Filipino is a dialect, not a language

SABBATICAL NOTES. WEDNESDAY. 25 JUNE 2014. WEDNESDAY. 
Whatever the 1987 Constitution says, Filipino is NOT a language but a dialect.

PEOPLE WHO simply read the 1987 Constitution cite that provision about the declaration of 'Filipino as the national language' of the country. 

That provision, a handiwork of some of the boisterous Filipino academics of a state university and some others, defined Filipino wrongly as a language.

When a constitution is wrong, there is portion about having it checked to right the wrong things it has, and to make it sure that it serves as the instrument, that one basic instrument of the social contract.

Any student of political philosophy understands this fundamental thing and thus, it is but moral for us to demand that this portion of the constitution be corrected.

For one, there is 'Filipino as a language' does not exist, unless we believe in the enchanting power of those people who are so good in magic, and in that sleight of hand tactic.

Second, there are 181 native languages of the Philippines and the mandating of one effectively peripheralizes the others. The privileging of one, with all the tax monies allocated to pay for the salaries of those administering this linguistic injustice, is at best unconstitutional as it is unjust and unfair, and a waste of people's money for the wrong reasons.

It is high time we have this constitution amended, and say, for once, that the national language of the Philippines are all the languages of this country.

FELIPENAS/

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