Philippines - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. Kwintessential.

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/gloal-etiquette/philippines-countr!-
pro"ile.html #accessed on $ %o&emer '(()*
+,lternati&e Concepts and -ther .alues o" the /ilipinos. Li&inginthephilippines.
http://www.li&inginthephilippines.com/philculture/alternati&e.html #accessed $ %o&emer
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0uito, Emerito 1. +2he ,mi&alence o" /ilipino 2raits and .alues. Cultural 3eritage
and Contemporar! Change. http://www.cr&p.org/ook/1eries(4/555-)/chapter6&.htm
#accessed 78 %o&emer '(()*
9orospe, .italiano :., 1.;. +<nderstanding the /ilipino .alue 1!stem.
http://www.cr&p.org/ook/1eries(4/555-)/chapter6&i.htm #accessed 78 %o&emer '(()*
CHAPTER VI
UNDERSTANDING THE FILIPINO
VALUE SYSTEM
VITALIANO R. GOROSPE, S.J.
1ince the /eruar! 7=>$ :e&olution
#7*
, &alues de&elopment has een one ma?or concern
o" the @epartment o" Education, Culture and 1ports #@EC1*. <ndersecretar! Ainda
1utaria has puliciBed the second dra"t o" the @EC1 -&erall .alues /ramework, designed
to assist teachers at all le&els. 2his latest dra"t, asicall! similar to that proposed ! /r.
:aul Conoan, 1.;. in DPaideia, 3umanism, and Aagpakatao: .alues "or %ational
:econstruction,D
#'*
ases its "ramework on the pro&isions o" the Philippine Constitution o"
7=>$.
5" we are to disco&er our traditional &alues and make sure that the! contriute to the D?ust
and humane societ!D and Dtotal human lieration and de&elopmentD o" which the
Philippine Constitution speaks, we must ask some asic questions.
7* Ehat is the philosophical asis o" /ilipino &aluesF
'* Ehat is distincti&e aout the /ilipino &alue s!stemF
VALUE PHILOSOPHY
, rie" introduction to the philosoph! o" human &alues is necessar! "or an understanding
o" /ilipino &alues and &alues education. , /ilipino eGperiences "amil! closeness and
solidarit! #pagpapahalaga sa pamilya*, politeness #use o" po or ho*, hospitalit! #tuloy po
kayo*, gratitude #utang na loob* "rom DwithinD, that is, su?ecti&el! and emotionall!,
unlike a non-/ilipino oser&er, social scientist, or ps!chologist who studies /ilipino
&alues o?ecti&el! "rom DwithoutD or D"rom a distanceD. 1uch /ilipino &alues as social
acceptance, #pakikisama, amo popio, economic securit!, pagmamay!ai*, and trust in
9od #paniniwala sa @i!os, bathala or "aykapal* "ind their philosophical asis in manHs
d!namic openness toward nature and the world #e.g., the &alue o" hanap!buhay ng
magsasaka*, oneHs "ellowmen #the &alues o" paggalang, hiya, kataungan, pag!ibig*, and
9od #the &alues o" pananampalataya, pananalangin, kabanalan*.
2his d!namic openness o" man is an openness to the possiilities o" the "uture. 2hat is
wh! &alues are something to e realiBed. 2ake the &alue o" peace. 2he Philippine
situation is now characteriBed ! insurgenc!I con"lict etween the %P,, the A%L/ and
the ,/PI &igilante groupsI hostilit! and di&ision--in short, an asence o" national peace
and order. 3uman &alues are not merel! pri&ate. ,ll &alues ha&e a social aspect. 2he
go&ernment o""icial who demands posiy#nto, the "ireman or policeman who eGtorts tong
or lagay "or a ser&ice which is his dut!, all contriute to the worsening gra"t and
corruption. Ee are all responsile "or one another #tayong lahat ay may pananagutan sa
isa$t!isa*.
.alues are oth su?ecti&e and o?ecti&e. 2he! in&ol&e a su?ect or person who &alues
#e.g., a !oung girl* and an o?ect or &alue to e realiBed #e.g., pagkamahinhin*. ;ustice is
o?ecti&e ecause it is a &alue that should e realiBed ! all. 5t also ecomes su?ecti&e i"
?ustice ecomes a &alue "or me. 2here is an o?ecti&e di""erence etween &alue and
dis&alue, pleasure and pain, li"e and death, po&ert! and a""luence, heroism and cowardice,
truth and error, right and wrong, holiness and sin"ulness. 2he di""erence is not onl! in the
mind or a matter o" personal taste or pre"erence. E&en i" 5 close m! e!es to the ugl!
po&ert! around me, the poor will not disappear.
.alues are not o?ecti&e in the sense that the! are "ound in some static hea&en: the! are
relational and emodied in person-&alue-t!pes #ideal moral persons*. /or eGample, to a
tipong!mukhang kuata Jan a&aricious lookK pro"it is more important than ser&iceI to a
tipong!politiko Jpolitical t!peK, p#a Jmone!K, popagan%a, politika JpoliticsK are more
&aluale than honest!I tipong siy#ntipiko Jscientist t!peK or tipong!atista Jactor t!peK
personi"! agham JscienceK and sining JartKI tipong ma%asalin Jpious t!peK ma! eGempli"!
kabanalan #piet!*. Cor! ,quino emodied all that we wanted our President to e--
credile, honest, ?ust, with a strong "aith in 9od and in our people. 2he ideal t!pe or
/ilipino model during the Dparliament o" the streetsD was the tipong!maka!&iyos
#religions*, makatao #people-oriented*, makabayan #nationalistic*.
2he heroes o" E@1, placed the good o" the /ilipino people e"ore the sa"et! and securit!
o" their "amilies. 2he! were willing to risk their li&es "or 9od and people. .alue-ranking
or the priorit! o" &alues is not merel! aritrar! or su?ecti&e. 2here is an o?ecti&e
ranking o" &alues ased on eGistence or realit! and other o?ecti&e criteria. <sing
the criteria o" permanence, ailit! to e shared, and depth o" satis"action, AaG 1cheler
ranked human &alues "rom the lowest to the highest as "ollows:
#4*
sense &alues like
sensual pleasure are eGempli"ied ! the lakuats#o or pablingI utilitaian &alues like
pro"it and e""icienc! ! the usinessman and technocratI li"e &alues, ! the doctor and the
hero, e.g., @r. Co! de la PaB and Emilio ;acintoI cultural &alues, ! the genius and the
artist, e.g., ;ose :iBal and /rancisco CalagtasI religious &alues, ! the saint, e.g., Aother
2eresa or LorenBo :uiB. "oal and #ligious &alues are pre-eminent and claim the highest
priorit! in the o?ecti&e scale o" &alues ecause the! are asolutel! necessar! in order to
ecome "ull! human #magpakatao*.
FILIPINO VALUES: NATURE, CONSTELLATION
AND CONTEXT
Ehat are /ilipino &aluesF Ehat is distinctl! /ilipino in our &alue s!stemF 2he /ilipino
&alue s!stem arises "rom our culture or wa! o" li"e, our distincti&e wa! o" ecoming
human in this particular place and time. Ee speak o" /ilipino &alues in a "our"old sense.
/irst, although mankind shares uni&ersal human &alues, it is o&ious that certain &alues
take on "or us a distincti&el! /ilipino "la&or. 2he 9reek ideal o" moderation or m#%#n
agan, the :oman in m#%io stat 'itus, the Con"ucian and Cuddhist Ddoctrine o" the
AiddleD, "ind their /ilipino equi&alent in hin%i labis, hin%i kulang, katamtaman lamang.
1econdl!, when we speak o" /ilipino &alues, we do not mean that elements o" these
/ilipino &alues are asent in the &alue s!stems o" other peoples and cultures. ,ll people
eat, talk and sing, ut the! eat di""erent "oods, speak &arious languages and sing di""erent
songs. 2hus, we easil! recogniBe /ilipino, ,merican, Chinese, ;apanese or an! other
"oreign "ood, language or music. 2he di""erence lies in the wa! these elements are ranked,
comined or emphasiBed so that the! take on a distincti&el! /ilipino slant or cast. /or
instance, in China, honest! and hard work ma! rank highestI Chinese and ;apanese
cultures gi&e great &alue to politeness and eaut!I ,merican culture to promptness and
e""icienc!I and /ilipino culture to trust in 9od and "amil! centeredness. 5n this sense o"
&alue-ranking and priorit! o" &alues, we can speak o" dominant /ilipino &alues.
2hirdl!, uni&ersal human &alues in a /ilipino conteGt #historical, cultural, socio-
economic, political, moral and religious* take on a distincti&e set o" /ilipino meanings
and moti&ations. 2his is true not onl! o" the aims and goals, elie"s, con&ictions, and
social principles o" the traditional &alue s!stem o" the lowland rural "amil!
#8*
ut also
o" what /r. 3oracio de la Costa, 1.;. calls the /ilipino DnationalisticD tradition
#pagsasaili, pagkakaisa, pakikisama, pakikipagkap(a!tao, and pagkabayani.
#L*

, /ilipino &alue or dis&alue does not eGist alone, in isolation or in a &acuum. /ilipino
&alues like bahala na, utang na loob, hiya, pakikisama, pakiusap are clustered around
core &alues like social acceptance, economic securit!, social moilit!, and are alwa!s
"ound in a de"inite conteGt or set o" circumstances. Coth positi&e &alues and negati&e
dis&alues together "orm a characteristic constellation in school #aalan at %asalan
Jstud!ing and pra!ingK, ku(#ntuhan at lauan Jstor! telling and gameK, inggitan at
tsismisan Jen&!ing and gossipingK*, which di""ers "rom the con"iguration "ound in
go&ernment o""ices #pagkakaisa Junit!K , pagkabayani JheroismK, intiga JintrigueK,
palakasan Jshow o" powerK, sipsipan Jrier!K, palusot*, in usiness "irms #palaba %#
hono Jword o" honorK, %#li)a%#*a J"inesseK, D)ommissionD, Dki)kba)kD, pa%ulas Jgrease
mone!K, lagay JrieK*, or in the arrio aranga!s #paggalang JhonoringK,
pag%a%amayan Jcom"ortingK, bayanihan JcooperationK, bahala na Jcome what ma!K,
utang na loob Jgrate"ulnessK, hiyaJshameK/pakiusapJappearK, palakasan Jshow o"
powerK*. 2o change a "ramework o" &alues, it ma! e necessar! to change the
constellation and conteGt o" those negati&e &alues that hinder /ilipino and Christian
de&elopment.
/ourthl!, we can speak o" /ilipino &alues in the sense that the historical consciousness o"
&alues has e&ol&ed among our people. 2he /ilipino concept o" ?ustice has e&ol&ed "rom
inequalit! to equalit!, and to human dignit!I "rom the trie, to the "amil!, and to the
nation
#$*
. /ilipino consciousness o" these di""erent &alues &aries at di""erent periods o" our
histor!. 5t is onl! in the last two decades that the /ilipino people ha&e ecome more
conscious o" o&erpopulation and "amil! planning, en&ironmental pollution #Kawasaki
sintering plant* and wildli"e conser&ation #Calauit 5sland*, and the &iolation o" human
rights #Aartial Law*, acti&e non-&iolence and People Power #7=>$ non-&iolent
:e&olution*.
FILIPINO VALUES: AMBIVALENCE AND
SPLIT-LEVEL CHRISTIANITY
,re /ilipino &alues good or adF 2he truth is that /ilipino &alues are ami&alent in the
sense that the! are a potential "or good or e&il, a help or hindrance to personal and
national de&elopment, depending on how the! are understood, practiced or li&ed. 2he!
can e used in a good or e&il conteGt, e.g., pakikisama sa kabuktutan or sa
kaunlaan. /ilipino &alues ha&e oth positi&e and negati&e aspects depending on the
conteGt in which the! are "ound. 5n a social s!stem or atmosphere o" eGtreme insecurit!,
the positi&e qualities o" the /ilipino take on negati&e and ugl! appearances. /or eGample,
utang na loob can lead to pakiusap, nepotism and Dcron!ismD. Pagmamay!ai ng
kapangyaihan #the possession o" power* and their ause could lead to class
distinction or the Dmalakas!mahina s!stemD. +iya can ecome pakitang tao or gaya!
gayaI machismo #tunay na lalak#* is partl! responsile "or the D,u#i%a s!stemD and the
%obl# kaa moralit!.
2o show the ami&alence o" /ilipino &alues, one eGample will su""ice. 2ake the well
known ut ami&alent /ilipino bahala na mentalit!. -n the one hand, this /ilipino
attitude could e the root o" the positi&e &alue o" risk taking, entrepreneurship, and social
responsiilit!. Pro". ;ose de Aesa, in a pioneer ook on the /ilipino and Christian
meaning o" bahala na, stresses the positi&e meaning o" this &irtue o" risk-
taking, enterprise and ?oint trust in oth human e""ort #bahala tayong lahat* and di&ine
Pro&idence #bahala ang "aykapal*
#)*
. , peopleHs will to take chances and risks, no matter
what di""iculties and prolems the "uture entails, is necessar! "or a nationHs growth and
destin!. -ahala na could e a genuine "aith and trust in @i&ine Pro&idence that also
presupposes a sel"-reliance #pagsasaili* that took the "orm o" People Power in the E@1,
re&olution. -ahala na was a positi&e and nationalistic &irtue "or ;ose :iBal, who elie&ed
that /ilipinos could no longer rel! on the 1paniards, ut onl! on themsel&es and on 9od.
