MANILA, Philippines - Whatever happened to love letters and sonnets, to “Romeo and Juliet” style of

courting, to love stories that withstood wars, plagues, and protective fathers? Whatever happened to
romance? Ask MOMOL, COCOL, HOHOL, and many other Pinoy slangs that have gone insanely viral in
the Philippines.

Since technology has earned a spot in every one’s heart, people have been relying on the anecdotes,
trends, and whims on social media. So, I guess we can all say that nothing defines Philippine pop culture
better than the social media.With the help of “Boy’s Night Out” of Magic 89.9 and the youth’s imaginative
thinking, intoxication beyond unacceptable levels, and addiction to social media----How would you define
a relationship with someone who is not even your boyfriend or girlfriend?---finally has an answer.

These are the Pinoy relationship slangs that became a widespread social phenomenon among the youth,
and also gave rise to several other things that people talk about or do every day:

COCOL – coffee coffee lang; when two people are partaking in a small coffee session; according to DJ
Sam YG, who is said to be the MOMOL Guru, it is usually a prelude to a very intense MOMOL session

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is wrestling with what authorities say is a

language monster invading youth-speak in Internet social networks and mobile
phone text messaging.

The phenomenon has triggered enormous social debate, with the government
declaring an "all out war" against the cyber-dialect, called 'jejemon', but the Catholic
church defending it as a form of free expression.

The word 'jejemon' is derived from 'jeje' as a substitute for 'hehe' -- the SMS term for
laughter -- and then affixing it with 'mon' -- taken from the popular Japanese anime
of cute trainable monsters called "Pokemon."

Education Secretary Mona Valisno believes it could blunt the Philippines' edge in
English proficiency, which has long helped the impoverished country attract foreign
investment and sustain its lucrative outsourcing industry.

"Texting or using wrong English and wrong spelling could be very bad," Valisno told
reporters recently as she declared her war on jejemon, urging teachers and parents
to encourage the nation's youth to use correct English.

"What I am concerned about is the right construction, grammar. This is for their own
improvement, for them to be able to land good jobs in the future."

Jejemon emerged over the past year as young people tried to shorten text messages
on mobile phones, language experts say.

It then morphed into a unique language that spawned new words and phrases by
deliberately stringing together mis-spelled words without syntax and liberally
sprinkling them with punctuation marks.

And the initial idea of tighter texting got lost as many "words" became longer than
the originals.

Instead of spelling "hello" for example, jejemon users spell it as "HeLouWH" or

"Eowwwh", while the expression "oh, please" becomes "eoowHh.. puhLeaZZ."

Or, throwing a bit of the local language Tagalog into the mix, you can tell your
significant other "lAbqCkyOuHh" (I love you) or "iMiszqcKyuH" (I miss you), and
convey that you're happy by texting "jAjaja" or "jeJejE."

There are however no hard and fast rules in the constantly evolving jejemon, which
perhaps adds to its appeal for teens and the bewilderment of adults.

The jejemon craze quickly spread among the country's more than 50 million mobile
phone subscribers, who send a world-leading average of up to 12 text messages each
every day, according to industry and government figures.

It then found its way among Filipinos in social networking sites such as Facebook and
Twitter.

For Manila high school student Laudemer Pojas, jejemon is an important part of his
lifestyle that allows him to talk with friends using coded messages beyond the grasp
of his strict parents.

"I am a jejemon addict," said the portly 17-year-old Pojas. "I don't know what the big
fuss is all about. It's orig (unique) to people my age, like street lingo but on the net
and texting.
"It's also easier to do and can't be read by my parents who check my cel (mobile
phone) from time to time."

He said he met many new friends on Facebook after he joined a site defending
jejemon from the "jejebusters" -- or those who hate the language.

Gary Mariano, a professor at Manila's De La Salle University and an expert in new

media, said he had mixed feelings about jejemon.

"I'm torn between efficiency and formal correctness," Mariano said, pointing out
jejemon was borne out of people simply adapting to a digital lifestyle.

"I require my students to use formal language in school papers, but when it comes to
ordinary e-mails or text messages, I can be more tolerant.

"There should be no shame in using shortcuts in Internet language, but for the young
ones who have not been exposed to proper English, then jejemon will not give them
that foundation."

He noted that languages had always evolved, with many of the world's tongues
constantly borrowing from one another.

"Even in modern English, there is still a debate on which is better, the one spoken by
the British or the Americans," he said. "The history of language has been full of
transitions."

