Chapter 4 FILIPINO CULTURE & VALUES

Filipino Culture

-is the summation of indigenous forces and foreign influences that had come to bear upon the people in
varying degrees during the last centuries

Contributory Factors to Filipino Culture

Indian
Hindu
Spanish
Americans
Malays
Chinese

The Filipino Cultural Perspective

1. THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT

Hold that Filipino culture was developed due to the conglomeration of the Physical, intellectual,
moral and spiritual aspects
2. NATIONALISTIC VIEW
Regards culture as the summation of the needs of people, the description of past and present
condition and depiction of the historic struggles to liberate themselves
3. CULTURAL DUALISM
The Philippines is a transitional society dominated on one side by the traditional culture and on
the other side by modern culture

BELIEF SYSTEM
• Filipinos are believer of religion.
• Filipinos believe so much on supernatural powers and viewed themselves as only speck
in wide universe
• Success is considered a blessing from above, as a result of good luck and faith
• Happiness and success differs from one person to another

VALUE SYSTEM
• Cultural values are shared assumptions of what is right, good or important
• Guide man’s behavior and action as he relates himself in most situations in life
• Can best be seen from the aspects of personal and social relationships.
• Majority of Filipinos value more their honor (karangalan) rather than wealth.
• In decision making, the Filipinos usually consult and take into considerations the
consensus of the Family members as the feeling of those who are to be affected
• Filipinos love to mingle with other people particularly with friends and relatives
• Filipino women are regarded and respected.

Values
 A thing or something a person highly treasures.
 It is a set of beliefs of a person or group of persons to which he has an emotional attachment
Ethics and values

 Ethics and Values have a common role. Ethics without values is hallow and shallow and therefore
weak. A value without ethics is paralytic.

Filipino Values

UTANG NA LOOB - It is a technique of reciprocity of debt of gratitude to others within the family circle or
primary group, sometimes unlimited in nature, emotional rather than financial or rational
PAKIKISAMA - It is value of belongingness and loyalty to the small in-group with sensitivity to the
feelings of others on the principle of give-and-take
HIYA - Controls a large extent the behavior of the individuals. Dependent on others will think say, and do.
BAHALA NA - Common expressions among Filipinos and this rest on the fatalistic outlook and strong
dependence on the “spirits” who will take care of everything
AUTHORITARIANISM - It is the dependence of the Filipinos in a paternalistic rather than in a stern way
upon the elders of the family. upon their boss, if employed, and upon people in authority as their father
figure.
INDIVIDUALISM - Pattern of behavior which characterizes the Filipino as self-centered. The desire to
make the name for himself becomes the primary motivation of success.

Strength and Weaknesses of Filipino Moral Character

STRENGTHS

Kapwa Tao= A fellow human being

• open to others and feel one with others regard others with dignity and respect deal with
them as fellow human beings.
• helpfulness and generosity in times of need (pakikiramay); practice of bayanihan or
mutual assistance, Filipino hospitality.
Family Orientation
• source of personal identity, emotional and material support and one's main
commitment and responsibility
• honor and respect given to parents and elders; care given to the children; the generosity
towards kin in need, and in great sacrifices one endures for the welfare of the family.
Filipino Joy and Humor
• Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving approach to life and its ups and downs
• pleasant disposition, a sense of humör and a propensity for happiness that contribute
not only to the Filipino charm but also to the indomitability of the Filipino spirit.
Flexibility, Adaptability, & Creativity
• We can adjust and to adapt to circumstances and the surrounding environment, both
physical and social; adjusts to whatever happens even in unplanned or anticipated
events.
• We possess a tolerance for ambiguity that enables us to remain unfazed by uncertainly
or lack of information.
Hardwork & Industry
• We have the capacity for hard work given proper conditions; to raise one's standard of
living and to possess the essentials of a decent life for one's family
 • We are willing to take the risks with jobs abroad and, while there, to work at two or
three jobs.
Faith & Religiosity
• Our innate religiosity enables us to comprehend and genuinely accept reality in the
context of God's will and plan.
• Religious expressions is very tangible expressed everyday; we relate to God like a human
being
• elated to bahala na which may be considered positively as a reservoir of psychic energy,
a psychological prop on which we can lean during hard times.
Ability to Survive
• Filipinos have an ability to survive.
• Filipinos make do with what is available in the environment.
• Basic optimism, flexibility and adaptability, hard work and a deep faith in God.

