Critical Analysis on Indigenous Filipino

I remembered a certain incident when I was a frosh. In our block there's a certain individual from the native land of "Cotabato". He was small, medium built and dark. Of course we have to ice break one another since its our first time here in school. So what we did was to introduce ourselves in the class. When this certain individual time came to introduce. He greeted the class with "Magandang Umaga Po". The class bursted with laughter. He continued with his introduction in filipino. Some of my the guys who became my barkada eventually teased the kid after the introduction. "Oi boy, tali mo nga tong sapatos ko.", said one of my friend. Then another incident when this certain individual small talked one of the girls, "Yuck do I know you?". I seen the sad look in the eyes of this certain individual. After a month in school he dropped out and went to another school.

Now As I have gathered the required knowledge from my Cultural Politics class, I ask myself this question, did we do the right thing? Why do we filipinos insult our own brotherhood just because he doesn't know how to speak filipino. Is it because he can only speak filipino and their native language doesnt mean they are stupid low individuals. I mean, yeap De La Salle University is known to be good in english language. Yup, but I witnessed one of the most discrimating act against our own. He know how to speak fluent in filipino, but when it comes to speaking his native language, my classmates laughed. Are they ashamed of him because he loved and speak his own language rather than a foreing one?.

Problem with us is we see ourselves more intellectual and superior if we speak and knew foreign language more than our own native language (i.e. Chavakano, Waray, Hiligaynon.). We look and sound cool if we speak english all the time. It is sad the way Filipinos are ashamed of them being a filipino.I don't even see a class where they teach you how to speak Bisaya etc. Only Mandarin, Fookien, English or Spanish languages.  That is the reality that we face in that we must solve.  It is time for us to stop discrimating ourselves and love our own language. I am proud to be a Filipino!