Mariano said he used jejemon, albeit sparingly, and that he knew of many English
grammar teachers who had taken to it.

English was first introduced to the archipelago more than a century ago when the
United States brought in teachers to tutor the locals at the end of its war with Spain
in 1898.

By the time full independence was gained in the mid-1940s, English was so widely
spoken it subsequently became the medium of instruction in all schools and the
unofficial second language next to Filipino.

But educators in recent years have lamented that spoken and written English appears
to have deteriorated among the more than 90 million Filipinos.

One key indicator is that outsourcing firms that once relied on the pool of American-
sounding Filipinos have recently reported a drop in recruitment.

This has forced the government to allocate more funds to upgrade English proficiency
skills among teachers -- which education secretary Valisno warned would be
imperiled if the jejemon phenomenon was not stopped.

However, jejemon advocates have found an unlikely ally in the influential Roman
Catholic church, whose position on key social issues shapes public opinion.

It said jejemon was a form of free expression, comparing it to the language of hippies
decades ago.

"Language is merely an expression of experience," said Joel Baylon, who heads the
Catholic Bishop's Conference of the Philippines' commission on youth. What is more
important are the values behind the language."

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) has urged students to shun the “jejemon”
phenomenon which is being blamed for the prevalence of spelling errors.

Education Secretary Mona Valisno yesterday said she has not issued any order against “jejemon,” or the
use of alternate spellings of common words, but she appealed to parents and teachers to discourage
students from adopting this pop culture phenomenon.

According to the Urban Dictionary, “jejemons” are a new breed of hipsters who have developed their own
language and written text and who have managed to subvert the English language to the point of
incomprehensibility. The phenomenon is most evident in text messaging and social networking sites.
“I’m not issuing any order but I’m appealing to all the teachers and parents to discourage this shortcutting
in texting and language. We should be consistent because this is part of the training to read, write and
speak properly,” Valisno told The STAR.

Valisno said shortcutting words will eventually make students forget correct spelling.

Valisno emphasized that teachers and parents can teach students the proper composition of text
messages by using the correct spelling of words.

Homepage ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

“I think if it’s (shortcutting of messages) at the expense of written essays, it’s not fun. That will deteriorate
the quality. We should help curb this,” she said.

Valisno said “jejemon” is also a reflection of one’s gestures, politeness, attitude and behavior.

In a related development, the DepEd is set to introduce a media literacy education curriculum that seeks
to protect children from the negative effects of all forms of media.

“We believe that our young learners need to be protected from adverse media which they encounter
every day in the process of acquiring information and entertainment,” Valisno said.

The DepEd has created the Media Literacy Task Force which was given the green light to develop a
National Media Literacy Education Curriculum that would help children understand and handle media.

“Our children need help in developing their skill to distinguish good news from bad news and good
programs from bad ones,” she said.

Valisno cited recent research by the Cartoon Network New Generations Philippines (2009), the 2008 AC
Nielsen kids study and the 2002 PCTVF Media violence Study which showed the prevalence of TV
viewing among children and youth.

The National Media Literacy Education program is set to be integrated into the Basic Education
Curriculum under Social Studies for the elementary level and under English/Communication Arts/Values
for the high school level.

Teachers and school administrators will soon undergo training in preparation for the integration.

Have you experienced being near two gays who were talking in quite a different
language altogether? And were you not surprised that you could understand some of
the words they were saying?

Yes. It is gayspeak, that wonderful lingo, argot, or jargon, which Filipino gays in general
seamlessly switch into when they are gathered together or most immediately when they
are around other people in order perhaps to “cloak” their intimate conversations, the
better to protect the “virgin” ears of those around them. Historically though, it is known
as swardspeak, a word coinage in the 1970s attributed by Jose Javier Reyes to
columnist and movie critic Nestor Torre. Reyes himself devoted a book on the subject
titled Swardspeak: A Preliminary Study. No other term has replaced swardspeak in local
usage since the 70s but Ronald Baytan (in his essay “Language, Sex, and Insults:
Notes on Garcia and Remoto’s The Gay Dict”) opines that the term sward these days
has become anachronistic, making it improper to call the language of the gay people as
“swardspeak” preferring instead to term it gayspeak.

