DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN

SOCIAL SCIENCES
Quarter 2 - Module 1
Indigenizing the Social Sciences: Filipino
Social Thinkers
This Self-Learning Module (SLM) was designed and written with you in mind to help you
master how to indigenize the Social Sciences particularly on Filipino Social Thinkers. The
scope of this learning material focuses on many different learning situations. Moreover, the
language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of learners and the lessons are
arranged following the standard sequence of the course. Hence, the order in which you read
them can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

The SLM contains:

Lesson: Indigenizing the Social Sciences: Filipino Social Thinkers

After going through this SLM, you are expected to:

1. Define the characteristics and nature of a social thinker
2. Examine the social ideas of Filipino social thinkers
3. Identify and explain the social ideas and contributions of Filipino social and
political philosophy of some Filipino social thinkers.

2
 Pretest

Directions: Read each item very carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write
your answers on separate sheet of paper.

1. These are individuals in society who can be regarded as forefronts and visionaries
toward the improvement of society in a particular time.
A. Champions B. Martyrs C. Social Thinkers D. Super Heroes

2. Jose Rizal was famous with his writings of?

A. For the Filipino Youth C. Mi Ultimo Adios
B. Noli Me Tangere D. To the Young Women of Malolos

3. Jose Rizal aimed for the Philippines to become a country of which kind of society?
A. Educated and Patriotic Society
B. Elegant and Rich Society
C. Revolutionary Society
D. Utopic Society

4. He wrote a number of novels and essays, including Ang Singsing ng Dalagang

Marmol and Genesis Cientifico y Moderno. Who is this social thinker?
A. Antonio Luna C. Jose Rizal
B. Isabelo de los Reyes D. Leonardo Mercado

5. Which of the following statements is true about social thinkers?

A. A social thinker thinks about other people at all times.
B. A social thinker believes of a radiant and progressive society.
C. A social thinker is always right in all the things they believe in.
D. A social thinker envisions goodness in his/her society.

6. His work “Inculturation and Filipino Theology” talks about the fundamental trait of
Filipinos to incorporate the religious into their social lives, and how Philippine society
is shaped by the values and teachings of a belief in a Supreme Being or God. Name
this Filipino Social thinker.
A. Antonio Luna C. Jose Rizal
B. Isabelo de los Reyes D. Leonardo Mercado

7. A social thinker always thinks for the best of his/her society.

A. Always true C. Sometimes true
B. Always false D. Sometimes false.

8. What is the BEST reason why it is important for us to evaluate Filipino social
thinkers?
A. Because they shape our lives for the better.
 B. Because they provide a sense of direction of our society.
C. Because they create a livable environment for all the citizenry.
D. Because they ignite people’s critical thinking skills.

9. Majority of Filipinos believe in a supreme being.

A. True C. Sometimes true
B. False D. Sometimes false

10. This virtue guides behaviors, which can gauge cultural distinctions among groups of
people, nations, or individuals.
A. Belief B. Culture C. Social Function D. Values

11. Filipinos place a great amount of importance on close family ties that it is arguably
the most practiced Filipino value at present.

A. True B. False C. Sometimes true D. Sometimes false

12. Filipinos are a very religious people not only within the Catholic faith, but also with
the different religious followings that they are a part of. Who said this?
A. Apolinario Mabini C. Jose Rizal
B. Isabelo de los Reyes D. Leonardo Mercado

13. Filipinos are known not only for their strong family ties, but also with a spirit of kapit-
bisig or solidarity. Do you agree?
A. I agree because this trait still exist until today.
B. I agree because Filipinos love to help other people in times of crisis.
C. I agree because I have seen the happy faces of Filipinos despite the pandemic.
D. I agree because every time a family needs help, they offer a hand to help others.

14. This is a Filipino virtue which springs from an inner conviction that the other, though
belonging to a different region or faction, is a fellowman, like me a human being who
deserves to be respected, attended to, loved.
A. Family First C. Pakikisama
B. Kapit Bisig D. Pakikipagkapwa

15. Do you think Filipino values are world class?

A. Yes, because others think we are superior
B. No, this is false.
C. Yes, but sometimes can be disputed.
D. No, because our values are unique.
 Indigenizing the Social Sciences: Filipino Social Thinkers

INTRODUCTION:

As discussed in the previous lessons, social science has largely emerged in the western part
of the world, where we learned that mostly the forerunners of the ideas and values in
understanding the complexity of the subject matter mainly come from them. However, as we
move towards development and with the emergence of globalization, these ideas and values
from the west have transformed into a more native and localized in the rest of the worlds. As
these ideas emerged into the local picture, social thinkers also sprouted.

