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PH youth finds difficulty reading and writing in Filipino

Published: Aug 25, 2011 - 11:53am

(SPOT.ph) A GMA News report reveals that local students are having difficulty reading and writing in Filipino. Last year, reports GMA News, the average score in the Filipino component of the National Achievement Test was 73.89 percent, over a unit short from the passing score of 75.


Student Chep Melchor said: "Nahihirapan talaga ako. Halos buong class namin hindi maintindihan yung book ni Virgilio Almario (I really had a hard time. Almost our entire class couldn't understand Virgilio Almario's book)." Instead, Melchor and his classmates read the English version. Another student, Jolo Guevarra, said that Filipino is more complicated. "May mga ibang Filipino words na although parehas po yung pag-spell nila, iba- iba rin yung pagbigkas nila at kahulugan (There are similarly spelled Filipino words, but they're pronounced differently and they have varied meanings), he said.


Because of the difficulty students are experiencing with the language, tutor Aldo Garcia said that next to math, Filipino tutors are the most in-demand. Other schools, meanwhile, are trying to provide solutions. Ateneo de Manila University, according to the report, offers basic Filipino courses to students who have poor facility of the language.


For more on this story, log on to GMA News.

 

Watch GMA News' report on Filipino students having difficulty with the local language

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  • Myles 3 months ago Report Abuse
    Dapat pagbutihin ng mga teachers sa Filipino ang pagtuturo sa subject at gawing kaakit-akit sa mga estudyante. At bakit ba nawala ang paglalagay ng ibat-ibang diin sa mga salita? Kaya naman iba-iba ang pagbigkas...halimbawa ng salitang kabute (sa iband dako ng bansa) dapat kabuté (pala sa katagalugan) para tama ang pagbigkas. At isa pa, nawawala na rin ang grammar sa Filipino sa mga textbooks.
  • shooter mcgavin 9 months ago Report Abuse
    @non private schoolsrnrnAlam mo naman cguro na nagkaroon ng CUT sa budget ang state schools....difference ng developed countries sa atin...well-funded ang state schools nila...ibig sabihin pinapahalagahan nila education...dito sa atin...ang mga private schools ginagawang Negosyo ang paaralan...tingnan mo ang Mapua...Quartersem...pinipiga nila mga estudyante nila...Shootah!
  • non private schools 9 months ago Report Abuse
    Tanong lang tungkol sa video at ulat dito.rnrnAyon sa ulat 73,89 % ng mga estudyante sa Kalakhakang Maynila ay nakapasa ng NAT. Ibig sabihin, hindi lang ang mga pribadong paaralan ang pinapakuha ng iksamen kundi rin ang mga eskwelahang pampubliko. Tanong, kung palpak talaga ang sistema ng edukasyon ng Pilipinas, bakit hindi sila naglaan ng konteng minuto lamang para kapanayamin ang mga estudyante mula sa pampublikong paaralan?
  • shooter mcgavin 9 months ago Report Abuse
    Pessimist ang sagot sa iyong katanungan....nagiinternet ka nde ka marunong magGoogle...tapon mo na PC mo...wala kwenta user e.....SHOOTAH!
  • @shooter mcgavin 9 months ago Report Abuse
    ano ang tawag mo sa taong negative parati, hangal o matalino?
  • saybuano 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @ jay dela cruz......matindi......hinagpis...hindi banat ng cebuano yan 'pre.
  • shooter mcgavin 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @shooter isa ka pang unggoy! rnrnhahaha...may tinamaan sa sinabi ko...hahaha...affected ka sir ?...sa tingin mo ba...habang nabubuhay ka pa...maabutan mong uunlad ang pinas na tulad ng kahit singapore man lang?....patay ka na...patay na apo mo...mahirap na bansa pa rin ang Pinas...hahahaha...isa kang magiting na mangmang sir...manood ka nlang ng local channels mo po...at magpakabulag sa mga nangyayari sa paligid mo...hahahaha...SHOOTAH!
  • jay dela cruz 10 months ago Report Abuse
    I'm from Cebu, medyo hirap ako sa Filipino/Tagalog, aminado ako. But here see, in Cebu, it's Bisaya and English.rnrnNgayon andito na ako sa Manila, I wish to study Tagalog even more, at yeah, wala na ang matinding hinagpis...
  • @hates hate 9 months ago Report Abuse
    nobody is saying not to patronize english. i believe you are the only soul in this forum who thinks someone is discouraging english.rnrnbefore you say colonial mentality is not a problem, i strongly suggest you read, read and read and try to do sometihng you are not familiar with...UNDERSTAND what you are reading. obviously you do not know what is colonial mentality.
  • ha seung-din 9 months ago Report Abuse

