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= ACTIVITY NO. 3: TRANSFORMING THE CONTEXT OF MANUEL L. QUEZON’S SPEECH INTO HYPERTEXT =

The aspect that took my interest in Manuel L. Quezon's speech was the traits of Filipino citizens.
[[File:Traits of a filipino.gif|border|thumb|309x309px|Popular Characteristics Of Filipino People
 * Filipinos Love To Prepare Great Tasting Food
 * Most Filipinos Have Strong Family Tie
 * The Filipino People Are Respectfu
 * Many Filipinos Are Hardworking And Resourcefu
 * The Filipino People Are Passionate

]] '''I chose the aspect where Manuel Quezon narrated the traits of the Filipinos. For a particular reason of that, it showed two sides of the Filipinos, namely positive and negative. I do agree with him when he said in the last paragraphs that we have accomplished our freedom. But our spirit is still bound by the shackles forged from the frailties of our nature. It has been said that the Filipino nation during the colonization of the Spaniards was independent and inferior to the Spaniard government. However, Rizal's notes stated that even before the Spaniards came, Filipinos had already made its identity regarding culture, traditions, traits, and so much more. We are far being known for our bravery and perseverance. But comparing it to the present days, what I have witnessed today is the opposite of the past. Filipinos today lack patriotism and bravery. Thus, the excerpt from Manuel Quezon is crucial and is a necessity to be read especially by the current generation.'''

Manuel Quezon on Filipino Traits.
'"If we compare our individual and civic traits with those that adorned our forefathers, we will find, I fear, that we, the Filipinos of today, have lost much of the moral strength and power for growth of our ancestors." -Manuel L. Quezon'

''In the statement above, Manuel L. Quezon noticed our traits and morality as a Filipino that fades as time pass by. As we reminisce the past, our ancestors were once as brave as a savage beast, as respected as a king and as one as hill of ants. They are respected and a very well being compare to the Filipinos of today. They adopted the environment and has a wisdom to go on with life. But as those wisdom and traits are pass to generation, it has changed together with the change of the world. As the world became futuristic, those traits became the prisoner of the past.''

''   So what do we need to do to let those forgotten became begotten (be-got-again)? Maybe we just need again to take a look on the past and gather wisdom. Change is really constant and it is inevitable but we must guide the change and make it a "change for the better". Look deep into our hearts for the wisdom of our ancestors are always with us. Unlock the prison where those traits are and get ready for the new generation of Filipinos.''

Speech of President Quezon on Building the Character of the Youth, August 25, 1938
Speech

of

His Excellency Manuel L. Quezon

President of the Philippines

On Building the Character of the Youth

[Delivered at the Zamboanga Normal School, City of Zamboanga, August 25, 1938]

Character is more important than training.

The application of what we have learned to the practical uses of life, the ability to assimilate what we learn, and the power to think truthfully—that is knowledge.

People who have no self-pride are not entitled to receive the benefits of self-government.

The value of a people is not measured by its material possession, but by its moral character.

Duty is more important than knowledge.

True patriotism does not consist in shouting your love for your country. True patriotism is shown in your everyday life. True patriotism does not consist in shouting that you are willing to die for your country. . . Just do your duty every day and you will be patriots.

Eat enough to keep you healthy. Dress well to look decent; enjoy enough to give your spirit emotion and your nerves relaxation. But all the time you must have an objective in your life, have an idea—a noble idea—and pursue it.

——

Mr. Nebrida, Faculty and Students of the Normal School of Zamboanga:

This is the first time since I was elected President that I have the opportunity to address a message to the teachers and students of Zamboanga.

On my last birthday anniversary, I was invited by the faculties and students of all the universities and colleges and the public and private schools of Manila, through the Vice-President to meet them at the Rizal Memorial Field for the purpose of shoving me their appreciation of the policies and achievements of my administration in the last two years. That was a very meaningful and memorable occasion to me. I never saw before a more inspiring sight as that which my eyes beheld on that late afternoon of August the 19th. I could have said things that were pleasant to hear but, instead, I decided to talk on what I consider to be the serious weakness of our character today. I then stated that the next three years of my administration will be devoted to the spiritual revival of our people. And I meant what I said; I intend to concentrate my efforts on one of the most important tasks of the leaders of the Filipino people.

Character is more important than training. I will not say that it is more important than knowledge because the word “knowledge” implies more than the possession of factual or technical information. Knowledge implies the absorption of what we learn by either reading books or hearing somebody. The application of what we have learned to the practical uses of life, the ability to assimilate what we learn, and the power to think truthfully—that is knowledge. The mere getting and piling up of information without assimilating them is not I knowledge. But character is more important than the acquisition of scientific information. I would rather have a man who is illiterate but who loves truth, who is afraid to lie, who possesses moral courage, who is honest with himself—and, of course, when you are honest with yourself you are honest with the world—who is straight, upright, fair, and just than the best scientist who is devoid of a moral sense of justice, love, and truth, who can deceive not only himself but also others.