Consciously or unconsciously, even straights or heterosexuals have peppered their

vocabulary with words traceable to gayspeak. Mention the word anech (from “ano” or
“what” in English with anesh, anik, anikla as varieties) to anyone in the metropolitan
area and in all likelihood, the person being spoken to will reply as casually. There are
also the familiar words chika, chuva, and lafang. Thanks or no thanks to media
(depending on which side you’re in), gayspeak has come into public usage. In 2004, the
first gay show on TV history, GMA-7’s Out, devoted a section of its show to gayspeak,
threshing out a word like purita (meaning poor) and explaining its context to the largely
entertained and “enlightened” audience. Such a section, of course, had its predecessor
in Giovanni Calvo’s 80s show Katok Mga Misis where he taught the viewers one gay
word after another. It was Calvo who also coined badaf (babae dafat or woman
supposedly) and ma at pa (for the contracted malay ko at pakialam ko).

This commonness of gay words is fascinatingly infectious. For one, I was recently
surprised when my own 60-year old father used “kinarir” in his usual morning
conversation with my mother. “Karir,” of course, is from the word “career,” and when
someone is seen seriously involved with something or even someone suddenly,
everyone readily flicks the word “kinarir” and understands it for what it is.

But how are gay words formed in the first place? Murphy Red, in his essay “Gayspeak
in the Nineties” (Ladlad2), said that gayspeak observes no rules as far as its structure is
concerned but its “evolution is rapid , like the ‘queens’ who have started to break the
walls of the subculture.” He cited the word chaka (meaning cheap) and how it evolved
from “chapter, champaka, chapacola, or chararat to champorado, chapluk, chapa, chop
suey and champola.”

Let’s take the word ahas (snake), a word which symbolically has become synonymous
with “traitor” or in gayspeak, someone who took away one’s jowa (boy/girlfriend or lover)
covertly. With a gift for words, gays have turned to another word to encapsulate the
whole insidiousness attached with the foul deed and found “anaconda,” visually
appropriating the hierarchal size of the act’s severity. Eventually, the word has been
shortened to plain “ana.”

Interestingly, there is also the evolvement of Cebuano gayspeak involving a different but
rather quite amusing process akin to the repapip (from the loosely used pare) of
the jeproks days. But unlike repapip, which only involves the reversal of the syllable,
Cebuano gayspeak requires that the word is read or uttered in complete reverse.
Examples of this would be dili or no reversed as ilid (but in true Cebuano gayspeak, has
becomed ilij),lain or bad reversed as nial, and uyab or lover reversed as bayu.

The way most gay words end in a flourish for most Tagalog gays certainly mirror the
importance as well placed by the bayot in the delivery and enunciation of his gay words.
This is how presently a single word can have various permutations as cited by Red. The
word “sight” (verb meaning to see) easily becomes German-sounding (sightzung),
Japanese-sounding (sightsuraka), Spanish-sounding (sightchilla), Chinese-sounding
(sightching) or even French-sounding (sightcois).

Baytan showed another way of developing gay words, which is through allusions, citing
the word luz clarita, which means “to lose” as a play on the word “lose.” An example of a
literary allusion is Kerima Polotan Tuvera, the name also of a highly-respected essayist,
which a select group of gays have used to lengthen the already much-used keri (from
“carry,” used originally in the context of how well one is able to “carry a
dress”—“magaling kang magdala ng damit” —and by extension, one’ self, eventually
evolving to its current popular usage to refer to that which is pleasing to the eye). Now,
this is where the issue of class comes up, as pointed out by Baytan. Most gays may get
the meaning of Kerima Polotan Tuvera through the phonological clues but not everyone
would know the word’s etymology Kerima being the essayist figure unless he is
into literature. In the same way, the Cebuano gay word bayu for the well-heeled class
instantly becomes biochemistry or simply biochem. It is not surprising then that another
barangay’s gayspeak would turn out to be markedly different from the gayspeak one
uses with a close set of friends. (It would be interesting to check one’s gayspeak with
the 115 key word entries in The Gay Dict (The Uncut Edition), which J. Neil C. Garcia
and Danton F. Remoto came up with in 1998).

So, why do gays use gayspeak at all?

Baytan offers that it is “possible that the gays are turning the source of their oppression
their desires into the very source of their self-affirmation.” The very term bakla is
pejorative in itself used by homophobes in insulting homosexuals in the country, and not
a few gays have winced at the word when it was first spat at them. Baytan underlines
that the utterance of the word alone brings to mind “a series of images related to
oppression, trivialization, and marginalization.” Hence the invention of words that sound
less painful to the ears: baklita, baklesh, bading, bakling, bahing, badette, badush,
badinger, Badinger Z all in an effort to neutralize the original word. All these
neverending creation of synonyms for bakla are seen further by Baytan as a
“transgressive reinscription” or use of the very words that demean him in order that he
may affirm himself.

