By: Marveluz Lansang

Charlotte Pilande and

Dalit Lobrin

Chapter 5 Philippine Values

Values are the expressions of the ultimate ends, goals, or purposes of social action. They are society’s moral imperatives that deal with what ought to be, and are therefore considered desirable and important by the members of society. In contrast to social norms, values are general in nature (Popenoe 1947). Values influence a person’s behavior towards a large class of objects or person’s although they are not related to any specific object, person, or group (Banks and Clegg 1973:445-446).

What are Values ?

“Not only material goods but also ideals and concepts are values, such as truth, honesty and justice. For instance, if truth is a value for us, it commands n us an inner commitment which in turn translates itself into our daily speech and action. Truth is good and desirable: therefore, it influences our attitude and behavior.”

On the other hand, The Southeast Asian Research Advisory Group (1987:9) defined vaues as standards and principles for judging what is correct or incorrect behavior, what is worth attaining or not attaining, what is desirable or undesirable.

These values may be terminal (end state) or instrumental (mode of behavior).

Human Behavioris judge by the standards of good and bad.

Values cannot be readily identified since they are abstractions from reality. One has to deduce these values from social action.

The study of Values

To identify the values operative in a given society, one may apply the four-fold test of Robin Williams(1970:448).

Extensiveness- when the value is recognized by a representative number of people within the society.Duration- when the value has been shared and practiced in common for some time;Intensity- when the value involves the emotions and is taken seriously and sought after by many; and Prestige of its carrier- when the value provides ready-made means for judging social worth of persons or groups who share or practice it.

The Filipinos of the last quarter of the 20th century are the sum total of the social strains and cultural elements that are Aeta, Indonesian, Malaysian, Hindu, Arabian, Chinese, Spanish, Americans; in short, the Filipinos are cosmopolitan in nature. They are both oriental and occidental.

From the early trade and commerce and intermarriages between our Filipino ancestors and Chinese and Hindu merchants, as well as the wave of settlements of other Asian neighbors into the country, the oriental side of the Filipino has evolved. Interpersonal and social relationships revolve around “blood ties”, marriage, and ritual kinship.

The Forces That Shape Contemporary Values

Spanish and American culture compose the Filipino’s occidentalism . Spain introduced Roman Catholicism, the encomienda, galleon trade, fiesta, parochial school, municipal building, village plaza and compadre system. Spain emphasize the spiritual aspects of life and the preparation for life after death. This has set the foundation for the contemporary Filipino attitude towards devorce, birth control legislation, fiesta and ceremony, gambling along with involvement in charitable activities and the faithful attendance of mass (anis 1964:20).

The compadre system initiated the Filipino into the practice of extended families and this has serve to strengthen the notorious practice of nepotism and favoritism in the social spheres. On the other hand, oppressive policies of the Spanish colonizers, such as forced labor to build their ships and churches, developed in the Filipino a hatred for manual labor.

The Americanization of the Filipino consisted mainly of the introduction of democratic system of government. The Americans also popularized education as the most essential channel for social mobility and introduced the English language as the medium of instruction in the school system which they established in the Philippines. The Americans further infused new ideals pertaining to the family, economy, government, education, religion, recreation, and health and welfare. Finally, the Americans also introduced into the Filipino way of life the values of materialism and consumerism.

In recent years, the Filipino has been exposed to a wide variety of and often conflicting cultural elements from mass education, mass media, educational, exchange programs, economic and diplomatic exchange missions, religious pilgrimages and missionary work, socio-economic developmental programs, multinational business and industrial establishments, increased overseas employment and the balikbayan program.

The program draws inspiration from the 1986 EDSA Revolution and the 1987 Philippines Constitution with its vision of “a just and humane society” calling for a shared culture and commonly held values, such as “truth, justice, freedom, love, equality and peace”.

In all these situations, Filipino have displayed remarkable adaptability, resulting in a “many-sided” cultural heritage, for whatever elements in Filipino culture were borrowed had been “Filipinized” and in the process had become distinctly Filipino(Corpuz 1965:5-6) it has also resulted in a dichotomous outlook-oriental and occidental. They are pulled in a opposite directions by non-rationalism and rationalism, by personalism and impersonalism, by particularism and universalism, by nationalism and internationalism.

The philosophy of life implied in non-rationalism revolves around the idea that man has to adapt himself to nature and to forces outside of himself. Non-rationalism involves an uncritical acceptance, reverence, and protection of traditions and rituals.

