“. . . . If, as with the fate of colonized countries, the colonial language remains the main means of intellectual discourse and knowledge creation, …in our particular case there still appears to be no decent intellectual discourse and knowledge creation in English, or our version of it, even in Manila, and still lesser, though emergent (the word “inchoate” came to mind) discourse has come about in Filipino. . . .”

What could be more “inchoate” (and unconscious) than to criticize the inability to create “decent intellectual discourse” using “the colonial language” whilst using the colonial language to do it?

Personally, I am proud to be connected to Filipino Voices, where you never know how your writing will be received, or, and this is more important, whether it will matter to the readers.

Unless you yourself are willing to take that risk, you risk falling into solipsism. When you think you are ready and that your ideas can infect others from sheer merit, coherence, persuasiveness, then you will be ready to join Filipino Voices.

What I think we fail to see is that the topology of this medium ensures that “No Blog Is An Island” (not even MLQ3) though some seem fervently to wish it.

It is the unmitigated desire of many Filipinos to be unique. When we get over that, then paradoxically we will be.

Strive to make a difference or cease altogether and be happy with the status quo, with stagnation, because people say and think one cannot?

You point out obstacles as if they are bound by the laws of physics…

In any case, your criticism is noted. I do not agree. Except only with the suggestion made by Teo.

Scrap the manifesto? I say improve on it..

So iniisip mong magsusulat ako ng ganito? Sa totoo lang, ang lupit ng banat mo. Hehe. Hindi ko kakayaning isulat. Pero totoo. Hehe.

True, kahit paano. Hehe.

Tinitingnan ko rin pana-panahon ang Filipino Voices, para malaman kung ano ang pinag-uusapan ng ilan sa mga nag-iisip sa bansa, at kung ano ang pinakamatalas nilang naiisip tungkol sa mga paksa nila.

Pero totoo nga ang mga punto mo.

Pero may mungkahi ako. Kasi, madalas, pare-pareho ang paksa ng iba’t ibang nagsusulat sa FV. Baka makatulong lang na kapag natapos ang isang bugso ng pagsusulat sa isang paksa, baka pwedeng may nagsusulat doon na maitalagang mag-sum up ng mga punto.

Syempre, malamang, opinionated pa rin ang pag-sum up. Pero baka lang makatulong. Kung gustong magpalalim ng nagbabasa, tsaka siya pupunta sa mismong entri.

Sa porma iyan — na tingin ko, madaling matatanggap.

Well there is a comments section. Comments should be encouraged. Spam should be shut down. To be more conversational, maybe they can program-in a ‘reply to’ feature. When that becomes cumbersome, a followup post is useful.

Lastly, blogs are incredibly partisan, so i don’t know if any individual blogger will change its opinion, or ‘synthesize’ to use a fancier term.

I never thought of it that way… but hey, I like writing as much as I like “chaos.”

But if anything, as an FV contributor, I should take the cudgels and criticisms for it as well.

Thanks!

If any criticism within your article can be taken with 100% full agreement was the cynicism with which you make on the time it took to arrive at such a manifesto. I agree.

In another instance, you also miss another point that FV is trying to make strides in, and that is the need for more people to be active in the discussion. If for any other reason than this, that we can bring more individuals, who have gone the way of apathy, into the fold, I think it is yet another success with which we should be happy about.

Angela, I respect you very much, I am always hopeful you can contribute your two centavos on any issues, and even towards FV in general.

In any case, I did not, nor have I advocated endless debate as a means of providing a solution to the issues that are to be discussed.

Mind you Angela, that it has only been six months, and we can never fully realize the potential of such an endeavor at such an early stage.

I appreciate the feedback, and would like your input as to how we should proceed.

I’ve been called out. Yes, I’m a kindergarten student masquerading as an intellectual. I don’t need to be pretentious, I have merely put out there a “draft” with which further discussion and input made, and that which maybe, we could arrive, as you may suggest, a dialectic outcome. If that is being pretentious, then so be it. My intentions were nothing more, nothing less.

I may be way over my head, if so, would it be so bad to get some help.

What say you, as to the proper course to take?

In any case, it’s a challenge that I am all too willing to take. Even if it’s way over my head, I am all too willing to ask for help… Which is why I put it out there. For such criticism I am all too willing to bear, if it moves us forward to something that we can truly say will be of help in providing critical thinking, as the speech you have provided asks for. And in the end, as even Benign0 pointed out, move towards a resolution on issues with which we can have common ground.