-n the other hand, in the past the negati&e aspect o" bahala
na which dominated /ilipino li"e meant a "alse sense o" resignation #ganyan lang ang
buhay*, a superstitious elie" or lind "aith #malas.su(#t#, ta%hana, kapalaan*, or
escape "rom decision-making and social responsiilit!. ,s such it ma! e the root cause
o" national apath! #(alang pakialam* and collecti&e paral!sis o" action #bakit pa kikilos*
to sol&e oth local and national prolems. E&er!thing is alread! predetermined or "ated.
%egati&el!, bahala na could engender a "alse sense o" securit! with 9od as insurance or a
securit! lanket. /or eGample, i" 9od wants /ilipino "amilies to ha&e plent! o" children
#anak ay kayamanan*, 9od will take care o" e&er!thing. -ahala na could e the cause o"
the asence o" national initiati&e and o" that discipline required "or national growth.
Ehen negati&e bahala na pre&ails, nothing e&er gets done. Potholed roads, uncollected
garage, countless unsol&ed murders, carnaping and smuggling remain !ear a"ter !ear.
3ow man! ha&e e&er een arrested, con&icted or ?ailed "or wanton murder or "or
notorious gra"t and corruptionF , sense o" national "rustration, helplessness, and despair
grips the nation and the people no longer care. %othing is going to happen---ahala na,
come what ma!.
/rom a /ilipino perspecti&e, what social re"orms are necessar! to trans"orm bahala na
positi&el!F %o societ! will long endure unless there is ?usticeI that is, unless a s!stem o"
reward and punishment eGists and is e""ecti&e. 5" in Philippine societ! l!ing and stealing
peopleHs mone! are rewarded and truth"ulness and honest! are punished, what else can
one eGpect ut a adl! roken political will "or national re"ormF 2he present go&ernment
should there"ore prioritiBe an e""ecti&e s!stem o" uni&ersal sanctions "or those who hold
power. /rom a Christian perspecti&e, the Christian doctrines o" di&ine Pro&idence,
creation, stewardship o" land and propert!, and the conser&ation o" our natural resources
remain the challenge and task o" parents, educators, and Christian e&angeliBers.
1plit-le&el Christianit! or doule-standard moralit!, the immoralit! and h!pocris! o"
man! so-called /ilipino Christians, is a scandal to oth Christians and non-Christians
alike.
#>*
5t is important to distinguish etween pseudo Christianit! in all its &aried "orms
and authentic Christianit!I etween ad and good Christians. Ee must also take into
account the amiguit! o" an! religious commitment, which is not something made once
and "or all, ut a li"e-long process which demands constant con&ersion and renewal. Ee
must also distinguish etween /ilipino actual and normati&e eha&iour #etween what is
and what ought to e*. /ilipino &alues are not static, i.e., the! are not simpl! what the!
are, ut d!namic, i.e., the! ecome. /rom a historical perspecti&e, the question to ask
aout /ilipino &alues is: Ganito kami noon/ paano kayo ngayonF 3ow are we to know
towards what goal or direction /ilipino &alues ought to mo&e or ecomeF
%ow that we ha&e regained our democratic "orm o" go&ernment once again and ha&e
arri&ed at a pri&ileged historical kaios, how do we trans"orm /ilipino &alues to uild a
more D?ust and humane societ!D #Preamle, 7=>) Constitution*F Ee need oth eGternal
structural and internal cultural change. 5t is here that the Christian "aith should, in the last
anal!sis, point the wa! to the kind o" &alues education needed "or national reconstruction.
At#n#o %# "anila 0ni'#sity
"anila
CHAPTER V
THE AMBIVALENCE OF FILIPINO
TRAITS AND VALUES
E"ERITA S. 10ITO
Auch has een said aout so-called negati&e /ilipino traits. 2he! ha&e een lamed "or
the weak character o" the /ilipinoI the! are the culprits, the scapegoat o" our "ailures, or
at least, the eGplanation "or lagging ehind more success"ul ,sian neighors.
5 propose to take a second look at these so-called negati&es in the /ilipino ps!che to
determine whether there might e a positi&e aspect, a sa&ing "ace, a sil&er lining ehind
the dark clouds. 5n attempting to see an ami&alence in our traits, 5 will use oriental
!ardsticks to measure success or "ailure "or it would e un"air to use Eestern standards to
e&aluate our /ilipino traits. /or eGample, is a materiall! com"ortale li"e with
ph!siological ailments more success"ul than a materiall! depri&ed li"e without ph!sical
ailmentsF 5s the image o" ;uan 2amad waiting "or a gua&a to "all such a reprehensile, i"
not scandalous, pictureF 5s the similar image o" 1ir 5saac %ewton, also resting under a
tree, more re"reshingF
5t is &er! /ilipino to stress our minus points, to "ind "ault in our eha&ior, to compare us
un"a&oral! with Eesterners ! using Eestern standards. 5t is common to hear such
names as Certong Cukol, or 5peng Pila! or 3useng %gongo. 5t seems that we take
pleasure in underscoring our weaknesses, "aults, de"ects, etc. -ur standards are smallness,
a&erageness, mediocrit!I grandeur or grandness is not in the /ilipino &ocaular!. 2he
Eest, in contrast, e&okes: ,leGander the 9reat, ;ulius Caesar, @er /Mhrer, 5l @uce, El
Caudillo, EliBaeth :egina. Ee seem to en?o! eing humle and meek, or what /riedrich
%ietBsche called Dthe moralit! o" sla&es.D
2here is something strange in the &er! wa! we look upon success. , person is not
supposed to eGert e""ort at the eGpense o" sanit!. Ee ridicule a person who teaches
himsel" how to think and lael him 2asio, the philosopher. Ee warn persons not to learn
too much lest the! e like ;ose :iBal who was eGecuted at the Luneta in 7>=$.
,sserti&eness is "rowned upon ecause it smacks o" pride and ruthlessness. 1uccess to the
/ilipino, must come naturall!I it should not e induced or arti"iciall! contri&ed. -ne
should not e success"ul at an earl! age ecause that would mean eGertion and hard work.
1uccess must come &er! late in li"e, i" it is to come at all.
/ilipino traits must e understood in the ao&e conteGt. 3ence, the! are considered
negati&e onl! according to other !ardsticks.
2he "ollowing /ilipino traits show an ami&alence o" positi&e and negati&e aspects.
+iya #shame*
%egati&e, ecause it arrests or inhiits oneHs action. 2his trait reduces one to smallness or
to what %ietBsche calls the Dmoralit! o" sla&esD, thus congealing the soul o" the /ilipino
and emasculating him, making him timid, meek and weak.
Positi&e, ecause, it contriutes to peace o" mind and lack o" stress ! not e&en tr!ing to
achie&e.
Ningas!)ogon #procrastination*
%egati&e, ! all standards, ecause it egins ardentl! and dies down as soon as it egins.
2his trait renders one inacti&e and unale to initiate things or to perse&ere.
Positi&e, in a wa!, ecause it makes a person non-chalant, detached, indi""erent,
nonplussed should an!thing go wrong, and hence conduci&e to peace and tranquillit!.
Pakikisama #group lo!alt!*
%egati&e, ecause one closes oneHs e!es to e&ils like gra"t and corruption in order to
conser&e peace and harmon! in a group at the eGpense o" oneHs com"ort.
Positi&e, ecause one li&es "or othersI peace or lack o" dissension is a constant goal.
Patigasan #test o" strength*
%egati&e, ecause it is stuorn and resists all e""orts at reconciliation. 2he trait makes us
childish, &indicti&e, irresponsile, irrational. ,ctions resulting "rom this trait are lea&ing
the phone o"" the hook to get e&en with oneHs part! lineI stopping the engine o" the car to
pro&e that one has the right o" wa!I standing oneHs ground until the opposite part! loses
its patience.
Positi&e, ecause it is assign that we know our rights and are not easil! cowed into
sumission. 5t is occidental in spirit, hence in keeping with %ietBscheHs Dwill to power.D
-ahala na #resignation*
%egati&e, ecause one lea&es e&er!thing to chance under the preteGt o" trusting in @i&ine
pro&idence. 2his trait is reall! laBiness disguised in religious gar.
Positi&e, ecause one relies on a superior power rather than on oneHs own. 5t is conduci&e
to humilit!, modest!, and lack o" arrogance.
2asi #ecause, i. e., scapegoat*
%egati&e, ecause one disowns responsiilit! and makes a scapegoat out o" someone or
something. -ne is ne&er to lameI one remains lil! white and has a read! alii "or "ailure.
Positi&e, ecause one can see oth sides o" the picture and know eGactl! where a pro?ect
"ailed. -ne will ne&er su""er "rom guilt or sel"-recrimination.
Sa'ing 3a)#
%egati&e, ecause, eing closel! related to hiya and kasi, it enales a person to shirk
responsiilit!. -ne is ne&er accountale "or an!thing.
Positi&e, ecause oneHs ps!che is sa&ed "rom undue emarrassment, sleepless nights,
remorse o" conscience. 5t sa&es one "rom accountailit! or responsiilit!. 2his trait
enales one to make a grace"ul eGit "rom guilt instead o" "acing the music and owning
responsiilit! "or an o""ense.
Sakop #inclusion*
%egati&e, ecause one ne&er learns to e on oneHs own ut relies on oneHs "amil! and
relati&es. 2his trait stunts growth and pre&ents a person "rom growing on oneHs own.
9enerating a li"e o" parasitism, this trait is &er! non-eGistential. Claring music, loud tones
are a result o" this mentalit!. Ee wrongl! think that all people like the music we pla! or
the stories we tell. 2his mentalit! also makes us consider the world as one &ast com"ort
room.
Positi&e, ecause one cares "or the "amil! and clanI one stands or "alls with them. 2his
trait makes a person show concern "or the "amil! to which he elongs.
"a4ana or D-ukas naD #procrastination*
%egati&e, ecause one constantl! postpones action and accomplishes nothing. 2his
aggra&ates a situation, a prolem grows e!ond correction, a leak or a small reak
ecomes a gaping hole. 2his arises "rom an indolent mentalit! that a prolem will go
awa! ! itsel".
Positi&e, ecause one is without stress and tensionI one learns to take what comes
naturall!. Like the Chinese (u!(#i, this trait makes one li&e naturall! and without undue
arti"icialit!.
0tang na loob #indetedness*
%egati&e, ecause one o&erlooks moral principles when one is indeted to a person. -ne
who is eholden to another person will do an!thing to please him, thinking that ! doing
so he is ale to repa! a det. -ne condones what the other person does and will ne&er
censure him "or wrongdoing.
Positi&e, ecause it is a recognition o" oneHs indetedness. 2his trait portra!s the spirit
ehind the /ilipino sa!ing, D3e who does not know how to look to the past will ne&er
reach his destination.D
2anya!kanya #sel"-centeredness*
%egati&e, ecause sel"-centeredI one has no regard "or others. 1o long as m! "amil! and 5
are not in need, 5 do not care aout he world. Positi&e, ecause one takes care o" onesel"
and oneHs "amil!: DClood is thicker than water.D
,t the end o" our eGposN o" the positi&e and negati&e aspects o" the /ilipino ps!che, one
asks the question: Ehat a"ter all, is its ideal o" personalit!, acti&it! and achie&ementF
:egarding personalit!, i" the ideal is a personalit! without stress and tension, then
/ilipino traits contriute to this. 2he contention is that success necessaril! means
h!pertension, ulcers and sleepless nights. Could there eGist a state o" success without
these ph!sical aerrationsF
:egarding acti&it!, i" the idea is that one should engage in a whirlpool o" acti&it! or i" the
work ethic is workaholism, then the /ilipino indeed is in &er! poor estate. Cut is this not
more o" the -ccidental or Eestern concept o" acti&it!F 5n contrast, the -riental
emphasiBes con"ormit! with natureI hence, one should ne&er eGaggerate or o&eract.
:egarding achie&ement, i" the ideal is that one must achie&e an earthl! goal, then the
/ilipino, as a race, will occup! a low rank. Cut again, is this ideal not more -ccidental or
Eestern, according to which one must alwa!s set a goal and accomplish itF 1etting a goal
is not wrong in an! culture, ut the manner o" achie&ing it which can e questionale.
