TODAY IN THE PAST

Today June 20, 1686, the King of Spain decrees that education in the Philippines be free of charge, that teachers be selected from the sacristans or assistants of the parish priest, and that the teaching of Spanish be given greater weight.

Among the lasting legacies of Spain to the Filipino people are the Latin alphabet and the Spanish language.

With the talent for languages, the people easily assimilated the Latin alphabet and the Spanish language. As Father Pedro Chirino, Jesuit missionary and historian wrote in 1604: "They have learned our language and its pronunciation, and write it even better than we do, for they are so clever and they learn anything with great ease."

The Latin alphabet and the Spanish language are now part and parcel of the Spanish heritage of the Filipino people.

In adopting both of them, the people discarded their ancient alphabet, but retained their native languages and dialects.

Although Spanish has not become a national language in the country, as it is in Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Cuba, and other countries in Latin America, it has enriched the national language called Pilipino. According to linguistic authorities, there are about 5,000 Spanish loan-words in our national language.

Thanks to Spain, the Filipinos are the only Asians who are acquainted with the Spanish language. With their knowledge of the Latin alphabet and the Spanish language (plus the English language), the people have been linked closer to the western world.