ETHICS: LIFE AS IT

oUGHT TO BE
46

Lesson 8 The Filipino Character

Intended Learning Outcomes

Analyze crucial qualities ofthe Filipino moral identity
Evaluate elements of the Filipino character

INTRODUCTION
After having learned that culture influences the human person
as
moral agent of and after having understood the meaning of culture
relativism let us now examine the Filipino character to determine which one
does not help him/her grow in moral character.

ACTIVITY
1. Group yourselves by 5. Identify at least 3 strengths of the Filipino
character.

ANALYSIS
These strengths sometimes alsobecome
weaknesses. Do you agree?
Explain your answer and illustrate with an example.

ABSTRACTION

The Filipino Character: Strengths and Weaknesses

Below is an excerpt or ne
NpOrt4 Moral Recovery Program:
Building a Nation" e
submitted on April 27, Program:
Building a People,
Task Force to President Corazon Aquino, the Senate and the members of
19RR
the press by then Senator Leticia Shahani, the moving spirit behind the

program.
 Standards
Chapter I: Understanding Morality and Moral
Lesson 8: The Filipino Character
47

The weaknesses of the Filipino character as cited in the Report are as

follows:
1. Extreme family centeredness - Excessive concern for Jamily means
using one' office and power to promote family interests and thus
factionalisnm patronage, political dynasties and the protection of erring
family members. It results in lack of concern for the common good, The Filipino
character has
and acts as a block to national consciousness. weaknesses
2. Extreme personalism - "Takes things personally" cannot separate 1) extreme
objective task from emotional involvement. Because of this the Filipino
family
and with
is uncomfortable with bureaucracy, with rules and regulations centeredness,
standard procedures. He uses personal contacts and gives preference 2) extreme
even voting. Extreme
to Jamily and friends in hiring, services and personalism,
leads to the graft and corruption evident in Philippine 3) lack of
personalism
discipline,
sOciety.
toward time and space, 4) passivity
3. Lack of. discipline A casual attitude and lack of
in lack of precision and compulsiveness, in poor time
manifested initiative,
management and procrastination. Aversion to following procedures 5) colonial
standardization and quality control.
strictly results in lack of mentality, 6)
ningas cogon. Lack of
Impatience results in short cuts, palusot, kanya-kanya
work systems, the violation of rules syndrome,
often results in inefficient
discipline
and a casual work ethic lacking follow through. talangka
to be told what to do, reliance mentality
4. Passivity and lack of initiative - Waiting 7) lack of
lack of a of sense
and government), complacence,
on others (leaders service, and even self-analysis
tolerance for ineficiency, poor
urgency. There is high too easily and self-
violations of one's basic rights. Too
patient and matiisin, refection and
is easily oppressed and exploited.
resigned to his fate, the Filipino 8) emphasis
or of an active awareness,
5. Colonial mentality Lack of patriotism,
-
on porma
an actual preference for
and love of the Philippines and rather than
apprèciation
substance.
things foreign
6. Kanya-kanya syndrome,
talangka mentality -Done by tsismis, intriga,
that
the personal ambition
criticism ... i is evident'in
unconstructive the lack of a sense
insensitive to the c o m m o n good, e.g.,
is completely bureaucracy This results
people in the government
of service among spirit and in the
cooperative and community
dampening of
in the
other s righis,
trampling upon to be
and self-reffection The tendency
7. Lack of self-analysis
the face of serious personal and
and somewhat fiighty. In
superficial analysis or reflection and instead
social problems,
is lack
there of
explanations and solutions.
superficial
satisfaction with
rather than substance-. This lack of analysis
8. Emphasis on porma oy an educational system that is
Is renyortea
and emphasis on form
 ETHICS: LIFE AS IT oUGHT TO BE

48

more form than substance...

home, social and

rooted in many factors.:
These weaknesses are
culture and language; religion;
history;
economicc evironment;
leadership and Change
role models.
educational system; media;
mass

goals are proposed develop

to
s possible, however, and the following
in the Filipino: (1) a sense of patriotism
and national pride; (2) a
and accountability
The strengths sense of the common good; (3) a sense of integrity
of the Filipino discipline and hard work; (5) the value
4) the values and habits of
character are: the internalization of
and habits of self-reflection and analysis;
1) pakikipag rather than on form.
essence
spiritual válues and the emphasis
on

kapwa-tao, Program: Building a

(Shahani, Leticia. (1988). A Moral Recovery
2) family People, Building a Nation)
orientation, 3) Shahani said, The
joy and humor In the same report in 1988, Senator Leticia
pakikipagkapwa-tao, 2)
4) flexibility strengths of the Filipino character are: 1)
adaptability and
adaptability family orientation, 3) joy and humor, 4) flexibility,
faith and religiosity and 7)
and creativity, creativity, 5) hard work and industry, 6)
5) hard work ability to survive.
and industry
There is so much good in the Filipino but so muchr needs to be
6) faith and
changed, too: Many of our strengths as are also sources of
a people
religiosity and
our weaknesses. Shahani's. report explains that family orientation
7) ability to
becomes in-group orientation that prevents us from reaching out
Survive.
beyond the family to the large community and the nation." For the
Filipino, charity begins at home and at the same time ends there.