@oes one ha&e to eGpend oneHs total energ! in the pursuit o" an ideal which, a"ter all, is a
personal, earthl! goalF
5" "or the /ilipino smallness, meekness, and humilit! are ideals, could it not e that he is
not this-worldl!F Could he not perhaps e aiming, consciousl! or otherwise, at the li"e in
the herea"ter where the last will e the "irst, the weak will e strong, and the small will e
greatF
&# La Sall# 0ni'#sity
"anila
1-<:CE: ,%-23E: EEC152E: [http://www!"#p$"%/&$$'/S(")(*+,/III-
-/!h.pt("/0#)ht12
CHAPTER XVI
EDUCATION THROUGH THE ARTS:
THE GIFT OF TONGUES
NI5ANOR G. TIONGSON
5n most li&ing rooms in the Philippines, a &isitor is ound to "ind an altar on which are
enthroned, not onl! the plaster images o" Christ and the .irgin Aar!, ut &er!
signi"icantl! the photographs, usuall! "ramed in gold, o" the "amil!Hs children, proudl!
showing o"" graduation caps, hoods, and togas. Education undoutedl! continues to e
held in high regard among /ilipinos toda!, despite the "act that onl! a "ew select can
a""ord education e!ond the primar! and secondar! le&els.
,s it is in e&er! household, so is it in the larger societ!. Aan! /ilipinos is still hope in an
educational s!stem that disgorges graduates ! the hundreds o" thousands e&er! -ctoer
and Aarch. ,ll this ecause there is a pre&alent notion that the diploma alone is the ke!
to economic upli"t and social moilit!.
Cut i" the present state o" the nation is &iewed as partl! the product o" the countr!Hs
educational s!stem, /ilipinos ha&e no recourse ut to ree&aluate the present educational
thrust. /or while our numerous schools, colleges and uni&ersities ha&e produced
innumerale graduates, massi&e unemplo!ment persists and worsens. 2he national
econom! still must recuperate, while the national ps!che remains con"used and
deilitated, continuousl! drugged ! colonial and escapist &alues and attitudes
perpetuated ! the mass media.
EDUCATION AND DEMOCRACY
Clearl!, this is not the education we want "or our societ!. Cut what indeed should
education eF Ehat should our schools produceF Ehat is a trul! educated personF
2he de"inition o" education gi&en ! philosophers o" education is as idealistic as it is
unequi&ocal: the ultimate goal o" education is the common good, and in democratic
societies this is re"lected in a societ! in which ?ustice, equalit! and democratic practices
pre&ail. 5n this &iew, education is eGpected to de&elop a citiBenr! o" "ree men who are
ale to eGpress their will, "ight "or their rights and e responsile "or their actions.
Aoreo&er, it should nurture a citiBenr! o" creati&e men ale to respond to the needs o"
their societ! and to o""er creati&e solutions to prolems their societ! ma! "ace.
5n other words, more than a citiBenr! o" doers, the educational s!stem must e ale to
produce thinkers and creati&e persons in order to preser&e societ! and ensure progress. 5n
this the importance o" creati&it! cannot e underestimated, "or men who are ound !
con&entional world-&iews and timeworn procedures are doomed to lead their societ! to a
state o" stagnation. 5t ma! e well to remind oursel&es that the stunning disco&eries in the
histor! o" ci&iliBation that rought progress and com"ort to mankind--"rom the simple
wheel to the compleG "l!ing machine--were made ! men who eGplored and pushed their
imagination e!ond the limits o" what was known, or e&en allowed, during their time.
Pobl#ms in E%u)ation
Can we sa! that our educational s!stem encourages the de&elopment o" such a citiBenr!F
5n a stud! pulished ! the Center "or :esearch and Communication,
7
a panel o"
Philippine scholars
'
presented an appraisal o" the educational s!stem in the Philippines
toda!. 5t pinpoints se&eral inadequacies in the areas o" educational planning, structure,
teaching and learning methodolog!, socio-economic aspects, educational "inancing and
non-"ormal and in"ormal education. 2his paper "ocuses on what 5 consider to e the most
asic inadequacies o" our educational s!stem. 2he "irst is seeming misdirection o" goalI
the second, inadequate teaching and learning methodolog!I and third, undue ias "or
"ormal or schoolroom education.
/irst, to man! /ilipinos who want onl! more "ood on the tale or clothes on their ack,
the primar! goal o" education has come to e taining that will ensure emplo!ment a"ter
graduation. 3ence, the proli"eration o" students in courses such as those in commerce,
teaching, secretarial and &ocational su?ects that not onl! ha&e the lowest tuition "ees, ut
also are eGpected to enale one to land a ?o easil!. 5n non-"ormal education dressmaking,
hair science or eaut! culture seem to e the "a&orites. 5n this concept o" education,
education itsel" ecomes optional i" a person alread! has a ?o. DTutal kumikita na
naman, bakit kailangan pang mag!aal.D
5ronicall!, societ! can onl! asor a limited numer o" these graduates, so that in the end
man! "ind themsel&es among the increasing numer o" the Deducated unemplo!ed.D Aore
importantl!, this pragmatic and short-sighted &iew misses the roader point o"
education--the de&elopment o" the person, the maGimiBation o" his or her potential and
capacit! as a thinking and creati&e indi&idual ale to harness and shape his en&ironment,
and not the other wa! around.
2he second point concerns the teaching and learning methodolog! pre&alent in our school
s!stems, which is est illustrated ! the ph!sical la!out o" a t!pical /ilipino classroom:
rows upon rows o" students looking up at a teacher who stands on a plat"orm, "ramed !
lackoards crammed with in"ormation which students must cop! word "or word. 2his
teaching and learning method is what Paolo /reire in his ook, P#%agogy o6 th#
Opp#ss#%, re"ers to as the DankingD method. 3ere, the teacher is the supreme authorit!
who dishes out D"actsD and data, which the students accept as gospel truth, and return to
their teacher undigested, in eGams and classroom recitations.
%eedless to sa!, this s!stem can onl! de&elop data-oriented automatons predisposed to
rote-memoriBation rather than to critical thinking, parrots who are as docile as the! are
passi&e and complacent. 1mall wonder that man! /ilipinos continue to accept the
stereot!pes o" man as pro&ider and woman as homemaker, and ne&er question the rule o"
the traditional elite. 1mall wonder, too, that we "all eas! pre! to ad&ertising messages that
"acilitate continued domination o" our econom! ! "oreign powers.
2hirdl! and "inall!, there is an undue ias "or "ormal or classroom education, a s!stem
tending to "a&or onl! those who can a""ord it. Cecause the poor cannot a""ord the tuition
"ees demanded ! a sustained program requiring more and more cash outla! as one rises
to higher le&els, the gap etween the educated and the non- or less educated continues to
widen with serious socio-economic repercussions, such as the monopol! o" &ital
in"ormation ! those who are articulate in EnglishI the cornering o" economic
opportunities ! those armed with diplomasI and the manipulation o" the illiterate ! the
DenlightenedD who hold the reins o" political power. 2he end result o" all this is not onl!
the turtle-pace o" national progress and de&elopment, ut a democrac! without sustance,
a &irtual aristocrac! o" the educated "ew.
Cut how can education respond to the needs o" our societ!F 3ow can it ser&e the
imperati&es o" national progress and de&elopmentF Clearl!, these questions cannot e
answered satis"actoril! in one paper. Cut 5 would like to concentrate on the "ollowing
options:
7* the de&elopment o" the creati&e mind and imagination among the citiBens, and
'* the use o" the arts in this task.
THE CREATIVE MIND AND IMAGINATION
2he "irst important component o" the creati&e mind is a )iti)al attitude that is perpetuall!
inquisiti&e and questioning. 5t is not satis"ied with what is, ut eGamines the wh!s and
where"ores o" concepts and phenomena. 5t does not accept an!thing as asolute, ut
rather rings all DtruthsD to the tale o" discussion and deate. 5t de"ies authorit!I it
destro!s idols. 5t is an iconoclast, ut not an anarchist or a nihilist, "or e&en as it destro!s
maGims o" the past and shioleths o" the present, the critical mind con?ures up the
dreams and ideals o" a li"e etter than that which eGists. 5t slashes through limits and
con&entions in its pursuit o" the grail that is the greater good.
Cut the creati&e mind is not onl! critical. 5t is also imaginati'#, uilding paths in
unchartered territories that urst through the "rontiers o" the here and now. 5t is a mind
that disco&ers, in&ents and creates the tools, equipment, and &essels which seek to
transport mankind to the realit! o" a etter li"e. 5n short, it is the creati&e imagination
which d!namiBes mankind towards progress.
2o this da!, men with creati&e minds and imaginations remain a rare reed in our countr!,
and not without reason. Aore than 8(( !ears o" coloniBation under 1pain and ,merica,
and '( !ears o" de&astating dictatorship ha&e created a tremendous negati&e impact on
our national ps!che. -ur relationships--whether political, economic, social or personal--
are still largel! authoritarian, our tastes disappointingl! colonial, our attitudes are at est
accommodating, at worst suser&ient. 5ndeed, ours is a culture o" silence, a culture o" a
people without tongues.
Clearl!, i" we are to sur&i&e as a nation, economic and political rehailitation ha&e to go
hand in hand with social and personal remolding. /or lind acceptance o" what is, as well
as passi&it! and apath!, are the est allies o" the "oreign and local "orces that su&ert the
interest o" the greater ma?orit! o" our people. /or national sur&i&al, there"ore, it is
imperati&e that we reak the culture o" silence, and egin to de&elop a people who will
not e a"raid to eGpress those ideas. /or this we ha&e to make our people--whether the!
are in the cities or hinterlands--aware o" themsel&es as indi&iduals, and as persons with
much potential within themsel&es. 3ope"ull!, once our people ha&e ecome aware o"
their sel&es, the! will seek naturall! to eGpress these newl!-disco&ered sel&es. 1el"-
awareness then is the sputum that will loosen tongues that ha&e een tied and hardened
! the traumas o" our histor!.
Th# Rol# o6 th# Ats
Cut how is this to e doneF 5n this endea&or, the arts and their disciplines and principles,
pla! a pi&otal role. /or it is the arts that can present our people with alternati&e and
m!riad wa!s o" sel"-eGpression, nothing less than the gi"t o" tongues.
2o illustrate, let us cite the eGperience o" one theater group which has e&ol&ed an
e""ecti&e wa! o" releasing personal creati&it!. 2he Philippine Educational 2heater
,ssociation #PE2,* has een conducting Casic 5ntegrated 2heater ,rts Eorkshops
#C52,E* since 7=)4. 2he workshop starts with impro&isational games meant to release a
personHs spontaneit! and eliminate his inhiitions. 2hese release games and eGercises are
meant to prepare the indi&idual to DeGperienceD. 5n this conteGt, DeGperiencingD, as .iola
1polin, an eGponent o" impro&isational theater, eGplains, is penetration o" the
en&ironment and total organic in&ol&ement with it. 2his means in&ol&ement on three
le&els: intellectual, ph!sical and intuiti&e. -" the three, the intuiti&e, which is most &ital
to the learning situation, now is o"ten neglected. Ehen response to eGperience takes place
at this intuiti&e le&el, i.e., when a person "unctions e!ond a constricted intellectual
plane, he is totall! open "or learning, "or the intuiti&e can onl! respond in immediac!--to
the here and now. 5t comes earing gi"ts in the moment o" spontaneit! when we are "reed
to in&ol&e oursel&es in the mo&ing-changing world around us.
5n the integrated arts workshops, con"rontation with the en&ironment is "urther
encouraged ecause the principles and elements o" design are taught through games and
eGamples o" o?ects "ound in the en&ironment, such as the lines and rh!thm "ound in sea
wa&es, the shape and color o" lea&es and "ruits, the teGture o" sand and rocks. Eith
stones, tin cans and wooden sticks, sounds and rh!thms are created to eGpress emotions
and sentiments. 1imple poems are composed descriing the impact o" an element in oneHs
en&ironment--like that o" the scorching heat o" the sun as one per"orms his dail! chores,
or o" the cool water as one athes in the ri&er, or o" the landlord who e&okes awe as well
as "ear in his tenant "armer.
5n creati&e dramatics, in&ol&ement with other persons is through DeGposureD and research.
, participant oser&es an interesting character in his communit!, learns something aout
the person, penetrates his/her mind and heart, eGamines the personHs relationship with the
other memers o" the communit!, and "inall! dramatiBes the personHs con"lict or
agreement with them. 5n this process, the participants come to in&estigate and discuss
issues and prolems in their communit! and, through the guidance o" the workshop
"acilitator, perhaps to suggest solutions to some o" these prolems and issues. 2he process
in e""ect draws out oneHs awareness o" the sel", his en&ironment and his communit!.
2he same techniques o" emplo!ing the arts to "oster etter learning ma! e emplo!ed in
the classroom. 3istor!, "or eGample, does not ha&e to e a oring recitation o" who killed
Aagellan, when :iBal was orn, whose was the "irst uprising against 1pain, who was the
president o" the Philippine Commonwealth, how did Aagsa!sa! dieF 5nstead, the
teachers can encourage their students to put up eGhiits o" o?ects and pictures o" the
1panish Period, or to dramatiBe the 2rial o" :iBal or o" Coni"acio. 5n the case o" a pla!,
discussion o" the issues raised ma! e encouraged with the use o" CoalHs technique o"
/orum 2heater, so that students ma! comment on the pla! and e&en restructure it
according to what the! elie&e should ha&e happened. 1imilarl!, arithmetic does not ha&e
to e astract and traumatic. , recent pla! "or children eGplains addition, sutraction and
multiplication through children rightl! costumed as animals singing and dancing the
principles o" arithmetic. 9i&en the "act that students toda! are omarded with &isual
eGcitement in tele&ision and "ilm, a pedagog! that emplo!s the arts, especiall! "or its
audio-&isual impact and kinetic-participati&e aspect, is not onl! desirale ut imperati&e.
