Getting Started!
4.1 Social Problems in the Philippines
Any country that you live usually has Social Problems. Philippines
is not exempted in this issue. What makes the Philippines unique
problem makes it even harder for an ordinary Filipino people to
mention many social problems made by our own acts and might lead
to awful consequences that the future generation will face. Here are
the Social problems that are too many to mention but will highlight
the most common problems today.
4.1.1 Population Control
Commission on Population (Popcom) was the government
agency with primary responsibility for
controlling population growth. In 1985 Popcom
set a target for reducing the growth rate to 1 percent
by 2000. To reach that goal in the 1990s, Popcom
recommended that families have a maximum of two
children, that they space the birth of children at
three-year intervals, and that women delay marriage to
age twenty-three and men to age twenty-five.
During the Marcos regime (1965-86), there
was a rather uneasy accommodation between
the Catholic hierarchy and the government
population control program. Bishops served on
Popcom, and the rhythm method was included by
clinics as a birth-control method about which
they could give information. A few Catholic priests,
notably Frank Lynch, even called for energetic
support of population limitation.
The fall of Marcos coincided with a general
rise of skepticism about the relation between
population growth and economic development.
It became common to state that exploitation, rather
than population pressure was the cause of
poverty. The bishops withdrew from the
Popcom board, opposed an effort to reduce the
number of children counted as dependents for tax purposes, secured the removal of the
population-planning clause from the draft of the Constitution, and attempted to end government
population programs. Attacks on the government population program were defeated, and efforts
to popularize family planning, along with the provision of contraceptive materials, continued. In
the early 1990s, however, the program generally lacked the firm government support needed to
make it effective.
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4.1.2 Religious Life
Religion holds a central place in the
life of most Filipinos, including Catholics,
Muslims, Buddhists, Protestants, and
animists. It is central not as an abstract
belief system, but rather as a host of
experiences, rituals, ceremonies, and
adjurations that provide continuity in life,
cohesion in the community, and moral
purpose for existence. Religious
associations are part of the system of
kinship ties, patron-client bonds, and other
linkages outside the nuclear family.
Christianity and Islam have been
superimposed on ancient traditions and
acculturated. The unique religious blends
that have resulted, when combined with the
strong personal faith of Filipinos, have
given rise to numerous and diverse
revivalist movements. Generally
characterized by millenarian goals, anti-
modern bias, supernaturalism, and authoritarianism in the person of a charismatic messiah
figure, these movements have attracted thousands of Filipinos, especially in areas like Mindanao,
which have been subjected to extreme pressure of
change over a short period of time. Many have been
swept up in these movements, out of a
renewed sense of fraternity and community. Like the
highly visible examples of flagellation and reenacted
crucifixion in the Philippines, these movements may
seem to have little in common with organized
Christianity or Islam. But in the intensely personalistic
Philippine religious context, they have not been
aberrations so much as extreme examples of how
religion retains its central role in society.
The religious composition of the Philippines
remained predominantly Catholic in the late 2010s. In
2019 approximately 82 percent of the population was
Roman Catholic; Muslims accounted for only 5
percent. The remaining population was mostly
affiliated with other Christian churches, although
there were also a small number of Buddhists, Daoists
(or Taoists), and tribal animists. Christians were to be found throughout the archipelago. Muslims
remained largely in the south and were less integrated than other religious minorities into the
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mainstream of Philippine culture. Although most Chinese were members of Christian churches, a
minority of Chinese worshipped in Daoist or in Buddhist temples, the most spectacular of which
was an elaborate Daoist temple on the outskirts of Cebu.
4.2 Political Problems in the Philippines
When the Philippines became
a sovereign nation in the Pacific, the
behavior of previous leaders of the
Government and other powerful
political and economic elites has
heavily influenced the quality of the
country’s democratic politics and
governance. The Philippines is a
unitary state with a winner-take-all
system, a presidency that exercises
huge power over budgets and
appointments, and congenitally
weak political parties. As a result,
the executive leader plays a central
role in determining policy outcomes,
as well as the norms and behavior
that shape politics and governance.
However, all of this came as big
payment to the ordinary Filipino
people who immediately suffer to the
unethical and horrible wrongdoings
of the officials. We will identify what are the factors that undermine the Philippines’s overall
growth as a Nation.
4.2.1 Corruption
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Filipinos in nature are imbedded in eons of time in
dishonest or illegal behaviour especially by powerful people
(such as government officials or police officers) through
means that are illegitimate, immoral, or incompatible with
ethical standards.