It seems that we do not realize how indispensable the building of character is. It seems that the teachers entertain the belief that their duty in school is only to explain their particular subject, and that it is not equally their duty to see, watch and properly evaluate the moral conduct of their pupils when judging upon their accomplishments. I want the teachers in the Philippines to know that it is more important to build the character of their students than to teach them their subjects. I want every teacher not only to give their pupils a lecture on good conduct end good breeding every day but also to show them with their conduct that what they tell them they themselves believe and practice.

You know that the Filipino has some wonderful traits. I remember now my boyhood days which I spent in my native town, Baler. We had only one school then, and prior to its establishment there had been no school at all. So the immense majority of the inhabitants, including the grownup people, were illiterates; yet, as I recall now, those men and women lived exemplary lives in their homes and their conduct as citizens was above reproach. Although the young generation of Baler today knows how to read and write and some of the men and women receive college education and are university graduates, yet, as I compare them with those men and women of my youth, I have to admit that Baler has had no better men than those we had in the past. I remember that in my boyhood, business transactions did not require the persons borrowing money to sign any document. There were not witnesses to the transaction; yet the debtor always paid his account on time. Today when a man borrows money in Baler, he signs a document before a notary public; however, when the debt becomes due he finds excuses and asks for an extension of time.

In my boyhood, the dirty portions of the streets of Baler were always cleaned by the owners of the houses facing them. The people themselves built the streets. At the time there was no fund for road construction. Even the municipal building was built with the voluntary contributions of the people. When there was a fire every man and woman tried to put it out. I was in my town only three months ago and I noticed that some of the wide streets that we had when I was a boy, have been converted into little muddy lakes. When the mayor asked me to allot money for the repairs of those streets, I told him that in my childhood I never saw the streets of Baler appear as they do now, although at the time there was no excise tax on oil or land tax from which the municipality could get money to put the streets in proper shape. The people did the work. And I further told him that in the old days I was very proud to boast that I was born in Baler. I gave him one month to improve the town. Otherwise I would remove him from office. I hope they have done it; if not, besides removing the municipal officials from office. I will convert my town into a barrio because people who have no self-pride are not entitled to receive the benefits of self-government. So much for that.

I have a much more important message for you. If I compare the things I saw as a boy with those I have seen, now that we are better educated, I should say that we are not gaining in moral values; in fact, we are deteriorating. Nobody feels any sense of responsibility to his community and his fellowmen. We interpret the word “liberty”—”freedom”—to mean that we can do whatever pleases us and that we are not under obligation to do anything to benefit others and the community. We think that to be courteous is servitude; that it denotes a lack of personal dignity. Yet courtesy is only seen among gentlemen. And discourtesy is the first sign that one is not a man. The difference between a civilized person and a savage is that the former considers the feelings, the rights, the ideas, and the thoughts of those with whom he lives and yet he refrains from exercising some of his rights in order not to inconvenience those who live in his community. Whereas, a savage does not care about other people; he will do what will please him if he has the physical power to do it.

Now training must be both of the mind and the heart. By heart I mean the soul; by that I mean our moral, being; and the training of the moral being in us is more important than that of the mind. The place where you should start the spiritual revival of the Filipino people should be in the school, be it the primary, intermediate, secondary, and normal, and in college. It must start there. It is during the formative period of your character that you should be given a proper outlook of life.

I want to tell you that there are a few things very much more important than gold, comforts, and riches—and those tire ideals. A man or a woman who has no ideals in life lives like an animal. He may be a millionaire,and he may have automobiles, a palace, and a yacht. But he will be just like an animal unless he has ideals and his spirit is satisfied. The value of a people is not measured by its material possession but by its moral character. However poor a. people may be, if they are composed of men and women who are good, honest, industrious, and morally and physically courageous, they will still be respected. No strong nation in the world will just agree to having her people subjugated if their moral fiber is of the first class. If you read the history of mankind you will find that the people who became great were those who possessed great moral virtues, and after they reached the peak of their moral greatness which, as a matter of course, was also accompanied by their greatest material prosperity, their decadence began.

Rome’s death was pronounced on the very day that Rome owned the known world because Rome then began its materialistic life. Yet for centuries the Roman Empire was the admiration of the world, and for some centuries more the Roman eagle spread its wings over outlying provinces and territories; but Rome was already dead. It was only a question of time before she crumbled; the anay had gotten into the edifice of the body politic to do its destructive work. Finally the day came and Rome fell. So it has been with other nations. Spanish historians called the sixteenth century the cultural period of Spain; it was then the beginning of Spanish decadence. The historians called it the golden period because all the world then was practically hers. She had possessions in America, in Australia, in Europe, in Africa, and everywhere else. She was the greatest colonial empire at the time and yet it was the period when Spain was nearing her death.