Cut what is the point in emplo!ing games, creati&e eGercises, and the integrated
disciplines o" the arts in educationF Clearl!, these processes all pro&ide opportunities "or
#7p#i#n)ing, and hence "or l#aning. /rom personal or group or communit! eGperiences,
insights and concepts are drawn out and clari"ied. 5n such learning processes, general
principles or truths are ne&er intoned #7 )ath#%a or handed down ! the teacher to the
students. :ather the! are deduced "rom what the learners eGperience, doing ?ustice to the
original meaning o" education, i.e., #7 %u)##, to draw out. 5n this process, the DteacherD is
more appropriatel! a D"acilitatorD who helps the learner draw concepts out o" his
eGperiences. 2he "acilitatorHs onl! ad&antage o&er his students, perhaps, is the "act that
he/she is more eGperienced and there"ore richer in insights. E&en then he/she does not
assume the stance o" an authorit! "igure, ut is one o" the learners, "or each new game,
each new process is a new eGperience, and each new eGperience a source o" new or
additional knowledge "or a true teacher.
1uch workshops are alwa!s conducted in an in"ormal, relaGed atmosphere, the etter to
encourage spontaneit!. 2he participants, at the time when eGperiences and insights are
s!nthesiBed, are seated on the "loor in a circle. Each one is on equal "ooting with the rest,
including their "acilitator, in sharing and assessing insights.
A Nation o6 5#atos
5n conclusion, the o?ecti&e o" education through the arts is to de&elop not a countr! o"
pro"essional artists, ut rather a nation o" creators--citiBens who maGimiBe the use o" their
creati&e imagination. 1uch a nation o" persons will re?ect an! "orm o" "ascistic control or
authoritarian repression. , people with creati&e imagination will re"use to e herded like
sheep: the! will alwa!s speak their minds and stand up "or the truth as the! percei&e it.
2he! will ne&er impose their own minds and wills on their "ellowmen, "or their inherent
attitude o" openness makes them respect the right o" others to eGpress their own truths.
/urthermore, a nation whose people are creators is a nation that could ne&er stagnate or
remain complacent with things as the! are. 5t is a nation that will continue to question
s!stems that ha&e egun to harden and institutions that ha&e egun to "ossiliBe. 5t is a
nation that will dare to question the &alidit! o" Dmodern medicineD and eGperiment with
Dunscienti"icD heral healing. 5t will not e a"raid to deunk such estalished concepts as
the superiorit! o" ,merican-t!pe democrac! and "ree enterprise econom! in "a&or o"
political and economic s!stems that protect the interests o" 2hird Eorld countries. 5t will
produce 9alileos, da .incis and Einsteins who alwa!s will e unhapp! with the wa!
things are ecause the! are osessed ! the dream o" a etter world "or all men.
5 close with a "a&orite anecdote which clearl! shows how a peopleHs creati&it!--in this
case the %icaraguansH--pro&ed to e a success"ul antidote to "oreign repression. Ehen the
<.1.,. suspended %icaraguaHs credit to u! wheat, to pressure them into acceding to
,merican demands which the %icaraguans considered inimical to their interest, cultural
workers promptl! organiBed a corn "esti&al on a national scale with an o&erwhelming
response "rom their people. 2he %icaraguans showed the strength and &ast richness o"
their culture ! in&enting a ewildering &ariet! o" dishes, read, pastries and drinks all
made "rom corn. 5n this wa! the! not onl! showed their culinar! ailities, ut ensured the
legac! o" their culture--a culture o" resistance. 5t is said that the %icaraguan :e&olution
was a re&olution o" poets. 2here can e no dout aout it, ?ust as there can e no dout
that creati&it! is indeed the cornerstone o" democrac! and progress.
5ultual 5#nt# o6 th# Philippin#s
"anila
NOTES
7. D2he Educational 1!stemD in Th# Philippin#s at th# 5ossoa%s/ Som# Visions 6o th#
Nation #Aanila: Center "or :esearch and Communication, 7=>$*, pp. '7>-4>L.
'. /lorangel :osario Craid, @ieter ,ppelt, ;aime .alera, :amon :. 2uaBon and
E&angeline ,lert.
[http://www!"#p$"%/&$$'/S(")(*+,/III--/!h.pt("/)#ht12
CHAPTER IV

A MORAL RECOVERY PROGRAM:
BUILDING A PEOPLE--BUILDING A NATION
PATRI5IA LI50ANAN
2he e&ents at E@1, in /eruar! 7=>$ not onl! ousted a dictator, ut also demonstrated to
the world and to oursel&es our great strengths as a people. ,t E@1, we saw courage,
determination and strength o" purposeI we saw unit! and concern "or one anotherI we saw
deep "aith in 9odI and e&en in the grimmest moments, there was some laughter and
humor.
Ee were proud o" oursel&es at E@1, and we eGpected great changes a"ter our moment o"
glor!. 2oda!, sometime a"ter, we realiBe that most o" our prolems as a nation still
remain. Ee ma! ha&e ousted a dictator, ut that was the eas! part. 2he task o" uilding a
nation is so much more di""icult. %ow, with E@1, onl! an inspiring memor!, we are
"aced with our weaknesses. 1el"-interest and disregard "or the common good rears its
ugl! head. Ee are con"ronted with our lack o" discipline and rigor, our colonial mentalit!,
and our emphasis on poma #"orm*. @espite our great displa! o" peopleHs power, now we
are passi&e once more, eGpecting our leaders to take all responsiilit! "or sol&ing our
man! prolems.
2he task o" uilding our nation is an awesome one. 2here is need "or economic reco&er!.
2here is need to re-estalish democratic institutions and to achie&e the goals o" peace and
genuine social ?ustice. ,long with these goals, there is a need as well to uild oursel&es as
a people. 2here is need to change structures and to change people.
Cuilding a people means eliminating our weaknesses and de&eloping our strengthsI this
starts with the anal!sis, understanding, and appreciation o" these strengths and
weaknesses. Ee must take a good look at oursel&es--o?ecti&el! with scienti"ic
detachment, ut also emotionall! #i.e., lo&ingl!* and, when appropriate, with disgust. Ee
must &iew oursel&es as might a lo&er &iewing a lo&ed one ut also as might a ?udge
capale o" a harsh &erdict. Ee must not e sel"-"lagellating, ut neither can we a""ord to
e de"ensi&e.
Ee must change, and "or this understanding oursel&es is the "irst step.
STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
Pakikipagkap(a!Tao #regard "or others*. /ilipinos are open to others and "eel one with
others. Ee regard others with dignit! and respect, and deal with them as "ellow human
eings. Pakikipagkap(a!tao is mani"ested in a asic sense o" ?ustice and "airness, and in
concern "or others. 5t is demonstrated in the /ilipinoHs ailit! to empathiBe with others, in
help"ulness and generosit! in times o" need #pakikiamay*, in the practice o" bayanihan
or mutual assistance, and in the "amous /ilipino hospitalit!.
/ilipinos possess a sensiti&it! to peopleHs "eelings or pakikiam%am, pagtiti(ala or trust,
and a sense o" gratitude or utang!na!loob. Cecause o" pakikipagkap(a!tao, /ilipinos are
&er! sensiti&e to the qualit! o" interpersonal relationships and are &er! dependent on
them: i" our relationships are satis"actor!, we are happ! and secure.
Pakikipagkap(a!tao results in camaraderie and a "eeling o" closeness one to another. 5t
helps promote unit! as well a sense o" social ?ustice.
3amily Oi#ntation. /ilipinos possess a genuine and deep lo&e "or the "amil!, which
includes not simpl! the spouses and children, parents, and silings, ut also grandparents,
aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, and other ceremonial relati&es. 2o the /ilipino, oneHs
"amil! is the source o" personal identit!, the source o" emotional and material support,
and the personHs main commitment and responsiilit!.
Concern "or "amil! is mani"ested in the honor and respect gi&en to parents and elders, in
the care gi&en to children, the generosit! towards kin in need, and in the great sacri"ices
one endures "or the wel"are o" the "amil!. 2his sense o" "amil! results in a "eeling o"
elonging or rootedness and in a asic sense o" securit!.
Joy an% +umo. /ilipinos ha&e a cheer"ul and "un-lo&ing approach to li"e and its ups and
downs. 2here is a pleasant disposition, a sense o" humor, and a propensit! "or happiness
that contriute not onl! to the /ilipino charm, ut to the indomitailit! o" the "ilipino
spirit. Laughing at oursel&es and our troule is an important coping mechanism. -"ten
pla!"ul, sometimes c!nical, sometimes disrespect"ul, we laugh at those we lo&e and at
those we hate, and make ?okes aout our "ortune, good and ad.
2his sense o" ?o! and humor is mani"ested in the /ilipino lo&e "or socials and
celerations, in our capacit! to laugh e&en in the most tr!ing o" times, and in the appeal
o" political satire.
2he result is a certain emotional alance and optimism, a health! disrespect "or power
and o""ice, and a capacit! to sur&i&e.
3l#7ibility, A%aptability an% 5#ati'ity. /ilipinos ha&e a great capacit! to ad?ust, and to
adapt to circumstances and to the surrounding en&ironment, oth ph!sical and social.
<nplanned or unanticipated e&ents are ne&er o&erl! disturing or disorienting as the
"leGile /ilipino ad?usts to whate&er happens. Ee possess a tolerance "or amiguit! that
enales us to remain un"aBed ! uncertaint! or lack o" in"ormation. Ee are creati&e,
resource"ul, adept at learning, and ale to impro&ise and make use o" whate&er is at hand
in order to create and produce.
2his qualit! o" the /ilipino is mani"ested in the ailit! to adapt to li"e in an! part o" the
worldI in the ailit! to make new things out o" scrap and to keep old machines runningI
and, o" course, in the creati&e talent mani"ested in the cultural sphere. 5t is seen likewise
in the ailit! to accept change.
2he result is producti&it!, inno&ation, entrepreneurship, equanimit!, and sur&i&al.
+a% (ok an% In%usty. /ilipinos ha&e the capacit! "or hard work, gi&en proper
conditions. 2he desire to raise oneHs standard o" li&ing and to possess the essentials o" a
decent li"e "or oneHs "amil!, comined with the right opportunities and incenti&es,
stimulate the /ilipino to work &er! hard. 2his is mani"ested most noticeal! in a
willingness to take risks with ?os aroad, and to work there at two or three ?os. 2he
result is producti&it! and entrepreneurship "or some, and sur&i&al despite po&ert! "or
others.
3aith an% R#ligiosity. /ilipinos ha&e a deep "aith in 9od. 5nnate religiosit! enales us to
comprehend and genuinel! accept realit! in the conteGt o" 9odHs will and plan. 2hus,
traged! and ad "ortune are accepted and some optimism characteriBes e&en the poorest
li&es.
/ilipinos li&e &er! intimatel! with religionI this is tangile--a part o" e&er!da! li"e. Ee
ascrie human traits to a supernatural 9od whom we alternatel! threaten and thank, call
upon "or merc! or "orgi&eness, and appease ! pledges. Pra!er is an important part o" our
li&es.
2he "aith o" the /ilipino is related to bahala na, which, instead o" eing &iewed as
de"eatist resignation, ma! e considered positi&el! as a reser&oir o" ps!chic energ!, an
important ps!chological support on which we can lean during di""icult times. 2his
pampalakas ng loob allows us to act despite uncertaint!.
-ur "aith and daring was mani"est at E@1, and at other times in our histor! when it was
di""icult to e ra&e. 5t is seen also in the capacit! to accept "ailure and de"eat without our
sel"-concept eing de&astated since we recogniBe "orces eGternal to oursel&es as
contriuting to the un"olding o" e&ents in our li&es.
2he results o" the /ilipinoHs "aith are courage, daring, optimism, inner peace, as well as
the capacit! to genuinel! accept traged! and death.
Ability to Su'i'#. /ilipinos ha&e an ailit! to sur&i&e which is mani"ested in our capacit!
"or endurance despite di""icult times, and in our ailit! to get ! on so little. /ilipinos
make do with what is a&ailale in the en&ironment, e&en, e.g., ! eking out a li&ing "rom
a garage dump. 2his sur&i&al instinct is related to the /ilipinos who ra&el! carr! on
through the harshest economic and social circumstances. :egret"ull!, one wonders what
we might e ale to do under etter circumstances.
