FILIPINO
CHARACTERISTICS AND
CITIZENSHIP VALUES
John Hubert Lou G. Magrata
NSTP 1 Instructor
What are values?
value (n.)
◦ from Latin word valere– to be strong and vigorous.
◦ Individual beliefs that motivate people to act one way or
another.
◦ Serve as a guide for human behavior.
◦ We adopt the values that our parents raise us with.
What are values?
◦ Basis on which a person’s strength in facing the
challenges of life should be directed.
◦ things, persons, ideas or goals which are important to
life; anything which enables life to be understood,
evaluated, and directed. (Q.D. Andres, 1986)
◦ Filipino context; value = halaga/pagpapahalaga
WHAT ARE VALUES?
Upbringing
Values
Actions, thoughts, emotions
Work ethic
Action and results
Filipino values
◦ Set by Filipino society as basis for what is right or wrong
◦ Perseverance of principles in order to reach the ultimate
realization of his life.
Understanding Filipino values and
culture
Ancestors Colonists Traders
◦ Malays ◦ Spaniards ◦ Indians
◦ Indones ◦ Americans ◦ Chinese
◦ Negritos ◦ Japanese
◦ Other
Europeans
Understanding Filipino values and
culture
Rich Christian values [EUROPE]
Understanding Filipino values and
culture
Democratic values [AMERICA]
Understanding Filipino values and
culture
Spirituality [ASIA]
Understanding Filipino values and
culture
Family
◦ Basic social unit in the Philippines
◦ Foundation of Philippine society
◦ Article XV, Sec. 1 “The State recognizes the Filipino family as
the foundation of the nation.” (1987 Philippine Constitution)
◦ Often where the concept of structure and hierarchy of
power is introduced (member roles)
Understanding Filipino values and
culture
Family
◦ Belongingness
◦ Unity
◦ Love
◦ Respect
◦ Support
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
◦ Uniquely blended culture and values from different
influences
◦ Positive and negative
◦ Ambivalent
◦ Contradictory, ironical, equivocal
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
1. Personalism
◦ Giving importance to interpersonal relations or
face-to-face encounters
◦ “personal touch”
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
2. Familialism
◦ Welfare and interest of family over those of the
community.
◦ Everyone is considered
◦ Family’s honor > personal image
◦ “Para sa pamilya”
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
3. Particularism
◦ Strong family influence on the individual or group
behavior.
◦ Special effort to entertain friends and relatives.
◦ “pakikisama”
◦ Conformity > standing out
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
Three main obligations that underlie the Filipino value
orientation:
1. Relational (pakikipagkapwa)
2. Emotional (damdamin)
3. Moral (karangalan)
RELATIONAL
EMOTIONAL
MORAL
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
Utang na Loob
◦ Rough translation: “debt of gratitude”
◦ Ambiguous concept
◦ Concept of justice, truth, and human dignity
◦ Kusang loob, should not be demanded.
◦ Should emerge from within the self.
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
“Bahala na”
◦ Supernatural; spirituality; religiousness
◦ Procastination character of the Filipino
◦ Inaasa sa nilalang na hindi natin nakikita
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
Mañana habit
◦ Supernatural; spirituality; religiousness
◦ Procastination character of the Filipino
◦ Doing something at a later time
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
Ningas kugon
◦ Strong enthusiasm in the beginning, slowly losing the drive
to finish
◦ Half-baked
◦ Sa umpisa lang magaling (oof)
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
Amor propio
◦ Sense of self-esteem that prevents a person from
swallowing his pride
◦ Ego defensiveness
◦ Self-conscious
◦ Direct translation– self-love, pagmamahal sa sarili
FILIPINO CHARACTERISTICS
Bayanihan
◦ Core essence of Filipino culture
◦ Being one with the community
◦ Striving to make the community better through continuous
team efforts and unity
STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER
FILIPINO CHARACTER RESULTS
Camaraderie and feeling of closeness to one
Pakikipagkapwa-tao another; foundation for unity as well as sense
of social justice
Feeling of belongingness and rootedness and
Family-oriented a basic sense of security
Emotional balance, optimism, a
Joy and Humor healthy disrespect for power and
office and the capacity to survive
STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER
Productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship,
Flexibility and Adaptability equanimity and survival
Productivity and entrepreneurship for some
Hardwork and Industry and survival despite poverty for others
Faith and Courage, daring, optimism, inner peace, as
well as the capacity to genuinely accept
Religiosity tragedy and death
Bravely live through the harshest
Ability to Survive economic and social circumstances
Weaknesses of the Filipino character
FILIPINO CHARACTER RESULTS
Extreme Personalism Leads to graft and corruption
Lack of concern for the common good and acts as the
Extreme Family Centeredness block to national consciousness
Inefficient and wasteful work systems, violation of
rules leading to more serious transgressions and a
Lack of Discipline casual work ethics leading to carelessness and lack of
follow-through
Passivity and Lack of Easily resigned to one’s fate and thus
Initiative easily oppressed and exploited
Weaknesses of the Filipino character
Basic feeling of national inferiority that
Colonial Mentality makes it difficult for them to relate as
equal to Westerners
Dampening of cooperative and
Kanya-kanya Syndrome community spirit and in the trampling
upon of the rights of others
Lack of Self-Analysis and Emphasis on form more
Self –Reflection than substance
FILIPINO CITIZENSHIP VALUES
Respect for life
◦ Article III, Section 1 - No person shall be deprived of life,
liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person
be denied the equal protection of the laws.
◦ Mahatma Gandhi - “an eye for an eye makes the whole world
blind”
◦ The House of Life by Andrew Maria
FILIPINO CITIZENSHIP VALUES
Concern for the Family and the Future Generations
◦ Not taking your family for granted
◦ Setting a good example to the young ones
◦ Taking up the responsibility of being the older person
◦ Father’s Mistake – No Time by Bel San Luis
FILIPINO CITIZENSHIP VALUES
Truth
◦ Katotohanan
◦ Kailangang tanggapin kahit masakit
◦ Can be absolute or conditional
◦ Maaaring magdulot ng masisidhi at malulubhang epekto sa
buhay ng tao
◦ “The Truth About Lies”
Lies are said in the place of truth…
Why not prefer to tell the truth than settle for a lie?
There are no half-truths or white lies…
It’s either you say the truth or tell a lie!
A million lies cannot make up a single truth…
You can never transform a lie in to truth.
You’ll know when your lies have caught up with
you…
When you begin to believe in them as being the truth.
In the end, we find but a single truth about lies:
That there is No Truth and No Good in Lies
FILIPINO CITIZENSHIP VALUES
Justice
◦ Lagi nating tinatanong kung nasaan
◦ Personified as a blind woman with a scale and sword
◦ Often subjective, should be objective
◦ “To Every Man His Due”
FILIPINO CITIZENSHIP VALUES
Equality
◦ Pagkakapantay-pantay
FILIPINO CITIZENSHIP VALUES
Promotion of the Common Good
FILIPINO CITIZENSHIP VALUES
Care for the Environment
