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

169

formation of a solid Filipino nationality. If from the beginning and for the protection of such humanitarian instructions
of President McKinley, the enterprise has been undertaken, there
is nothing impossible in cultivating and strengthening any vernacular which might in time assume the responsibilities which
weigh here over the Spanish language. I am sure that in these
days we have it ready enough to perform its most important
national role.
We insist in stating that what we ask is not incompatible
with the permanence, the rooting and propagation of English
as an official language of the Philippines in the government's
internal and external cases: commerce, science, arts, international relations, etc. What we wish to prepare with the
permission and protection of the State is the language of our
own race, for being the most natural and appropriate means to
our way of being and speaking we can understand one another
better; as a foreign language by occidental access, let them say
what they wish of its goodness, can never interpret faithfully
and satisfactorily our thoughts, feelings, and desires neither
could it adapt itself to our customs, habits, and beliefs of
oriental nature.
During these last days on account of the present independence
agitation in the United States various preeminent Americans,
recognized mouthpieces of retentionism, have returned to oppose
our legitimate aspirations, with the traditional weapon of combat-the lack of a common language in the Philippines.
Roosevelt, Barrows, and Filmore have emphasized this argument without taking into account that the weapon is doublebladed which may wound both the Philippines and the
American government in these Islands.
It has been more than thirty years since the government
assumed the task of giving us a common language. The
country has responded not only with an assignment to thousands and thousands of boys and girls eager for instruction,
but also with millions of pesos every year for such an end.
The same Filipinos, in order to cooperate faithfully and sincerely
with the American teachers have gone on qualifying themselves
with marvelous rapidity with the object of assuming the mis