3EA4NESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
E7t#m# P#sonalism. /ilipinos &iew the world in terms o" personal relationships and the
eGtent to which one is ale personall! to relate to things and people determines our
recognition o" their eGistence and the &alue. 2here is no separation etween an o?ecti&e
task and emotional in&ol&ement. 2his personalism is mani"ested in the tendenc! to gi&e
personal interpretations to actions, i.e., to Dtake things personall!.D 2hus, a sincere
question ma! e &iewed as a challenge to oneHs competence or positi&e "eedack ma! e
interpreted as a sign o" special a""ection. 2here is, in "act, some asis "or such
interpretations as /ilipinos ecome personal in their criticism and praise. Personalism is
also mani"ested in the need to estalish personal relationships e"ore an! usiness or
work relationship can e success"ul.
Cecause o" this personalistic world &iew, /ilipinos ha&e di""icult! dealing with all "orms
o" impersonal stimuli. /or this reason one is uncom"ortale with ureaucrac!, with rules
and regulations, and with standard procedures--all o" which tend to e impersonal. Ee
ignore them or we ask "or eGceptions.
Personal contacts are in&ol&ed in an! transaction and are di""icult to turn down.
Pre"erence is usuall! gi&en to "amil! and "riends in hiring, deli&er! o" ser&ices, and e&en
in &oting. EGtreme personalism thus leads to the gra"t and corruption e&ident in
Philippine societ!.
E7t#m# 3amily!5#nt##%n#ss. Ehile concern "or the "amil! is one o" the /ilipinoHs
greatest strengths, in the eGtreme it ecomes a serious "law. EGcessi&e concern "or the
"amil! creates an in-group to which the /ilipino is "iercel! lo!al, to the detriment o"
concern "or the larger communit! or the common good.
EGcessi&e concern "or "amil! mani"ests itsel" in the use o" oneHs o""ice and power as a
means o" promoting the interests o" the "amil!, in "actionalism, patronage, and political
d!nasties, and in the protection o" erring "amil! memers. 5t results in lack o" concern "or
the common good and acts as a lock to national consciousness.
La)k o6 &is)iplin#. 2he /ilipinoHs lack o" discipline encompasses se&eral related
characteristics. Ee ha&e a casual and relaGed attitude towards time and space which
mani"ests itsel" in lack o" precision and compulsi&eness, in poor time management and in
procrastination. Ee ha&e an a&ersion to "ollowing strictl! a set o" procedures, which
results in lack o" standardiBation and qualit! control. Ee are impatient and unale to
dela! grati"ication or reward, resulting in the use o" short cuts, skirting the rules #the
palusot s!ndrome* and in "oolhardiness. Ee are guilt! o" ningas )ogon, starting out
pro?ects with "ull &igor and interest which aruptl! die down, lea&ing things un"inished.
-ur lack o" discipline o"ten results in ine""icient and waste"ul work s!stems, the &iolation
o" rules leading to more serious transgressions, and a casual work ethic leading to
carelessness and lack o" "ollow-through.
Passi'ity an% La)k o6 Initiati'#. /ilipinos are generall! passi&e and lacking in initiati&e.
-ne waits to e told what has to e done. 2here is a strong reliance on others, e.g.,
leaders and go&ernment, to do things "or us. 2his is related to the attitude towards
authorit!. /ilipinos ha&e a need "or a strong authorit! "igure and "eel sa"er and more
secure in the presence o" such an authorit!. -ne is generall! sumissi&e to those in
authorit!, and is not likel! to raise issues or to question decisions.
/ilipinos tend to e complacent and there rarel! is a sense o" urgenc! aout an! prolem.
2here is a high tolerance "or ine""icienc!, poor ser&ice, and e&en &iolations o" oneHs asic
rights. 5n man! wa!s, it can e said that the /ilipino is too patient and long-su""ering
#matiisin*, too easil! resigned to oneHs "ate. /ilipinos are thus easil! oppressed and
eGploited.
5olonial "#ntality. /ilipinos ha&e a colonial mentalit! which is made up o" two
dimensions: the "irst is a lack o" patriotism or an acti&e awareness, appreciation, and lo&e
o" the PhilippinesI the second is an actual pre"erence "or things "oreign.
/ilipino culture is characteriBed ! an openness to the outside--adapting and
incorporating the "oreign elements into our image o" oursel&es. Oet this image is not uilt
around a deep core o" Philippine histor! and language. 2he result is a cultural &agueness
or weakness that makes /ilipinos eGtraordinaril! susceptile to the wholesome
acceptance o" modern mass culture which is o"ten Eestern. 2hus, there is pre"erence "or
"oreign "ashion, entertainment, li"est!les, technolog!, consumer items, etc.
2he /ilipino colonial mentalit! is mani"ested in the alienation o" the elite "rom their roots
and "rom the masses, as well as in the asic "eeling o" national in"eriorit! that makes it
di""icult "or /ilipinos to relate as equals to Eesterners.
2anya!2anya Syn%om#. /ilipinos ha&e a sel"ish, sel"-ser&ing attitude that generates a
"eeling o" en&! and competiti&eness towards others, particularl! oneHs peers, who seem to
ha&e gained some status or prestige. 2owards them, the /ilipino demonstrated the so-
called Dcra mentalit!D, using the le&elling instruments o" tsismis, intiga and
unconstructi&e criticism to ring others down. 2here seems to e a asic assumption that
anotherHs gain is our loss.
2he kanya!kanya s!ndrome is also e&ident in personal amition and dri&e "or power and
status that is completel! insensiti&e to the common good. Personal and in-group interests
reign supreme. 2his characteristic is also e&ident in the lack o" a sense o" ser&ice among
people in the go&ernment ureaucrac!. 2he pulic is made to "eel that ser&ice "rom these
o""ices and "rom these ci&il ser&ants is an eGtra perk that has to e paid "or.
2he kanya!kanya s!ndrome results in the dampening o" cooperati&e and communit! spirit
and in the denial o" the rights o" others.
La)k o6 S#l6!Analysis an% S#l6!R#6l#)tion. 2here is a tendenc! in the /ilipino to e
super"icial and e&en somewhat "light!. 5n the "ace o" serious prolems oth personal and
social, there is lack o" anal!sis or re"lection. ;oking aout the most serious matters
pre&ents us "rom looking deepl! into the prolem. 2here is no "elt need to &alidate our
h!potheses or eGplanations o" things. 2hus we are satis"ied with super"icial eGplanations
"or, and super"icial solutions to, prolems.
:elated to this is the /ilipino emphasis on "orm #mapoma* rather than upon sustance.
2here is a tendenc! to e satis"ied with rhetoric and to sustitute this "or realit!. Empt!
rhetoric and endless words are &er! much part o" pulic li"e. ,s long as the right things
are said, as long as the proper documents and reports eGist, and as long as the proper
committees, task "orces, or o""ices are "ormed, /ilipinos are deluded into elie&ing that
what ought to e actuall! eGists.
2he /ilipino lack o" sel"-anal!sis and our emphasis upon "orm is rein"orced ! an
educational s!stem that is o"ten more "orm than sustance and a legal s!stem that tends to
sustitute law "or realit!.
THE MANY FACES OF THE FILIPINO
/rom this discussion o" the strengths and weaknesses o" the /ilipino, it is clear that there
is much that is good here, ut there is also much that needs to e changed. Aan! o" our
strong points are also the sources o" our weakness.
,s a people, we are person-oriented, and relationships with others are a &er! important
part o" our li&es. 2hus, we are capale o" much caring and concern "or others. -n the
other hand, in the eGtreme our person orientation leads to lack o" o?ecti&it! and a
disregard "or uni&ersal rules and procedures so that e&er!one, regardless o" our
relationship with them, is treated equall!. -ur person orientation leads us to e concerned
"or people, and !et un"air to some.
-ur "amil! orientation is oth a strength and a weakness, gi&ing us a sense o" rootedness
and securit!, oth &er! essential to an! "orm o" reaching out to others. ,t the same time,
it de&elops in us an in-group orientation that pre&ents us "rom reaching out e!ond the
"amil! to the larger communit! and the nation.
-ur "leGiilit!, adaptailit! and creati&it! is a strength that allows us to ad?ust to an! set
o" circumstances and to make the est o" the situation. Cut this ailit! to Dpla! things !
earD leads us to compromise on the precision and discipline necessar! to accomplish
man! work-oriented goals.
-ur sense o" ?o! and humor ser&es us well in di""icult times. it makes li"e more pleasant,
ut serious prolems do need serious anal!sis, and humor can also e destructi&e.
-ur "aith in 9od and our religiosit! are sources o" strength and courage, ut the! also
lead to an eGternal orientation that keeps us passi&e and dependent on "orces outside
oursel&es.
2here are other contradictions in the man! "aces o" the /ilipino. Ee "ind
pakikipagkap(a!tao and the kanya!kanya mentalit! li&ing com"ortal! together in us. Ee
are other-oriented and capale o" great empath!I and !et we are sel"-ser&ing, en&ious o"
others, and unconstructi&el! critical o" one another.
Ee also "ind the /ilipino descried alternatel! as hardworking and laB!. 5ndeed we see
that we are capale o" working long and hard at an! ?o. 3owe&er, our casual work ethic
as well as our asic passi&it! in the work setting also is apparent as we wait "or orders
and instructions rather than taking the initiati&e.
ROOTS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
2he strengths and weaknesses o" the /ilipino ha&e their roots in man! "actors such as: #7*
the home en&ironment, #'* the social en&ironment, #4* culture and language, #8* histor!,
#L* the educational s!stem, #$* religion, #)* the economic en&ironment, #>* the political
en&ironment, #=* mass media, and #7(* leadership and role models.
Th# 3amily an% +om# En'ionm#nt. Childearing practices, "amil! relations, and "amil!
attitudes and orientation are the main components o" the home en&ironment. Childearing
in the /ilipino "amil! is characteriBed ! high nurturance, low independence training, and
low discipline. 2he /ilipino child grows up in an atmosphere o" a""ection and o&er
protection, where one learns securit! and trust, on the one hand, and dependence, on the
other. 5n the indulgent atmosphere o" the /ilipino home, rigid standards o" eha&ior or
per"ormance are not imposed, leading to a lack o" discipline. ,ttempts to maintain
discipline come in the "orm o" man! DnoHsD and DdonHtsD and a s!stem o" criticism to keep
children in line. 1utle comparisons among silings also are used ! mothers to control
their children. 2hese ma! contriute to the Dcra mentalit!.D
5n a large "amil! where we are encouraged to get along with our silings and other
relati&es, we learn pakikipagkap(a!tao. 5n an authoritarian setting we learn respect "or
age and authorit!I at the same time we ecome passi&e and dependent on authorit!.
5n the "amil!, children are taught to &alue "amil! and to gi&e it primar! importance.
Th# So)ial En'ionm#nt. 2he main components o" the social en&ironment are social
structures and social s!stems such as interpersonal religious and communit! interaction.
2he social en&ironment o" the /ilipino is characteriBed ! a "eudal structure with great
gaps etween the rich minorit! and the poor ma?orit!. 2hese gaps are not merel!
economic ut cultural as well, with the elite eing highl! westerniBed and alienated "rom
the masses. 2his "eudal structure de&elops dependence and passi&it!.
2he /ilipino is raised in an en&ironment where one must depend on relationships with
others in order to sur&i&e. 5n a poor countr! where resources are scarce and where the
s!stems meant to respond to peopleHs needs can e insensiti&e, ine""icient, or non-
eGistent, the /ilipino ecomes &er! dependent on kinship and interpersonal relationships.
1ensiti&it! aout hurting estalished relationships controls our eha&ior. Ee are
restrained "rom making criticisms no matter how constructi&e, so standards o" qualit! are
not imposed. Ee ha&e di""icult! sa!ing no to requests and are pressured to "a&or our
"amil! and "riends. 2hat tr!ing to get ahead o" others is not considered acceptale eGerts a
strong rake upon e""orts to impro&e our indi&idual per"ormance. 2he struggle "or
sur&i&al and our dependence on relationships make us in-group oriented.
5ultu# an% Languag#. Auch has een written aout /ilipino cultural &alues. 1uch
characteristics such as warmth and person orientation, de&otion to "amil!, and sense o"
?o! and humor are part o" our culture and are rein"orced ! all socialiBing "orces such as
the "amil!, school, and peer group.
/ilipino culture rewards such traits and corresponding eha&ioral patterns de&elop
ecause the! make one more likale and enale li"e to proceed more easil!.
,side "rom emphasiBing interpersonal &alues, /ilipino culture is also characteriBed ! an
openness to the outside which easil! incorporates "oreign elements without a asic
consciousness o" our cultural core. 2his is related to our colonial mentalit! and to the use
o" English as the medium o" instruction in schools.
2he introduction o" English as the medium o" education de-/ilipiniBed the !outh and
taught them to regard ,merican culture as superior. 2he use o" English contriutes also to
a lack o" sel"-con"idence on the part o" the /ilipino. 2he "act that doing well means using
a "oreign language, which "oreigners ine&ital! can handle etter, leads to an in"eriorit!
compleG. ,t a &er! earl! age, we "ind that our sel"-esteem depends on the master! o"
something "oreign.
2he use o" a "oreign language ma! also eGplain the /ilipinoHs unre"lecti&eness and mental
laBiness. 2hinking in our nati&e language, ut eGpressing oursel&es in English, results not
onl! in a lack o" con"idence, ut also in a lack in our power o" eGpression, imprecision,
and a stunted de&elopment o" oneHs intellectual powers.