And no, it is not because the gays in the country are primarily concerned with sex that
gay words practically cover the subject like ants. Admittedly, one new to Filipino
gayspeak may blush at the words for penis (nota, notrilya, notice), to have an erection
(telag), ejaculate (usba), suck (hada, kopas, kufing, koflage, kokak, halaya, hala), but
the gayspeak came about primarily because of a hopeful upending of the view that sex
is taboo and that it has become more taboo for the gay community because they desire
and are desiring the “wrong sex.” As Baytan so aptly put, “every instance of gayspeak
unsettles the notion of that taboo” that in the end, a true liberating space may be
opened in which the gay community could talk about their longings and experiences.

STUDY

Chapter I

Introduction and Background of the Study

Learning and teaching grammar is an important aspect of language learning. It is not
enough to know how to translate words into different languages. One of the aims of
language learning is to help students learn effective communication, thus learning the
correct grammar is essential. As noted by many grammarians, studying a second language
primarily consisted of grammatical analysis and translation of written forms. Developed for
analysis of Greek and Latin, this approach divided the target language into eight parts of
speech: nouns, verbs, participles, articles, pronouns, prepositions, adverbs and
conjunctions. Learning the language required study of the eight categories in written text
and the development of rules for their use in translation.
However, when 18th century grammarians moved beyond the Greek and Roman
classics and began the study of English, again using the eight categories to generate
grammar rules, it became clear that the parts of speech could not be used as effectively to
analyze a language in which word order and syntax produced grammatical function and
where rules often had multiple exceptions. Nonetheless, this traditional approach remained
the basis of instructional pedagogy in the United States and England until recently (Howatt,
1984), and is still being used in a number of countries as the primary method of English
instruction. This is particularly true for many English as foreign language (EFL) classrooms,
where English is learned mainly through translation into the native language and
memorization of grammar rules and vocabulary.
Today, grammarians have been able to use modern pedagogical grammars for
teaching and learning. Pedagogical grammars generally describe the full structural
complexity of any given unit (Swan, 1995), but significant differences may emerge in the
distribution of potential elements in actual discourse.
As mentioned, one of the defining characteristics of a modern pedagogical grammar is that
it provides descriptive information which is
2
helpful for learners of the language. With this definition, this paper will try to compare the
helpfulness of two pedagogical grammars by describing the features of transitivity of verbs
and passive voice. However, with the emergence of the jejemon languages, educational
authorities are trying to convey its effect on the students.
According to UrbanDictionary.Com, it is anyone with a low tolerance for correct punctuation,
syntax and grammar. This definition is limited to the linguistic style of Jejemons. But in
reality, Jejemon is a new breed of hipsters who have developed not only their own language
and written text but also their own sub-culture and fashion.
For brevity, I will limit this article to Jejemon language, which for lack of grammatical
“canon” on how to call it, I will call it the “Jejenese” and their alphabet, “Jejebet.
The Jejenese is not just confined to Pinoy Jejemons. Just before I wrote this, I played
“Warcraft” and found a European opponent who enjoys typing “jejejeje” in a very wide
context, much to my disdain as he sabotages my online quests. Another group of foreign
Jejemons, although their Jejemonism seems so trivial to actually classify them as Jejemons,
are the Thais who type “hahaha” this way: “5555.” You will see a lot of these in your Thai
friend’s Facebook status messages. Since, the number 5 translates to “ha” in Thai, as
explained by my friend Pakorn Dokmai. I’m sure many of you have personal encounters
with other foreign Jejemons, be in Manila or abroad. So we can assume that Jejemon is a
worldwide phenomenon.
Text messaging is the first ever evidence that the Jejemons are not just fictional creatures;
they really emerge. They have a set of eyes (and obviously the time) that can easily
decipher the word hidden in jumbled letters, alternating capitalization, over-usage of the
letters H, X or Z and mixture of numeric characters and our normal alphabet. To be able to
understand Jejenese or to Jejetype is definitely a skill.
In a commentary, “Intellectualizing a Language,” by Dr. Ricardo Ma. Nolasco published on
June 13, 2009, in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, he said that: “We will never be able to
develop our languages for higher thinking unless we begin basic literacy and education in
them.” With the prevalence of Jejemon, will the long process of intellectualization of our
Filipino language be held back? I believe that the answer depends on one’s lenience with the
Jejemons. Just as whether or not the Jejenese and the Jejebet wreak havoc on major
languages depends on how one perceives Jejemonism.
The Jejemons find their place in their world by finding a clan, or a regular group of people
they text and talk with in Jejenese. Regardless of whether they know each other or not,
they will talk to other members of these clans and even meet up with them in Jejelands
(frequent hang-outs).

