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Napansin ko na ang mga ibang Pilipino ay itinuturing mas importante ang imahe nila sa social media. Tulad ng binanggit sa texto, mas hinahalagaan nila ang mga materyal na bagay. Nakakulungkot lang na ito na ang nakasanayan ng mga Pilipino pero umaasa parin ako na mababago ito.

Kung pinag-uusapan natin ang kabuohan ng mga Pilipino, totoo ito dahil sa kahirapan(poverty) at nakasanayang paggamit ng social media na para bang' ito ang kinalilibutan ng buhay nila.

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1. Though masasaktan naman ako mismo sa anong sinasabi ng may akda, Naiintindihan ko din ang mga puntos na binabangit niya dahil sa ngayong henerasyon, ito ay mismong kababalaghan na hindi nagmumula sa ating bansa, halip ito'y sa dahilang impluwensiya ng mg iba't ibang kultura galing sa mga ibang lugar.

2. Para sa akin, medyo akong sumasang-ayong sa pahayag na binigay. Sa ngayong taon, maraming mga pilipino ang umaasa sa mga materialistikong bagay na hindi naman iniisip kung ano ang mas importante sa kani-kaniyang palalagay sa utak, katulad ng pagbasa. Sapagkat, Ito din ay hindi totoo dahil may mga matinong tao sa ating bansa na mapagtanto kung saan ay may kahalagahan ang itong bagay na gawain kaysa sa iba pa.

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1. Sang-ayon ako sa sinabi niya pero hindi naman lahat ng bagay, mababaw ang pagtingin ng mga Filipino. Pakiramdam ko, karamihan ay pinag-uusapan niya ang mga tao na nagtratrabaho para sa publiko.

2. Sang-ayon ako dito. Ang pagbabasa ay hindi isang mahalaga na kasanayan sa ating bansa. Hindi tulad sa ibang bansa, Hindi karaniwang nakikita ang mga tao na nagbabasa sa publiko. Madalas nating inuubos ang ating sarili sa mga libangan tulad ng pag laro o panood ng pelikula, ngunit hindi natin ginagamit ang ating oras sa pagbabasa dahil hindi ito anf ating nakasanayan.
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1. Ang reaksyon ko sa pananaw na mababaw ang mga Pilipino ay masaya kasi tinutukoy nila ang mga pilipino as matalino kasi kaya natin makuha agad yung natutunan natin sa pagaaral o pagbabasa.
2. Para sakin, hindi totoo yan kasi pano namin makukuha yung aralin kung hindi namin babasahin yung kontexto? Binabasa namin yung Kontexto tapos mabilis lang ata kami mga pilipino magbasa at matuto sa binabasa namin.

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1. Naghahalong positibo at negatibo ang aking reaksyon sa mga sinabi ni F.Sionil Jose sa kanyang artikulong "Why  We are Shallow." Naiintindihan ko kung bakit ganito yung iniisip niya sa ating mga Pilipino. Totoo, dapat marunong tayo kung ang ating papasukan ay makakatulong sa atin o makakasira lang ng ating buhay at madamay ang ibang tao. Ngunit, kung parati tayong calculated  nawawala yung pananabik at sorpresa ng buhay.
2. Para sa'kin may kulturang pagbasa ang mga Pilipino. Maraming mga kabataan ngayon na nagbabasa ng mga artikulong pampolitika upang turuan ang kanilang sarili at iba tungkol sa ating mga lider sa bansa. Ang mga  sensitibong isyu na hindi pinag-uusapan noon gaya ng mental health ay nabuhayan dahil ang mga kabataan ay nag-aral at nakita yung kahalagan ng isyung ito. May kulturang pagbasa ang mga Pilipino ngunit magkakaiba ang ating mga gustong genre, yung iba gusto nila yung mga pantasya, meron din iba na may gusto sa usapang politika. Magkaiba man sila ng genre, pareho naman silang makakatulong at may mahalaga sa pag-unlad ng ating bansa.

-gift

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1. Ang reaksyon ko sa pananaw na mababaw ang mga Pilipino ay masaya kasi tinutukoy nila ang mga pilipino as matalino kasi kaya natin makuha agad yung natutunan natin sa pagaaral o pagbabasa.
2. Para sakin, hindi totoo yan kasi pano namin makukuha yung aralin kung hindi namin babasahin yung kontexto? Binabasa namin yung Kontexto tapos mabilis lang ata kami mga pilipino magbasa at matuto sa binabasa namin.