WEAKNESSES

Extreme Personalism
Filipinos view the world in terms of personal relationship
Extreme Family Centeredness
• Excessive concern for the family creates an in-group to which the Filipino is fiercely loyal
to the detriment of concern for the larger community or for the common good.
• Excessive concern for family manifests of promoting the interest of the family, in the
protection of erring family members.
Lack of Discipline
• The Filipino's lack of discipline manifests in a casual and relaxed attitude towards time
and space which manifests itself in lack of precision and compulsiveness, in poor time
management and procrastination.
Passivity and Lack of Initiative
• Filipinos tend to be complacent and there rarely is a sense of urgency about any
problem.
• There is high tolerance for inefficiency, poor service and even violations of one's basic
rights.
Colonial Mentality
• Filipinos have a colonial mentality which is made up of two dimensions: the first is a lack
of patriotism or an active awareness, appreciation and love of the Philippines; the
second is an actual preference for things foreign.
Kanya-Kanya Syndrome
• Filipinos have a selfish, self-serving attitude that generates a feeling of envy and
competitiveness toward others, particularly one's peers who seem to have gained some
status or prestige.
Lack of Self Analysis & Self-assessment
• There is a tendency in the Filipino to be superficial and even somewhat flighty. In the
face of serious problems, both personal and social, there is lack of analysis or reflection

The Filipino Core Values

The Filipino core values, "Maka-Diyos, Maka-tao, Makakalikasan, at Makabansa" (For God, People,
Nature, and Country), are foundational to Philippine society, emphasizing respect for spirituality, human
dignity, the environment, and the nation. These values, adopted as the national motto in 1998, guide
Filipinos in their personal and professional lives.

Maka-Diyos (For God): This value encourages spiritual beliefs and practices while respecting others'
faith. It promotes ethical behavior, adherence to moral principles, and a sense of purpose in life.

Maka-tao (For People): This value emphasizes the importance of human dignity, compassion, and
empathy. It promotes inclusivity, respect for individual rights, and the pursuit of social justice.
Makakalikasan (For Nature): This value highlights the importance of environmental stewardship and
responsible resource management. It encourages a love for nature, a commitment to protecting it, and a
sustainable lifestyle.

Makabansa (For Country): This value fosters patriotism, a sense of national unity, and a desire to
contribute to the nation's progress. It promotes love for the country, pride in its heritage, and a
commitment to its well-being.

Love for God (Maka-Diyos)

Religion- (Latin, religare – connection)

 Is of profound importance in the lives of millions of people, yet million of others profess no
religious beliefs at all.
 helps us make sense of our confusing world, provide motivation, encourage altruism, and bind
communities together.
 represents society’s attempts to answer the questions, where we came from, why we’re here,
and what it all means.

4 Basic Components of Religion

1. Believing refers to the fact that a religious person accepts some beliefs about the spiritual or
supernatural world.
2. Bonding refers to the importance in religions of uniting oneself with something greater than
oneself.
3. Behaving refers to the way of living that religions encourage as a way of achieving harmony with
God or with the universe.
4. Belonging refers to the sense of identity that religious persons gain from being part of
community of believers.

Ethics and Religion

The relationship between religion and ethics is about the relationship between revelation and reason.
Religion is based in some measure on the idea that God (or some deity) reveals insights about life and its
true meaning. These insights are collected in texts (the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, etc.) and presented
as “revelation.” Ethics, from a strictly humanistic perspective, is based on the tenets of reason: Anything
that is not rationally verifiable cannot be considered justifiable.