Rationalism, involves a belief that by systematic planning, studying, and training, one can actively control and manipulate his or her destiny. The rational person is future-oriented rather than present or past-oriented. His or her thoughts and actions are characteristically scientific-oriented, continuously guided by curiosity, observation and experimentation. He or she gives high priority to self-expression and creativity over group conformity and security.

Non-rationalism-Rationalism

Filipinos have been influenced by western rationalism, although they are still fundamentally non-rational. They still view the world as one over which they have little or no control; success or failure is largely dependent upon supernatural being or spirits. This is revealed in the expression “bahala na.” Filipinos often say this expression when about to perform a particular task which may be difficult to accomplish, given a certain set of circumstances. However, the “bahala na” expression also underlies the Filipinos’ determination, courage, fortitude, and willingness to face danger. It is the reason for their readiness to accept and bear the consequences of difficulties in life-the source of their patience or tiyaga. The Filipino’s “bahala na” mentality has led to a lack of foresight, contentment with the past, indolence, and a lack of initiative, self-reliance or pioneering spirit.

They are regarded as segurista that is, they demand a demonstration of assured success. They are imitative(gaya-gaya) and such imitativeness gives rise to what Alfredo Roces(1964:4) identified as emphasis in façade, palabas, pakitang-tao, pagyayabang. The “bahala na” mentality has also led to lack of punctuality, vulnerability to awa, dependence on the espiritista, the mangkukulam or witch.

Other Filipino expressions of this orientalism are found in phrases such as “itinalagang Diyos,” “iginuhit ng tadhana,” “gulong ng palad”(life has its ups and downs, or life is like a wheel of fortune), “malas”(badluck), and “napasubo”(forced into something).

Filipino’s are also inclined to status-oriented behavior, hiya(shame), utang na loob(debt of gratitude), amor propio(self-steem), and SIR identified by Fr. Lynch(1962:82-89) as the desire for smooth interpersonal relations.

Felipe Landa Jocano(1965:32-56) and Robert Fox(1956) reveal that child-rearing practices emphasize obedienceto elders.Fr. Bulatao(1962:32-44) also states that the Filipino is authoritarian, even dictatorial, when given power and makes known to everyone the fact that he is boss. Ruben Santos Cuyugan(1961:9-13) points to the predominance of paternalism in formal organizations.

Filipinos are also shame-oriented, that is, their major concern is social approval, acceptance by a group, and belonging to a group. Their behavior is generally dependent on what others will think, say or do. Hiya still controls much of the Filipino’s behavior.

Amor propio is high self-esteem and is shown in the sensitivity of a person to hurt feelings and insults, real or imagined. This manifested in hiya, utang na loob, and SIR.

Persons resort to SIR patterns, such as the use of polite language, soft voice, gentle manner, and indirect approaches like employing intermediaries, and euphemisms and ambiguous expressions, all of which are intended to avoid directness or frankness. Pakikisama is good public relations or the avoidance of open disagreement or conflict with others. Utang na loob refers to a debt of gratitude for a favor or help extended to a person which is impossible to quantity.

Forms of amor propio are behavior patterns such as hele-hele bago quire or pakipot, which requires that a person initially refuse an offer even if he or she is subjected to more prodding and; delicadesa, which means conformity with the ethical practices or expectations of the group.

Fr. Bulatao(1962:32-44) also believes that the training in the Filipino female. This results in a double standard of morality and the consensus that a woman’s principal duty is attending to the home.

Personalism attaches major importance to personal factor which guaranties intimacy, warmth and security of kinship, and friendship in getting things done.

Impersonalism refers to the tendency to eliminate the influence of friendship or kinship in working situations. Behavior is depersonalized, standarized, or institutionalized.

Santos Cuyugan(1961:124-125) says that many Filipinos are still personalistic in spite of the rise of impersonalism in the urban areas. This is evident in the frequent charges of nepotism, favoritism, and particularism hurled against people in government.

Personalism and Impersonalism

Fr. Bulatao has observed the deterring effect of personalism on the economic, social, and political growth of Philippine society. He believes that the Filipino way of doing things is centered too much in personalities. Filipinos persist in settling matters in a roundabout way. They resort to pakiusap, areglo, and lakad which weakens the merit system in employment.

Where a person’s concern is centered on sub-groups made up of relatives, friends, colleagues, associates, religious affiliates or members of his or her ethnic regional group in the larger society to which he or she belongs, that individual is particularistic. When one’s main concern is the advancement of collective or national good, he or she is universalistic.

