Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

EDUCATIONAL SECTION

167

Equally: that they should respect our customs, habits, and even
prejudices so long as these are not incompatible with the good
government.
No one better than we ourselves, the Filipinos, can appreciate
which measures of the government would make us more happy
and prosperous. Therefore, if from the beginning we have
been made to dwell upon the desire that our vernacular languages be incorporated into the curriculum of our schools as
a means to promote the instruction, peace, and good intelligence
among all the regions of the Archipelago, the American authorities, both in these Islands and in the Metropolis, should
be sympathetic.
Our languages formed part of what McKinley called "customs and habits," because is there a custom or habit more
natural and rooted in a people as the expressing of their ideas,
their feelings and their desire in the native tongue?
And referring directly to the question of education and
diversity of languages in the Philippines, President McKinley
enacted also in said Instructions the following:
"It should be the duty of the Commission to promote
and extend and if it finds occasion, perfect the system of
instruction already inaugurated by the military authorities.
To do this it should be considered of first importance the
extension of a system of primary instruction which should
be free for all, which would tend to prepare the people
for the duties of citizenship and for the ordinary occupation of a civilized society. This instruction should be
given in the first place, in all parts of the Islands in the
language of the people. In view of the many languages
spoken by the different groups, it is especially important
for the prosperity of the Islands, that a means of common
communication be established, and it is obvious that it is
desired that this means be the English language. Special
attention should at once be given in providing the inhabitants of the Islands with the complete opportunity to
acquire the practice of the English language."
What has been done of this precept so markedly pro-Filipino? Why did not the government of the Philippines respect such wise instructions but instead disobey and.continue