Values Education in Schools

Senator Shahani's Report was given in 1988. But its findings as
reported may still be true today. If the Department of Education has
to be true to its vision to help develop... "Filipinos who passionately
love their country and whose values and competencies enable them to
realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the
nation and to its core values maka-Diyos, maka-tao, makakalikasan
and makabansa i t is an uphill battle for Philippine schools 10
realize theseconsidering the weaknesses of the Filipino character
1) extreme Jamily centerednesS, 2) extreme personalism, 3) lack
discipline, 4) passivity and lack of initiative, 5) colonial mentali
6) kanya-kanya synarome, talan8Ka mentality, 7) lack
of self-anays
and self-reflection and &) emphasis on porma rather than substance
So that it will not be "more form than substance" described in
as described
Senator Shahani's Repor Philippine schools
have to intensify valu values

education in the curriculum which in essence ation. In

is moral educat
 Chapter l: Understanding Morality and Moral Standards
Lesson 8: The Filipino Character
49
fact, in response to this Report, Values Education now Edukasyon sa
Pagpapakatao in the K to 12 Curriculum was introduced as a separate
subject in the basic education curriculum under the Values Education
Framework program of Dr. Lourdes Quisumbing, then Department of
Education, Culture and Sports Secretary in 1988-1990. The Values
Education Framework was conceptualized in 1987. In 2002, the Basic
Education Curriculum (Grade 1-6, and First-Fourth Year High School)
integrated values in the major learning areas or subjects. Beginning
with the K to 12 Curriculum in 2013, Values Education was renamed
Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP) for Grades 1-10. In the Senior
High Curriculum (Grades 11-12), there is no course with the title,
Values Education or Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao but core courses
such as Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person and To help ever
Personal Development, are in essence Values Education subjects and Filipino child
Moral Education subjects themselves. grow moraly
To help every Filipino child grow morally and ethically, he/she must
and ethicaly,
he/she must
be helped acquire
the strengths of the Filipino character at
the same time, be helped
he/she must be made to realize that his/her acquire the
strengths also become his/her
bsource of weaknesses. strengths of
the Filipino
Other Studies on Filipino Moral Character character. At
the same time,
There had been studies of the
Filipino moral life, the more
of which were those Fr. Jaime Bulatao, Fr. Leonardo Mercado, Fr. popular
he/she must
Francis be made to
Senden, and Fr. Vitaliano Gorospe. Fr. Bulatao's research identified the realize his/
"kami" mentality of Filipinos. In "kami"
(a Filipino term which means her strengths
us) he says, "I identify with my family and which also
to all who are not kami." Fr. relatives... We are opposed
Vitaliano Gorospe, SJ referred to this become his/
of thinking as "group-centeredness" or "group thinking" characterizedway as her source of
follows:
weaknesses.
One norm of morality in the
Philippines is based on "group-
centeredness" or "group-thinking." One's
for the individual what is
in-group determines
right wrong. The individual who
or
has not yet attained moral
independence and maturitywill ask:
"What will my family, or my relatives and
friends, or my barkada
think or say?" "What will others say" usually determines Filipino
moral behavior, "conscience from the outside. "For
it is
parents tell their daughter who is being. courted:
instance,
"Iha, please
entertain your boyfriend at home. Do not
go. outside. What will
the
neighbors say? Nakakahiya naman. "Shame or hiya makes
the parents and the girl conform to the
social
the neighbors lest they become the expectations of
object of tsismis or
gossip.
 50

