Manny Pacquiao is no doubt the world’s greatest and most accomplished boxer today, but some people don’t look kindly at the less-than-perfect English grammar they are seeing in his Twitter account.
In
“Pacman blasts grammar critics,” a news story by Barry Viloria in abs-cbnNEWS.com datelined March 17, 2011, Pacquiao is reported to have retorted on Twitter: “Its doesn’t matter of the grammar as long they understand the message thanks.”
DEWEY NICKS FOR TIME MAGAZINEThe news story quotes Pacquiao as having continued his Tweet: “Tyong lhat pinoy ang slita ntin ay tgalog we should use our language we’re nt american, jpan,chna,atbp. They’re using there own language…We should proud in our language that’s the real pinoy yan ang tama thank you God Bless everyone.”
1It’s for this English that Pacquiao has been the target of some harsh criticism, among them this posting by someone who goes by the username tugakbatan: “It is the perception of a majority of Filipinos that ‘fluency’ in the English Language is the yardstick for education and/or intelligence. Kaya naman itong si Congressman Pakyaw ay English nang English kahit na mali-mali ang grammar. Pare ‘Tagalog’ na lang. Kagaya ni Lito Lapid. Bakit? Ano ba ang gusto mong palabasin? Alam naman namin na hindi masyadung malayo a narating mo sa pag-aaral. Pero sikat ka naman at sa buong mundo pa at naging congressman ka rin. Pare, I think there is nothing that you should prove more. Bibihira ang Filipinong maka-achieved nang ganyan. Kaya, mag-Tagalog ka nalang. No offense.”
2But Pacquiao and his English are definitely not lacking in defenders, among them someone with the username 1STSACPCSAF who made this posting: “Leave Manny alone he’ll get better down the road Are’nt you guys proud we have a kababayan
3 like Manny If you don't have any good things to say about Manny move to Africa and root for Monkeyweather.”
And this posting by jimsangco that’s summarily dismissive of the critics of Pacquiao’s English: “Wag mong intindihin un hayaan mo n lng sya...at hindi mo kelangan magpaliwanag at humingi ng pasensya...dahil pinoy k at tagalog ang language natin period.”
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1This mix of Tagalog and English roughly translates into English as follows: “All of us Pinoys [Filipinos] speak Tagalog. We should use our language. We aren’t Americans, Japanese, Chinese, or others who use their own language…We should be proud of our language. That’s the real Pinoy, that’s the correct way. Thank you and God bless everyone.”
2The second to the last sentence of this passage roughly translates into English as follows: “But Congressman Pakyaw persists in speaking in English despite his faulty grammar. Chum, why not just speak in Tagalog. Like Lito Lapid [another congressman in the Philippines]. What are you trying to prove? After all, we know that you have not gone far in your formal education. Still, you are famous the world over and you have become a congressman besides. Chum, I think there is nothing that you should prove more. It’s so rare for a Filipino to have achieved that much. So please just speak in Tagalog. No offense.”
3The word kababayan is Tagalog for countryman.
4This Tagalog roughly translates into English as follows: “Don’t mind them and just let them be…and you don’t have to explain and say you’re sorry…because you are Pinoy and Tagalog is our language. Period.”