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The reading culture is still there, but it's not always in the form of books. Like he mentioned,

"In Japanese cities, in Korea — in the buses and trains, young and old are reading, or if they are not holding books and magazines, they are glued to their iPhones where so much information is now available."

It's the same in the Philippines, just less obvious. There are still people who read, but they do it on their phones. Plus, if it's rush hour, can someone even read in a very cramped space? Also, our roads in the Philippines are much worse than the ones in Japan and Korea. They won't have much problem reading anywhere there because it isn't wobbly. If you try reading a book in a moving vehicle in the Philippines, all you're going to see is wobbly words (especially if you have bad eyesight)

There's also convenience. Holding a book usually requires 2 hands and space in your bag. In Japan, it is safe. They don't have to worry much about their belongings getting stolen unlike here in the Philippines. In here, we should have at least one hand free or holding our things.

Anyway, he has a point about the other issues he mentioned. I just wanted to elaborate on the book issue because he sounds like a really old man when he's comparing Japan's book situation to ours.

Another thing he mentioned was this,

"There are so many reasons. One lies in our educational system which has diminished not just scholarship but excellence."

It is happening right now and could get even worse. If Sarah Duterte wins the election, she might start military enlistment for everyone. Even Korea just has it for men. Why would she waste so much of the country's budget on this? Are we going into another war? Why not spend the budget on education instead? Improve school facilities and quality of education? A lot of people are saying that military enlistment is good to train responsibility and nationalism into the younger generation, but Japan did the same without military enlistment. All they did was to start the culture the moment a kid starts to go to school. See? having good education will yield the same results.

Anyway, yes the author has a point about everything else.

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1. Naiintindihan ko ang pagkadismaya ng may-akda. Gayunpaman, sa tingin ko siya ay masyadong malupit. Ang mga sintomas na ito ay hindi natatangi sa Pilipinas. Makakabawi pa tayo sa kanila.

2. Bahagyang sumasang-ayon ako. Maraming Pilipino ang mababaw. Dahil sa komodipikasyon at konsumerismo, nakatuon tayo sa mga materyal na bagay. Sa kabila nito, hindi natin maaaring balewalain ang ating tradisyong pampanitikan. Maraming Pilipinong iskolar, manunulat, at akademya. Nakatulong sila sa paglikha ng ating pambansang pagkakakilanlan. Maraming trabaho ang dapat gawin para buhayin ang ating kultura sa pagbabasa, ngunit posible pa rin ito.

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Nakakalungkot lang isipin na mababaw ang pananaw ng mga Pilipino at dahil nakaka-apekto ang pananaw na ito sa ating gobyerno, media, at iba pa. Para sa akin hindi makatwiran sabihing na walang kulturang pagbasa ang mga Pilipino, dahil meron namang ibang mga Pilipino na mahilig magbasa. Meron lang mga taong hindi mahilig magbasa at sinasabe kaagad ang nasa kanilang isipan base sa naririnig na tsismis. Kaya sa tingin ko hindi ito makatwiran na sabihin na walang kulturang magbasa ang mga Pilipino dahil merong mga indibidwal na mahilig magbasa at meron na hindi.

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1. Sa palagay ko,ay sumasang-ayon ako sa pinag-uusapan ng artikulo, dahil sa aking pananaw, palagi akong nakakakita ng mga palabas o channel na pangunahing pinag-uusapan ang aktor na ito, o ang trending na video na ito, o kahit na drama na hindi bagay. Karamihan sa media na nakita ko sa aking pagkabata ay mga bagay na sa tingin ko ay hindi masyadong interesante. Isa ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit gusto kong manirahan sa ibang bansa, kung saan nagsusumikap sila para sa kaalaman kaysa sa materyalistikong mga bagay. Bagama't umuunlad ang teknolohiya, sa palagay ko ay maaaring maganda na magkaroon ng magandang librong babasahin paminsan-minsan.
2. Sa tingin ko, makatuwirang sabihin na ang mga Pilipino ay walang kultura sa pagbabasa. Nasasabi ko ito dahil ang mga Pilipino sa aking palagay ay napaka-extrovert at laging masaya sa labas, tambay, shopping, at iba pa. Hindi ko sasabihin na ang mga Pilipino ay hindi nagbabasa, ngunit kung mayroon kang pagpipilian na manatili sa loob ng bahay at magbasa o lumabas lamang ay kailangang magsaya at magsaya kasama ang mga kaibigan, karamihan sa mga Pilipino ay pipiliin ang huli.