    ***THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN DELETED DUE TO VIOLATION OF SPOT.ph's TERMS & CONDITIONS.***

  • haters hate 9 months ago Report Abuse
    Ah bagong lumang discussion nang language.rnrnCommon points:rn- Colonial mentality, again parating nasisi. Well pede bang alisin nyo na sa kukote nyo yan. Purket pinapatronage ang English Colonial mentality na agad? Grow up people. Let go of your 1800's thinking. rnrn- The PH doesnt have a unified language. Nagiging barrier sa pag unlad, same with crab mentality. Because every province has their own pride for their local dialect, then English or Filipino ang common denominator. Pili nalang kayornrn- Sa mabulaklak magFilipino ay para lang sa mga manunulat, alagad nang sinig or mga buwayang nagtatalumpati sa privelage speech. Kapag kinusap mo ako nang ganyan... sagot ko sayo "Ok ka lang?"rnrn- Masyadong madrama ang Filipino. Kunting puna, angal. Kunting dangal, nagsasaya. Well i prefer the latter. Siyempre sino ba gusto na pangit ang balita di ba? Sa pagpuna sa Filipino language wala namang nayayari. Ung mga comments ba dito ay makakain nyo at ikauulan nang bansa. Oo, trip ko lang sumagot. Pet peeve ko siguro ang mga Maarteng Netizens na pinoy.
  • shooter isa ka pang unggoy! 9 months ago Report Abuse
    @shooter mcgavin, Nag-iisip kaba ng matino para sabihin mong La na kwenta Pinas? Isa ka sa mga kalawang ng Pinas, tandaan mo yan... Dapat similya palang hindi kana binuhay..
  • shooter mcgavin 10 months ago Report Abuse
    La na kwenta Pinas...mga teacher na nde marunong magturo ng English...tinuturuan ang mga Estudyanteng nde makaintindi ng Tagalog...hahahaha....SHOOTAH!
  • dark avatar 10 months ago Report Abuse
    The problem is that the language we communicate in is a mish-mash of several different languages/dialects. When newspapers are written in taglish. TV hosts speak in a mix of englishized filipino. Radio jocks don't even know the meanings of basic tagalog words. Like in English classes, we need to have courses on how to be truly fluent in tagalog.rn
  • tanga naman! 10 months ago Report Abuse
    yung Basurang sinabi nung ha seung-jin hindi binura!!! Sino ba SA at programmer nitong site? Lumantad ka at mabatukan ng malupit!!!rnrn@ha seung-jin, YOU GO BACK TO YOUR OWN COUNTRY. WE DONT NEED S*%T LIKE YOU HERE!!!!rnrn@Sa mga kabataan ngayon, wag kayo masyado maarte sa pagsasalita, wag lilipad ng mataas. mahalin ang sariling atin.rn
  • anak ka nang! 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @ha seung-jin, TAE KA NAMAN SA PANINGIN NAMIN!!!rnrn@Mga kabataan ngayon, wag kayo masyado maarte sa salita. Pinoy parin kayo. Period!!!
  • kam samida 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @ ha seung-jin......I'm a Japanese tourist here in the Philippines, I really loved the kimchi my Korean slave made for me......he was my monkey. Hohoho ! ! !
  • ha seung-jin 10 months ago Report Abuse