Particularism-Universalism

Nationalism is the advocacy of making ones’ own nation distinct and separate from others in intellectual, social, cultural, economic, political, and moral matters. It is the feeling of oneness among the nationals who seek to establish the identity and the good of the nation in these matters. Nationalism is a philosophy or a doctrine of what a country is, what its goals are, and how it is to achieve these goals.

Nationalism can be a factor for either evil or good. If carried to its extreme, it may take the form of ethnocentrism, or racism, or of xenophobia. As a sentiment, nationalism has either strongly swept nor deeply penetrated the entire nation. In fact, as some observers say, the Philippines

suffers from “national amnesia” and “colonial mentality”. Filipinos have a strong preference for imported goods and easily adapt themselves to foreign ideas and ways.

Filipino Nationalism

Awareness and understanding of contemporary values in society will put us in a better position to determine what we gain or lose in a predominantly Gemeinschaft society characterized by intimate, informal, reciprocal, and war social and interpersonal relations stemming fro non-rationalism, personalism, and particularism, or in a predominantly Gesselschaft society characterized by anonymity, formality, contractualism, and coldness arising from rationalism, impersonalism, and universalism.

In 1986, the department of Education, Culture and Sports embarked on a Values Education Framework to provide and promote values education at all levels of the educational system. Its goal is the development of the human person committed to the building of a “just a humane society” and an independent and democratic nation.

The DECS Values Education Framework

Proper implementation of the program that will develop Filipinos who: 1. are self-actualized, integrally developed human beings imbued with a sense of human dignity;2. are social beings with a sense of responsibility for their community and environment;3. are productive persons who contribute to the economic security and development of the family and the nation;4. as citizens, have a deep sense of nationalism, and are committed to the progress of the nation as well as of the entire world community through global solidarity; and 5. Manifest in actual life an abiding faith in God as a reflection of his or her spiritual being.

Values education, pursued at the national, regional, local, and institution levels, are guided by the ff. general principles: 1. it must be oriented toward the total person of the learner-mind, heart and entire being. 2. it must take into consideration the unique role of the family in one’s personal development and integration into society and the nation. 3. in the school context, more important than lessons plans and listed values are the teachers themselves who have the proper sense of values, awareness of their inner worth, and utmost respect for the person of the other.

The DECS framework should be of help in these task. The DECS framework ay also serve as a frame of reference in the reformation and revision of operative Filipino values. For instance, against the background of the framework, pakikisama should be seen as something to be prized. Similarly, utang na loob, should have wider application in society, so that it can propel other values such as concern for the common good and social justice.Philosophy of the Values Education ProgramThe Human Person

The Values Education Program Framework is based on rational under-standing, that is to say, a philosophy of the human person. It may be reconstructed from the various statements of the Constitution and expressed in the following manner.

The human person is the subject of education. The human person is multi-dimensional. The human person is not just body and soul juxtaposed or mixed like oil and water but is an embodied spirit. Hence, his of her physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual well-being is recognized by the State. As a physical being, the human being has material needs. The human person is inevitably social. He or she belongs to a family, that basic unit of society or, in the words of the Constitution, “the foundation of the nation”, as well as to a wider and more complex society of men and women. He or she is also economic. Lastly, the human being is political.

On the basis of the foregoing philosophy of the human person, the supreme and overarching value that characterizes education is human dignity: the human person is of infinite value.As physical(made of matter),As spiritual(capable of higher concerns and of rising above the material)As intellectual(gifted with mind, the faculty of knowing)As moral(endowed with the faculty of freely choosing and loving)

Core Values

The following are values pertaining to the person as self. These values are actualized in society.1.Health2.Truth3.Love4.Spirituality5.Social responsibility6.Economic efficiency7.Nationalism8.Global solidarity

As a social being(living in a community)As economic(bound to concerns of livelihood)As political(member of the nation)

1. Health implies physical fitness and cleanliness.2. Truth implies the tireless quest for knowledge in

all its forms.3. The moral nature of the human being places

primacy in the value of love.4. Human existence5. Social responsibility6. Economic efficiency is achieved by people

through work.7. The spirit of nationalism and patriotism means

love of country. Its people has a distinct political unit bound by a common history(the past), committed to a common cause(the present), and sharing a common destiny(the future).

Related Values

Translating the Values Education Framework into Programs

The foregoing values education framework provides the parameters for the development of programs at the national, regional, division, district, and school levels. Some guidelines at the policy and implementation levels are offered here:1. Establish school-community linkages and

networks.2. Maximize the use of community, human, and

material resources.3. Consolidate efforts of both government and

non-government agencies and institutions for the purpose of minimizing costs and maximizing results.

Strategies and Approaches

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