chinaware for their honored guests and would even go

WHO IS A FILIPINO? as far as spending a lot of money, and going into debt
just so they can satisfy them. In most local shops,
I. Who are classified as Philippine citizens?
Filipino salespersons will greet their customers with
Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article IV, Section
1, it states that: warm welcome and say thank you when they leave
The following are citizens of the Philippines: even without buying anything. Filipinos also anticipate
1. Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the giving tours to friends who will visit their hometown
time of the adoption of this Constitution; and treating them to the best restaurants and delicacies
2. Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of for free. During festivals or fiestas, Filipinos serve
the Philippines; heaps of festive food and invite the whole barangay
3. a. Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino
mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon over. Thay are also fond of giving pasalubong or tokens
reaching the age of majority; and from their travels and pabaon or farewell gifts to their
b. Those born on or after January 17, 1973 and at visitors.
least one parent was Philippine citizen on the birth date
4. Those who are naturalized in accordance of law 2. Respect for Elders

II. What are the modes in acquiring Philippine Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand
citizenship? while saying "Mano po!" and constantly using "po" and
"opo" in conversations. Forgetting to address older
There are two (2) generally recognized forms of acquiring people properly will regard them as rude and impolite.
Philippine citizenship: There is also a wide array of referebces to elder people
such as ate for older sister; kuya for older brother; Tito
1. Filipino by birth
and Tita for uncle and aunt, respectovely; Lolo and
Lola for grandfather and grandmother; and Manong and
a. Jus soli (right of soil) which is the legal
Aling for older people outside the family.
principle that a person’s nationality at birth
is determined by the place of birth (e.g. the
3. Close Family Ties
territory of a given state)
Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their
b. Jus sanguinis (right of blood) which is the
families regardless if the children are old enough and
legal principle that, at birth, an individual
already have families of their own. They are also fond
acquires the nationality of his/her natural
of family reunions during birthdays, holidays, or fiestas
parent/s. The Philippine adheres to this
year-round. Some Filipino families even opt to live in a
principle.
big house where everyone can stay together. Nursing
homes are almost always not an option for family
2. Filipino by naturalization which is the judicial act
members and choose to take care of their elders
of adopting a foreigner and clothing him with the
themselves.
privileges of a native-born citizen. It implies the
renunciation of a former nationality and the fact of
4. Cheerful Personality
entrance into a similar relation towards a new body
politic (2Am.Jur.561,par.188). Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot.
They smile when they’re happy, or sometimes even
Filipino Values and Traits
when they are sad or angry. Smiling has been a coping
strategy for many Filipinos especially during trying
1. The Filipino Hospitality
times and calamities. For instance, Filipinos smile and
A Filipino Trait that is known everywhere is the wave at the camera while being interviewed even after
Filipino's brand of hospitality. Filipinos welcome their a fire or flooding incident. They always try to maintain
guests and tourists as if they are their own brothers and a positive outlook in life which makes them resilient
sisters; they always make their guest feel at home, and able to manage almost everything with a simple
offering them something to eat, or even a place to stay. smile.
They will bring out their best set of plates and
5. Self-Sacrifice This is the Filipino term for procrastination. It was
derived from a longer Filipino phrase called “Mamaya
The self-sacrificing attitude of Filipinos can be seen na” meaning dawdling things which could have been
as an extension of the Filipino hospitality. Filipinos go done at an earlier time. It is a poor habit of laziness that
out of theur way to extend help to their friends, results in heavier workloads.
families, and loved ones. They wish comfort and better
lives for their loved ones, and would even go to the 10. “Ningas Kugon”
extent of working abroad hundreds of miles away to
earn more money and save up for them. Overseas “Ningas” is a Filipino term for flame and
“kugon” is a Filipino term for Cogon grass that easily
Filipino Workers sacrifice a lot that is why they are
burns out after it is put into flames. Ningas kugon
regarded as the modern day Filipino heroes. There are refers to the attitude of eagerly starting things but
also times when the eldest among the children of the quickly losing eagerness soon after experiencing
family would give up school to work and provide for difficulty.
the rest of the family and educate his or her siblings.
11. Pride
6. Bayanihan
Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if
Bayanihan is the spirit of communal unity and they are more precious than keeping a good
relationship with the family and loved ones.
cooperation of Filipinos. It is also about giving without
expecting something in return. Filipinos are always 12. Crab Mentality
ready to share and help some friends and loved ones
who are in need. It may not always be in monetary This is a toxic trait among Filipinos where
form, but the time and effort they give also count as a one resents the achievement of another, instead of
form of help for them. This trait is particularly feeling happy for that person.
manifested in how Filipinos rally themselves to send
13. Filipino Time
aid to those who are severely affected by natural
calamities. Filipinos have this common attitude of
arriving late at commitments, dinner, or parties
7. “Bahala Na” Attitude especially if they are meeting someone close to them.
They tend to not observe punctuality altogether.
“Bahala na” is the Filipino version of the famous line
“Hakuna Matata”, meaning no worries. The phrase is
said to originate from “Bathala na”, where Bathala Filipino Markers
means God, and the phrase means leaving everything
into God’s hands. It can also be viewed as something What makes us truly relish in our being as Filipinos? The
similar to the cheerful and positive attitude of Filipinos following are constant reminders of our nationality :
and allowing situations take care of themselves instead
of worrying about them. 1. Proverbs or Salawikain