    ***THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN DELETED DUE TO VIOLATION OF SPOT.ph's TERMS & CONDITIONS.***

  • francis 10 months ago Report Abuse
    hindi tagalog ang national language. ang national language ay filipino. pero ano nga ba yung filipino language? yun yung pinaghalohalong wika sa iba't ibang rehiyon sa pilipinas. majority nga lang ng mga salitang ginamit tagalog, pero marami ding salita na galing sa iba't ibang rehiyon sa pilipinas. tingnan nyo yung diksyonaryong pilipino, di naman yun puro tagalog. though one may argue na wala naman talagang wikang pilipinong masasabi.kailangan mo ng isang pambansang wika para matigil na ang pagiging regionalistic ng pilipino. problema, di pa din mawala yung colonial mentality. so ngaun, ang problema, regionalistic na ang pinoy, may colonial mentality pa.
  • strange brew 10 months ago Report Abuse
    The problem is not failure in communication. It is about reading. Strunk and Whites textbook is the wrong prescription.
  • media magus 10 months ago Report Abuse
    What we've got here is a failure to communicate.rnI suggest gawing textbook yung ki STRUNK & WHITE!rn
  • sottopino 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @ ano ako......ang tutoong issue niyan nagumpisa sometime in the sixties nung magprotesta ang mga Bisaya, mga Ilokano etc. kung bakit Tagalog ang dapat itawag sa national language ng Pilipinas. To make a long story short, the congress re-branded Tagalog to Filipino to please everybody. Pag naging presidente si Tito Sotto, papalitan din niya yan to SOTTOPINO...ang wika ng mga tanga.
  • ano ako 10 months ago Report Abuse
    Filipino...Tagalog......Tagalog...Filipino, basta sa akin Tagalog pa rin ang tawag ko sa national language ng Pilipinas for a good reason, kasi in the correct usage of the term Filipino, it is to identity a people, a race, not a language. Nag-pacute lang ang mga Pinoy.
  • observation 10 months ago Report Abuse
    how is it possible that some of us have a pre-conceived idea that other people are better than them? poor victims of colonial mentality....this clearly brings down confidence.
  • pinoy 10 months ago Report Abuse
    Ang edukasyon ay nagsisimula lahat sa tahanan,kung ang mga magulang ay may sapat na kakayahang ipamulat sa kanilang mga anak ang kahalagahan ng pagmamahal sa sariling bayan,unang-unang matututunan ng mga bata ang ating sariling wika.Pero kung sa mga magulang nagsisimula ang pagiging kolonyalismo,huwag na tayong magisip pa ng ibang mga kadahilalnan sa problemang ito ng mga mag-aaral.
  • wika 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @surg, thank you for sharing with us your idea. While it is true you presented a good argument, i still believe if Filipinos will practice and take the language seriously, we will be able to speak the language better. Allow me to say this, but I really find our language nice.rnrn@eric belino, napakaganda ng iyong pamahagi. sumasang-ayon din ako sa iyo ng sinabi mo na "colonial" ang salot. Napakaganda ng ating wika at madaling pag-aralan. Halimbawa ang "pluralization" o pangpararami. Sa wikang tagalog, lagyan mo lang ng "MGA", marami na ang bilang. samantala sa wikang ingles, maraming "exceptions". Hindi natin kailangan maging matalino upang matutunan ng husto ang tagalog. Walang dahilan para hindi ito mapag-aralan.
  • eric belino 10 months ago Report Abuse
    sobrang ganda ng wikang pilipino. Yung mga tula at awting sa wikang pilipino, nakakabilib. mas bilib ako sa mga pilipinong fluent sa sarili nilang wika, kesa sa ingles. nakakapagtaka nga, kasi yung mga walang pinag aralan, dalhin mo sa english speaking country, natututo ng ingles, o ng french, o ng italian. Pero yung mga tao na napakataas ng pinag aralan, eh di man lang maging fluent sa filipino. Ganun ba kahirap matutunan ang wikang pilipino? Tingin ko, colonial kasi ang educational system natin. Ok ang ingles, pero sana wag kalimutan yung sarili nating wika kasi yun yung identity naten. Bahagi yun ng pagiging totoong pilipino. Eh papano yan, bagsak ang amerika, china ang rising power. Di ako magtataka kung maging chinese naman ang medium of teaching ng eskwelahan sa atin. Para tayong turo turo, kung ano mabili yun ang lulutuin natin at tinitinda.
