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NSTP – CWTS 1
MODULE 3 - WEEK 3

Chapter 3: Values Development for Citizenship Training

Learning Objectives

At the end of this chapter, the leaners are expected to:

1. define and expound on the nature and philosophical values of being a
Filipino;
2. cite popular Filipino values of good citizenship; and
3. relate the concepts discussed to real-life situations.

Overview

This chapter deals with values development for good citizenship, including the
preamble to the 1987 Constitution, the roots of and philosophy behind Filipino values,
nationalism and patriotism, and personal development plan.

The Preamble

The preamble to the 1987 Constitution states: “We, the sovereign Filipino people,
imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society and
establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the
common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our
posterity the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a
regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate
this Constitution” (De Leon et al., 2011).

A preamble is an introductory and preliminary statement in a document that

explains the document’s purpose and underlying philosophy. It may cite historical facts
pertinent to the subject of the statute. The preamble to the constitution of the Philippines
dictates that the Philippines and the Filipino people are the sovereign masters of the
Philippine Islands.
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Philosophy of Values

Understanding the philosophy of human values is necessary in understanding

Filipino values such as family closeness and solidarity (pagkamalapit at pagkakaisa ng
pamilya), politeness (pagkamagalang through the use of po or ho), hospitality, and
gratitude (utang na loob).

Value are both subjective and objective. They involve a subject or person who
values (e.g. a young girl) and an object or value to be realized (e.g. pagkamahinhin).
Justice is objective because it is a value that should be realized by all. There is a
difference between value and disvalue such as pleasure and pain, life and death,
poverty and affluence, heroism and cowardice, truth and falsehood, right and wrong,
holiness and sinfulness. The difference is not only in the mind or simply a matter of
personal taste or preference. It is real and evident.

Filipino Values

What are Filipino values? What is distinctly Filipino in our value system? The
Filipino value system arises from our culture or way of life, our distinctive way of
becoming human in this particular place and time. We speak of Filipino values in a
fourfold sense.

1. It is obvious that certain values take on a distinctively Filipino flavor for us.
The Greek ideal of moderation or meden agan, the Roman in medio stat
virtus, and the Confucian and Buddhist doctrine of the middle way or path,
find their Filipino equivalent in walang labis, walang kulang, or katamtaman
lamang.
2. Speaking of Filipino values, we do not mean that elements of these Filipino
values are absent in the value systems of other peoples and cultures. All
people eat, talk, and sing: but they eat a variety of food, speak various
languages, and sing different songs. Thus, we easily recognize Filipino,
American, Chinese, Japanese, or any other foreign food, language or music.
The difference lies in the way these elements are ranked, combined, or
emphasized, so that they take on a distinctively Filipino slant or cast.

For instance, in China, honesty and hard work may rank highest; Chinese
and Japanese cultures greatly value politeness and beauty; American
culture highlights promptness and efficiency. In this sense of value ranking
and prioritizing, we can speak of dominant Filipino values.

3. Universally, human values in the Filipino context (historical, cultural, socio-

economic, political, moral, and religious) take on a distinctive set of Filipino
meanings and motivations. This is true and not only of the aims and goals,
beliefs, convictions, and social principles of the traditional value system of the
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lowland rural family but also of what Fr. Horacio de la Costa, S.J. calls the
Filipino “nationalistic” tradition (pagsasarili, pagkakaisa, pakikisama,
pakikipagkapwa-tao, and pagkabayani).

A Filipino value is not a discrete item which exists alone, in isolation, or in

a vacuum. Filipino values like bahala na, utang na loob, hiya, pakikisama.
and pakiusap are clustered around core values like social acceptance,
economic security, and social mobility. They are always found in a definite
context or set of circumstances.

4. Values in the sense of historical consciousness had evolved among the

Filipino people, leading to the concept of justice evolving from inequality to
equality and to human dignity. From the tribe, to the family, and to the nation,
consciousness of different values varies during the distinct periods of
Philippine history.

From a historical perspective, the question to ask about Filipino values is:
Ganito kami noon: paano kayo ngayon? How are we to know toward what
goal or direction Filipino values ought to move?

Now that we have regained our democratic form of government and have arrived
at a priviledged historical kairos, how do we transform Filipino values to build a more
“just and humane society” (Preamble, 1987 Constitution)? We need both external
structural and internal cultural change. It is here that the Christian faith, in the last
analysis, should point the way to the kind of values education needed for national
reconstruction.

Good Citizenship Values

1. Love for God or Pagkamaka-Diyos
The Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia, our population being
predominantly Catholic. Therefore, religiousness is a prime Filipino value.

Faith is the deeply rooted submission to a divine Creator and believing in His
authority over all creations. It is also putting oneself in the hands of the Divine Authority
which is an expression of faith in and unconditional love for God.

Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God…whoever says to this mountain; Be lifted
up and thrown in to the sea! And does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what
he says will take place, it will be done for him” (Mark 11:22-23 Amplified Bible).

2. Love for Fellowmen or Pagkamaka-Tao

St. Paul defines love in a different way: Love is patient; it never fails; it is eternal.
There are faith, hope, and love and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13). It
illustrates the real essence of love which strengthens the foundation of the family and
other social groupings. It is the strongest force within the human community. It provides
a deeper meaning to the purpose of human existence.
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3. Love for Country or Pagkamaka-Bayan

Progressive countries are able to attain their economic goals because the people
have trust and confidence in their government and are actively supporting their policies
and programs. These governments, in turn, reciprocate their people’s support with
honest, sound, and dynamic governance.

4. Love for the Environment or Pagkamaka-Kalikasan

Environment refers to everything that surrounds us from the natural world to the
man-made physical structures. Human interventions are important to derive the full
benefits from natural resources, but such interventions have at times gone beyond the
limits of the domain reserved for human utilization.

It is high time we work hand in hand to protect our natural resources and
ecosystem. In our own little way, we can start taking care of our immediate environment
and participate in the sustainable management of our natural resources.