What is an Educated Filipino?

Francisco Benitez
( An Excerpt)

What is an educated Filipino and what qualities should distinguish him today?
The conception of education and of what an educated man is varies in response to fundamental changes in the
details and aims of society. In our country and during this transition stage in our national life,what are the
qualities which an educated man should possess?

Great changes have taken place in the nature of our social life during the last forty years. The contact
with the Americans and their civilization has modified many of our old customs, traditions and practices, some
for the worse and many for the better.The means of communication have improved and therefore better
understanding exists among the different sections of our country. Religious freedom has developed religious
tolerance in our people.The growth of public schools and establishment of democratic institutions have
developed our national consciousness both in strength and in solidarity. With this growth in national
consciousness and national spirit among our people, we witness the corresponding rise of a new conception in
education- the training of an individual for the duties and privileges of citizenship, not only for his own
happiness and efficiency but also for national service and welfare. In the old days, education was a matter of
private concern; now it is a public function, and the State not only has the duty but it has the right as well to
educate every member of the community- the old as well as the young, women as well as men- not only for the
good of the individual but also for the self preservation and self protection of the State itself. Our modern
public school system has been established as a safeguard against the shortcomings and dangers of the
democatic government and democratic institutions.

In the light of the social changes, we come again to the question: What qualities should distinguish the
educated Filipino today? I venture to suggest that the educated Filipino should, first, be distinguished by the
power to DO. The Oriental excels in reflective thinking; he is a philosopher. The Occidental is a doer; he
manages things, men and affairs. The Filipino of today needs more of his power to translate reflection into
action. I believe that we are coming more and more to the conviction that no Filipino has the right to be
considered educated unless he is prepared and ready to take an active and useful part of the work, life , and
progress of our country as well as in the progress of the world.
 The Hands of the Blacks
An excerpt from We Killed Mangy-Dog
By Luis Bernardo Honwana

I cant remember now how we got onto the subject, but one day Teacher said that the palms of the
blacks hands were much lighter than the rest of their bodies because only few centuries ago they walked
around on all fours, like wild animals, so their palms werent exposed to the sun, which made the rest of their
bodies darker and darker. I thought of this when Father Cristiano told us after cathechism that we were
absolutely hopeless, and that even the blacks were better than us,and he went back to this things about their
hands being lighter, and said it was like that because they always went about their hands folded together,
praying in secret. I thought this was so funny, this thing of the black hands being so lighter, that you should see
me now-I dont let go of anyone, whoever they are, until they tell me why they think that the palms of the
blacks hands are lighter.Dona Dores, for instance told me that God made their hands lighter like that so they
they wouldnt dirty the food that they made for their masters, or anything else that they were ordered to do that
had to be kept quite clean.Senhor Antunes, the Coca Cola man, who only comes to the village now and again
when all the cokes in the cantina have been sold, said to me that everything I had been told was a lot of
baloney. Of course I dont know if it was really,but he assured me it was. After I said yes, all right, it was
baloney, then he told me what he knew about this things of the blacks hands. It was like this:-Long ago, many
years ago, God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Peter, many other saints, all the angels were in
heaven then, and some of the people who had died and gone to Heaven- they all had a meeting and decided
to make blacks. Do you know how? They got hold of some clay and pressed it into some second- hand
moulds. And to bake them of the creatures, they took them to heavenly kilns. Because they were in a hurry and
there was no room next to the fire, they hung them in the chimneys. Smoke, smoke, smoke- and there you
have them, black as coals. And now do you want to know why their hands stayed white? Because their hands
are tied. When he had told me this Senhor Antunes and the other men who were around us were very pleased
and then all burst out laughing. That very same day, Senhor Frias called me after Senhor Antunes had gone
away, and told me everything I had heard from them there had been just pack of lies. Really and truly, what he
knew about the blacks hands was right, that God finished making men and told them to bathe in a lake in
heaven. After bathing the people were nice and white. The blacks, well, they were made very early in the
morning, and at this hour the water in the lake was very cold, so they only wet the palms of their hands and the
soles of their feet before dressing and coming into the world.

But I read in a book that happened to mention it, that the black hands are lighter like this because they
spent their lives bent over, gathering the white cottons of Virginia and I dont know where else. Of course,
Dona Estifania didnt agree when I told her this. According to her, its only because their hands became
bleached with all that washing.
Well, I dont know what to think about all these, but the truth is that no matter how calloused and cracked they
maybe, a blacks hand are always lighter than all the rest of him. And thats that! My mother is the only one
who must be right about this question of a blacks hands being lighter than the rest of his body. On the the day
that we were talking about it, I was telling her what I know about the question, and she just couldnt stop
laughing. What I thought was strange was that she didnt tell me at once what she thought about all this, and
she only answered me when she was sure that I wouldnt get tired of bothering her about it. And even then
she was crying and clutching herself around the stomach who had laugh so much that it was quite unbearable.
What she said was more or less this: God made Blacks because they had to be. They had to be, my son. He
thought they really had to beAfterwards, He regretted having made them because other men laughed at
them and took them off to their homes and put them to serve as slaves or not much better. But because He
couldnt make them all be white, for those who were used to seeing blacks would complain, He made it so that
the palms would exactly like the palms of other men. And do you know why that was? Of course, you dont
know, and its not surprising, because many, many people dont know. Well, listen: It was to show that what
men do is only the work of menThat what men do is done by hands that are the same- hands of people who,
if they had any sense, would know that before anything else they are men. He must be thinking of this when
He made the hands of the blacks be the same as the hands of those men who thank God they are not black!

After telling me all this, my mother kissed my hands. As I ran off into the yard to play ball, I thought that
I had never seen a person cry so much when nobody had hit them.
I am an African Child by Eku McGred I am an African Child by Eku McGred

I am an African child I am an African child

Born of a skin the color of the chocolate Born of a skin the color of the chocolate
Bright brilliant and articulate Bright brilliant and articulate
Strong and bold Im gifted Strong and bold Im gifted
Talented enough to be the best Talented enough to be the best
I am an African child I am an African child

Often the target of pity Often the target of pity

My future is not confined to charity My future is not confined to charity
Give me the gift of a lifetime Give me the gift of a lifetime
Give me a dream a door of opportunity Give me a dream a door of opportunity
I will thrive I will thrive
I am an African child I am an African child

Do not hide my fault Do not hide my fault

Show me my wrong Show me my wrong
I am like any other I am like any other
Teach me to dream Teach me to dream
And I will become And I will become
I am an African child I am an African child

I am the son daughter of the soil I am the son daughter of the soil
Rich in texture and content Rich in texture and content
Full of potential for a better tomorrow Full of potential for a better tomorrow
Teach me discipline teach me character Teach me discipline teach me character
teach me hard work teach me hard work
Teach me to think like the star within me Teach me to think like the star within me
I am an African child I am an African child

I can be extra-ordinary I can be extra-ordinary

Call me William Kamkwamba the Inventor Call me William Kamkwamba the Inventor
Give me a library with books Give me a library with books
Give me a scrap yard and discarded Give me a scrap yard and discarded
electronics electronics
Give me a broken bicycle Give me a broken bicycle
Plus the freedom to be me Plus the freedom to be me
And I will build you a windmill And I will build you a windmill
I am an African child I am an African child

We are the new generation We are the new generation

Not afraid to be us Not afraid to be us
Uniquely gifted black and talented Uniquely gifted black and talented
Shining like the stars we are Shining like the stars we are
We are the children of Africa We are the children of Africa
Making the best of us Making the best of us
Yes I Am an African Child Yes I Am an African Child