+istoy. Ee are the product o" our colonial histor!, which is regarded ! man! as the
culprit ehind our lack o" nationalism and our colonial mentalit!. Colonialism de&eloped
a mind-set in the /ilipino which encouraged us to think o" the colonial power as superior
and more power"ul. ,s a second-class citiBen eneath the 1panish and then the
,mericans, we de&eloped a dependence on "oreign powers that makes us elie&e we are
not responsile "or our countr!Hs "ate.
2he ,merican in"luence is more ingrained in the Philippines ecause the ,mericans set
up a pulic school s!stem where we learned English and the ,merican wa! o" li"e.
Present-da! media rein"orce these colonial in"luences, and the /ilipino elite sets the
eGample ! their western wa!s.
,nother &estige o" our colonial past is our asic attitude towards the go&ernment, which
we ha&e learned to identi"! as "oreign and apart "rom us. 2hus, we do not identi"! with
go&ernment and are distrust"ul and uncooperati&e towards it. Auch time and energ! is
spent tr!ing to outsmart the go&ernment, which we ha&e learned "rom our colonial past to
regard as an enem!.
Th# E%u)ational Syst#m. ,side "rom the prolems inherent in the use o" a "oreign
language in our educational s!stem, the educational s!stem leads to other prolems "or us
as a people. 2he lack o" suitale local teGtooks and dependence on "oreign teGtooks,
particularl! in the higher school le&els, "orce /ilipino students as well as their teachers to
use school materials that are irrele&ant to the Philippine setting. /rom this comes a mind-
set that things learned in school are not related to real li"e.
,side "rom the in"luences o" the "ormal curriculum, there are the in"luences o" the
Dhidden curriculumD i.e., the &alues taught in"ormall! ! the Philippine school s!stem.
1chools are highl! authoritarian, with the teacher as the central "ocus. 2he /ilipino
student is taught to e dependent on the teacher as we attempt to record &eratim what
the teacher sa!s and to gi&e this ack during eGaminations in its original "orm and with
little processing. 2eachers reward well-eha&ed and oedient students and are
uncom"ortale with those who ask questions and eGpress a di""erent &iewpoint. 2he
/ilipino student learns passi&it! and con"ormit!. Critical thinking is not learned in the
school.
R#ligion. :eligion is the root o" /ilipino optimism and its capacit! to accept li"eHs
hardships. 3owe&er, religion also instills in the /ilipino attitudes o" resignation and a pre-
occupation with the a"terli"e. Ee ecome &ulnerale also to eing &ictimiBed !
opportunism, oppression, eGploitation, and superstition.
Th# E)onomi) En'ionm#nt. Aan! /ilipino traits are rooted in the po&ert! and hard li"e
that is the lot o" most /ilipinos. -ur di""iculties dri&e us to take risks, impel us to work
&er! hard, and de&elop in us the ailit! to sur&i&e. Po&ert!, howe&er, has also ecome an
eGcuse "or gra"t and corruption, particularl! among the lower rungs o" the ureaucrac!.
<nless things get too di""icult, passi&it! sets in.
Th# Politi)al En'ionm#nt. 2he Philippine political en&ironment is characteriBed ! a
centraliBation o" power. Political power and authorit! is concentrated in the hands o" the
elite and the participation o" most /ilipinos o"ten is limited to &oting in elections.
1imilarl!, asic ser&ices "rom the go&ernment are concentrated in Aanila and its outl!ing
towns and pro&inces. , great ma?orit! o" /ilipinos are not reached ! such asic ser&ices
as water, electricit!, roads, and health ser&ices. 9o&ernment structures and s!stems--e.g.,
?ustice and education--are o"ten ine""ecti&e or ine""icient.
1ince the go&ernment o"ten is not there to o""er asic ser&ices, we depend on our "amil!,
kin, and neighors "or our e&er!da! needs. 2he asence o" go&ernment enhances our
eGtreme "amil!-and e&en communit!-centeredness. Ee "ind it di""icult to identi"! with a
nation-"amil!, since the go&ernment is not there to s!moliBe or represent the state.
2he "act that political power is still &er! much concentrated in the hands o" a "ew ma!
lead to passi&it!. 2he ine""icienc! o" go&ernment structures and s!stems also leads to a
lack o" integrit! and accountailit! in our pulic ser&ants.
"ass "#%ia. Aass media rein"orces our colonial mentalit!. ,d&ertisements using
Caucasian models and emphasiBing a productHs similarit! with imported rands are part
o" our dail! li&es.
2he tendenc! o" media to produce escapist mo&ies, soap operas, comics, etc., "eed th
/ilipinoHs passi&it!. :ather than con"ront our po&ert! and oppression, we "antasiBe
instead. 2he propensit! to use "lash! sets, designer clothes, superstars, and other bongga
"eatures rein"orce poma.
L#a%#ship an% Rol# "o%#ls. /ilipinos look up to their leaders as role models. Political
leaders are the main models, ut all other leaders ser&e as role models as well. 2hus,
when our leaders &iolate the law or show themsel&es to e sel"-ser&ing and dri&en !
personal interest--when there is lack o" pulic accountailit!--there is a negati&e impact
on the /ilipino.
GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE
Goals. Cased on the strengths and weaknesses o" the /ilipino, the "ollowing goals "or
change are proposed. 2he /ilipino should de&elop:
7. a sense o" patiotism and national pi%#--a genuine lo&e, appreciation, and
commitment to the Philippines and things /ilipinoI
'. a sense o" the )ommon goo%--the ailit! to look e!ond sel"ish interests, a sense o"
?ustice and a sense o" outrage at its &iolationI
4. a sense o" int#gity and a))ountability--an a&ersion toward gra"t and corruption in
societ! and an a&oidance o" the practice in oneHs dail! li"eI
8. the &alue and haits o" %is)iplin# and ha% (okI and
L. the &alue and haits o" s#l6!#6l#)tion and analysis, the internaliBation o" spiitual
'alu#s, and an emphasis upon #ss#n)# rather than on "orm.
G#n#al Stat#gi) Pin)ipl#s. 5n identi"!ing goals "or change and de&eloping our
capailities "or their achie&ement, it is necessar! to consider certain general principles:
7. 1trategies must e multi-la!ered and multi-sectoralI
'. 1trategies must emphasiBe change in the power-holders as well as in the masa
#people*I
4. 1trategies should e holistic, emphasiBing indi&idual as well as s!stemic or structural
changeI
8. 2he change should in&ol&e a critical mass o" peopleI
L. 2he goals should e di&ided into small pieces "or implementationI
$. 1trategies must e connected to the dail! li"e o" peopleI and
). 1trategies must e implemented ! an act o" the will and in&ol&e sel"-sacri"ice.
"ulti!Lay##%, "ulti!S#)toal Stat#gi#s. , program o" change must adopt strategies that
are multi-la!ered and multi-sectoral. 2hese la!ers and sectors could consist o" the
"ollowing: #7* the go&ernmentI #'* non-go&ernmental organiBationsI #4* people or the
masaI #8* the "amil!I
#L* educational institutionsI #$* religious institutionsI and #)* media. 1ome strategies
should target all sectors o" societ!, while other strategies should "ocus on particular
sectors.
Rol#s o6 Po(#!+ol%#s an% th# "asa. 2o ensure that meaning"ul change will take place,
proposed strategies must emphasiBe change among power-holders or decision-makers as
much as among the masa. 2hese power-holders and decision-makers hold the ke! to
structures and s!stems which in most cases need to e set up "irst e"ore change can take
place. <nless the people on top change, it will e di""icult to eGpect real change. -n the
other hand, as the masa constitute the greater ma?orit! o" Philippine societ!, an! program
"or change will ha&e to target this critical mass. 2heir acti&e participation and support are
indispensale components o" our strategies.
+olisti), In%i'i%ual an% Syst#mi).Stu)tual 5hang#. -ur approach to change should e
holistic in that our strategies should "acilitate indi&idual as well as s!stemic or structural
change. 5ndi&idual con&ersion or renewal, as mani"ested in changed &alues, attitudes,
haits and eha&ior, is a prerequisite to social change. 3owe&er, indi&idual con&ersion or
renewal needs to e complemented and rein"orced ! a corresponding s!stemic or
structural trans"ormation. -therwise, the e""ect o" solel! indi&idual renewal would e
shallow and limited, especiall! since man! s!stems and structures in Philippine societ!
themsel&es are the stumling locks to indi&idual renewal.
5iti)al "ass o N#t(ok o6 5hang# Initiatos. 2he initiators o" change should not e a
"ew indi&iduals, ut a critical mass or network o" people highl! committed to the goals o"
change. ,side "rom initiating change, the role o" the critical mass or network o" people is
to "ollow through with persistence on the implementation o" these strategies. 2his
pre&ents ningas )ogon "rom setting in.
R#sti)t#% o 8-it#!Si*#8 Goals. 1trategies "or change must e worked on one goal at a
time, with e&er!oneHs e""ort concentrated on the goal chosen "or that designated time
period. 2he goals must e cut up into ite-siBe, realistic pieces, "or easier management.
Goals R#lat#% to P#opl#$s Li'#s. Change strategies must e connected to our dail! li&es,
particularl! to our economic acti&ities, usinesses, pro"essions, occupations and ?os.
.alue change must likewise address matters close to our hearts, that is, acti&ities and
a""airs o" our "amilies and communities "rom which change must start.
A)t o6 th# 9ill an% S#l6!Sa)i6i)#. 2he implementation o" these strategies must e an a)t
o6 th# (ill. 5" we want change, kailangang kayanin natin. Ee must e read! "or
tremendous sacri"ice--starting with oursel&es.
SPECIFIC STRATEGIES
,. 3o &#'#loping Patiotism, an% National Pi%#:
7. I%#ology. Ee need a national ideolog! that can summon all our resources "or the task
o" li"ting national morale, pride and producti&it!.
'. +istoy.
a. Ee ha&e to write and teach our true histor!I histor! ooks must e rewritten "rom our
perspecti&e.
. Ee should include in our education those aspects o" the past that are still preser&ed !
cultural communities. 2he culture and traditions o" these minorities should e protected
and gi&en importance.
c. Ee can start instilling national pride ! nurturing communit! pride "irst. 2his can e
done ! setting up communit! museums where materials re"lecting o" local histor! are
displa!ed: old "olk re-telling our town or communit! histor! in pulic gatheringsI
re&i&ing local cultural groupsI tracing "amil! treesI ha&ing "amil! reunions, etc.
4. Languag#s. Ee ought to use /ilipino in our cultural and intellectual li"e. 1ome o" our
uni&ersities and other institutions ha&e started doing thisI the practice should e
continued and eGpanded.
8. E%u)ation.
a. Ee must push "or the /ilipiniBation o" the entire educational s!stem.
. Ee must ha&e &alue "ormation in the school curriculum and teach pride in eing a
/ilipino.
c. Literature should e used to instill national pride.
L. Ta%# an% In%usty. Ee should support the DCu! /ilipinoD mo&ement !:
a. 5denti"!ing and making known the centers o" product eGcellence in the PhilippinesI and
dispersing economic acti&ities ased on local product eGpertise and indigenous materials
#i.e., industries should e de&eloped in the respecti&e regions where the required skills
and resources alread! aound*.
. 3a&ing a ig rother-small rother relationship etween companies, where ig
companies could help related companies impro&e the qualit! o" their products. 2he
go&ernment could also act as a ig rother helping these small companies impro&e the
qualit! o" their output.
c. 3a&ing an 8o%#!#galo8 or 8o%#!pasalubong8 #gi"t* pro?ect which targets /ilipinos
aroad. 2his could e initiated ! oth the go&ernment and usinessmen.
d. Promoting a 8Sailing Atin8 da! when e&er!od! would wear and use /ilipino clothes
and products onl!.
$. "#%ia.A%'#tising.
a. Ee can coordinate with KCP, P,%, and other media agencies in such pro?ects as the
"ollowing:
- 9i&ing awards or other incenti&es to ad&ertisements that promote national pride and
patriotism. Con&ersel!, gi&ing 8kalabasa8 awards or den!ing incenti&es to
ad&ertisements that promote colonial mentalit!.
- Prohiiting the use o" "oreign models in ad&ertisements.
. Ee can organiBe contests #i.e., oratorical, stor!, drama, essa!, etc.* aout lo&e "or
countr!, and aout what /ilipinos like aout their countr! or their countr!men. 2hese
stories, dramas, essa!s, and the like can then e made into teaching materials "or our
schools.
c. Ee need to use media programs #such as comics and programs in the &arious dialects*
that will reach with the masa or great ma?orit! o" people. /or instance, :. ConstantinoHs,
D3ow to @ecoloniBe the /ilipino AindD, could e written in comics "orm in the &arious
dialects.
). Go'#nm#nt.
a. 2he leadership in the eGecuti&e, legislati&e and ?udicial ranches o" the go&ernment
should e models o" positi&e /ilipino traits.