8. Colonial Mentality - sayings that convey lessons and reflections on

Filipino practices, beliefs, and traditions. Damiana
Colonial mentality is the lack of patriotism and the Eugenio, regarder as the Mother of Philippine
attitude where Filipinos favor foreign products more Folklore, classified proverbs into six categories
than their own. This does not only concern goods, but (Eugenio, 2000)
also the desire to look more foreign than local and keep
up with foreign beauty trends. It is attributed to the  Proverbs expressing a general attitude toward life and
centuries of colonization Filipinos had experienced the laws that govern life
under the Spanish, American, and Japanese rule.
 Ethical Proverbs recommending certain virtues and
9. “Mañana” Habit condemning certain vices
 Proverbs expressing a system of values; who are genuinely in helping and caring for the
Filipino people.
 Proverbs expressing general truths and observationd
about life and human nature 2. Study the Philippine History

 Humorous Proverbs The road of the Philippine history is long and bloody,
and by learning and fully understanding the events of
 Miscellaneous Proverbs the Philippine history, you will learn so much as to
why it is so important for you to love your country
2. Superstitions with your life, extend to help fellow Filipinos in need,
and recognize abuse of political power.
Filipinos also subscribe to their own set of
superstitions passed down from generation to 3. Support local products.
generation. Some of these may be influenced by
beliefs from other cultures, but Filipinos have retold When you buy local products, you do not only
these superstitions according to their own experiences support local manufacturers and businessmen, but you
and they sonetimes end up even more interesting. also help strengthen the local economy. How is this
so?There will be more demand of local products, thus,
3. Myths and Legends local businesses will be in need for more employees,
which will operate new job opportunities. The
Due to the Philippines rich culture and history,
business owners will also invest within the country
numerous myths and legends have sprung about things
and are less likely to leave. Supporting our local
that are beyond one's imagination. These stories are
products also displays our creativity, innovativeness
aimed to explain the origin of things, at the same time,
and resourcefulness.
teach a valuable lesson. Some of these stories stemmed
in pre-Christianity period, but have evolved to the 4. Speak the Filipino language.
stories we know today.
The history of the Filipino language was as long and
4. Heroes and Icons hard as the Philippine history. Jose Rizal highlighted
the importance of speaking a national language as a
Heroes serve as a reminder of true patriotism and
way of displaying the love for one’s country.
nationalism as they have sacrificed their lives for the
sake of their country's freedom and progress. Speaking Filipino also serves as a unique identifier of
being a Filipino. It has been a decade-long debate
How to be a Good Filipino
whether to use Filipino as the instructional language in
1. Be an Active Filipino Citizen school and to translate textbooks into Filipino,
however, this is not strictly imposed.
A good Filipino is aware of the current events and
participates in government programs that aim for the 5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in
country’s progression and development. engaging with dissent.

By simply exercising your right to vote, you also became This period in the history of the Philippines has seen
an active citizen. how the Internet has spawned tons of possibilities for
people, both for good and bad. For instance, it is easier
By simply exercising your right to vote, you also became for Filipinos working abroad to communicate with
an active citizen. By simply exercising your right to their loved ones left in the Philippines through the
vote, you also became an active citizen. When it Internet. Despite this, the Internet has also made the
comes to voting , the rich and the poor have equal spread of fake news very common. Likewise, the
voting rights – every Filipino of legal age have a Internet has also made us engage in intense arguments
chance in choosing the right leaders for the Philippines with people across the globe about our political
positions, for example.
It is part of being a good Filipino to understand and verify
what you read online, especially in the social media,
before actually believing in it and spreading it like a
wildfire. It is also the responsibility of every Filipino
to recognize disagreement in political views, be
tolerant, and argue intelligently without having to
resort into name-calling people.