3
Significance of the Study

A Jejemon is basically a variation of homo sapiens sub-species Jeje that originates in the
Asia-Pacific island nation the Philippines. Jejes on the other hand are of the pure
and original form and is claimed to have originated in what we know today as Latin
America. This post will discuss the Jejemon strain of the Jejes.
Jejemons (Jejemonus Filiponensis) are creatures of the night. Their activity period
ranges from 8pm to 4am local time. They have been discovered by the world-
renowned
Filipino adventurer Juan dela Cruz in the early start of the millennium.
It is said that Jejemons are often seen clustering around social networking
sites such
as Facebook and Friendster. They are also spotted in massive numbers in
television chat rooms albeit they were just starting to flourish at the time of
Juan dela Cruz's discovery of them. To date, there is an estimated 7.4
million Jejemons thriving
in the Philippines. They have since started booming proportionally with the fast
global progress of technology.
It is difficult to distinguish Jejemons from normal human beings solely by physical
appearance. They look like human beings, they eat like human
beings, they dress like
human beings. A Jejemon can only be distinguished by their writing languag
e, the jejebet. The jejebet is a combination of the English alphabet and counting
numbers which, in a strange mix of character substitution, surprisingly makes
words that are understandable only to the Jejes and Jejeologists (normal people that study
Jejemons).
Jejemons are generally thought to have very low IQs, although this claim still
remains unproven. This might be due to
the failure of the jejebrain to produce and terminate brain cells than that of the normal
rate of average human beings. Extreme head heat (which have been thought to decrease
brain size) while wearing gangsta caps and
gangsta shirts and 24/7 beer diets have been also attributed for the jejemons' low
IQ levels.

Below are some of the basic Jejemon words (Warning: May cause severe headache if you
try too hard to understand. Patience and comprehension is required):
aQcKuHh - means me/ako
lAbqCkyOuHh - means I love you
yuHh - means you
jAjaJa - garbled words conveying laughter
jeJejE - a variation of jAjaJa; conveys sly laughter
iMiszqcKyuH - means I miss you
eEoW pFhUeEhsxz - means hi/hello
The main media used by jejemons are both basic and advanced cellphone units,
4
television units and personal computer units.
Just a couple of years ago, Jejemons have started "evolving" their eye color
(from the original brown to blue or purple or pink) through
their extensive knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and various internet programs. This
behaviour is proof that they are indeed capable of higher intelligence, an
action previously thought of as impossible
by many jejeientists (normal people that study jeje sciences).
Normal people have since started to act to eradicate the thriving jejemon
population. These normal people identify themselves as Grammar Nazis and/or
Jejebusters (started appearing 2 years after the Great Jejemon Infestation; also known
as the GJI of 2001). They actively seek and hunt jejemon communities with only one
purpose: to eliminate. Their preferred weapon is the MG13-liLipAdkaAyUohH
grammar gun and the BZ-aRayqcKuoHh rocket-propelled paragraph grenade. It is m
anufactured and supplied by an unidentified grammar armaments specialty group
in an undisclosed location in the Philippines. Their equipment is mainly made of S-
grade Manila Bulletin Newspaper vests which boasts impressive proper grammar.
"Extream Panda" is currently the Grammar Nazi's mascot.
Recently the Philippine Government, spearheaded by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has
moved to the decision considering jejemons a threat to society and its normal living
conditions. With the upcoming elections nearing, presidential aspirants and
political parties here and there have been vowing to halt the ferocious growth of the
jejemons. One well-known aspirant, Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has promised to push
forward the JSE (Jejemon Specialty Education) into law if voted for president.
Teodoro was one of the first to recognize the perils of Jejenism (the Jejemon
religion; not to be confused with Jejemonism, the belief that Jejemons are superior than
normal people) and its undue but very influential teachings. Jejeientists, Jejeologists,
Jejebusters and Grammar Nazis have expressed their delight and have stated that they are
more than ready to participate in this historic undertaking by stopping Jejemons from
learning the Jejenese language (speaking language of Jejemons together with the
Jejebet; has been recently discovered by Jejeientist Ranzkiedoodles during her gruelling
sojourn at Jejeland) and instead teaching them the normal speaking languages of
Filipino and English.
Urban dictionary says:
1) Usually seen around social networking sites such as Friendster and Multiply,
jejemons are individuals with low IQs who spread around their idiocy on the web by
tYpFing LyK diZS jejejeje, making all people viewing their profile raise
their eyebrows out of annoyance. Normal people like you and me must take a Bachelor
of Arts in Jejetyping in
order to understand said individuals, as deciphering their text would cause a lot of
frustration and hair pulling.