4.2.2 Specific types of Corruption
TaxEvasion– Politicians and Government officials do not
honestly declare their annual incomes to avoid paying for
their corresponding taxes in the government.
Example: Senator Emmanuel D. Pacquiao P3 Billion Tax
Evasion Case.
Ghost Projects- Unethical act done usually by high
officials of the government whereby non- existing projects
are financed by the government while non-existing
personnel are being paid salaries and allowances.
Example: Janet L. Napoles over pork barrel scam.
4.2.2
4.2.3 Padrino System
In Filipino culture and politics, is the value system
where one gains favor, promotion, or political appointment
through family affiliation (nepotism) or friendship (cronyism),
as opposed to one's merit. The Padrino System in the
Philippines has been the source of many controversies and
corruption.
It has been an open secret that one cannot join the
political arena of the Philippines without mastery of the
Padrino System. From the lowest Barangay official, to the
President of the Republic, it is expected that one gains political
debts and dispenses political favor to advance one's career or
influence, if not wealth.
4.2.4 Political Dynasty
Generally refer to traditional political families or the
practices by these political families of monopolizing political
power and public offices from generation to generation and
treating the public elective office almost as their personal
property.
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4.2.5 Education
In 2019 the education system was reaching a relatively large part of the population, at
least at the elementary level. According to 2019 Philippine government figures, which count as
literate everyone who has completed six years of elementary school, the overall literacy rate was
97 percent, up from 94 percent in 2012. Literacy rates were virtually the same for women and
men. Elementary education was free and, in the 2017 academic year, was provided to some 15
million schoolchildren, 96.4 percent of the age-group. High school enrolment rates were
approximately 56 percent nationwide but were somewhat lower on Mindanao and in Eastern
Visayas region. Enrolment in institutions of higher learning exceeded 8.6 million.
Filipinos have a deep regard for education, which they view as a primary avenue for
upward social and economic mobility. From the onset of United States colonial rule, with its
heavy emphasis on mass public education, Filipinos internalized the American ideal of a
democratic society in which individuals could get ahead through attainment of a good education.
Middle-class parents make tremendous sacrifices in order to provide secondary and higher
education for their children.
Philippine education institutions in the late 2000s varied in quality. Some universities
were excellent; others were considered "diploma mills" with low standards. Public elementary
schools often promoted students regardless of achievement, and students, especially those in
poor rural areas, had relatively low test scores.
The proportion of the national government budget going to education has varied from a
high of 31.53 percent in 1967 to a low of 7.61 percent in 1987. It stood at 15.5 percent in 2007.
The peso amount, however, has steadily increased, and the lower percentage reflects the effect of
a larger total government budget. Although some materials were still in short supply, by 2012
the school system was able to provide one textbook per subject per student. In 2000 the
Philippine government and universities had numerous scholarship programs to provide
students from low-income families with access to education. The University of the Philippines
followed a "socialized tuition" plan whereby students from higher income families paid higher
fees and students from the lowest income families were eligible for free tuition plus a living
allowance
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4.3 Economic Problems in the Philippines
Economic and political indicators, like
appearances, are often deceiving. The Republic of the
Philippines ever since then appeared to be on the road
to economic recovery and political stability. Since
gaining independence in 1946, the Philippines has been
beset by two difficulties encountered by all developing
countries. The first is how to plan and implement
economic development, while maintaining political
stability; the second is how to stay on course with a
development strategy while fostering political
modernization. Very few countries have successfully
realized either, and both have proved troublesome for
the Philippines. Today we will enumerate the problems
that’s been lagging the Philippines overall economic
development today.
4.3.1 Poverty
Restricting condition experienced by millions of
families that parents them in attaining the minimum
level of consumption for subsistence living.
✓ Limited schooling is one of the main cause of
poverty
There are two categories of poverty:
I. Absolute poverty
-It is the lack of income to buy the basic food and
necessities for subsistence living.
II. Poverty Threshold
-Income needed to purchase minimum nutritional
requirements and other basic necessities.
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4.3.2 Slow Adoption of Modern Technology
The stagnation of the Philippine manufacturing sector
has been attributed to a certain extent to the limited investment
in capital equipments.
4.3.3 Unemployment
Typical Juan Dela Crus who is actively searching for
employment is unable to find work. Unemployment is often
used as a measure of the health of the economy.
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The Four Types of Unemployment
Four commonly distinguished forms of unemployment
are:
1. Frictional unemployment.
Frictionally unemployed people are in between
jobs or are students who just completed school and
are looking for a job. This form of unemployment is
usually short-lived in nature.
