CHAPTER 8: THE POLITICAL SELF

Introduction

“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official.” -
Theodore Roosevelt

As Filipinos, our loyalty must be first and foremost to the Philippines. Everything that we do, may directly or
indirectly affect our respective communities. Politics is an unseen force in all of our affairs. It may be considered an
infamous term for many, but everyone has a political self because everyone has a nationality and a country to
belong to. We are not created for isolation and we are called to live productive lives that will benefit the greater
good. Mainly, the discussion will center on the significance of political engagement, the Philippine democratic and
political culture, and the role of your political self in affecting the change that you wish to see in your community.

Lesson 1: The Role of Politics

How would you describe your attitude towards politics? Would you say that you have high hopes in our
political systems? Or is it the other way around? Even if you are not a Political Science major, the discussion on
politics is inevitable. So why should you be interested in politics and governance? Davis, 2018)

1. Government and politics impact nearly every aspect of our lives. Whether you like it or not, government
plays a huge role in your daily life, ranging from the amount of tax you pay for your instant coffee, to the
infrastructure projects in your barangay. Since we know that government impacts various choices we make, why not
take the time to understand how the process works? Having this understanding can help you determine the best
course of action for yourself and your family, regarding a wide range of issues.

2. Having knowledge of politics help make you an informed voter. One of the reasons that the Philippines
remain to be a third world country is our uninformed voters. Many Filipinos vote with superficial knowledge of the
candidate’s platforms and stand on pressing societal issues. People are putting all the blame on these politicians on
how poisoned the Philippine government has become, and while it is true, we should share the blame too. Because
we are the ones who decide whether or not to put them there; we hold the power. But the problem is most people
choose not to care. At least not enough. If you are against a certain official in the government, you don’t just go on
Facebook and complain about it. You find qualified and decent ones, then you cast your vote for them on election
day.

3. Politics empowers you to know your rights. Knowledge of politics will help us see beyond our initial belief
that we have no real say in the running of our country. It will educate us and will help us understand our rights as a
Filipino citizen; One of those rights is to engage in political processes, giving every individual the opportunity to be
heard regarding issues that matter to them.

These are only few of the many reasons why we should neglect the political self. Even if many people have
the tendency to shy away from this topic or to overly engage without having correct and enough information—we
must have the courage to search for and proclaim the truth.

Lesson 2: Seeking the Filipino Identity

History has shown us how Filipino identity has evolved from the pre-colonial period, to the colonial period
and the present. We were shaped by the wars and powers that dominated our land, that bowing down to their
definition of who we are seems to be the recourse. The current movement toward globalization is also threatening
that thin and vulnerable definition that we have come up with. Our resilience and adaptability made us embrace
other people’s culture, shoving aside our tradition, values and even somewhat our identity. This is also very much
pronounced as well in our search for our political self.

The independence and the constitution ‘given’ to us declared that we are a Filipino citizen. But what exactly
does that mean? What does it mean to be a Filipino citizen?

According to the 1987 Philippine constitution, Art 4. Sec. 1 these are the citizens of the Philippines: Those
who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution;

1. Those whose fathers and mothers are citizens of the Philippines;

2. Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the
age of majority; and

3. Those who are naturalized in accordance of law.

Such identification as enshrined in the constitution is very helpful but the challenge is how far and up to
what extent do we feel this citizenship? What other factors affect our sense of identity as Filipinos? Do you think
that Filipinos have a strong sense of Nationalism?

Lesson 3: Democracy – From Theirs to Ours

The inception of democracy was handed down to us by the Americans and we have been taught to pattern
ourselves according to their brand of government. The idea of democracy did not emerge from our identity but it
was forced on us and rigidly shaped us and our identity according to the definition given by our colonizers, most
especially U.S. This is not really a good start because we have a kind of political system that did not grow from the
political will of the ordinary people. A true democracy is a rule coming from the people, but if the people do not
understand it – how can they say that they are the ones who rule? The problem lies now in the lack of identity
between the democratic practice and beliefs and practices of the Filipinos.
At present, we have been making a movement towards a grassroot concept of democracy. But this will only be
possible if the masses of poor people and uneducated will find their voice.

