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

173

mediums and of the manifest indifference of the Government
itself to the vernacular press. The average copies and circulation in favor of the newspapers and reviews in Tagalog-the
only vernacular we have data about-is seventy per cent above
those written in English and eight per cent above those written
in Spanish.
The vernacular lecture for cultural propaganda in the country has more positive and immediate effects than the schools.
While these serve, in general, to prepare theoretically the future
citizens, the lecture initiates and enables the actual citizens in
the intelligent knowledge of their rights and duties as such,
and also it puts them into contact with the current problems
and the principal events in their country and in foreign lands.
But even if it be argued that there is a scarcity of native
literature; that the more advanced vernacular language is still
in the cradle compared with the maturity of the English and
Spanish languages as regards books and publications of science
and art necessary for school use and for the introduction of
modern culture, we have no inconvenience in revealing the
truth about the insufficiency of our literature. It should be
distinguished, however, that it is not the same to have no
literature of our own and not to be able to have it. Abundant
goods are not produced when there is no sure market. But
let the Government be less tyrannical with respect to English,
let exclusivism of languages in schools and universities be
broken and let the monopoly by the official language of all
public budgets of education be lifted; in other words, let the
doors of opportunity and stimuli be opened to the vernacular
literature and writers; and it will be seen how in a time relatively shorter will be flooded our book stores, libraries, schools,
colleges and other centers of culture, with books, publications
and all kinds of lecture of the most modern quality and of
adaptation more adequate to the peculiar necessities and the
legitimate aspirations of the Filipinos. The Philippines would
not be the only exception in the history of free countries.
* * *
We come now to solve the most important question involved
in the theme of the present conference. Which would be the