. 5n order to promote national unit! and national integration, the go&ernment must
attempt a long-range strateg! "or democratic trans"ormation in Philippine politics.
c. 2he go&ernment must continue and e&en increase its present e""orts to ha&e a more
independent economic strateg!: it must di&ersi"! its sources o" assistance and not merel!
rel! on the <.1. or on an! other "oreign nation.
C. &#'#loping a S#ns# o6 th# 5ommon Goo%:
7. Go'#nm#nt.
a. 2he go&ernment needs to decentraliBe its power and gi&e more &oice and greater
participation to people at the grassroots.
. 9o&ernment must widen democratic space, estalish political pluralism, and protect
and support the "orces working "or change #e.g., change agents "rom cause-oriented
groups, non-go&ernmental organiBations and peopleHs organiBations* instead o" repressing
them.
c. 2he go&ernment should ring asic ser&ices to the depressed areas in a participator!
manner, gi&ing the local people a more acti&e role in administering and enhancing such
ser&ices.
'. Non!go'#nm#ntal ogani*ations.
a. 2he role o" our cause-oriented groups or non-go&ernmental organiBations should e
oth crusading or consciousness-raising and prolem sol&ing. -ur communit! groups or
peopleHs organiBations can conduct their own pro?ects with the support o" non-
go&ernmental organiBations, religious groups and the go&ernment, and empower
themsel&es in the process.
. -ur social institutions need to e moiliBed towards a common purpose and shared
priorities with the go&ernment and the Philippine societ! as a whole.
c. -ur communit! groups, peopleHs organiBations and non-go&ernmental organiBations
could promote pulic "orums and discussions wherein pressing national concerns like
land re"orm, gra"t and corruption, unemplo!ment, etc., can e discussed. 2he go&ernment
should participate in these "ora and religious should e encouraged to do the same.
d. Ee can "orm small stud! groups in our schools, work places or communities. 2hrough
these groups, we can stud! the &arious wa!s ! which we can initiate change in our
spheres o" in"luence and encourage each other to ecome role models "or our "amil!,
peers, and communit!.
4. R#ligious Ogani*ations."o'#m#nts.
a. :eligious "amil! mo&ements, like Aarriage Encounter or the Christian /amil!
Ao&ement, can e encouraged to reach out to the poor who are the least prepared "or
"amil! li"e. Programs "or the poor should e coordinated with the go&ernment and
religious institutions.
. 2he charismatic, )usillo, and orn-again mo&ements should e encouraged to
concretiBe spiritual doctrines ! reaching out to the poor and contriuting to nation-
uilding.
8. E%u)ation.
a. CommuniBation o" our schools should e de&eloped to gi&e a common eGperience to
students and to "oster greater equalit! in societ!.
. 1ocial orientation courses in our schools should e not onl! "or socialiBation acti&ities,
ut also "or sociall!-oriented and sociall!-rele&ant acti&ities.
C. 3o &#'#loping Int#gity an% A))ountability:
7. Go'#nm#nt L#a%#ship Stu)tu#.Syst#ms
a. -ur top go&ernment o""icials should ser&e as models "or other workers in the lower
echelons o" the ureaucrac!.
. 1ince our leaders are too insulated "rom what is actuall! happening at the ottom, the!
need to e eGposed to the realities o" social li"e.
c. 2he go&ernment needs to implement comprehensi&e, concrete and operational
measures to minimiBe gra"t and corruption. 2hese measures must e gi&en teeth !
estalishing groups or institutions &ested with police power.
d. 2here is a need "or a more e""icient ureaucrac!, with a minimum o" red tape. 2he
go&ernment should s!stematiBe in"ormation dissemination. /or instance, the pulic
should e in"ormed how a go&ernment agenc! administers its ser&ices. 2his and other
similar strategies could minimiBe D"iGersD and lessen gra"t and corruption.
e. , s!stem o" rein"orcing desirale eha&ior must e "ormulated ! the go&ernment
ureaucrac!. /or eGample, honest policemen and industrious Aetro ,ides can e gi&en
appropriate recognition, awards, or other incenti&es.
'. E%u)ation.Taining.
a. 2he career eGecuti&e program gi&en to go&ernment o""icials should e eGtended, that
is, a similar program should e drawn up "or all go&ernment emplo!ees. 2he program can
e a training package called DPulic 1er&iceD.
. -ur go&ernment emplo!ees should e gi&en &alue clari"ication seminars.
@. 3o &#'#loping &is)iplin# an% +a% 9ok
7. 5n oth go&ernment and pri&ate institutions, we need to:
a. pro&ide positi&e controlsI keep per"ormance recordsI and maintain reward and
recognition s!stemsI and
. get rid o" useless, meaningless rules.
'. Ee ought to reward eGcellence in whate&er /ilipinos do !:
a. identi"!ing and making known centers o" eGcellence in the PhilippinesI
. looking "or, documenting and puliciBing success or eGcellence stories #e.g., local
entrepreneurs who ha&e succeeded* using &arious mediaI
c. recogniBing and encouraging ad&ertisements that con&e! the &alue o" eGcellence and
depict positi&e /ilipino &aluesI and
d. using media #such as comics, radio programs in the &arious dialects*, that will
communicate to the masa in order to depict positi&e /ilipino &alues, and gi&ing awards to
radio, 2. programs, and mo&ies that con&e! these &alues.
E. 3o &#'#loping S#l6!#6l#)tion an% Analysis
7. R#ligion.R#ligious "o'#m#nts. 2he teaching o" religion or catechism should e
concrete, integrated to dail! li"e, and sociall! rele&ant. -ur religious mo&ements should
not onl! engage in DspiritualD acti&ities ut should speci"icall! reach out to the poor and
need!.
'. Small Goups.NGO$s.
a. Ee can start a mo&ement o" small groups #e.g., communit! groups, work groups, and
parish groups* where people can egin to re"lect on their situation and that o" the countr!.
. 1ome ig companies are alread! inculcating the hait o" oser&ation-action-re"lection
through training programs that use eGperiential methods. 2hese e""orts should e
eGpanded. 1peci"icall!, the training programs could e re-designed "or use in other
conteGts, such as in the small groups mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
4. Go'#nm#nt L#a%#ship.
a. Ee should encourage Dcon&ersionD at the top le&el, as mani"ested in pulic
DrepentanceD or con"ession.
. 2he @epartment o" Education, Culture and 1ports #@EC1* and pri&ate learning
institutions should inculcate the &alue and hait o" sel"-re"lection starting "rom childhood.
Educational methods should not "ocus on rote learning, ut should emphasiBe re"lection
and anal!sis.
c. Ee can conduct a Dnational re"lection weekendD "or o""icials and emplo!ees in all
le&els and ranches o" the go&ernment. @uring this weekend, go&ernment personnel can
repeat the process #see ,ppendiG C* o" the Aoral :eco&er! pro?ect, that is, re"lect on
/ilipino traits, then contemplate goals "or strengthening the positi&e traits and changing
the negati&e traitsI or a commission or similar unit can go to regional and pro&incial
le&els to help the regional and pro&incial go&ernment o""icials and emplo!ees in their
re"lection.
d. Ee can strengthen the research arms o" go&ernment agencies ! linking them with
uni&ersities and non-go&ernmental organiBations.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5n conclusion, it is recommended that once this report is sumitted to the 1enate and
ecomes a 1enate :eport, the pro?ect should e allowed to de&elop on its own,
independent o", ut in collaoration with, the legislature. 5t is en&isioned that training
modules could e de&eloped that would enale a critical mass o" people to re"lect on our
strengths and weaknesses as a people. 5t is important that these modules not simpl!
communicate the "indings o" the pro?ect, ut, more importantl!, should attempt to
replicate the process o" communal re"lection that was an essential ingredient o" the
pro?ect methodolog!.
2he pro?ect was a power"ul eGperience "or the memers o" the task "orce. ,long with the
pro?ect "indings we wish to share this eGperience as well, so that together we ma!
understand oursel&es, and together we ma! make an act o" the will to ecome a etter
people.
At#n#o %# "anila 0ni'#sity
http://www!"#p$"%/&$$'/S(")(*+,/III--/!h.pt("/)0ht1
CHAPTER IX
CULTURAL RIGHTS ARE
HUMAN RIGHTS
&OREEN G. 3ERNAN&E:
3uman rights are more than legal concepts: the! are the essence o" man. 2he! are what
makes man human. 2hat is wh! the! are called human rights: den! them and !ou den!
manHs humanit!.
Tot# 9. &iokno
CULTURAL RIGHTS AS HUMAN RIGHTS
3uman rights ha&e een de"ined and enumerated in "i&e international documents and
three national documents. 2he international documents are the <ni&ersal @eclaration o"
3uman :ights, which the <nited %ations adopted on @ecemer 7(, 7=8>I its two
implementing co&enants: 2he 5nternational Co&enant on Ci&il and Political :ights, which
took e""ect in 7=)$I the @eclaration and ,ction Programme on the Estalishment o" a
%ew 5nternational Economic -rderI and the Economic :ights and @uties o" 1tates, oth
o" which the <nited %ations adopted in 7=)8.
2he three national documents are the Aalolos Constitution o" 7>=>, the Philippine
Constitution o" 7=4L, and the Philippine Constitution o" 7=>$. 2he late 1enator ;ose E.
@iokno, the greatest de"ender and spokesman o" human rights in the Philippines, has
pointed out that the 7=)4 Constitution Dhas no place on the list,D not onl! ecause o" its
dout"ul parentage, ut also ecause o" its pro&isions inimical to human rights.
#=*

2he ao&e se&en documents enumerate more than twent! human rights. 1enator @iokno
eGplains Dthe asicsD thus:
/irst. %one o" us asked to e orn. ,nd regardless o" who our parents are and what the!
own, all o" us are orn equall! naked and helpless, !et each with his own mind, his own
will and his own talents. Cecause o" these "acts, all o" us ha&e an equal right to li"e, and
share the same inherent human dignit!. 2he right to li"e is more than the right to li&e: it is
the right to li&e in a manner that e"its our common human dignit! and enales us to
ring our particular talents to "ull "lower. 1o each o" us indi&iduall! has three asic rights:
the right to li"e, the right to dignit!, and the right to de&elop oursel&es. 2hese are
traditionall! known as the rights o" man.
1econd: E&en i" we ma! not know who our parents are, we are ne&er orn without
parents, and ne&er li&e outside societ!, a societ! with its own peculiar culture, histor! and
resources. 1o esides our rights as persons, we ha&e rights as societ!, rights which elong
to each o" us indi&iduall! ut which we can eGercise onl! collecti&el! as a people. 2hese
rights are known as the rights o" the people 2he! are analogous to the rights o" man, and
like the latter, comprise three asic rights: to sur&i&e, to sel"-determination, and to
de&elop as a people.
2hird: -nce a societ! reaches a certain degree o" compleGit!, as almost all societies ha&e,
societ! can act through go&ernment. Cut go&ernment alwa!s remains onl! an agent o"
societ!I it ne&er ecomes societ! itsel"I it ne&er ecomes the people themsel&es. 5t is
alwa!s and onl! an instrument o" the people. . . .
,ll the rights o" man and all the rights o" the people come "rom those three asic
principles.
#7(*

Cultural rights are inalienal! part o" human rights, ut ha&e not een high in the
consciousness o" our people, ecause o" the more &isile and dramatic transgressions o"
human rights that ha&e scarred our recent histor!, like sal&aging, unemplo!ment, low
wages, eGploitation, and the suppression o" dissent.
Ehat then are cultural rightsF Ceneath the asic rights o" man--the right to li"e the right
to dignit!, and the right to de&elop oursel&es--lie our rights to our own culture.
2he right to li"e is not onl! the right to e ali&e, ut to li&e as one wishes, as one sees "it
in order to ring his talents to "ull "lower, as one was shaped ! his culture. 5t is the right
to li&e as an 5"ugao, a Aaranao, a Pampango, in the wa! these cultures consider it good to
li&e.
2he right to dignit! is the right to the regard o" oneHs "ellow man, and there"ore o" oneHs
cultural communit!. 5t is the right to li&e and work, to sur&i&e and produce, as a Cilaan
"armer, as a Cad?ao "isherman, as an 5longo wea&er--rewarded with ?ust wages and with
the support and regard o" his peers.
2he right to de&elop oursel&es assumes a de&elopment o" what we are, o" what our
culture made us, within the conteGt o" our "amilies, towns, and nation. 5t is the right to
learn and grow as an 5locano student, a 2ausug doctor, a Contoc social worker, each
de&eloping the particular cultural traits and gi"ts that make him 5locano or 2ausug or
Contoc and /ilipino.
Cultural rights are thus inalienal! part o" the rights o" man. 2he! are also, there"ore, part
o" the rights o" a people to sur&i&al, to sel"-determination, and to de&elopment, ecause a
people consists o" humans rought together as memers o" a societ!, "ormed ! a
particular culture and histor!.
Ce"ore this nation came to e called the Philippines, it was composed o" ethnic groups or
tries scattered throughout the islands--each a communit! or small societ!, each with a
particular culture and cultural eGpressions. 2hus when Piga"etta recounted how he and
AagellanHs cohort were greeted ! a King with "ood, gi"ts, and ceremonies, he was
speaking o" a particular indigenous people with those customs and cultural traditions.
