Filipino Characteristics

CWTS
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THE FILIPINO VALUE
SYSTEM
What are values?
 What are values?
The word “value” has its root in the Latin word
“valere” which means to be strong and vigorous.
 What are values?
This proceeds from the premise that a human person has to
have strength or valor in every endeavor. It is the basis on
which his strength in facing the challenges of life should
be directed.
 What are values?

Dr. Tomas Q. D. Andres (1986) would define

values as “things, persons, ideas or goals
which are important to life; anything which
enables life to be understood, evaluated, and
directed.”
 What are values?

On the other hand, Edgar Sheffield Brightman

defines value as “whatever is liked, prized,
esteemed, desired approved, or enjoyed by
anyone at any time. It is the actual experience
of enjoying a desired object or activity. Hence,
value is an existing realization of desire.”
 What are values?

Collectively, the values of a society would be the

standards or principles for which an act is judged to
be what is right or wrong, correct or incorrect .
As such, it is the goal set for every member of the
community to attain what is desirable. In other
words, values in a society give meaning and direction to
every individual‟s life and influence his human
behavior.
 What are values?

We can say that values are those which are

considered by the society as desirable and
important and have attained the status as moral
impetus behind every action of each member
geared towards the desired end or goal.
What are Filipino Values?
 What are Filipino Values?

Filipino values would be the standards or principles

set forth by the Filipino society as basis for what is
right or wrong, the principles on which every
member of the Filipino society should persevere to
attain in order to reach the ultimate realization of his
life, regarding his person and in relation to his family
and society in general.
 Family orientation.
Joy and humor.
Flexibility, adaptability, and creativity.
Faith and religiosity.
Ability to survive.
Hard work and industriousness.
Hospitality.
 Significance of Studying Filipino
Values
Because it influences a Filipino‟s behavior in
particular, and shaping the Philippine Society in
general. How Filipinos feel and motivated to do a
specific task is directed and evaluated by his set of
values. In order to understand the Filipino culture and
the development of the Filipino individual, one has to
understand the underlying values on which every
Filipino acts. Thus, a study on the Filipino values
would provide us a deeper understanding of the
Filipino culture.
 Significance of Studying Filipino
Values

The shaping of the Philippine society into a successful and

progressive nation would depend on understanding and
appreciating the positive side of Filipino values and how they
are applied to attain such goal. Thus, it is imperative that a
full understanding and appreciation of the positive side of
our very own principles be made and used for our personal
and national success.
 Significance of Studying Filipino
Values

The purpose of this chapter, therefore, is to help us

understand our Filipino values to enable us to put the
positive side of Filipino values in use and to disregard the
negative ones. Thus, in the end, through the development and
use of positive Filipino values, we may bring out the best in
the Filipino society in general and the individual in
particular.
 Understanding Filipino Values and
Culture

The Filipino society is composed of a mixture of different races and

cultures, many of which influenced the lifestyle and values being
practised in the Philippine community. Among those who
influenced the Filipino culture and values are our ancestors – the
Malays and Indons, our colonists – the Spaniards and the
Americans, and nationals of other countries who have dealt with
the Philippine society through trade – the Chinese and the Indians.
The resulting blend of this mixture of influences, which are
sometimes conflicting, is uniquely Filipino in character.
 Understanding Filipino Values and
Culture

Most of the prominent Filipino values are the

result of a blend of the rich Christian values of
Europe, the pragmatic and democratic values of
America, and the spiritual values of Asia.
 Understanding Filipino Values and
Culture

The basic social unit in the Philippine society is the family. It is here
where values and principles are nurtured and imbibed in each and every
member of the family. The tradition of close family ties has long been
practiced and considered as the foundation of the Philippine society. So
much is the effect of this tradition that the members of the constitutional
commission of the 1987 Philippine Constitution deemed it proper to
include it as a State Policy and a chapter of the fundamental law of the
land. Thus, Article XV, Section 1 of the said constitution provides that
“The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the
nation.”
 Understanding Filipino Values and
Culture
It is in the family that the Filipino individual is
introduced to the concept of structure and hierarchy of
power. He is always reminded to submit to the
authoritarian familial set-up, where roles are
prescribed especially for younger members of the
family. The Filipino family is structured in a way that
autocratic leadership rests on the elder members,
where the young submit themselves to the decision of
family elders. He is indoctrinated of the tradition of
primacy of the extended family over that of the
individual and that the only source of emotional,
economic, and moral support is the family.
 Understanding Filipino Values and
Culture

The Filipino individual identifies himself with his

family. Right from childhood he is made to believe
that he belongs to the family. The Filipino individual
is always encouraged to get advice from his parents
and submit to his parents‟ direction, counsel and
advice. He is admonished to be good because any
disgrace that he commits is a disgrace to the family. In
times of misfortune, he is assured of his family‟s
support, sympathy and love.
 Understanding Filipino Values and
Culture
Thus, Filipino society, in contrast with Western societies,
prefers a rather "structured" way of life, and not where he
can be assertive of his own individuality.
However, modern era is catching up with the Filipino
society. Changes must occur if the Filipino society is to
survive in a changing world. The Filipino society will have
to keep up with the changes brought about by modernization.
The society must prepare itself for a serious reevaluation of
its values. In most instances, it will have to break away from
its past and adjust itself towards the future.
 Filipino Characteristics
The characteristic that makes a Filipino vary from different
society is his uniquely blended culture and values from
different influences. Filipino values, for reason of several
influences that shaped its identity, are bipolar like a coin that
has two sides. They may either be positive or negative in
polarity. Let us take for example the value of utang na loob,
or debt of gratitude. The value of utang na loob, the altruistic
drawing of interior goodness of a person by returning a debt
of gratitude, is by itself positive. However, when one is
coerced to honor a debt of gratitude and return the favor,
then it becomes negative.
 Filipino Characteristics