Faith in God is a necessary foundation for morality and good values.

(Throughout most of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, there is widespread agreement that faith in God is
a prerequisite for morality. ) https://www.pewresearch.org/
What makes man religious?
Why people are religious?

 His actions mark him religious.

 The quick and easy answer to why people are religious is that God – in whichever form you
believe he/she/they take(s) – is real and people believe because they communicate with it and
perceive evidence of its involvement in the world.

Why in Religion?

 In every commotion, frustration, despair, and pain, we need solace. We need refuge - flicker of
hope. Religion comes in as a form of inspiration.
 The belief of life after death. It is a consolation to know that in the other world you will meet
once again the person you lived and died in this world.

The Worship of God

 Worship (verb) to exalt, to respect - (noun) adoration, devotion, supplication, invocation.

 We worship God because we wanted to imitate Him (follow Him). Following God’s purpose and
virtues.

Duty to God

 It is man’s obligation to free himself from the clutch of the devil so that it becomes his obligation
to pray to God as a way to get away from the devil’s lair.
(Satan came to the world with only one mission, to separate man from Christ)

Love for Neighbor (Maka-tao)

• Men are bound to reciprocal duties in virtue of the likeness of their specific nature and the
identity of their end.
• The foundation of all duties to one’s neighbor is the precept – thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself
• Man has a duty of doing nothing that injures his moral dignity, or impedes or perverts the lawful
exercise of his freewill.
• Man has a duty of doing no violence to his intellect by deceitfully leading him to error.
• Man has a duty of not attempting to his life or maltreating his body.
• Man has a duty not merely of doing him no harm, but even of doing him good.

Justice
• Justice is the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial
adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments.

Types of Justice

1. When individuals do this for one another, it is called commutative justice (commutative means
“reciprocal”). Commutative justice Is a type of justice that controls and harmonizes the exercise
of rights between men and his fellowmen.
 2. Distributive justice is concerned with the fair allocation of resources among diverse members of
a community. Fair allocation typically takes into account the total amount of goods to be
distributed, the distributing procedure, and the pattern of distribution that results.
3. Legal justice regulates the exercise of the rights between the community and the authority
charged with the general welfare of the community.
4. Social justice is another name for equal social rights. Social Justice aims to provide equal
opportunities to every individual to develop his inherent qualities.

Self defense

• This is the right for civilians acting on their own behalf to engage in violence for the sake of
defending one’s own life or the lives of others, including the use of deadly force.

Legality of self defense

• All country have self-defense laws that allow people who are threatened to use reasonable force
to defend themselves or others, and to avoid criminal liability from their use of force.
• Defendants who claim self-defense admit that they used force or violence against the victim, but
they assert that they did so because the "victim" was actually the attacker, that they had to act
to avoid being hurt themselves (or to protect someone else from being hurt), and that the
amount of force they used was proportional to the threat presented. The basic issues in any self-
defense claim are who started the incident and whether the defendant's response was
necessary and proportionate to the threat posed by the aggressor.

• Duty to retreat - A duty to retreat, in its most extreme form, states that a person who is under an
imminent threat of personal harm must make a reasonable effort to avoid confrontation, either
by de-escalation or an attempt to leave the area in which the threat is occurring. The use of
deadly force should be the last option.

Capital Punishment
• Known as death penalty – an ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for serious crime,
often called a capital offense or capital crime. The term capital is a Latin “Capitalis” meaning
“Head” leading to beheading.
• In the Philippines it was imposed before that capital punishment is for those who committed
heinous crime – crime punishable by death for being grievous, odious and hateful offenses.
Examples: Rape, Rape with Arson, Rape with parricide, murder, drug trafficking or plunder.

Love for Nature – (Makakalikasan)

Environmental Ethics

• It considers planet as community and its ethical application includes to inanimate or non human
entities of the community.
• It has influences on the disciplines including sociology, geography, theology, economics, ecology,
and law.
• It is a holistic approach to understanding and evaluating our moral obligations to protect and
preserve the environment. Environmental ethics seeks to bring together the interests of both
 humans and the environment, recognizing that both are interdependent and have intrinsic
value.