2) Jejemons are not just confined to trying-hard Filipino gangsters and emos. A
Jejemon can also include a variety of Latino-Hispanic fags who enjoy typing "jejejejeje" in
a wider context,
5
much to the disdain of their opponents in an internet MMORPG game such as Ragnarok
and DOTA.

3) Basically anyone with a low tolerance in correct punctuation, syntax

and grammar. Jejemons are usually hated or hunted down by Jejebusters or the
grammar nazi to eradicate their grammatical ways.

Scope and Limitations

The phenomenon has triggered enormous social debate, with the government
declaring an "all out war" against the cyber-dialect, called 'jejemon', but the Catholic Church
defending it as a form of free expression.
The word 'jejemon' is derived from 'jeje' as a substitute for 'hehe' – the SMS term for
laughter – and then affixing it with 'mon' –taken from the popular Japanese anime of cute
trainable monsters called "Pokemon."
Education Secretary Mona Valisno believes it could blunt the Philippines' edge in English
proficiency, which has long helped the impoverished country attract foreign investment and
sustain its lucrative outsourcing industry.
"Texting or using wrong English and wrong spelling could be very bad," Valisno told
reporters recently as she declared her war on jejemon, urging teachers and parents to
encourage the nation's youth to use correct English.
"What I am concerned about is the right construction, grammar. This is for their own
improvement, for them to be able to land good jobs in the future."
Jejemon emerged over the past year as young people tried to shorten text messages on
mobile phones, language experts say.
It then morphed into a unique language that spawned new words and phrases by
deliberately stringing together mis-spelled words without syntax and liberally sprinkling
them with punctuation marks. And the initial idea of tighter texting got lost as many
"words" became longer than the originals.
Instead of spelling "hello" for example, jejemon users spell it as "HeLouWH" or "Eowwwh",
while the expression "oh, please" becomes "eoowHh. puhLeaZZ." Or, throwing a bit of the
local language Tagalog into the mix, you can tell your significant other "lAbqCkyOuHh" [I
love you] or "iMiszqcKyuH" [I miss you], and convey that you're happy by texting "jAjaja"
or "jeJejE."
There are however no hard and fast rules in the constantly evolving jejemon, which perhaps
adds to its appeal for teens and the bewilderment of adults.

6
The jejemon craze quickly spread among the country's more than 50 million mobile phone
subscribers, who send a world-leading average of up to 12 text messages each every day,
according to industry and government figures.
It then found its way among Filipinos in social networking sites such as Facebook and
Twitter.
For Manila high school student Laudemer Pojas, jejemon is an important part of his lifestyle
that allows him to talk with friends using coded messages beyond the grasp of his strict
parents.
"I am a jejemon addict," said the portly 17-year-old Pojas. "I don't know what the big fuss
is all about. It's orig [unique] to people my age, like street lingo but on the net and texting.
"It's also easier to do and can't be read by my parents who check my mobile phone from
time to time."He said he met many new friends on Facebook after he joined a site defending
jejemon from the "jejebusters" – or those who hate the language.
Gary Mariano, a professor at Manila's De La Salle University and an expert in new media,
said he had mixed feelings about jejemon."I'm torn between efficiency and formal
correctness," Mariano said, pointing out jejemon was borne out of people simply adapting to
a digital lifestyle.
"I require my students to use formal language in school papers, but when it comes to
ordinary e-mails or text messages, I can be more tolerant.
"There should be no shame in using shortcuts in Internet language, but for the young ones
who have not been exposed to proper English, then jejemon will not give them that
foundation."
He noted that languages had always evolved, with many of the world's tongues constantly
borrowing from one another.
"Even in modern English, there is still a debate on which is better, the one spoken by the
British or the Americans," he said. "The history of language has been full of transitions."
Mariano said he used jejemon, albeit sparingly, and that he knew of many English grammar
teachers who had taken to it.
English was first introduced to the archipelago more than a century ago when the United
States brought in teachers to tutor the locals at the end of its war with Spain in 1898.
By the time full independence was gained in the mid-1940s, English was so widely spoken it
subsequently became the medium of instruction in all schools and the unofficial second
language next to Filipino.
But educators in recent years have lamented that spoken and written English appears to
have deteriorated among the more than 90 million Filipinos.
One key indicator is that outsourcing firms that once relied on the pool of American-
sounding Filipinos have recently reported a drop in recruitment.