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Mayroon namang punto ang may-akda. Talaga namang may mga kahinaan at kapintasan ang ating kultura, ngunit ang kanyang paglalatag ng kanyang mga pinaninindigan ay napakabalasik at lubhang masaklap. Sobra niyang minamaliit, pinipintasan at nilalait ang mga masang Filipino sa halip na maglahad ng kanyang mga ideya sa malumanay na paraan. Ninanais din niyang lahat ay gagaya sa kanya na interesado sa mga malalalim na larangan kagaya ng pilosopiya at mga lumang wika, ngunit mayroon namang iba't ibang paraan ng pagiging intelektuwalisado, hindi lamang sa pagbabasa ng mga ganoong likha. Hindi rin interes o kinagugustuhan ng lahat ang pagbasa, kaya't ipinapakita nila ang kanilang kahusayan, katalinuhan at kakayanan sa iba pang larangan lalo na't ngayo'y laganap na ang teknolohiyang moderno.

Hindi naman angkop na sabihing wala tayong kultura ng pagbasa. Tinuturo at pinapabasa na nga ang mga klasikong aklat kagaya ng mga sinulat ni Jose Rizal sa mga paaralan. Mayaman ang ating katutubong panitikan ng mga gawang sulat kagaya ng mga alamat, pabula at mga nobela, kahit bago pa man dumating ang mga Kastila. Tinuturo din ang mga ibang banyagang panitikan sa wikang Ingles kagaya ng mga dula ni Shakespeare o iba pang mga klasiks. May kahinaan ang kultura ng pagbasa ng mga Filipino, ngunit hindi tama ang pagsabing wala man tayong kultura kahit kaunti lamang.

(Emman)

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1.Anong ang iyong reaksyon sa pananaw na mababaw ang mga Pilipino?
2.Para sayo makatwiran bang sabihing "walang kulturang Pagbasa ang mga Pilipino? Pangatwiranan ang iyong sagot.

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I was visited by an old Asian friend who lived here 10 years ago. I was floored by his observation that though we have lots of talented people, as a whole, we continue to be shallow.

Recently, I was seated beside former Senator Letty Shahani, PhD in Comparative Literature from the Sorbonne, watching a medley of Asian dances. The stately and classical Japanese number with stylized movements which perhaps took years to master elicited what seemed to me grudging applause. Then, the Filipino tinikling which any one can learn in 10 minutes; after all that energetic jumping, an almost standing ovation. Letty turned to me and asked, "Why are we so shallow?"

Yes, indeed, and for how long?

This is a question which I have asked myself, which I hope all of us should ask ourselves every so often. Once we have answered it, then we will move on to a more elevated sensibility. And with this sensibility, we will then be able to deny the highest positions in government to those nincompoops who have nothing going for them except popularity, what an irresponsible and equally shallow media had created. As my foreign friend said, there is nothing to read in our major papers.

Again, why are we shallow?

There are so many reasons. One lies in our educational system which has diminished not just scholarship but excellence. There is less emphasis now on the humanities, in the study of the classics which enables us to have a broader grasp of our past and the philosophies of this past. I envy those Hindus and Buddhists who have in their religion philosophy and ancestor worship which build in the believer a continuity with the past, and that most important ingredient in the building of a nation - memory.

Sure, our Christian faith, too, has a philosophical tradition, particularly if we connect it to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Remember, the first Bible was in Greek. But Greek, Latin and the classics in these languages are no longer taught in our schools the way these are still studied in many universities in Europe.