3.1. Perception of a Filipino’s Role in a Democratic Setting

The Democracy Agenda Project defined democracy as “a process, fundamentally, a way of life, a means of
relating with other individuals, groups, and the state, and a collective process of decision-making in order to attain
political liberty, social justice, and equity” (Diokno, 1997). From this, we can see that participative democracy was
the preferred choice of democracy over the elite democracy. It entails a more active role in the political decision
making. An example of this would be participation during elections. According to Zialcita (1997), effective citizenship
is one where people know that they can build things, “people who come up with ideas and resources; people who
are bold; people who are accountable.”

Another finding of the project was the consensus regarding redistributive democracy. There is a clamor to
have a better redistribution of resources and capabilities, particularly land, income, and wealth. As long as the
presence of the wide economic gap between people in one republic is present, then the practice of democracy will
be difficult and rights would be more prone to abuse by those who have so much more in terms of the economic
value.

According to Article 2, Section 5 of the 1987 Constitution, three things should be provided by the
government before we can enjoy democracy (1) maintenance of peace and order, (2) protection of life, liberty, and
property, and (3) promotion of general welfare. If we cannot have these three, then we will not be able to reach our
full potential and make a clear definition of our political self. A major part of such a fulfillment is a general consensus
among Filipinos that first, we should be able to participate and be heard in the political process. Our needs and
sentiments through our individual voices or through our elected representatives. Second, there must be consistency
in the principles and policies declared in the constitution and how Filipinos live their lives. Additionally, there are
general agreements on our duties like, standing when the national anthem is being played, awareness of community
affairs, and payment of taxes.

Lesson 4: Political culture

Political culture refers to the socially created aspects involving the production, allocation, and use of
decision-making powers among large groups of individuals (Montiel, 2002). It involves both subjective or mental
elements (i.e., thoughts and feelings) and objective aspects or concrete construction (i.e., material symbols, artifacts,
and group-related practices).

An example of a subjective component of Filipino culture that is activated during political exercises is when
volunteer campaigners carry a widely accepted belief that those who help in a candidate’s campaign get rewarded
with a job and/or government contracts if the candidate wins. On the other hand, an example of an objective
component of Filipino political culture would be the practice of local leaders in asking politicians to act as godfather
(ninong) at the wedding of their children. What does this political practice really symbolize? The local leader’s family
can expect to be given job opportunities and other special politico-economic favors by this powerful politician. In
turn, the politician can expect the leader’s family to help out during the campaign period (Hollnsteiner, 1963).

Political culture is embedded in a time-sensitive and structural context (Montiel, 2002). The political beliefs
and practices interact with historical situations and are thus receptive to the prevailing technologies of the times.
For example, politicians have recently used information and communication technologies in campaigning (e.g., use
of cellphones, email, social networking sites, etc.) Political culture is also structure-embedded such that political
cultures may differ among those who hold power and those who are marginalized in society (Montiel, 2002).

Additionally, many culturally acceptable practices and beliefs operate in government agencies that facilitate
corrupt transactions, such as in pork barrel projects and bidding practices. A shared corrupt-related belief is that
supporting a particular candidate will facilitate award of contracts in the future. Aside from corruption in the
bureaucracy, election time also gives rise to possible corruption because the need for political patronage becomes
intense.

4.1. Political and social participation of the Filipinos

Have you ever experienced joining a rally or writing to your town mayor about an issue affecting your community?
These are examples of political participation. Using data from the 2001 National Survey on Filipino Citizenship,
Sucgang (2006) sought to determine the types of political participation among Filipinos. Two types of political
involvement surfaced, namely, political participation as proactive engagement in the public arena (e.g., running for
office, joining political rallies, and street demonstrations) and political participation as public problem solving (e.g.,
contacting local and national officials on problems, community organizing). Other forms of political participation
Filipinos engaged in were also identified, such as volunteering in radio and television shows) discussing and injecting
humor into political issues, and offering prayers with political intentions.