iere
again there is a conflict between the individual and
social
morality, between internal and external morality. The norm
of
morality should be internalized so that the mature
The norm
Should form his individual
of morality own moral "consciencè from the inside"
should be (Gorospe, 1977)
intemalized
so that the The
"group thinking" cited by Fr. Gorospe is called "sakop
mature by others like Fr.
Leonardo Mercado. (1977) The sakop may refer
mentality
individual person's relatives, peers, classmates, townmates, officemates, etc." to
should thinking or mentality explains the This
form his "pakikisama"
negative sense; it explains the barkada attitude,
in both positive
and
Own moral OI afhrmation euphemism, laughter
the
of gutter language; it
"conscience explains subservience to an illegal or
immoral order. Hence, Dr. Brenda B.
from the Corpuz (1986) observed in her article
published in the St. Louis University Research Jourmal:
inside."
One can estimate the
consequences of this sakop mentality
by imagining how it works in decision making. Since sakop
welfare is the ultimate value, then a lot of principles may be
sacrificed for the sake of it. One can kill and hide the body of
the crime by reason of being part of the sakop. One can tell a
lot of lies for the sake of the sakop. One can pick some vegetable
from his neighbor s backyard and is.. not bothered by a sense of
guilt because one does not steal from a member of the sakop. The
sakop determines for the individual what is right or wrong.

Impact of Culture on Morality

Speaking of the significant impact of culture on the morality of people,

letus think of the Japanese "shame culture." "*Guilt cultures emnha

mpha
punishment and forgiveness as ways or restoring the moral order: shame

cultures stress self-denial and humility as ways Or restoring the social

order" What keeps Japanese from acting contrary to moral standards io th

to shame. At most they would do when put to ch 1s

fear of being put culture" in the Phne
this to the "guilt
hara-kiri, (suicide). Contrast would of course fPpines.
commits an
immoral act, he course feel guilty,
When a Filipino nomilty,
his sin, he may
feel as if he is back to
to thethe normal thing
but after confessing
and can sin again. mob to
that easily resorts
n.

that a society mob

Can it be said to stand up and insis
have the guts what
mentality, where
only a few Filipino bo
ent? Fiipino
of moral
development?
nomes and
conscience dictates,
is in need moral
development nt thes they
something, to
teach the want or
schools have to do

hope to see.
 Chapter I: Understanding Morality and Moral Standards
Lesson 8: The Filipino Character
51

APPLICATION
1. According to the report, one weakness of the Filipino character is lack
analysis and emphasis form (porma). The report states that this lackof
on
of analysis and emphasis on form is reinforced by an educational system
that is more form than substance..
What is meant by an educational
system that is more form than
substance?
Do you agree that the
Philippine educational system is more form
than substance? If yes, why? if not, why not?

2. Teacher observes that when students submit

report, the more ornate and
artistic the folder is, the less substantial the report. Which weakness in
the Filipino character is pointed to? If you were the teacher how do you
counteract such?

3. In line with the government's austerity program, DepEd Order # 2, s.

2019, reiterates the following policies:
a. Graduation rites should be
simple but meaningful to encourage civil
rights, a sense of community, and personal responsibility. While
these, rites mark a milestone in the life of the learners, these should
be conducted without excessive spending, extravagant attire or
extraordinary venue.
b. Moving Up or Completion Ceremonies should be
simple, involving
only the learners, their parents and the school...

Which of the weaknesses of the Filipino does this DepEd Order wish to
help eliminate? Explain.
4. Group A reported in class first while the other groups listened. The other
groups were asked to raise questions and comments. Group B gave a
lot of not-so-good comments and many points for improvement. Group
A concluded Group B is biased against their group. Which Filipino
weakness is revealed? What should be done?
5. Cite instances where 1) extreme family centeredness, 2) lack of
discipline, 3) passivity and lack of initiative, 4) colonial mentality, 5)
kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality, 6) lack of self-analysis and
self-reflection are manifested in Philippine society. When can we say that
Filipino has developed an integrated personality?
6. What is meant by integrated personality? Or what is integrity?
In mathematics, an integer is a whole numbe. Does this help in
understanding the meaning of integrity? When can we say
7. The Taoist principle states: "What I think must be the same as what I say
and what I say must be the same as what I do." What does this principle
mean?
 ETHICS: LIFE AS IT
OUGHT TO BE
52

KEY TAKEAWAYS
h e Filipino has a number of strengths, His/her strengths when they
EOme extreme, however, also become his/her weaknesses.
HIs/her strengths help him/her become ethical and moral but his/her
Weaknesses obstruct his/her moral and ethical
Culture has grow
a
significant impact on morality.
he Filipino group-centeredness and "kami"- mentality make it difficult for
the Filipino to stand up against the group when that is the moral thing to
do.
There is much need for whole to
home, school and society as a help every
Filipino grow into the strong moral person everyone is called to become.
For the Filipino to become the
moral and ethical person, helshe should
capitalize on his/her strengths and eliminate his/her weaknesses.

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

Accomplish this Table.

Filipino trait What is positive What is negative What should be done

about it about it to make it a positive
trait

2.

3.

4.

REFLECTION

Among the weaknesses of the Filipino character which applies to you O u ?

What have you done to

counteract such to become the moral person
are called to
be?
you