Netizens lambast Parañaque City lawmaker for ‘massacre’ of English language

Written by  Charlie V. Manalo (tribune.net.ph)

Parañaque City Rep. Edwin Olivarez was not spared from the wrath of the so-called netizens or Internet citizens who had just recently also feasted on the controversial issues involving Kris Aquino and her former husband PBA cager James Yap and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and his girlfriend, actress Heart Evangelista.

In the Web site http://www.reynaelena.com/2013/03/20/edwin-olivarez-graduation-message annihilated-the-english-language/#comment-77641, netizens took turns in bashing Olivarez for what they described as “annihilation of the English language” in his graduation message sent to several public schools, both in the elementary and high school in Parañaque.

“Certified wicked, this is what I call, really bad ‘edumication.’ This is probably the most atrocious graduation message I have ever read,” said Reynz, the administrator of the said website.

Olivarez’s graduation message had gone viral even as it drew numerous comments and criticisms from netizens. It was shared hundreds of times in micro-blogging site Twitter and social networking site Facebook and has even reached Olivarez’s Facebook page.

The post was immediately deleted in the congressman’s Facebook’s timeline.

“I can’t believe na ganito sya mag English,” said the Web site administrator, citing the educational attainment of the congressman who finished his high school in La Salle Greenhills and graduated at the De La Salle University where he took up BS Management. He also earned his masteral degree in the family-owned Olivarez College although he did not include this in his education information in his Facebook account.

Accordingly, Olivarez’s graduation message appeared on the graduation ceremony program booklet distributed in Parañaque National High School, Parañaque National High School — La Huerta Annex, and Parañaque National High School Don Galo Annex. It also appeared on the graduation ceremony program booklet of Paaralang Elementary ng Sto. Niño.

Olivarez, a member of the House committee on basic education and culture, supposedly opened his graduation message with the lines: “Once again, the penultimate day of a momentous accomplishment is once more unfolding to all of you my dear graduates. Today you’ve reached the mark of realization of your dreams, motivated by the comfort and challenges in sustaining the years of education leading to the final episode of marching the hallmark on the stage bestowed by the token of diploma, a concrete proof as graduates. But looking back then, the day of our graduation is just a segment of the whole package of preparation.”

“Certainly, the synergy of your educational investment is indeed significant because lacking on the outlay of preparation, it will therefore result to a vain prospect and wastage of time, energy and most importantly the crippling of our training for our young men and women to level up there concerns, destined to be our future leaders,” he added.

“Our graduation theme for this year is, ‘Building the nation’s future leaders through the K to 12 basic education program.’ This is a trending pattern that will give harnessing effect toward a complete preparation of our educational program for our young people. The challenge of the modern day living today, is on the quality of education. The leverage of par excellence on the program of education is perfectly illustrated with the almost state-of-the-art living standard of our of life today, and all these are exemplified by the means of educational program that our government and policy maker will adopt in order to participate in the global competitiveness and formulate a tracking destiny for our nation and people, Olivarez’s statement further read.

Olivarez, who is the administration’s mayoralty bet in Paranaque added in his address, “Significantly, the primary reasons that we ought to congratulate our graduates to my mind, is the triumvirate fulfillment that students, parents and teachers have shared to make this occasion worthy of its accolade and accomplishing degree. Indeed, this is the moment and the final day towards a marching order that will ignite a new hope and a dawn of challenges toward completion of your dreams and aspirations.”

One of those who commented, a certain Gelika, said Olivarez disgraced his fellow lawmakers with his graduation address.

“What the hell did he just say? In a desperate attempt to sound like an educated and well-learned man, worthy of the throne bestowed upon him by your government, he not only disgraced his fellow congresspersons but failed himself with his atrocious use of the English language, as well. Ironically, I must share his wordiness in speech. However, mine sounds much better, and if not, makes more sense,” Gelika posted in the comment box.