The Miseducation of the Filipino

By Renato Constantino

1. Renato Constantino
Renato Constantino was an influential Filipino Historian.
He was a great orator, debater and in The University of The Philippines he became
the youngest Philippine Collegian editor.

During the Japanese Occupation, his family struggled and from time to time
transferred to towns to hide from them.

Renato Constantino had several successful careers as a diplomat, a college

professor, a museum director, a journalist and an author of many books.

He was the Executive Secretary of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations from
1946 to 1949 and Counsellor of the Department of Foreign Affairs from 1949 to
1951.

He published a book on the United Nations in 1950. His career in the academe spans
more than three decades during which time he taught in Far Eastern
University, Adamson University, Arellano University and University of the
Philippines, Manila and Diliman.

Constantino was a prolific writer. He wrote around 30 books and numerous

pamphlets and monographs. Among his well-known books are A Past
Revisited and The Continuing Past (a two-volume history of the Philippines), The
Making of a Filipino (a biography of Claro M. Recto), Neo-colonial Identity and
Counter-Consciousness, and The Nationalist Alternative.

Several of his books have been translated into Japanese and The Nationalist
Alternative has a Malaysian translation.

2. Importance of Education
~> Education is a vital weapon of a people striving for economic emancipation,
Political independence, and cultural renascence.

"The Miseducation of the Filipinos" delves into the critical role of education in
shaping the destiny of a nation. Education is not merely a means to acquire
knowledge but serves as a powerful tool for economic empowerment, political
sovereignty, and cultural revitalization. It emphasizes that the purpose of education
goes beyond rote memorization; it should cultivate an awareness of the nation's
challenges, instill an understanding of their fundamental solutions, and inspire a
deep sense of responsibility and commitment to contribute to the country's
progress.

Philippine education, therefore, must produce Filipinos who are aware of their
country’s problems, who understand the basic solution to these problems and care
enough to work and sacrifice for their country’s salvation.

3. Nationalism In Education
 In recent years, in various sectors of our society, there have been nationalist stirrings
demanding for the recognition of Philippine Sovereignty on the bases question.

Some are:
-Correction of iniquitous economic relations between RP and US
-Filipino First Policy
-Appreciation of our own culture
-Nationalism in education

Though many educators participate in debate on techniques and tools for improved
instructions, not one major educational leader has come out for a truly nationalist
education.

4. New perspectives

Economic and Political leaders gained a new perception of our relations with the US,
the reaction, which has emerged as economic and political nationalism is an attempt
to revive inequities of the past and to complete the revolutionary movement of
1896.

5. Capturing Minds

Inception―the best way of subjugating a people is to capture their minds. Planting

an idea to people to kill the old views, as well as the resistance and expose them to a
new life governed by the colonizers, since military and political victory does not
signify full conquest.

-Erasing memories of deceit, harshness of the colonizers to make anew, better

perception of self to the people being influenced.
Education, therefore, serves as a weapon in colonial conquest, which prevents
subjugation of mind and limits influence from oppressors.

-Americans launched a rational large scale reopening of schools to start their

influence and remoulding of the Filipinos as well as to calm their struggle.

6. Beginnings of Colonial Education

-Education is the framework of American colonization.

-Pacifying people by introducing new kind of education.
-Education by Americans became instrument of colonial policy
-Filipinos ideals slowly eroded in order to remove resistance.

Dissolved Nationalism as it attracted Filipinos to adapt other culture (acculturation)

and made an image that Americans are our Allies, our heroes who saved us from the
wicked Spain.

7. Thomasites
 Since English was used as a medium of instruction, America really pushed Filipinos to
learning a new way of learning and adapting new ideas which the locals and leaders
won’t understand, which made inception more easy.
July 1901, The Ship Thomas from San Francisco came to the Philippines with 600
teachers who were actually military veterans.

is a group of about six hundred pioneer American teachers sent by the U.S.
government to the Philippines in August 12 1901.
stayed at the walled city Intramuros, Manila before being given initial provincial
assignments which included Albay, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur
Sorsogon, Masbate, Samar, Zambales, Aparri, Jolo, Negros, Cebu, Dumaguete,
Bataan, Batangas, Pangasinan and Tarlac.

Thomasites
The Thomasites built upon the contributions laid down by the U.S. Army. They built
elementary schools and learning institutions such as the Philippine Normal School
(now Philippine Normal University) and the Philippine School of Arts and Trades
(now Technological University of the Philippines) in 1901, the Tarlac High School on
September 21, 1902 and the Quezon National High School (now, Tayabas High
School), also in 1902

8. The role of the American Vice Governor

Though the government was ‘Filipinized” for the nation is being prepared for self
government, the sector of education was never entrusted to Filipinos.
Supported by Article 23 of Jones Act, which makes the American Vice-Governor the
head of the department in case of seat vacancy or late appointment of the
Governor-general.

9. Jones Law

The Jones Law also known as the Jones Act, the Philippine Autonomy Act or the Act
of Congress of August 29, 1916, was an organic act passed by the United States
Congress which replaced the Philippine Organic Act of 1902.

The Jones Law acted like a constitution for the Philippines until 1934 when
the Tydings–McDuffie Act creating of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. It
established for the first time an elected upper house, which would eventually
become the Philippine Senate.

-It was until 1935, where the Commonwealth and the new generation of “Filipino-
Americans” emerged. They, of course, have already been influenced by the
Americans so the act, think and live like them.

10. Goals of American Education

Benevolent Assimilation (December 21, 1898)

- Proclamation about the Philippines by U.S. President William McKinley during

the Philippine-American War saying that it is the mission of the United States is to
 substitute the mild sway of justice and right for arbitrary rule for every Filipino and
protect them from any further political domination.