,nd later, when the 1panish "riars and ci&il authorities reported ack to 1pain on their
dealings with Pamals, or ;oloans, or 1uguanons, the! acknowledged that the! were
dealing with peoples whose customs showed them to di""er "rom each other.
Ehen, a"ter 8(( !ears, 1panish culture--and later, a"ter 8( !ears o" a new coloniBation,
,merican culture--had een adapted into the nati&e culture and thus indigeniBed, a
certain uni"ormit! or similarit! could e discerned among the cultures o" the conquered
peoples--speci"icall! the lowlanders, like the 2agalogs, 5locanos, Pampangos, 5longos,
Ceuanos, Eara!s, etc. 2he peoples who remained unconquered, howe&er--and the
1panish annals are "illed with accounts o" attles with the Aoros, and encounters with
headhunters--did not asor this culture. 2hus, when we speak o" a Philippine "olk
culture as &isile in such cultural eGpressions as the theater "orm called kom#%ya, the
dance called )ai4osa, the house called bahay na bato, we are speaking onl! o" the
culture o" ChristianiBed /ilipinos, and not o" the culture o" the Cordillera, or o" most o"
Aindanao.
E&entuall!, histor! "orged "rom this collection o" ethnic groupings a political entit! called
the Philippines. ,s a result o" the wa!s o" the 1panish colonial go&ernment, later the
,merican insular go&ernment, and still later the Philippine national go&ernment, the
culture o" the ma?orit! was taken as the asis "or national polic! and legislation, and the
culture o" the others--the so called cultural minorities, or trial /ilipinos-- was neglected.
2hese cultures were not considered in the making o" lawsI these peoples were not usuall!
gi&en a &oice in go&ernmentI their needs were not o"ten taken as part o" the national
concern.
MINORITY CULTURAL RIGHTS
Oet these peoples elong to the nation that we call the Philippines. Calling them Dcultural
minoritiesD shows that the! are considered as not elonging to the predominant culture,
and eGplains wh! their cultural rights ha&e een o"ten "orgotten and trampled upon.
Let us eGamine some eGamples o" &iolations o" cultural rights. 5n the )(s, a go&ernment
stud! determined that, in order to irrigate the entire Caga!an .alle! area, and to de&elop
)(,((( kilowatts o" electric power, "our dams should e uilt in the Chico and Pasiw
:i&ers in Kalinga and in Contoc Pro&ince. -ne dam was to e uilt at Contoc, to e
called Chico 5. Chico 55 was to e uilt at 1adanga, ContocI Chico 555 at Casao, KalingaI
and the largest, Chico 5., at Luuangan, Kalinga.
#77*
/rom the economic point o" &iew o"
human rights, the! would enhance the capailit! o" the residents o" the Caga!an .alle! to
Dde&elop as a people.D
2o uild the "our dams, howe&er, would mean displacing L((( Contoc and Kalinga
"amilies: uprooting them "rom their homes, e&icting them "rom what had een their
homes "or generations, and anishing them to the lowlands where the! had ne&er li&ed,
where their work wa!s would not e e""ecti&e, and where their mountain cultures would
ha&e no place. 5t would also mean destro!ing 7L(( rice terraces that these people had
uilt with much wisdom, communit! laor and, !es, pain.
2he destruction o" homes and rice "ields, the trans"er o" workers and their "amilies to
un"amiliar workplaces would ha&e een cruel ph!sical displacement. Cut e&en more cruel
would ha&e een the cultural displacement. Cuilding the Chico dams would ha&e een, in
e""ect, &iolating the rights o" a people to sel"-determination within their culture. 2he act
would ha&e indicated that the go&ernment was acting "or the economic rights o" the
people o" the Caga!an :i&er .alle! and against the cultural #and economic* rights o" the
Contoc and Kalinga people. 5t would ha&e indicated that no importance was gi&en to their
urial grounds, or their re&erence "or their ancestors, or the trees and "orests the! elie&ed
were inhaited ! their deities and spirits, or the histor! o" therace written in the rice
terraces, the houses, the communities.
2he Chico dams would not ha&e killed the a""ected Contocs and Kalingas--the! were le"t
the right to sta! ali&e somewhere else--ut it would ha&e killed their cultural conteGt, and
thus denied them their right to li&e as the! wished, in dignit! and de&elopment o" their
own determination and design.
2hese people, to whom no one needed to eGplain the articles o" human rights, or the
sutleties o" cultural rights, were determined to "ight to the death rather than gi&e up their
land. 2he! gathered together, the! organiBed and made peace pacts ;bo%ong<. E&en their
women "ought ack, and dro&e out the %ational Power Corporation team that had come
to sur&e! and drill. 3owF
2he women remo&ed their tapis #a kind o" skirt* knowing that the lowland men would not
touch them in pulic nor e&en look at them i" the! were naked. 5t is a cultural taoo. 2he!
ad&anced on as the engineers "led in sheer emarrassment. , helicopter had to e "lown
to pick up their aandoned equipment.
#7'*

5t was a cultural weapon, which o" course would not ha&e pre&ailed upon the modern
weapons o" the arm! or the power o" the go&ernment. @eaths resulted, like that o" Aacli-
ing @ulag, ut e&entuall! the people, aided ! "riends o" trial /ilipinos, pre&ailed, and
the dams were not uilt.
2he stor! o" the Chico :i&er dams ma! e called a success stor!, aleit one paid "or with
lood and pain. 5t is a rare one in the annals o" trial /ilipinos, which is "illed with
&iolations o" cultural rights, and thus o" human rights--&iolations that ha&e not usuall!
"ound their wa! to the newspapers, or o""icial go&ernment lists, or e&en to ,mnest!
5nternational, ecause o" a lack o" recognition that cultural rights are human rights.
2he uilding o" the Kawasaki 1intering Plant in Caga!an de -ro sent workers o" the area
to mountain regions where the skills o" their "ishing culture were unusale. 5n the da!s
when sugar was at a premium on the world market, ranches in Cukidnon were con&erted
o&ernight into cane "ields. 1ome o" the ranches were "ormerl! occupied ! Aanoo
triesman, who claimed them as ancestral domain, encouraged ! Presidential @ecree
87(. 2he! were told, howe&er, that the decree was in ae!ance. @id that mean that their
rights to the land o" their "ore"athers, and their rights to use the land as their culture
determined, were in ae!anceF 2he Aanoos could not understand this, sa!s Cishop
/rancisco Cla&er:
2he Aanoo do not understand in the same wa! that the Contoc and the Kalinga do not
understand, and some ha&e alread! een killed ecause the! cannot understand. Cut the!
are the Little People, the Aanoo, the Contoc, the Kalinga. 2he! are eGpendale, their
lack o" understanding does not matter ecause the President JAarcusK knows est.
1omething is wrong somewhere, &er! wrong, and the rest o" the countr! is silent.
#74*

VIOLATIONS OF MINORITY CULTURAL RIGHTS
2he minorities ha&e, through our histor!, een depri&ed o" ancestral lands ! other
/ilipinos, ! multinational corporations, and ! the go&ernment itsel". -&iousl!, this is a
gross &iolation o" cultural, propert!, and economic rights. -ther &iolations, perhaps less
well known or less o&ious would include: eGhiiting trial /ilipinos at the 1t. Louis
EGposition in 7=(8, as Dprimiti&e,D Dsa&ageD people, not onl! degrading their human
dignit!, ut treating them as suhuman and causing them to ecome ill.
,nother instance was Dturning the Qdisco&er!H o" the 2asada! into an international media
e&entH to oost the chances o" Aanuel EliBalde, ;r. "or the 7=)7 senatorial elections.D
#78*

Aore recentl!, the 2asada! ha&e een in&ol&ed in an in&estigation o" their authenticit!,
which is o&iousl! relati&e to accusations against EliBalde, and has resulted in killings
among them. ,lthough the in&estigation has o&ious ut unspoken political ends, the
&ictims are the 2asada!, their dignit!, their personhood--and quite proal! the lands set
aside "or them in increasingl! crowded 1outh Cotaato.
E&en the man! kom#%yas or moo!moos written in the Philippines "rom the lath centur!
to the '(th, although seemingl! dealing onl! with lo&e and war, are un"air to the /ilipino
Auslims, and transgress their right to a "air reading o" their culture. 9enerall!, the! are
portra!ed as oast"ul and "erocious, worth! o" &ictor! in attle or o" marr!ing Christian
princes or princesses onl! i" con&erted to Christianit!. 2he pe?orati&e use o" the word
DAoronD to signi"! someone irreligious, =uam#nta%o, etc., is part o" this cultural
&iolation.
Cultural discrimination too is the imposition o" political, educational, health, and other
social s!stems or regulations on the ,gta, the Aang!an, the 3igaonon, the 2Holi, the
Auslim without consulting them or their culture.
Cultural &iolations as well are: discrimination against trial /ilipinos in legislation,
go&ernment appointments, educational and health ene"itsI their displacement due to
in"rastructure pro?ectsI the degradation o" their resource ase #e.g., the cutting down, "or
logging, o" the "orests in which the! li&e and "ind li&elihood*I the commercialiBation o"
their cultural arti"acts #e.g., the ridiculous and oscene car&ings that entrepreneurs make
nati&e car&ers produce "or the Caguio tourist trade*I and the desecration o" their rites and
elie" s!stems #the 9rand Canao /esti&al in Caguio, the proli"eration o" mock ,ti-,tihan
"or tourist "esti&als and political campaigns, the corruption o" the Aoriones o"
Aarinduque*, etc.
@o we, along with go&ernment agencies and commercial enterprises, realiBe that these
&ictims too are /ilipinosF
2here are 7() ethnic groups in the Philippines, the iggest o" which are the Ceuano,
2agalog, 5locano, 3iliga!non, Cicol, Eara!, Pampango and Pangasinan peoples. 2he!
represent some >L percent o" the total population. 2he remaining 7L percent constitute the
ethnic minorities, who, howe&er, represent aout >( percent o" the total numer o" ethnic
groups in the countr!. 2he numer o" Auslims was estimated in 7=>7 to e etween 4
and L million.
#7L*

2he trial /ilipinos include groups most /ilipinos ha&e ne&er heard or thought o", or
considered as eing "ellow /ilipinos: Aanda!a, Aansaka, @iaawon, Aanguangan,
3igaunon, 2agakaolo, Kalagan, Aanoo, :emontado, @umagat, ,gta, Caluga, etc. 2heir
prolems are /ilipino prolems. Like the rest o" us, the! need social ser&ices,
opportunities to de&elop, ?os and wages in order to sur&i&e, &enues in which to eGpress
their arts, integration into the nation and its aspirations. 2he cultural ma?orit! and
minorit! equall! ha&e a right to the protection o" their cultures, ut the minorit! ha&e an
underl!ing prolem: how to preser&e their own cultures while ecoming one with the
other, more dominant culturesI how, in e""ect, to make their contriution to the national
culture.
2he Philippine national culture has een de"ined ! critic and literar! historian
Cien&enido Lumera as Dthe d!namic aggregate o" ideas, traditions and institutions
emod!ing the &alues and aspirations o" the people as these ha&e een concretiBed !
their struggle against colonial rule and neocolonial control.D
#7$*
,nthropologist and
Constitutional Commissioner Ponciano Cennagen calls it Dthat which has een emerging
"rom the crucile o" the /ilipino peoplesH collecti&e interaction and struggles against other
national cultures.D 5t is still emerging, since the /ilipino people are still engaged in the
struggle to "ree themsel&es "rom current "oreign and new "orces o" national domination. 5t
is still emerging as well "rom the di""erent ethnic identities and cultures, ecause, as
Cennagen eGplains:
,n aspect o" this struggle is the wreaking down o" ethnolinguistic oundaries as the
di&erse groups "ind common cause in de"ending their so&ereignt!. 2he emergence o" a
national culture then constitutes a rede"inition o" cultural identities e!ond, ut still
including, the ethnic identities. Put another wa!, in the collecti&e struggles against other
national "orces o" domination, we are ecoming . . . oth Contoc and /ilipino, oth
3igaunon and /ilipino, oth Aaranao and /ilipino, oth 5locano and /ilipino, oth
2ausug and /ilipino . . .
#7)*

, national culture, there"ore, does not mean cultural con"ormit!. 2he Philippine national
culture is uilt o" all cultures that are /ilipino. ,ll these cultures ha&e a right to sur&i&e
and pre&ail, and thus make their indi&idual contriutions to the national identit! and
dream. 2he rights o" these cultures, minorit! and ma?orit!, to sur&i&al, to sel"-
determination, and to de&elopment, are rights that the Constitution assumes, guarantees,
and protects when it declares that Congress Dshall gi&e the highest priorit! to the
enactment o" measures that protect and enhance the right o" all the people to human
dignit!, reduce social, economic, and political inequalities, and remo&e cultural inequities
! equital! di""using wealth and political power "or the common goodD #,rticle R555, 5
section 7*.