Due to this ambivalence of Filipino values, they

have the potential of being used for good or evil.
They may either help or hinder personal and
national development, depending on how they are
understood or practiced or lived.
 Filipino Characteristics
In order to shape the Filipino society into a successful
and progressive nation, there is a need to reevaluate
the different values that influence every Filipino
individual‟s action to a set of circumstances. We need
to identify the positive side of every Filipino value
and develop them in order to yield a more successful
and developed society.
Let us then try to discuss some of the values in the
Filipino society and re-evaluate them to develop a
more positive value for the Filipino individual.
 Utang na Loob
There is no specific translation that can approximate the
meaning of this Filipino value of utang na loob. Debt of
gratitude is a lean excuse of a translation because it does not
even approximate the fertile concept of the Filipino
Utang na loob is a situation where an individual is required
to return a favor or service received. However, the return of
such service or favor cannot be translated into monetary
equivalent, and may reciprocated in a month of service or
even a lifetime.
 Utang na Loob
For example, a congressman proudly „gives‟ a town a new
chapel, a bridge, or a waiting shed (no matter whether the
money came from his pocket or from the government), this
makes the people indebted to him. And when elections come,
he recites the litany of his projects and people “ought” to
repay these through their votes. Not to repay this form of
debt means that those who were benefited are walang utang
na loob. After having been elected, the people would
approach this congressman for return of the favor by seeking
employment for them. Thus, this would end into a vicious
cycle, where the person na pinagkakautangan ng loob
becomes the giver and the giver becomes the person na may
utang na loob.
 Utang na Loob

However, utang na loob may be interpreted in a positive

outlook. If it is used with the concept of justice, truth
and human dignity, it would reflect the beautiful aspect
of the Filipino character. Thus, this altruistic feeling
must voluntarily come from within the person himself,
kusang loob; and should not be demanded by coercing
the person who has utang na loob, so as blind his sense
of judgment.
 Utang na Loob
Furthermore, this value should be used discriminately. The
pagtatanaw ng utang na loob should emerge from within the
self of an individual with sense of justice so as to repay the
person for the favor or services rendered.
We should always remember that in demanding for the return
of indebtedness, the golden rule “Do unto other as you
would want them to do unto you.” By demanding the return
of the favor, would you wish to become indebted in return?
And when indebted, would you want that person to act the
same way when they are demanding the return of the favor?
 Bahala na

Filipinos, by nature, are a religious group of

people. They firmly believe in the supernatural
and in all kinds of spirit dwelling in individual
persons, places or things. They believe in a
Supreme Being who will take care of things for
them. The Filipino is very religious who has a
saint to pray to each day of the week.
 Bahala na

The term bahala na comes from the words Bathala

na. It reflects the Filipino‟s dependence on the
supernatural being and on fate. This tends to move
toward the commonly conceived procrastination
character of the Filipino.
Strength and Weaknesses of
Filipino
 OTHER STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

1. Pakikipagkapwa–Tao
 Camaraderie and feeling of closeness to one
another; foundation for unity as well as sense of
social justice.
 OTHER STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

2. Family Oriented
 Feeling of belongingness and rootedness and a
basic sense of security.
 OTHER STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

3. Joy and Humor

 Emotional balance, optimism, a healthy
disrespect for power and office and the capacity to
survive.
OTHER STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

4. Flexibility and Adaptability

 Productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship,
equanimity and survival.
OTHER STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

5. Hardwork and Industry

 Productivity and entrepreneurship for some and
survival despite poverty for others.
OTHER STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

6. Faith and Religiosity

 Courage, daring, optimism, inner peace, as well as
the capacity to genuinely accept tragedy and death.
 OTHER STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

7. Ability to Survive
 Bravely live through the harshest economic and
social circumstances.
 OTHER WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER
1. Extreme Personalism
 Leads to graft and corruption.
OTHER WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

2. Extreme Family
Centeredness
 Lack of concern for
the common good and
acts as the block to
national consciousness.
 OTHER WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

3. Lack of Discipline
 Inefficient and wasteful work
systems, violation of rules
leading to more serious
transgressions and a casual
work ethics leading to
carelessness and lack of follow-
through.
OTHER WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

4. Passivity and Lack

of Initiative
 Easily resigned to
one‟s fate and thus
easily oppressed and
exploited.
 OTHER WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

5. Colonial Mentality
 Basic feeling of
national inferiority
that makes it difficult
for them to relate as
equal to Westerners.
OTHER WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

6. Kanya-kanya
Syndrome
 Dampening of
cooperative and
community spirit and in
the trampling upon of
the rights of others.
OTHER WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER

7. Lack of Self-
Analysis and Self –
Reflection
 Emphasis on form
more than substance.
 Resources
Agas, J. MAPÚA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NATIONAL
SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM [MAPÚA-NSTP] https://
www.mapua.edu.ph/Campus%20life/SOCIP/Assets/CWTS/mapu
a%20general%20nstp%20module.pdf

Lorrena, A FILIPINO VAL;UES SYSTEM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79xsa9zfA_U&t=554s