Tagalog: Sa Aking Mga Kabata [To my Fellow Youth]

This poem is attributed to José Rizal (1861-1896), the Filipino national hero who was executed by firing squad on December 30, 1896 for rebellion. There is no handwritten manuscript by Rizal. The poem praises the love for one’s native language.

About Tagalog: Tagalog, named Filipino in its standardized and official form, is one of two official languages of the Philippines together with English. It is spoken in the central islands by approximately 55 million people.

In this Story: A core value in the Philippines is that of respect- for one’s heritage, for others- and that ideal of respect is emphasized in Rizal’s poem. While “respect” is not explicitly said in the poem, it is implied in the speaker’s love for the Tagalog language, and therefore also implies a reverence of it. The poem being in Tagalog furthermore, a language utilized a great deal in the home, makes it more impactful as the language is spoken in some of the most sacred relationships in the Filipino culture; the family. There are also strong mentions of national identity throughout the poem, something that the Philippines has become known for with pushes towards independance being in the country's history.