  • surg702 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @ wikarnrnFilipino wordiness is the reason why our young people are having difficulty understanding their own national language. Our preference for verbosity as oppose to brevity, stylistic over clarity, are the reasons why we have this problem and I would say that media and academia are partly to blame. While media might think that wordiness might be the way to go, what they don't realize is concise, direct and less confusing words are always the better choice. rnrnAcademia needs to separate textbook Filipino from poetic Filipino if they want our young people to have a better understanding and a greater appreciation of their own national language.
  • wika 9 months ago Report Abuse
    @surg, marahil ang nais mong sabihin ay "formal" at hindi "wordiness". nakapaganda at mayaman ang ating wika at nais ibalik ng ilan sa atin ito. halimbawa ang salitang "napupuna" at "mamamayan", gayun na rin ang salitang "nais" sa halip na "gusto" at ang salitang "marahil" sa halip na "pwede". hindi ba napakagandang pakinggan ang mga salitang ito? mapupuna mo ito rin ang mga salitang ginagamit sa pag-uulat sa radyo at TV.
  • isnabera 10 months ago Report Abuse
    bakit naman nung panahon naman hndi ganyang kahirap intindihin at pag aralan ang filipino? baka kasi ngayon wlang interes ang mga estudyante na matuto ng filipino. at nagkalat pa ang mga jejemon at bekimons, may matutunan ba sila don? ang isang bagay pag hndi maintindihan ay dapat pinag aaralan. feeling ko wla lang silang interes matuto. o baka naman para sa kanila ay wlang importansya ang pag aralan ang filipino. kaka highblood. nkaka pag english pero hindi maka pag filipino?
  • surg702 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @ importanternrnYou must have graduated from Silliman U. Like you, I'm also proud to having a language that is poetic, however, sometimes people are lost in translation as a result. I favor preciseness over wordiness.
  • surg702 10 months ago Report Abuse
    Tama ka, nobody speaks that way in a conversation however, I used that example to illustrate that Filipino as it appears in most textbooks are rich in poetic words that makes it difficult for some to understand. Kaya mas maraming classroom instructions sa English language kasi mas madaling intindihin for its preciseness. rnrnYung statement ni @ Wika for example using NAPUPUNA...instead of NAPAPANSIN rnMAMAMAYAN...instead of ANG MGA TAO are few examples why preciseness must be used instead wordiness. In my every day conversations, I have never encountered a person who said NAPUPUNA because it is not a conversation word. Simple word choices like these should be the standard so our young people won't have the problem understanding their own language.
  • nooni 10 months ago Report Abuse
    @importante, nice!
  • importante 10 months ago Report Abuse
    I'm from Mindanao and Filipino/Tagalog is not native to me, but I learned it in school and loved it. Nothing wrong with our language being POETIC... it's a reflection of our culture: we are naturally poetic and sentimental and dramatic. Our language is a celebration of who we are. rnrnIt may not have any implications in worldwide commerce, but it sure has a lot of implication on how we value our culture and heritage. That is true Filipino pride.
  • jonas 10 months ago Report Abuse
    masisisi mo ba kung karamihan sa mga kabataan ngayon puro mga jejekumag?
  • @surg 10 months ago Report Abuse
    syempre mahiram intindihin yung example mo kc bugtong yan eh. we don't speak that way when we are in a conversation. rnrnanyway, tama yung article and most of the comments here. kahit sa mga eskwelahan, mas maraming english subjects kesa Filipino. from where i graduated, history is taught in English, which should be in Filipino.
  • wika 10 months ago Report Abuse
    napupuna ba ninyo na ang mga mamamayan ng mga matatagumpay ng bansa ay tumatangkilik at dalubhasa sa sarili nilang wika?rnrnmarami sa atin naniniwala na mahalaga sa atin ang magkaroon ng kumpiyansa (confidence) sa atin sarili upang maging matagumpay. alam din natin lahat na ang kumpiyansa sa sarili ay maaring maibatay sa ating pag-ibig sa atin sarili (wika, pagkatao, lahi, atbp), ika nga ng mga dalubhasa sa sikolohiya (psychology), "we are as confident as much as we like ourselves. the more we like ourselves, the more confident we become". hinggil dito, marahil ay panahon na upang higit na mahalin at tangkilikin natin ang sarili atin gaya ng wika atbp.rnrn