We are shallow because we are mayabang, ego driven, and do not have the humility to understand that we are only human, much too human to mistake knowledge for wisdom. We can see this yabang in some of our public commentators, particularly on TV - the know-it-alls who think that because they have so much knowledge - available now on the Web at the click of a button - they can answer every question posed to them. What they do not realize is that knowledge is not wisdom. Until they recognize that important if sometimes awful difference, they will continue to bluster their way to the top at our expense because we, the people, will then have to suffer their arrogance and ignorance.

We are shallow because with this arrogance, we accept positions far beyond our competence. Because there is no critical tradition in this country - a tradition which will easily separate the chaff from the grain, we cannot recognize fakery from the real goods. That outstanding scholar, Wilfredo Villacorta, is a rare bird indeed; when offered a high position in government, he refused it because he knew he was not qualified for the job. Any other mayabang academic would have grabbed it although he knows he can't handle it. And so it happens always - the nitwits who hold such high positions stubbornly hold on to their posts, bamboozling their subordinates who may be brighter than them for that is the only way those who are inferior feel they can have respect.

On the other hand, the intelligent person will be aware of his shortcomings. He does not hesitate to ask the opinion of those who know more than him on particular subjects. If he is a government hierarch, he will surround himself with advisers who he knows can supply him with guidance and background possessing as they do more knowledge, experience and wisdom than him. Such an official is bound to commit fewer mistakes because he knows himself.

We are shallow because we lack this most important knowledge - who we are and the limits to what we can do.

We also lack the perception, and the courage, for instance, to deny these religious quacks and the thousands who listen and believe in them. Sure, religion is the opium of the masses as Marx said. So then, how can we prevent the masa from taking this poison without recognizing their right to make fools of themselves? Again, shallowness because the good people are silent. Ubi boni tacent, malum prosperat. Where good men are silent, evil prospers.

This shallowness is the impediment to prosperity, to justice, and men of goodwill should emphasize this, take risks even in doing so. As the late Salvador P. Lopez said, "It is better to be silenced than to be silent."

We are shallow because our media are so horribly shallow. Every morning, I peruse the papers and there is so little to read in them. It is the same with radio - all that noise, that artifice.

I turn on the TV on prime time and what do I get? Five juvenile commentators gushing over the amors of movie stars, who is shacking up with whom. One of the blabbering panelists I distinctly remember was caught cheating some years back at some movie award. How could she still be on TV after that moral destruct? And the telenovelas, how utterly asinine, bizarre, foolish, insipid moronic and mephitic they are! And there are so many talented writers in our vernaculars and in English as the Palanca Awards show every year - why aren't they harnessed for TV? Those TV moguls have a stock answer - the ratings of these shows are very high. Popularity not quality is their final arbiter. They give our people garbage and they are now giving it back to all of us in kind! So I must not be blamed if, most of the time, I turn on BBC. Aljazeera, rather than the local TV channels. It is such a pleasure to read The New York Times, the San Jose Mercury News, the Washington Post, to listen to "Fresh Air" on US public radio and public TV where my ever-continuing thirst for knowledge (and good entertainment) is quenched.

We are shallow because we don't read. I go to the hospital on occasion - the long corridor is filled with people staring into the cosmos. It is only I who have brought a book or a magazine. In Japanese cities, in Korea - in the buses and trains, young and old are reading, or if they are not holding books and magazines, they are glued to their iPhones where so much information is now available.

In these countries and in Western cities, the bookshops are still full, but not so much anymore because the new communications technologies are now available to their masa. How I wish my tiny bookshop or any Filipino bookshop for that matter would be filled with people. I'll make an exception here: BookSale branches are always full because their books are very cheap. But I would still ask: what kind of books do Filipinos buy?

We are shallow because we have become enslaved by gross materialism, the glitter of gold and its equivalents, for which reason we think that only the material goods of this earth can satisfy us and we must therefore grab as much as can while we are able. Enjoy all these baubles that we have accumulated; sure, it is pleasurable to possess such artifacts that make living trouble free. And that old anodyne: "Man does not live by bread alone," who are the thinking and stubborn few who believe in it?

I hope that those who read this piece still do.

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I was visited by an old Asian friend who lived here 10 years ago. I was floored by his observation that though we have lots of talented people, as a whole, we continue to be shallow. Recently, I was seated beside former Senator Letty Shahani, PhD in Comparative Literature from the Sorbonne, watching a medley of Asian dances.