2. Structural unemployment.
The structurally unemployed are people who
are laid off and looking for work because technology
advances or other structural changes in production (for
example, companies moving abroad) took away their
jobs. The horse-and-buggy drivers of the early 1900s
lost their jobs after the automobile became popular
and affordable.
3. Cyclical unemployment.
Cyclically unemployed people are laid off due to a
decline in the demand for their product; they are also
looking for a job. During recessions, the demand for cars
and houses and other durable products decreases.
Workers in these industries lose their jobs until
demand increases again. This form of unemployment is
usually temporary in nature.
4. Seasonal unemployment.
Seasonally unemployed people are out of work
and looking for a job during the off- season. Examples
include ice cream vendors during the winter, school
teachers during the summer (they are considered
unemployed only if they are looking for a job during
this time), and ski-lift operators during the summer.
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4.4 Cultural Problems in the Philippines
A significant part of a successful international
assignment of any country like The Philippines is being
able to adapt to the new culture. Although full
assimilation is almost always impossible, it’s very
important to at least understand the culture and
eliminate the distress that comes with moving into a new
nation. The Philippines has an amusing lifestyle, given the
diverse cultural influences, mainly from the Spanish,
American mixed with the original Southeast Asian
culture.
4.4.1 Amor Propio
One interesting thing yet toxic behaviour about
Filipinos is the Amor-Propio or one’s sense of self. It’s very
important for an expatriate to understand this whole
concept of Amor- propio and everything that comes with it,
namely the hiya, utang na loob, and euphemisms as this will
be a part of your living as they communicate and form
relationships with the locals.
To an outsider or an expatriate, amor-propio seems
like a simple characteristic, and understood exactly as its
literal translation: self-love.
But this high sense of dignity and pure arrogance
strengthens all other traditional characteristics of Filipinos
that may seem contradicting to a westerner who grew up
with a strong sense of individuality and frankness.
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4.4.2 Hiya or Social Propriety
An example of this is the hiya or shame, if translated
literally. Sociologist-anthropologist Mary Hollnsteiner
described hiya as a sense of social propriety. This instigates
the need for Filipinos to conform to society’s standards of
what’s normal and what isn’t. You wouldn’t want to do
anything that will cause your bloodline shame.
4.4.3 Utang na Loob or Debt of Gratitude
Another traditional characteristic is the
utang na loob or debt of gratitude. Although utang
na loob is not exclusively a Filipino belief, it’s highly
respected and followed by the citizens. This concept
of reciprocity isn’t as simple as the regular debt, as
utang na loob is highly subjective being based
heavily on one’s manners or etiquette and
quantified solely by emotions and sometimes hiya,
or social propriety.
There is also a widely followed idea in the
country where the child owes her parents for
supporting him and giving them their needs from
their birth up to adulthood. This social and
emotional indebtedness encourage the children to
give back once they get their diploma. When he gets
a job, he is expected to help support the family as a
way of giving back to his parents after raising him
up to adulthood. This is frowned upon and
considered irrational by free-thinkers and
misunderstood by expatriates but the acceptability
of this concept mostly depends on the families themselves.
4.4.4 High Context Communicators
Filipinos are also more of high context communicators rather
than low-context. Confrontation will be avoided as much as possible,
as this might express negative intentions. Most Filipinos will be very
shy to say “No” to you and would rather say something considerate
and hope that the other person gets it that he meant “No.” Examples
of this are, “Maybe,” “I will try,” “I will make an effort to,” “I’m not sure
but I will try,” “We’ll see how it goes,” “I don’t know.” This can be a
problem especially at work, if the other person is not used to nonverbal cues, and/or cannot
pick up the hint that he wanted to say “No” but is too polite to say it directly.
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4.4.5 Filipino Time
One thing to also take note of is the Filipino’s concept of
time. Filipinos are polychromic as opposed to monochromic like
most western countries. Schedules must remain loose. In general,
the Filipinos are very welcoming and optimistic. There are a lot of
festivals, or fiestas, and there’s always a reason to celebrate and
have a good time. There are also a lot of superstitions that are still
widely believed all over the country, but especially on the provinces.
Like all transitions, relocating to the Philippines won’t be
easy and will take a lot of understanding and patience. But the
Filipinos are, in general, very hospitable and helpful, and will help
you as much as possible to make your transition manageable.
4.4.6 Colonial Mentality
People who possess colonial mentality have a
perception of ethnic or cultural inferiority that is a
specific consequence of colonization. For Filipinos, this
involves an automatic and uncritical rejection of
anything Filipino and an automatic and uncritical
preference for anything (South Korean, American,
Japanese or Spanish) or just basically white.
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