  • surg702 10 months ago Report Abuse
    Language is BREVITY, clarity and conciseness as oppose to VERBOSITY which is expressed in too much wordiness and style but lacking in preciseness. The basic problem with Filipino is how it is expressed in text and in spoken form.rnrnThe Filipino, in text and spoken form are expressed in riddles and in most instances poetic, resulting in confusion. For example: how the rising of the moon is expressed in Filipino as: dumating siya, hindi naman sinundo...nawala, hindi naman ninakaw. Literally translated in the English language as: the moon showed up, but was not fetched, it disappeared but was not stolen. That example is as confusing even Rizal would drop his jaws if he heard it.rnrnFilipino should be written the way it is spoken for the purpose of conciseness and easier understanding. If our young people are having problem with their own national language, media and academia should be blamed for the problem. I think it is time for the Dept of Education to make the necessary changes and identify and separate what is textbook Filipino from poetic Filipino and the best way to do it is write the way we speak. rnrn rnrn
  • yara 10 months ago Report Abuse
    WE'RE NOT FLUENT IN EITHER ENGLISH OR TAGALOG. WHAT A CRYING SHAME.
  • batoush 10 months ago Report Abuse
    too many dialects (bisaya, ilocano etc), the unifying factor is english. what a shame, diba? more the need for a national language (Filipino)rnnasubukan na ba ninyo ang salitang BEKI?
  • uncle sam de la cruz 10 months ago Report Abuse
    We love and adore the West, that's it. We think we're part of the US of A when we're not.
  • edward 10 months ago Report Abuse
    at the end of the day, wether we can speak, read or write perfect tagalog, we are still filipinos. it is more important to focus in improving more important subjects to master like science, math, english and instilling core values such as integrity and love of country to our youth so we can contribute to the development of our forever developing nation.
  • anonymous 9 months ago Report Abuse
    This is very true. It's one of the less positive effects of bilingual education. As a high school student in Cebu, you will never hear us speak in Filipino, unless it's in jest or we're forced to in Filipino class. It's ONLY Bisaya or English here. I don't think we've combined (and killed) the two in the same way as Taglish though.
  • anonymous 9 months ago Report Abuse
    If you think about it, how does studying the Filipino language benefit the workforce? I can't see how it would be usefull in International Business or Politics. rnrnAnother thing to consider is whether it is fair to force Filipino (which in reality is Tagalog) on Cebuanos, Illocanos, Bikolanos, Illonggos and others?rnrn
  • kay 9 months ago Report Abuse
    Ironically,while many Pinoys can only write in English and read better in English, many Pinoys aren't fluent in speaking the language. Mas kumportable naman tayong magsalita ng Taglish.
  • kororo 10 months ago Report Abuse
    Pilipino, FilipinornrnItaas mo ang iyong malinis na noo,rnMasasabi pa kaya ni Rizal ngayon ito?rnKung nakikita niyang ang kabataan,rnAy di kilala ang salitang dapat tangan?rnrnPaano ka magmamalaki sa iba?rnKung sarili mong wika ay di mo kilala?rnMasasabi mo pa rin bang lahi’y natatangi?rnKung nakatingin sila sa ating nakangiwi?rnrnTungkulin ng bawat taong sinisilang,rnMaging maalam sa sarili at pagkakakilanlan.rnSapagkat paano tatayo ang isang kawayan,rnKung mga ugat nama’y walang kinakapitan?rnrnMatingkad at maganda ang mga bulaklak,rnKung mga kulay na mayroon sila ay di huwad.rnAt nararating ng bawat manlalayag ang hanap.rnKung may pagkaunawa sa tahanang liyag.rnrnDi naman kailangan maging makata,rnMagsanay lang sa pagbasa at pag- unawa.rnDahil sa paggamit ng iyong wika ng tama.rnSarili, lahi at bayan ay iyong dinadakila.rn
  • hmmm 10 months ago Report Abuse
    kasi wala nang batibotrnsaka yung mga palabas sa TV, kahit local, puro Taglish.rnyung News report na "Filipino" mali-mali din ang "Filipino"...
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