What's wrong with Pinoy English, asks a friend

"Dirty Air Killing Half a Million Asians" - Headline. Someone has lamented: "The air is about the only remaining thing that's free, and it is becoming dangerous to breathe."

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The only air that many of us pay for is the air that comes out of the rundown airconditioner in a taxicab.

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I have noticed that more and more people are installing airconditioners in their homes. A friend said he's happy about his aircon. It's the only thing his neighbors can't borrow.

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It says here that senators are batting for Sir Eddiegul's House Bill 4701 which calls for requiring English as the medium of instruction in schools. This bill has already been approved by the House. The further deterioration of English among Pinoys will be saved by the Bill.

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"What's wrong with Pinoy English? It may not be at par with American English and British English but it's our own," said Teody Planas, my friend who speaks good English. "And," he added, "it's a lot better than Pidgin."

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Teody said: "Our English was once the best English in Asia until we dropped English as medium of instruction in schools and our Asian neighbors picked it up and went serious about it. Still, our kind of English is the envy of the average Indonesians and Thais."

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Teody has been in many parts of Asia where he had experienced "terrible language barrier" because most natives or locals don't speak English. Even until now it is hard to communicate with the common people in Indonesia, according to Teody. Same thing with the man-in-the-street Thais. "That's because they never taught English in schools," he said. "At least, not until recently."

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I have not heard from nor met my good friends Oscar "Oskie" Mabilog for ages until I got a Christmas card (yes, Virginia, Christmas cards like Santa Claus are still part of our Yule celebration) from him sometime ago. Oskie is known for his selfless devotion to the cause against illegal drugs. He continues his fight against this evil in our midst and he does it in silence - sans publicity. Keep up the good work, Oskie, and Merry Christmas!

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Let me share with you this text message I got from Bobit Avila yesterday: "Life's worst poverty is not in riches but in spirit. And the greatest wealth isn't in money but in friends who will stand by us no matter what." Yes, Bobit, friends like you and the many, many others who call me friend.