Wednesday, February 2, 2011

“Pangalatok” is Insulting and Derogatory!


Many have confused the terms “Pangasinan”, “Pangasinense” and “Pangalatok”


People of Pangasinan are called Pangasinenses regardless of the language or dialect they speak. The main language is Pangasinan which primarily spoken in central area that includes the cities of Dagupan and San Carlos, and big towns like Lingayen (the capital) Mangaldan, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Binmaley, Malasiqui & Bayambang. Iloko is also widely spoken primarily in eastern part that includes Urdaneta City, Tayug, Binalonan, Umingan, etc. and the western area that includes Alaminos City, Mabini, Infanta, Bolinao, Anda, Bani, etc.. Some people in the western part of the province also wide speak Binubolinao. Others speak Kapampangan, Zambal, Bisaya, Ibaloi, Kankanaey, etc. But majority of Pangsinenses speak both Pangasinan and Iloko.

The term “Pangalatok” is insulting and derogatory. So too is “Ilokogtot”.

Hereunder is what I wrote in a comment regarding a discussion of this issue in the Pangasinan Page in Facebook on March 15, 2009, as follows:


“Saray totoo ya manaayam ed Pangasinan, sikara so Pangasinense anggan antoy salita ra: Pangasinan, Iloco, Bolinao, Zambal, Kapampangan, Bisaya, Ibaloi, Kan-kaney tanaromni. Aman so "Pangalatok" et "derogatory" tan "insulting", makaderal na kagalangan ed sakey ya too no tawagen moy ontan.

Nanlapo tan ya termino nen saman ya panaon nen mangkokolkol iray Ilocano tan Pangasinense lapor ag natalusan na saray Ilocano so salitan Pangasinan. Say intawag da ed saray Pangasinenese ya mansalitay Pangasinan et "Kasla kayo nga agtogkik nga manok no agsasao" (You are like chicken with a bad flu when talking)= Pangasinan +kasla+ togkik +manok= Panga-la-tok!"

Say imbales na saray Pangasinense ed saray Ilocano met et: "Sicayo ya Ilocano agyo amtay mampuniti no milaban, kapara kayoy asilok ya otot, mangkogtokogtot" (Ilocanos don't know how to box; they jump like frightened rats)= Ilocano +kogtot + otot = Ilokogtot!"

Both words are insulting and derogatory. Sikato komon no narengel yo may salita ya "Pangalatok", please correct it at once.”

In summation:
“Pangasinan” is the name of the province and also the primary language of the province; “Pangasinense/s” is/are the people of Pangasinan regardless of language they speak; and “Pangalatok” is a derogatory and insulting colloquial word.

15 comments:

  1. Makapasiksinagem irarayan bengatla, balet angga nid natan ultimon saray dilin kakaluyagan tayo et sansyan agda ni amta so tuga pananawag ed sikatayo, mabetbet ak nin sansya ya makapikabat ed saray kapara tayon Pilipino insan no tepetan daak la no taga iner ak say ikuan dan tampol et "A Pangalatok ka!!!" , patumbukan ko lan tampol na pangi kalar ya no akin et ag tayo nepeg na tawagen na untan...

    Untan pa kumon say Gobyerno tayo ed luyag tayo so manggawa na sakey ya anunsyo ya mangipakabat ya aliwa iyan pananawag dad sikatayo, ikami diad TAGA PANGASINAN AK AROEN KOY SALITAK et lanang mi iyan ipepetek ya nisengegan na ya impangipetek mi ed sakey ya Egpang ya untan so pananawag da ed saray taga Pangasinan...

    Nepeg maniibaan tayod sayan pibabakal ya pangipetek na sayan panag tawag dad sikatayo...

    Pangasinan so Luyag ko, Pangasinan so Salitak Pangasinan o Pangasinense so nepeg a tawag ed say siak...

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  2. Nia ay so listaan na salita odino lingguahi ya uusaren tayo ed Pilipinas -- http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=PH

    Kaiba ed sayan listaan na salita so Pangasinan tan aliwan pangglatok. Say bibirbiren da'ra'y linguists ed lapag ya mundo et say salitan Pangasinan.

    Sakey ni, say Pangasinan et language, aliwan dialect labat. Ta no dialect so Pangasinan, dialect iya na anton language?