When we say social thinkers, these are individuals in society who can be regarded as
forefronts and visionaries toward the improvement of society in a particular time. They can
also be regarded as great individuals who have contributed significantly to development of
political and social thoughts and philosophy. They also provided significant contributions to
the advancement of the disciplines of the social sciences.

The Filipino people have also produced a number of individuals that have extensively
studied the different traditions and attitudes of society, particularly that of Philippine society
itself. This new series of lessons will deal with the state of the social sciences within the
Philippine setting, and will tackle different social factors such as Filipino social thinkers, key
values, Philippine psychology, and the over-all intellectual and cultural atmosphere the
Filipino has in his/her own society.

Social Thinker: Jose Rizal

Perhaps one of the most renowned social thinkers is
the national hero, Jose Rizal. Rizal is not only known
for his dedicated life and the works Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo, but also for the social teachings
found in his writings as well as in his testimonies.
According to Rolando Gripaldo’s work Filipino
Philosophy, Rizal envisioned a utopian society. It
must be pointed out, however, that Rizal never wrote
a book dedicated to this utopian society similar to
other social thinkers like Plato and The Republic or
Aristotle and The Politics. But, according to Gripaldo,
we can highlight six major characteristics of this
utopian society that can be seen in Rizal’s teachings:
Figure 1. www.google.com 1. The Philippine archipelago must be united as a
Filipino nation: compact, vigorous, and
homogeneous
2. The people must be educated in civic virtues and enlightened in all possible senses to
be able to struggle for their rights
3. Schools of sufficient quality and quantity must be established throughout the
archipelago primarily for enlightenment and secondarily, livelihood
4. There must be a common language for the people and it must be a native language,
for instance, Tagalog
5. The people must have freedom in speech, assembly, press, redress and enjoyment of
other human rights
6. Filipinos must not only have the sentiment of nationalism, but must be able to manifest
it. This is the dignity of a people.

Rizal envisioned a Philippine society that had racial pride, and the desire to serve one’s
country wholeheartedly and without reservation. This includes addressing social issues
through educated means, and never through violence or the use of rebellion. Rizal as a
social thinker leans more towards an educated and patriotic society.

Social Thinker: Isabelo de los Reyes

Another prominent social thinker that was a staunch
critic of the Spanish rule in the Philippines as well
as the American invaders was Isabelo de los
Reyes, a former journalist, writer and senator of the
Philippines.
He wrote a number of novels and essays, including
Ang Singsing ng Dalagang Marmol and Genesis
Cientifico y Moderno. A journalist by profession, de
los Reyes wrote a number of works that attacked
the corruption of the Spanish friars that led to his
imprisonment by the Spanish officials.
Isabelo de los Reyes is also credited to be the first
Filipino socialist. Upon his return from imprisonment
in Spain, de los Reyes brought with him several
works by socialists, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels,
among others.
This led to an empowered de los Reyes that Figure 2. www.google.com
campaigned for workers’ rights that eventually
landed him government positions and even a senate seat.
His view of Philippine society was a socialist one, that leaned more towards the teachings of
Karl Marx and the pursuit of a communist Philippine state. He died on October 10, 1938.
Social Thinker: Leonardo Nieva Mercado

One of the more recent Filipino social thinkers is the

missionary-philosopher Leonardo Mercado. He has
pioneered the study of Filipino philosophy and
theology as well as the unique characteristics of a
rising Filipino society. Mercado wrote extensively on
the Filipino society, ranging from a variety of topics
such as religion, ethics, social involvement, politics,
and many others. His style of writing and analysis of
Philippine society and culture is meta-linguistic,
meaning that for him, language is an important facet
in understanding Filipino society as a whole. One of
the major themes of Mercado’s writings is the
unique Filipino trait of inculturation.

Filipinos can adapt to a number of things, primarily

because of their previous colonizers who have also
brought their own cultures which the Filipinos have
eventually accepted as part of their own. An
important one is inculturation and the Filipino view
of God, which remains one of the foundations of
Figure 3. www.google.com Philippine society. His work Inculturation and
Filipino Theology talks about the fundamental trait
of Filipinos to incorporate religion into their social
lives, and how Philippine society is shaped by the values and teachings of a belief in a
Supreme Being or God.