Types of Environmental Ethics

• Libertarian Extension: Libertarian extension is a type of environmental ethics that focuses on an

individual’s right to do whatever they want with the environment and its resources.

The right to environment in the Philippines?

Article II, Section 16 of the Philippine Constitution (1987) recognizes that the people have a right to a
“balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature” separate from
general civil, economic and political rights.

• Ecological Extension: Ecological Extension is a type of environmental ethics that focuses on

preserving the natural environment and its resources in order to maintain the balance and
health of the ecosystem. This concept stresses the importance of humans working with nature in
order to sustain it for future generations.
Without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, we cannot have the healthy ecosystems
that we rely on to provide us with the air we breathe and the food we eat.

• Conservation Ethics: Conservation Ethics is a type of environmental ethics that focuses on

preserving natural resources for future generations by ensuring that current resources are not
depleted or damaged beyond repair. This concept encourages individuals to use natural
resources responsibly and judiciously so there will be enough for future generations.

In short, Libertarian extension promotes an individual’s right to use natural resources, Ecological
Extension encourages humans to work with nature, and Conservation Ethics emphasizes sustainable use
of natural resources. Each of these types of environmental ethics has its own benefits and should be
taken into account when considering how to best protect the environment.

4 Biggest Environmental Issues in the Philippines in 2023

1. Air Pollution
Over the course of the year, air pollution has become particularly problematic in the Philippines.
Causes:
FINE PARTICULATE MATTER (various air particles, including dust, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets that
range in size from less than 0.1 microns in diameter (smaller than a single bacterium)
VEHICULAR EMISSIONS
USE OF FIRECRACKERS

2. Plastic Pollution
The Philippines faces unsustainable plastic consumption due to an inefficient recycling system. Estimates
show that the country loses around US$890 million to unrecycled plastic products.

3. Marine Pollution
As the third-largest contributor to marine plastics, marine pollution accounts for one of the most
pressing environmental issues in the Philippines. Considering that the country generates over 2 million
tons of plastic waste every year, the World Bank reports that an estimated 20% of this waste ends up in
the sea.

4. Sea Level Rise

Floods have been recurrent in the Philippines in 2022. On Christmas day alone, erratic rains trigger
devastating flooding in Northern Mindanao and the Vasayas region that killed at least 51 people.
This comes at the back of the country topping this year’s World Risk Index, which assesses sea level rise
(a cause of coastal flooding) as one of its indicators. In line with the problem, Earth.Org’s projection
shows that residents of the country’s capital city, Manila, will be displaced by 2100 if the current trend
continues. At the moment, Manila is already subsiding at 20 millimetres per year, surpassing the mean
sea level rise almost tenfold.

Love for Country

Country
Is a geographical region.
Often applied to a political division or the territory of a sovereign state, or to a smaller, or former,
political division of a geographical region.
Usually coincides with a sovereign territory and associated with a state, nation or government.

Government
An organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises its authority, controls and
administers public policy and directs and controls the actions of its members or subjects.

Levels of Government
Local Government – the level closest to the govern.
Regional Government – comprises a grouping of individual communities.
National Government – controls all the territory within internationally recognized borders and have
responsibilities not shared by their sub national counterparts.

Executive, Legislative and Judicial Powers

Most governments exercise executive, legislative and judicial powers.
The Legislative branch is authorized to make laws, alter, and repeal them through the power vested in
the Philippine Congress. This institution is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Executive branch is composed of the President and the Vice President who are elected by direct
popular vote and serve a term of six years. The Constitution grants the President authority to appoint his
Cabinet. These departments form a large portion of the country’s bureaucracy.
The Judicial branch holds the power to settle controversies involving rights that are legally demandable
and enforceable. This branch determines whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion
amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part and instrumentality of the government. It is made
up of a Supreme Court and lower courts.