7
This has forced the government to allocate more funds to upgrade English proficiency skills
among teachers – which education secretary Valisno warned would be imperiled if the
jejemon phenomenon was not stopped.
However, jejemon advocates have found an unlikely ally in the influential Roman Catholic
Church, whose position on key social issues shapes public opinion. It said jejemon was a
form of free expression, comparing it to the language of hippies decades ago.
"Language is merely an expression of experience," said Joel Baylon, who heads the Catholic
Bishop's Conference of the Philippines' commission on youth. What is more important are
the values behind the language."

8
Chapter II
Research Problem
That has been the question on everybody's mind ever since a picture of presidential aspirant
Gilbert Teodoro holding a sign declaring that he would send all jejemons back to elementary
school started circulating on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
But even before making its debut on Urban Dictionary, the word "jejemon'' has been making
sporadic appearances elsewhere on the web. On Pinoy Tumblr, for instance, "jejemon"
appeared on a post made on April 14 about vice-presidential candidate Jejomar Binay --
complete with a fake campaign poster calling him "Jejemon Binay".
It makes an even earlier appearance on the My Ragnarok Online Forum. In a post that went
up on March 14 entitled "Jejemon ka ba?", user Deviluke points out that most jejemon wear
baggy clothes and sport jejecaps - rainbow caps usually worn backwards and just placed on
top of one's head.
Artuji.com points out that "jeje" enjoys popular usage among Spanish-speaking countries as
a word to denote laughter. "Jejemon" sprung from its combination with the subculture
spawned by popular Asian anime, "Pokemon".
NEW POP PHENOMENON
Administrators and members of Gotta Kill 'Em All, Jejemon seem to agree that the term
"jejemon" was first coined a month ago, but the behavior attributed to jejemon was around
for much longer.
"This kind of typing started when text messaging became famous and they used it to
shorten long text messages," says Kahel, one of the administrators of Gotta Kill 'Em All,
Jejemon.
"I first encountered them in high school. Mobile messaging was the newest and hottest
technological trend then," says 24-year-old quality analyst Aldrin Fauni-Tanos. "Like
dinosaurs, their existence preceded their discovery and categorization."
MAJOR IRRITANT
The initial reaction to jejemon talk was the same across the board - irritation and
bewilderment.
"I am shocked that they text like that because I really can't understand the messages. I just
had to accept the fact that some people have 'skills' to make language oh so despicable,"
recalls 19-year-old Nheigeio Balatbat, also an administrator of Gotta Kill 'Em All, Jejemon.
But how does one exactly become a jejemon?
It starts with the slippery slope of text messaging.

9
Fourteen-year-old Zee Puerto is an incoming high school student and is also an
administrator of Gotta Kill 'Em All, Jejemon. Unlike the other administrators, Puerto has a
much more intimate connection with the jejemons that the group is so vehemently against.
"I was one of them way back. Texting was one of the most important media that made an
impact on jejemons. When my friends started to text like that, they also influenced me. I
started typing like them, like using 'x' instead of 's'," he admits. "But when they started to
use extra letters it began to annoy me."
For others, it is just a style, comparing it to "leet speak", a globally accepted form of writing
that is used by the intellectual geek community.
"Style lang, parang sa Jose, 'H' 'yung pagbasa sa 'J'. Parang leet speak. Ewan ko kung bakit
ngayon lang lumabas ang mga haters," explains 14-year-old student Jella Mella, who texts
like a jejemon but refuses to be called one. "Bigay lang ng mga haters ang pangalan na
jejemon kasi 'jeje' ang tawa namin."
These jejemons, according to Fauni-Tanos, have nobody to blame but themselves. "A
jejemon has no one else to blame but himself," he says. "A lot of people think it is cute. Its
successful transmission can be attributed to the fact that idiocy if wrapped in cuteness can
appear desirable...to other idiots.''
SPELLING NAZIS
Since bursting into the public consciousness, hate has been something that jejemons are
likely to encounter, online or off the Internet. Mella says that her Facebook wall has
encountered its own share of haters who have wished for her death.
"'Bumalik ka na sa planeta niyo, p*******a mong jejemon ka, bakit hindi ka pa mamatay.'
May nag-post niyan dati sa wall ko," she shares. "Wala naman kaming ginagawang masama
sa kanila. Hindi nila kami kilala, bakit nila kami i-jujudge?"
The excessive amount of vitriol directed at the jejemons has gotten the attention of some
celebrities, who decry the hate being directed towards the group. Musician Rico Blanco, for
instance, has called for calm on his Twitter account.
"Easy lang friends, di naman naba-badtrip sa inyo mga jejemon pag-umo OMG at
lumulurkey kayo. Walang pakialamanan ng trip," he states on a tweet posted on April 23.
Actress Alessandra de Rossi and broadcaster Ces Drilon have also condemned the wholesale
ridicule that the group has received.
Even the administrators of the Gotta Kill 'Em All, Jejemon fan page have begun to realize
that the energy directed towards embarrassing and humiliating jejemon could be better
directed towards more constructive activities.
"I think the hate was overreaction," says Balatbat. "I know of people who join jejemon hate
groups just so they can kill time insulting people, but some of the insults and curses cross
the line. These people are humans too. So to protect their rights, I and my fellow
administrators have decided to have censorship rules on our fan page.''
10