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  3. Marakep lamet ya kalar Heneral Tiago... Marakep iraramay ibibiang yo ran bengatla nipaakar ed Awaran na saray umaanlong tayod Pangasinan marakep so impangidalatdat yo, akaasol lalamet so too, saraman so imuunan umaanlong tan kumukurit so aglara kabat na henerasyon mi, katon diad saman ya impangibiang yo, apawilan mi so nangapuan tan saray matalungaring iran totoo ed kuritan tayo. Salamat ed saraman ya ibibiang yo..

    jr

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  4. Letter to Proponents who state that Pangalatok is a Derogatory Word:

    Good day everyone. As I am too busy with my personal life, I am writing this letter to once and for all present my answers to proponents who says that Pangalatok is a derogatory word. I do not want to waste my precious time debating on this topic, debating on people who do not even present support or evidences of their allegation. But I am pressed to present my following arguments, against those who are pushing for the abolition of Pangalatok:

    Arguments:
    1. First, THERE IS NO DIRECT AND SOLID EVIDENCE IN HISTORY TO PROVE THE ALLEGATION THAT PANGALATOK IS A DEROGATORY AND INSULTING WORD. The allegation that Pangalatok was used in history as derogatory and insulting word is a mere conjecture. THE PROPONENTS DO NOT HAVE DIRECT AND SOLID EVIDENCES TO PROVE THE ALLEGATION THAT PANGALATOK WAS USED IN HISTORY AS A DEROGATORY AND INSULTING WORD. It is futile to proceed and a very waste of time debating on a topic that is not true at all, and worst no evidence at all. To Proponents, please provide direct and solid evidence to prove your allegation. There is no need to continue reading my succeeding arguments unless this first argument is debunked. The burden of proof lies to the proponents (emper necessitas probandi incumbit ei qui agit) who state that Pangalatok is a derogatory and insulting word.

    2. Second, the imposed definition of Pangalatok is variable or inconsistent. There is no point in debating if the definition is not truly identified or pinned down, or else we are debating on different pages. One alleged definition says that Pangalatok means “Kasla kayo nga agtogkik nga manok no agsasao” or Pangasinan +kasla+ togkik +manok= Panga-la-tok. Another one says that Pangalatok means “Pangasinense sira tuktok”. Another definition states “"Pangasinan na katok." The definitions are variable and inconsistent. Furthermore, there is no evidence to prove that these definitions really existed in history. These definitions are mere conjectures and no evidence at all. All of these definitions are unsubstantiated.

    Yet, please go back to my FIRST argument declaring that there is no solid and direct evidence to prove that Pangalatok was once used in history as a derogatory and insulting word. It is futile and a very waste of time to debate on the allegation that Pangalatok is a derogatory word as the proponents have no evidence at all.

    3. Assuming that Pangalatok is derived from “Pangasinan+kasla+togkik+manok”, this unsubstantiated derivation of Pangalatok is not insulting and is not even derogatory. The proponents who tell that this definition is derogatory and insulting are just over-reacting (OA) and are alarmist.

    Yet, please go back to my FIRST argument declaring that there is no solid and direct evidence to prove that Pangalatok was once used in history as a derogatory and insulting word. It is futile and a very waste of time to debate on the allegation that Pangalatok is a derogatory word as the proponents have no evidence at all.

    (Pls see Second Part for Arguments #4-5 and Third Part for Arguments #6-7)

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    Replies
    1. 1. Many of the things that we know about the ancient Filipinos is derived from oral history, hence your argument that there is no solid proof is baseless.
      2. I agree with this one.
      3. Probably true, yet to define what is derogatory is subjective on its own.

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    2. I am a Pangasinense, and I find pangalatoc derogatory. Regardless of baseless arguement to where the word came from, and as a proud and true blooded Pangasinense, I hate to use that word to describe us.

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  5. Second part (Please see First Part for Arguments #1-3 and Third Part for Arguments #6-7)

    4. Assuming that Pangalatok was once used in history as a derogatory and insulting word but still you continue to promote that "Pangalatok" is derogatory and offensive, it means that you continue and continue until forever to promote the history of difference/conflict that Ilocano and Pangasinan had in the past. History is history, especially if it is a bad history. I rather be called myself Pangalatok and forget the difference that Ilocano and Pangasinan had in the past, than go against the flow and maintain to call myself Pangasinan thinking that Pangalatok is a derogatory word due to a shameful history of conflict.

