Psychology of Filipino

Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology) refers to the psychology born out of the
experience, thought and orientation of the Filipinos, based on the full use of Filipino
culture and language. The approach is one of “indigenization from within” whereby the
theoretical framework and methodology emerge from the experiences of the people from
the indigenous culture. It is based on assessing historical and socio-cultural realities,
understanding the local language, unraveling Filipino characteristics, and explaining them
through the eyes of the native Filipino. Among the outcomes are: a body of knowledge
including indigenous concepts, development of indigenous research methods and
indigenous personality testing, new directions in teaching psychology, and an active
participation in organisations among Filipino psychologists and social scientists, both in
the Philippines and overseas.
Discovering the Filipino Self
The Filipino identity in this sense is thus one that has been formed by culture
and nationhood of Filipino people. As a product of different foreign
influences, the Filipino has been molded and shaped, absorbing various social
traditions and values from foreign countries and can be likened to a shared
identity of various cultures. To add to this, being an archipelagic country has
separated people from various parts of the Philippines, enforcing further
individual regional identities. Given the multitude of foreign influences that
have cultivated who the Filipino is, it can be said that his identity is either a
mix of all cultures or a loss to his own as the true Filipino identity is buried
under layers of other identities.
Filipino Identity Crisis
Filipino Identity Crisis
The Philippines is a country that has been colonized one too many times. It started off
with the Spaniards, then we were sold us off to the USA, and then we were invaded
again by the Japanese. During their stay, we were tortured, raped, ransacked, and
more. It strikes me as odd that after all of that, we still admire them. Worse, we aspire
to be them. Women everywhere are trying to get their own “milky white complexion.”
Whenever you see the word “imported”, we instantly think that it is better than what
our own country can produce. Granted, there are imported products whose quality is
better than ours but that does not mean that we should think they are superior to any
of us.