"Annoyance is natural and expected, but I think hating them is an overreaction. There will
always be people who will offend you or annoy you for the things that they do," agrees
Fauni-Tanos. "The question is: are they doing this to directly annoy you or is it simply
because they do not know any better? I have a feeling that the majority of jejemons simply
do not know that 'jejenese' is a poor reflection of their intelligence."
SHOULD DEPED BE ALARMED?
Should English teachers and the Department of Education be concerned about the
popularity of jejemons? The online consensus seems to think that they should be.
"Once you become used to a certain way of life, you'll adapt it unconsciously. I've seen a
valedictorian use jejetyping and I was disappointed with the grammar in her Friendster
account," says Balatbat.
"The problem is that most people lack the will to 'upgrade' their own intelligences. Many
Filipinos are fine with mediocrity: having enough of this and that, having enough school and
education to survive," adds Fauni-Tanos. "Not too many people want to know more. Thus,
most are fine with substandard language as long as it can be understood."
Most agree that simply making jejemons aware of their actions will be enough to put them
off.
"Jejemons and jejemon-friends need to be informed that their language is more of a barrier
than a medium. It takes too much effort to read, and I doubt if it is actually easier to
compose than a phrase in standard Filipino or English," explains Fauni-Tanos.

Effects of Jejemon
Good Effects of Jejemon
• Gives pleasure to a social group. Jejemons became a tribe, so if you are one of them, you
tend to enjoy like them. I can’t object and I’m not against them but I know every gang or
sorority brings pleasure to anyone in a way he feels he belongs…
• Secret codes. If you’re a Jejemon, you definitely know how to speak and how to
communicate with them. Only you and your folks can understand each other pretty well. So
maybe, in times of secrecy, you can converse using your special terms.
• The feeling of freedom. If you’re a proud Jejemon, it also means you don’t care about
anti-Jejemon critics. It’s a sign that you are liberated from what others would think.

11
Bad Effects of Jejemon
• You forget your main language. Whatever it is, English or Filipino, if you’re a Jejemon, you
always speak with it, so you get used to it. Your other dialects are set aside. Oftentimes, it
will let you forget the right spelling or grammar in English or Filipino.
• Jologs status. (Ok Jejemons don’t freak out) Jologs, just like Jejemon, is a term used to
denote low class group who are majority from the province towns, often times termed as
“tambay” Jologs is a label of no-care to the world of etiquette or whatever is prim and
proper for that matter.
• Outcast. Jejemons unfortunately are not widely accepted in the nation so if someone sort
of suspects he’s talking to one, he won’t talk with him again or be a friend with him. A
perfect example would be what I’ve read from a site that says, “OMG you’re a Jejemon!
Bye!” Because of it, Jejemon has been a big social issue.
• Difficult to read. All would agree it’s freaking hard to read Jejemon words.
http://www.philstar.com/news-feature/577357/students-urged-shun-jejemon

http://www.thenewstoday.info/2010/06/01/deped.discourages.use.of.jejemon.lingo.html

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-internet-changes-
language#sm.00001m0eam2ei8f4orhtl3q7dzout

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/608/03/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/9966117/Text-speak-language-
evolution-or-just-laziness.html