"THE POLITICAL

SELF"
" I SPEAK FOR TRUTH"
DEVELOPING A FILIPINO IDENTITY:
VALUES, TRAITS, COMMUNITY,
AND INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS.
The Filipino Culture is a mix of both eastern and western culture.
The beliefs and traditions of pre-colonial Philippines we're mainly an indigenous
Malay heritage.
The Malay made a large contribution to Philippine history.
The Malay temperament is a basic factor of a Filipino personality.
 Psychologist, educator, and (former) chairperson of the Commission

on Higher Education, Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, wrote that strengths and

weaknesses of the Filipino character are rooted such as:

The Home Environment

The Social Environment
Culture and Language
History
The Educational System
Religion
The Economic Environment
The Political Environment
Mass Media; and
Leadership and role models
"HOME ENVIRONMENT ACCORDING TO

LICUANAN
Filipino children are taught to value family and give it

primary importance.

"SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT" ACCORDING TO

LICUANAN
Filipino Social Environment is charactirized by depending on

one another to survive.

"CULTURE AND LANGUAGE" ACCORDING TO LICUANAN
Depict openness to foreign elements with no basic consciousness of

our cultural core.

"COLONIAL HISTORY" ACCORDING TO LICUANAN

Regarded as the culprit behind our colonial mentality. Unfortunately, most

Filipino elites are of no help in setting an example of overcoming colonial

mentality because they are even more westernized in their ways. Present-

day media, on the other hand, reinforced these colonial influences

"EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM" ACCORDING TO LICUANAN
Is an instrumental in molding the strengths and weaknesses of the

Filipino character.
"RELIGION" ACCORDING TO LICUANAN

Religion taught us optimism and resilience; however, it also instilled in

us a fatalistic attitude.
" THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT" ACCORDING TO LICUANAN
The hard life drove Filipinos to work hard and take risks, such as

leaving our families to work abroad. This further developed our

ability to survive.
"POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT ACCORDING TO LICUANAN

Political Environment and government structures and systems are

fraught with problems.

For Instance, the fact that political power is mainly in the hands of

the elite, and the absence of a strong government presence

enhances the Filipino's already extreme family centeredness.

"MASS MEDIA" ACCORDING TO LICUANAN

How did mass media reinforce our colonial mentality? What did you

notice about the ads, music, videos, movies, fashion ,etc. shown on

TV?.
"LEADERSHIP AND ROLE MODELS ACCORDING TO LICUANAN

Since Filipinos highly respect authority, we lean on our leaders

and role models. Any person with authority is looked up to. Thus,

when our leaders violate the law and when there is lack of

accountability for leaders who break the law, the Filipino mindset

is hugely affected in a negative way.

 STRENGTHS OF A

FILIPINO

CHARACTER
The Filipino traits listed here is certainly not exhaustive, but these are mo we

have in common. The strong aspects of the Filipino character are:

P
1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao; 5. Hard work and industry
2. Family orientation; 6. Faith and religiosity; and
3. Joy and humor; 7. Ability to Survive
4. Flexibility, adaptability, and creativity;
WEAKNESSES OF A

FILIPINO

CHARACTER
Generally, these weaknesses are:
1. Extreme personalism; 5. Colonial Mentality
2. Extreme family-centeredness; 6. Kanya-kanya syndrome; and
3. Lack of discipline; 7. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection
4. Passivity and lack of initiative;
 ESTABLISHING A DEMOCRATIC

CULTURE
1. Democracy helps prevent cruel and vicious autocrats from ruling.
2. It fosters human development (i.e., health, education, personal

income, and any

other indicators) more fully than do other forms of government.
3. Democracy helps protect fundamental individual rights and interests.
4. Democratic societies provide people the maximum opportunity to

take moral
responsibility for their choices and decisions.
5. Democratic societies offer a relatively high chance of political equality.
 TRIVIA:
The idea of democracy (rule of the people) originated in Ancient Greece over two

thousand years ago. Theoretically, it designated a government where the people shared

in directing the activities of the state, as distinct from governments controlled by a single

class, select group, or autocrat; hence, Greece has always been labeled as the Cradle of

Democracy.
RIMBERIO CO

THANK YOU