    Yet, please go back to my FIRST argument declaring that there is no solid and direct evidence to prove that Pangalatok was once used in history as a derogatory and insulting word. It is futile and a very waste of time to debate on the allegation that Pangalatok is a derogatory word as the proponents have no evidence at all.

    5. If the allegation is true that Pangalatok is a derogatory and insulting word, most Pangasinan people are not aware of it. If Pangasinan people are not even aware of this alleged derogatory connotation, then it is more true that other people of the Philippines are also not aware. Furthermore, the word Pangalatok terminology has been widely utilized by the people throughout the country and even abroad, not only Pangasinans. In this case, abolishing the term “Pangalatok” means going against the terminology being utilized throughout the country and abroad.

    The audiences of this issue are not just the Pangasinan people, but all the people who utilizes the term Pangalatok. Tagalog, Bicolano, Bisaya, and all other citizens of the country are exposed to the word Pangalatok. Thus, if the proponents wanted to abolish the term “Pangalatok”, then the proponents should understand that their audiences are not just the Pangasinans, but all other people throughout the country and abroad utilizing the term Pangalatok.

    Yet, please go back to my FIRST argument declaring that there is no solid and direct evidence to prove that Pangalatok was once used in history as a derogatory and insulting word. It is futile and a very waste of time to debate on the allegation that Pangalatok is a derogatory word as the proponents have no evidence at all.

    (Please see First Part for Arguments #1-3 and Third Part for Arguments #6-7)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 4. See the N word in the US context.
      5. True. A word, regardless of political correctness, if used often by a lot of people for a long period of time, can change its meaning and become acceptable to society. Doesn't mean we have to like it.

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    2. But it is to educate those who don't know the proper terminology. It is the same issue as the word "nigger." It was used as a derogatory term to address or call black people. It is prevalently brought up today not so that people can keep the gruesome history of slavery in the US but to educate people that it is not whatsoever appropriate to say even though we still see it being used today.

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    3. To Van Lyndel, no matter how common it is the meaning never ever ever changes. It will always have a very negative connotation and denotation. The only reason why it's prevalent is because of how those some people who belong in the black community uses it loosely. But just because they use it loosely doesn't mean we can say it or give it a different meaning.

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  6. I first would like to say Thank you very much for writing this article, it is very interesting. Both my parents came from the city of San Carlos in Pangasinan, and I too was born there. I was raised by my grandma until I turned 3 and my parents brought me into the U.S., meaning that I already knew how to speak Pangasinan. I have always been very curious about my background since I have never really learned anything about Philippines history and even the tradition since my parents thought that I had to learn the American tradition to do well in school and get a job that pays well later in life. I knew the language I spoke, I knew that there were other dialects out there, but I never realized that the word was really that offensive. Although the first time I was ever called, "Pangalatok", I took offense, but I didn't know why. A girl I met in High School who said she was Ilocano insulted me because of where my family comes from the in the Philippines. I don't understand why Filipinos are like that. In my opinion, I feel like calling a person from Pangasinan a "panaglatok" is like calling a person from Niger a (excuse the language) "Nigger" rather than "Nigerian", but that was just how I reacted to it. Just the sound of it is offensive...

    This article sort of explains where the term came from, but I do agree along with the previous comment where there is no supporting evidence in history that the word "pangalatok" was ever a derogatory term. But I understand where you are coming from. God Bless and keep on writing more articles like this!

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  7. Ilocanos are known to eat in labangan with vegetables or pising as sabsaban and added latok to other people who doesn't speak Ilocano. President Marcos himself wanted to make Pangasinan as part of Ilocos in a decree#1 to remove Pangasinan into Ilocandia.

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  8. Can I ask? Is Pangasinan a language or a dialect?

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  9. I'm still not convinced that the term pangalatok is derogatory. People insisting to be called pangasinense and annoyed by the term pangalatok will look like they're insecure in my opinion. Anyway, what's the oldest literature where we can see the term "pangasinense"? "Pangalatok"?

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