The Uniqueness of the Philippine Value System

Each culture has an array of unique characteristics that make it different from other cultures.
The Filipino culture is no different. Filipinos value other things than most when it comes to
values within their society. Values guide behaviors, which can gauge cultural distinctions
among groups of people, nations, or individuals. (Capuno et al., 2013) Because of this
impact that values have on Filipinos as a society, it is important that one knows the
significance of each one, and how every core Filipino value is inter-connected and works
together to build a functioning Filipino society. Here are a number of unique Philippine
values that one should know:

1. The Importance of Family – The Filipino family is not simply the sum of its members
since distinctive associations and nuances in various relational phenomena in the
society contribute to its fuller picture. Still, how these common views or
characteristics of Filipinos are shared among family members and with the society at
large weighs great relevance. (Capuno et al., 2013) Society at large is affected by the
relationship of the family. Filipinos place a great amount of importance on close
family ties that it is arguably the most practiced Filipino value at present.
 2. Participation in Religion – Mercado notes in his work Inculturation and Filipino
Theology that Filipinos have three favorite images of Christ: Hesus Nazareno, Santo
Niño, and the Crucified Christ. Mercado also points out that in the Filipino adaptation
and participation in religion, “the interpretation, however, will be colored by culture.”
(Mercado, 2011) Filipinos are a very religious people not only within the Catholic
faith, but also with the different religious followings that they are a part of.

3. Pakikisama: Filipino Solidarity – Manuel Dy, Jr. mentions in his book

Contemporary Social Philosophy that “a Filipino ethics must value solidarity.” (Dy,
2013) Filipinos are known not only for their strong family ties, but also with a spirit of
kapit-bisig or solidarity. Filipinos can go beyond the divisions of race or location to
unite and fight for what they believe in. Such a spirit manifested itself in the People
Power Revolutions. And, as Dy notes, “Pakikipagkapwa springs from an inner
conviction that the other, though belonging to a different region or faction, is a
fellowman, like me a human being who deserves to be respected, attended to,
loved.”

Activity 1: Concept Mapping!

Directions: Who is a social thinker? Can you provide keywords (person, adjective, or verb)
that can be attributed to a social thinker? Explain your answers for each word. Answer a
minimum of 4 keywords. Answer this on a separate sheet of paper.
 _______

Who is a
Social
_______ _______
Thinker
?

_______

Activity 2: Review of Knowledge!

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, complete the data retrieval chart to understand the
social and political philosophies of Jose Rizal, Isabelo de los Reyes and Leonardo Nieva
Mercado.
 Isabelo de los Leornardo Nieva
Criteria Jose Rizal
Reyes Mercado

Background of the
__________ __________ __________
social thinker

Social and political

thoughts
__________ __________ __________
introduced by the
social thinker

Major works
and/or social
contriibution to __________ __________ __________
Filipino society

Activity 3: Easy Essay!

Directions: Answer the following essays on a separate sheet of paper. Make sure to count
your words, the minimum words for each number is fifty. Let’s shape up our minds! Please
be guided by the essay rubric below.

1. What are the characteristics of a social thinker?

2. Explain the nationalist ideals of the three Filipino Social thinkers.
3. Write a short position paper that will explain the significant role of the Filipino social
thinkers mentioned above to the development of Filipino Society. Choose only one.
Do you agree with his perspective? Explain your answer.

Here’s how your essay will be evaluated.

 RUBRIC
CRITERIA DESCRIPTION POINTS POINTS
OBTAINED
Practicality Ideas are very practical which can 5
be really applied in real life
situation.
Relevance The ideas are relevant and clearly 5
stated.
Discussion Shows a deep understanding & 5
mastery of the topic. Points are
well developed.
TOTAL SCORE 15

Directions: Complete the 3-2-1 Chart about your discoveries in the topic above. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.
 Posttest

Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answers on a separate sheet
of paper.
1. He wrote a number of novels and essays, including Ang Singsing ng Dalagang
Marmol and Genesis Cientifico y Moderno. Who is this social thinker?
A. Antonio Luna C. Jose Rizal
B. Isabelo de los Reyes D. Leonardo Mercado

2. Jose Rizal was famous with his writings of?

A. For the Filipino Youth C. Mi Ultimo Adios
B. Noli Me Tangere D. To the Young Women of Malolos

3. His work “Inculturation and Filipino Theology” talks about the fundamental trait of
Filipinos to incorporate the religious into their social lives, and how Philippine society
is shaped by the values and teachings of a belief in a Supreme Being or God. Name
this Filipino Social thinker.
A. Antonio Luna C. Jose Rizal
B. Isabelo de los Reyes D. Leonardo Mercado

4. These are individuals in society who can be regarded as forefronts and visionaries
toward the improvement of society I a particular time.
A. Champions B. Martyrs C. Social Thinkers D. Super Heroes

5. Which of the following statements is true about social thinkers?

A. A social thinker thinks about other people at all time.
B. A social thinker believes of a radiant and progressive society.
C. A social thinker is always right in all the things they believe in.
D. A social thinker envisions goodness in his/her society.