The “White man’s Burden”

Not only for “Saving Filipinos” from illiteracy and ignorance but also to prepare them
for self rule.

11. Economic and Political objectives

Philippines was US to protect and guide like a mother-child relationship

Subconsciously or even either conscious or not, they invaded people and pattern
them to the way they like.

12. Effects of American system of education

Positive effects
- American Educational system has brought peculiar benefits also, such as
more conversant, more knowledgeable Filipinos but has been a real blessing
if only it was not a colonial style one.

-The Philippine Education system improved since it has patterned and

absorb many of the modern educational techniques from the Americans

Filipinos became the third largest English-speaking country in the world

since then, opening more job opportunities and advantage of being
bilingual.

It became easier for Filipinos to understand other concepts that cannot be

translated in our own language, which English itself was used as a link for
our native languages (example: Ifugao-Tagalog converse in English)

Negative effects

Unfortunately, success of education as a colonial weapon was concrete and

permanent. We became less nationalistic, adapting American culture and
history as if it was ours and let them distort our future the way they wanted
it to be.

Gave way to “Colonial mentality” and Neo-colonialism.

Decreased Nationalism
Language conflict
Conflict on Medium of instruction
Barrier to democracy
“Degradation” of Public schools compared to Private schools

13. An Uprooted Race

Use of the American Language became a wedge that separated Filipinos from their
past and culture
 Filipinos as “ideal colonial”, carbon copy of their conquerors
Adoption of American culture and local heroes regarded as brigands and outlaws
Spain was the villain, America was the hero.

14. Economic Attitudes

United States used a unique approach of economic policy needed to govern a colony
Idealization of Philippines as a rural, agriculture land, not foreseeing the possibilities
of being transformed into an industrialized nation
Portraits of Country life strengthen this belief as well as overlooking disease, poverty
and cultural vacuum the nation has and suggests that we should not change that.
Filipinos becoming a “new kind” of Americans

15. Transplantation of Political institutions

American Education in effect transplanted American political institutions and ideas

into the Philippines.
Filipinos are made to believe in certain political doctrines as absolute for all peoples.
Therefore, Filipinos were bound by western political procedures (or even by other
developed countries) and thought they can’t carry out on their own

16. Re-examination demanded

-New demands for economic emancipation and assertion of Political Sovereignty

leave our educators no choice but to re-examine their philosophy, their values, and
their general approach to the making of the Filipino who will institute, support and
preserve the nationalist aims.

- Education must both be seen not as an acquisition of information but as the

making of man so that he may function most effectively and and usefully within his
own society.

-Not only do we imitate Western education, we have patterned our education after
the most technologically advanced western nations. The gap between the two
societies is very large. In fact, they are two entirely different societies with different
goals

17. Description of Western Values

Economically, the US is an industrial nation. It is a fully developed nation,

economically speaking. Our country has a colonial economy with a tiny industrial
base -in other words, we are backward and underdeveloped.

American education, understandably lays little emphasis on the kind of nationalism

we Filipinos need

Filipinos try so hard to pattern themselves to how Americans do themselves, which

is wrong since the gap in between the two nations is very great.

18. Un-Filipino Filipinos

 We love Foreigners complementing about our country, complacently
allowing them to control our economy but we ourselves don’t see the beauty of our
country and the opportunity/potential we have to improve ourselves with it.
Little emphasis of Nationalism in Schools
The concept of “Freedom” distorted by the past Colonizers

19. The Language Problem

One of the most Vital problem of the Philippines is about Language

Native vs. Foreign language as the medium of instruction
The use of native is a bit controversial, and more Filipinos are even in favour
of using the foreign one

20. Barrier to Democracy

English was supposed to be the “Language of Democracy” but in the long run it also
produced privileged ‘Illustrados’ that were the products of American education.
These men like their Hispanicized counterparts led the way of life of the new
colonizers.
Though considered “language of democracy”, English rather became a barrier since
those who knew it neglected the mother tounge and abide using it.

English became available only to these new group of men which started a class,
which composed the nation’s leaders. Politics remained in vacuum for the higher-
ups can’ reach out easily to the masses.
English has became a status symbol, as the native language was looked down upon

21. Impediments to Thought

Foreign language is an impediment to thought

Foreign language is first taught and mastered before the native language is taught.
As a move to promote Native Language, the Institute of National Language was
organized in 1935.
Started the stir in what language was to be used as the medium of instruction.

22. The Private sector

Before World war II. Philippine public school system looked down upon their
counterparts in the private schools.
Today, public schools are looked down upon. Only the poor send their children to
these schools. Those who can afford it, or those who have social pretensions, send
their children to private institutions. The result has been a boon to private
education, a boon that unfortunately has seen the proliferation of diploma mills

23. Other Educational Media

The almost unilateral source of news, films and other cultural materialstends to
distort our perspective.
 American films and comics, American press services,fellowships in America, have all
contributed to the almost total Americanization of our attitudes.

A distinct Filipino culture can not prevail if an avalanche of western cultural

materials suffocatesour relatively puny efforts in this direction.

24. Needed: Filipinos

The education of the Filipino must be a Filipino Education―it must be based on the
needs and goals of the nation.
The primary objective is not to make people who can write, read, but citizenry that
appreciates and is conscious of its nationhood and has national goals for the
betterment of the country.
Educations should first all assure national survival.

Weaknesses
Focused on the American regime as the start of the Philippines Miseducation instead
of pointing out Spaniards as the one who really started it

Strengths
Effectively stressed the points how Americans miseducated the Filipinos
Chronologically arranged order of thoughts
Pointed out how Filipino nationalism was degraded
Discussed how Filipinos tried so hard to imitate Americans and they failed, resulting
to worse consequences