Comparatively speaking, the Filipino people have made a tremendous material progress during the last forty years. We have become a rich country so that we have much material prosperity now. Our people have become frivolous. Clubs in the Philippines are organized for no other purpose than dancing. The whole year we are only thinking of having a good time. Well, everybody is entitled to a good time, and, as a matter of fact, I have never grown old, perhaps, because I know how to enjoy after a hard day’s work. But I don’t waste my life just singing, dancing, and running around. I work as long as I have something to work on, sometimes until late in the night. I enjoy a relaxation, and enjoy it more, after a hard work. We must have a balanced life consisting mainly of work and pleasure. But let us work more and enjoy less. Work is the greatest thing in life. Therefore, we must not feel ashamed when we work. It seems that others feel proud when they do nothing. I am afraid that many of us have been badly influenced by that story in the Bible in which the Lord punished Adam and Eve for their disobedience by making them work and live by the sweat of their brow. I am a scholar of the Bible but I have a different interpretation of those words. I do not think that God created man and woman just to waste their life here—live in paradise, eat the fruit, and do nothing the rest of the day. I don’t think that work was part of their punishment for disobeying Him. God created man to be man. That the man must live a high and noble life, a life of ideals, a life of usefulness, and a life of service, is what He meant. You ought to be proud when we can say that we spend our life in working. It is the greatest title.

I will tell you a story. Many young men have come to me to ask for a job. “What can you do?” I asked.

“Oh, everything, anything,” was their ready reply.

“What do you mean? You are a marvelous fellow!”

“I just want a salary to support myself,” they answered.

“You are not looking for a job, you are looking for a salary. I am going to give you a job if you can show me that you really want to work. Go to the Mayor of the City and tell him to give you the work of sweeping the streets; then come back to me.” None, not one, has come back to me yet. [Laughter] On the other hand, one morning while I was talking on the Palace grounds,I saw a clean, nice-looking, young man carrying a heavy piece of wood. He was barefooted. My attention was attracted, so I called him, “Why are you working?” I asked.

“I have to make a living, Mr. President,” he answered.

“How much do you get?”

“One peso a day, sir.”

“Have you been to school?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Are you still going to school?”

“Yes, sir, I am in the high school.”

“Why do you have to work this way; do you not have a father and a mother?”

“I have, Mr. President, but my father lost his job sometime ago, so he and I have to work.”

Then I told him to leave his work and see Secretary Vargas. I told Secretary Vargas to give him a better work.

Now that boy has a fine job; that boy is going to be a man; and as long as I can help him I will help him. He did not come to me for a good job; but he needed work to help his father.

Now and then I get dozens of letters recommending some boys for some jobs. I asked them to come to me. They thought that I am an easy fellow and I give work to everybody who comes to me. I have a very soft heart, but I have a strong will-power, and I will not help a boy to become lazy and easy-going. It is not good for him. I like to see boys sweep the streets; I did that work. You know, I worked in the rice-fields; I waited at tables; I did a lot of odd things. I passed nights without any food. So why can’t others do what I myself did?

I am going back. I want the teachers to watch closely the conduct of their pupils. You must help them to be courteous; show them their duties, and make them comprehend that duty is more important than knowledge. I expect the division superintendent, the school principles, the district supervisors, and all classroom teachers to join hands with me in my efforts to make both the present and the coming generations responsible people. I want you, young men and young women, to be the right kind of men and women who will be able to assume that burden which our people will face once we are an independent nation. True patriotism does not consist in shouting your love for your country. True patriotism is shown in your everyday life. True patriotism does not consist in shouting that you are willing to die for your country. We are not bound to be heroes all the time; nor is there an opportunity to be heroes every day. Just do your duty every day and you will be patriots. As a student your duty is to study well,and as a man to be good. Your duty is to work well until you become a good citizen. And don’t give too much importance to clothing, good eating, and pleasure. Eat enough to keep you healthy. Dress well to look decent; enjoy enough to give your spirit emotion and your nerves relaxation. But all the time you must have an objective in your life, have an idea—a noble idea—and pursue it. [Applause]

Who is Manuel L. Quezon?
Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina, KGCR (Spanish: [man'wel 'lwis kesoɲ mo'lina], Tagalog: [ma'nwel 'luwis kɛson]; 19 August 1878 – 1 August 1944) was a Filipino statesman, soldier, and politician who served as President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. After Emilio Aguinaldo (1899–1901), whom Quezon beat in the 1935 presidential election, he was the first Filipino to head a government of the entire Philippines (as opposed to the governments of prior Philippine states). He is regarded the second president of the Philippines.Quezon addressed the issue of landless peasants in the rural during his presidency. Reorganization of the islands' military defense, approval of a recommendation for government reorganization, promotion of settlement and development in Mindanao, dealing with the foreign stranglehold on Philippine trade and commerce, proposals for land reform, and fighting graft and corruption within the government are among his other major decisions. With the onset of World War II and the possibility of Japanese invasion, he organized a government-in-exile in the United States. The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation's Board of Directors accepted a posthumous bestowal of the Wallenberg Medal upon President Quezon and the people of the Philippines in 2015 for reaching out to Holocaust victims between 1937 and 1941. President Benigno Aquino III and previous President Benigno Aquino's daughter, Maria Zenaida Quezon Avancea, were informed of the honor.