling wika. Nawili na tayo sa salita ng banyagang dayuhan. Kung minsan, napapangiti pa tayo pag narinig ang sariling wika. Mas madali pa nating matutuhan ang wika ng kinalolokohan nating wika ng mga “oppa”.
Ngunit kapag ikaw ay nasa ibang bansa, doon mo lang mapapagtanto ang ganda ng ating sariling salita. “Music to my ears,” ika nga. Kapag may narining kang nagsasalita ng Filipino, napapalingon ka. Nagtatanong, “Filipino ka?”
Sabi ng karamihan, noong 1930s, Tagalog ang lingua franca sa Maynila at karatig pook, Subalit noong panahon ng pagkapangulo ni Corazon Aquino nung 1980s naging Filipino na ang ating pambansang wika.
Ngayon, iba na ang pananalita. “Tag-lish” na, may kahalo, pero OK lang. Nag-evolve na ang ating wika. Ang mahalaga nagsasalita pa rin tayo ng Filipino at nagkakaintindihan at nagmamahalan dahil dito.
Hirap na ang mga batang matutuhan ang Filipino, mayroon pang “mother tongue” na dapat aralin. At ang ibang paaralan meron pang ibang wika kagaya ng Chinese. Paano na? Filipino, mother tongue at Chinese. Saludo ako sa mga kabataan at mga magulang. Magaling talaga ng mga Filipino.
Congratulations to Baguio girl Dr. Jenny Panchal, president of the Filipino-Australian Affiliation of North Queensland (FAANQ) in Townsville for spearheading the “2022 Filipino Festival” in Townsville on June 11 to 12, to celebrate the 124th Philippine Independence Day.
The festival is supported by local leaders led by City Mayor Jenny Hill and city councilors, members of the Australian Parliament with Hon. Bill Tweddell, former Australian Ambassador to the Philippines and currently chancellor of James Cook University, in cooperation with the different invited communities.
The festival will feature cultural performances, live bands, art and literary competitions, Filipino and Asian food cuisine and fashion shows.
Our very own Kidlat Tahimik, National Artist for Film, will deliver a special message.
Last year, Kidlat brought his grand exhibit and installation entitled “Magallanes, Marilyn, Mickey and Fray Damaso – 500 years of Rockstar Conquerors” to the Crystal Palace (Museo Reina Sofia) at the Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain to commemorate 500 years of colonization.
“In this project, Kidlat Tahimik reviewed the past of the Crystal Palace, which was built on the occasion of the General Exhibition of the Philippine Islands in 1887, the history of colonialism in the Philippines and the influence of cultural imperialism today,” reads the information about the exhibit.
A preview of the exhibit was displayed at the Baguio Convention center prior to the Independence Day celebrations in Baguio and was transferred to the Baguio Museum and Sunshine Park before it was brought to Spain.
Come and view the exhibit of Theoderich Falsis entitled, “Simply Falsis.”
According to the artist sketch of himself, “The artist wishes to impart his synthesis of life in a simplistic yet whimsical rendition like the Beatles song, “A Day in the Life.”
The exhibit displays blue hues similar to blues-based rock and roll of the Beatles.
April 20, 2024