Are you a member of a civic organization like many of the Filipino youth? According to Yacat (2006), many of
these youth organizations are community-based with advocacy as an important activity (e.g., teenage pregnancy,
drug abuse). The youth engage in projects, such as cleanliness campaigns, organization of youth-oriented activities
like sportsfests, and other types of competitions (e.g., dance contest or Battle of the Bands). However, some
regional-/national-based organizations also provide direct services, such as Kanlungan Pilipinas Movement, Inc.,
which reaches out to young children to educate them in e-learning centers. Other youth organizations are
considered to be counterparts of existing groups for adults. For example, YCU (Young Centrists Union) is the youth
wing of the Centrist Democratic Party of the Philippines (CDP). Aside from civic organization, Filipino youth also
engage in student activism.

4.2. Personality and Leadership

Filipino social scientists have written about political figures and their personalities, leadership styles, and
how people perceive them. In general, Filipino voters prefer a leader with the following personality traits: morally
upright (marangal), God-fearing, loyal, responsible, intelligent, principled, and trustworthy (IPC, 2005).

But how do Filipino voters evaluate political candidates? Studies show that voters use several criteria when they
select their candidate. Montiel’s 1986 study of nontraditional political leadership showed that Filipinos preferred
politicians who were democratic, kept promises, held consistently political views, were for the masses, did not cheat
or lie, and were not sexist. According to Macapagal (2013), on the other hand, found that urban poor voters use
several candidate-related variables, such as background, sociopolitical status, promises, popularity, and behavior in
evaluating political candidates.

Carroll (1994) likewise revealed that regardless of socioeconomic status, Filipinos tend to vote on the basis
of personality and not on issues. They tend to decide early on who to vote for even without knowing the candidates’
platform. Moreover, a major factor of voting is regionalism and language (Lande, 1996). Voters tend to vote for
candidates who are similar to them in terms of province and language. This shows the importance of having shared
identities with voters and candidates. This is known as identity politics, the formation of political allegiances on the
basis of some demographic similarity, such as sex, race, and religion (Plutzer & Zipp, 1996).

Lesson 5: Developing a Democratic Culture

How can we promote the growth of the culture of democracy?

As suggested by Zialcita (1997), the following values are necessary to establish a democratic culture:

1. Respect for and affirmation of the individual. This entails recognizing that every individual has basic and
constitutional rights. But we always have to remember that one’s rights end where another person’s rights begin.
For example, we can exercise our freedom of speech as long as we do not harm others in doing so.

2. Recognition of the innate dignity of all human beings. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” All humans are born with dignity. Simply by
being human, all people deserve respect. Human rights naturally spring from that dignity. Each and every person has
value, are worthy of great respect and must be free from slavery, manipulation and exploitation (Catholic Social
Teaching.org).

3. Concern for the common good. In ordinary political discourse, the “common good” refers to those facilities
—whether material, cultural or institutional—that the members of a community provide to all of its members for
common interests. Examples include: the road system; public parks; public schools; public transportation; civil
liberties, such as the freedom of speech; clean air and clean water; and national defense (Stanford.edu). We have a
shared responsibility to ensure that all of these will be maintained and protected.

4. Willingness to listen to others. “We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we
speak,” the stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote, two thousand years ago. We will be able to choose our words well
and understand each other better if we listen to others first, even to those who are against us. If we respect the
individual, recognize their dignity and their freedom of expression—then we will be giving time to listen to one
another.

All these imply the need for us to help the anonymous stranger, that is—more than our individual families—
we should also be involved in caring for our nation. Going beyond ourselves to serve the public good should be a
major part of our Political Identity, an identity closely tied to being a Filipino citizen in heart and mind.