6. Jose Rizal aims for the Philippines to become a country of which kind of society?
A. Educated and Patriotic Society
B. Elegant and Rich Society
C. Revolutionary Society
D. Utopic Society

7. Majority of Filipinos believe in a supreme being.

A. True C. Sometimes true
B. False D. Sometimes false

8. Filipinos are a very religious people not only within the Catholic faith, but also with
the different religious followings that they are a part of. Who said this?
A. Apolinario Mabini C. Jose Rizal
B. Isabelo de los Reyes D. Leonardo Mercado

12
9. A social thinker always thinks for the best of his/her society.
A. Always true C. Sometimes true
B. Always false D. Sometimes false.

10. What is the BEST reason why it is important for us to evaluate Filipino social
thinkers?
A. Because they shape our lives for the better.
B. Because they provide a sense of direction of our society.
C. Because they create a livable environment for all the citizenry.
D. Because they ignite people’s critical thinking skills.

11. Filipinos place a great amount of importance on close family ties that it is arguably
the most practiced Filipino value at present.

A. True B. False C. Sometimes true D. Sometimes false

12. Do you think Filipino values is world class?

A. Yes, because others think we are superior
B. No, this is false.
C. Yes, but sometimes can be disputed.
D. No, because our values are unique.

13. Filipinos are known not only for their strong family ties, but also with a spirit of kapit-
bisig or solidarity.
A. I agree because this trait still exist until today.
B. I agree because Filipinos love to help other people in times of crisis.
C. I agree because I have seen the happy faces of Filipinos despite the pandemic.
D. I agree because every time a family needs help, they offer a hand to help others.

14. This virtue guide behaviors, which can gauge cultural distinctions among groups of
people, nations, or individuals.
A. Belief B. Culture C. Social Function D. Values

15. This is a Filipino virtue which springs from an inner conviction that the other, though
belonging to a different region or faction, is a fellowman, like me a human being who
deserves to be respected, attended to, loved.
A. Family First C. Pakikisama
B. Kapit Bisig D. Pakikipagkapwa
 Answer Key

Pretest Activity 1 Activity 2.

Answers may vary! Answers may vary!
1. C
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. D
6. D
7. A
8. B
9. A
10. D
11. A
12. D
13. B
14. D
15. D

Activity 3 Reflection Posttest

Answers may vary! 1. B
Answers may vary! 2. B
3. D
4. C
5. D
6. A
7. A
8. D
9. A
10. B
11. A
12. D
13. B
14. D
15. D
Books:
Capuno, J.J. et al. 2013. Views and Values on Family among Filipinos: An Empirical
Exploration. Asian Journal of Social Science 41: 5-28.
Dy, M. 2013. Contemporary Social Philosophy. Makati: Katha Publishing Co., Inc.
Gripaldo, R. 2000. Filipino Philosophy: Traditional Approach. Manila: De La Salle University
Press.
Mercado, L. 2011. Inculturation and Filipino Theology. Manila: Divine Word Publications.
Navarro, A. and Lagbao-Bolante F., eds. 2007. Mga Babasahin sa Agham Panlipunang
Pilipino: Sikolohiyang Pilipino, Pilipinolohiya, at Pantayong Pananaw. Quezon City:
C&E Publishing.

Website:
De los Reyes, Isabelo. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Posted 6
September 2012. Accessed on 17 October 2016. http://nhcp.gov.ph/isabelo-de-
los-reyes/

Published by the Department of Education, Caraga Region

Schools Division Office of Surigao City
Schools Division Superintendent: Karen L. Galanida
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent: Florence E. Almaden

Development Team of the Self-Learning Module (SLM)

Writers : Raxiey Adolfo

Editor : Catalino Gesta

Evaluators : Marino L. Pamogas
Jasmine Donoso
Illustrator :
Management Team : Karen L. Galanida
Florence E. Almaden
Carlo P. Tantoy
Elizabeth S. Larase
Marino L. Pamogas

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