Another competitive edge gone

Many are now realizing that the drastic decline in our English proficiency is another competitive edge that is fast slipping away as Filipinos compete in the global market. Even the call center sector which is considered as one of the flickering hope of new graduates seeking employment is facing difficulties in hiring qualified local staff. Continued lack of qualified manpower will definitely drive these call centers out of the country.

We received a number of reactions on our 19 June 2006 column (How Does Your English?). This one is from Jose B. Cortez.

"Good day, I would just like to share with you my views when I read your article:

"What it all boils down to is the Philippines’ losing its edge in global competitiveness. More than anything else, Filipinos are getting duller with each succeeding generation, proficiency in any language only follows the quality of cultivation of a person’s gray matter. It wouldn’t matter if Filipinos are reared to be bilinguals if they aren’t being trained in the proper use of either English or Filipino.

"Most Filipinos nowadays are too caught up with the illusion that they speak the ‘right’ kind of English when in fact they are just imitating American diction, enunciation, grammar, etc. What’s funny is this kind of English is commonly regarded by The English as a bastardization of their mother tongue. This is also the reason why most UK firms don’t choose the Philippines as a potential off-shore operations site, simply because we don’t speak their English.

"More importantly, I’ve also learned that you can only speak (or write) as well as you read (or watch), using this assertion. If Filipinos continue to inundate their five senses with trash, what will come out of their mouths or what they will always write will also be trash.

"Yes, we had the competitive edge before, but that was when kids were being taught well not just in the proper use of the English language but in all subject areas using more than just two languages in some cases (older acquaintances would still recall mandatory Spanish language electives required in their courses).

"This is just in recognition of the brain’s virtually limitless capacity to learn. Educators then saw the need to push the envelope when it comes to making students realize the potentials of their intellects.

"What we have now is an educational system caught in a downward spiral of continually lowering its standards to match their evaluation of what kids are more interested in to learn or what they only need to learn, thus further lowering the bar of the quality of knowledge that is being taught and eventually being afforded the students.

"So if most of us are content already with the kind of English that most Filipinos speak today, we simply must accept the fact that we will never achieve a better quality of life anytime soon."

‘Pro-people’ education

This one is from Henry P. Ma who questions the validity of so-called "pro-people" policies. "I agree with your recent column. The nationalist-inspired downgrading of English is another example of how seemingly ‘pro-people’ policies end up hurting their supposed beneficiaries. "In India, in fact, a few years ago, lower-income parents rioted when the government planned to reduce English instruction. These parents were rational and knew that the move would deprive their children of a means to attain better lives. "The better-off in the Philippines can always move easily in the globalized world, while the ‘nationalists’‚ because of their ideology, reject it. If they reject it, that’s their choice, but why should they hobble others?"

Private sector initiative

While some are just starting to comprehend the gravity of the consequences of losing our English proficiency and overall decline of literacy in the country, there are those in the private sector that have embarked on initiatives to stem the increasing numbers of Filipinos who are not even functionally literate.

One such company that is deeply involved in providing educational assistance to poor but deserving students is Amkor Technologies, the country’s largest maker of electronic chips.

Over the years, Amkor Technologies has been distributing computer units to schools. Recently, Amkor president Mike Petrucci expanded its youth education program through a tie-up with MyReviewerOnline.com. Under the program, Internet access cards are distributed to beneficiary schools. These cards enable students to access for free the knowledge-building modules, i.e., vocabulary builder, mathematics drills, etc., available on the web site, www.MyReviewerOnline.com <http://www.myrevieweronline.com/>

Intel, another major player in the electronic sector, is also very active with its IntelTeach to the Future. They have helped in bringing secondary school teachers‚ appreciation of computer technology to practical levels.

There are a number of opportunities open for companies that would like to help. It would do well for DepEd to be more aggressive in mobilizing private sector support not only for programs like the Adopt-A-School and "Brigada Eskwela," but also other practical initiatives to address specific issues such as English proficiency.

Poker tournament enthusiasts

Visit Philippine Poker Tour official web site www.PhilippinePokerTour.com <http://www.philippinepokertour.com/> and watch for the details of the next major non-wager competition, the Poker King Challenge Series 2006. All poker tournament enthusiasts are enjoined to brush up on their Hold’em strategies in preparation for the satellite and leg competitions leading to the Grand Finals scheduled in December.

The web site also features the full pictorial coverage of the biggest non-wager poker tournament that was recently concluded, the Million-Peso Hold’em Philippine Championship. The final table action of the tournament was covered by Solar Entertainment and will be shown shortly on the television cable station Sports Plus.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 4th Floor,156 Valero Street, Salcedo Village,1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com or at reygamboa@linkedge.biz. If you wish to view the previous columns, you may visit my website at http://bizlinks.linkedge.biz <http://bizlinks.linkedge.biz/> .