Jasmien Rydell P.

Nonat
MEB16
Mga Babasahin Hinggil sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas
Professor Jumel Estrañero
De La Salle University - Dasmariñas

Kartilya ng Katipunan and its current application to the culture

and behavior of Filipinos.

I. Introduction

Written by Emilio Jacinto also known as the “Utak ng Katipunan” in 1892, who
established the Katipunan's laws and principles and served as a handbook for its
associates. Commended by Andres Bonifacio for its great philosophical value, later on,
to be decided as a primary governing document that determines the rules of conduct in
the Katipunan. Considering it was the first code of conduct that gave significance to the
Filipinos to have the ‘Bayanihan’ spirit in the same sense as the Philippine
Independence, both then and now has its metaphorical but accurate statement of the
life standards that perhaps not only a Katipunero, but a Filipino shall practice. The term
‘Bayanihan’ refers to a key component of Filipino culture where a community
collaborates to achieve a shared goal. The amazing side of the Kartilya is not only
leading for the Katipunan Members, it represented moral and nationalistic ideas shared
by all Filipinos. Today, the concept describes local civil actions, which involve ordinary
Filipinos working together to help their fellow citizens.
 II. Body

Defined in the "Kartilya ng Katipunan" is the moral and ethical standards that the
Katipunan seeks to follow as a real Filipino brotherhood. It promotes shared affection
and solidarity, faith in reason, and the protection of a person's honor and dignity. It does,
however, adhere to essential democratic values such as human equality irrespective of
skin color, socioeconomic status, or amount of education. It also emphasizes the
significance of men and women’s responsibilities to their families. Furthermore, the book
underlines the members' desire for independence and willingness to sacrifice
themselves in order to protect the nation and people. This paper elaborates the how
Filipinos adopted Kartilya’s code of conduct as its culture and behavior.
According to the first Code of Conduct, we must live a purposeful life. We need to
learn how to develop goals that are set to be our priorities and find meaning in our lives;
otherwise will suffer a life of nothing to look forward to. This concept applies to the
Filipino concept of saying “Bahala na”. Bahala na is one of the most widely used
phrases in the Philippines. Filipinos usually say this phrase when they are unable to
decide their next course of action or when they have no idea what will happen next.
They say this phrase as if all they want is to go with the flow, not minding what the
outcome might be (Lagudas, E. n.d.). It has both positive and negative contexts.
The use of the expression "Bahala na" in a negative context demonstrates the
tendency of Filipinos to evade accountability. Some individuals perceive it as only an
alibi for lazy people to avoid responsibility. Researchers also believe that stating
"Bahala na" is equivalent to acknowledging that humans lack an internal locus of
control, this denotes they don't feel they have the power to transform their lives. In a
more positive way, rather than interpreting it as a sign of laziness in response to
challenges, some argue that it is a sign of commitment and readiness to take chances.
Some studies explored ‘Bahala na’ as a type of chant, a positive affirmation that
encourages them to get stronger, rather than as a form of inactivity. When individuals
say "Bahala na," they are encouraging themselves and reminding themselves that they
are prepared to bear difficult conditions or life-changing events that may occur, using
this sentence is equivalent to proclaiming their trust in their ability to find solutions when
certain situations arise.
The second code of conduct implies that we must not be egocentric. We ought to
perform good deeds not to gain and abuse praises but to do them with all our hearts
because such a good act done solely for the purpose of fame is not worthy of the title.
Humbleness is one of the core values of Filipinos, along with being compassionate
towards others shows a kind of value that helps promote a good attitude and would help
grow different respected and experienced citizens. “Pagiging Mapagkumbaba” is the
term for it. Folks that are modest, those who are not naive, but are obedient, eager to
learn, and charitable to others. Those who see others' needs simply because they are
not self-centered and are not in search of themselves. They are happy people, and we
appreciate individuals who are humble and also emphasize that it is about humility to
accept that you are not the best. “In the corporate world, we thrive on recognition.
Without it, we wouldn’t get raises and promotions. I now knew that humility doesn’t
need to mean service without the recognition. I finally understood what it means to be
Filipino American: to serve through leadership. To advocate for yourself and those
who don’t have the means” Stated Krystle English (2022) a Filipino-American who fully
adopted the Filipino culture, being hospitable and humble.
The third and fifth code provides us with the genuine meaning of a pure act of
kindness: being kind is simply shown in the service and love one gives to his or her
fellowmen without expecting anything in return. We have our own term for it: "Utang na
Loob” with no direct translation but rather contextual and cultural. Utang na Loob is a
Filipino cultural trait that may mean debt of gratitude and reciprocity. We keep it to heart
the good deeds we receive from someone, especially when we need help. It is to say
that we are indebted to that person for life (Jef M. 2022). It is a method of giving, taking,
and reciprocating any kind of help. We also call it ‘Malasakit’ – Malasakit is a Filipino
virtue characterized as concern and response to the needs of others. From the term
‘sakit’ which is a sickness-related phrase. When a person values the pagiging
malasakit, he or she accepts responsibility for the circumstance and seeks solutions
because they have a strong sense of ownership and duty for the sake of others. Thou
does not simply sit back and watch things happen, they act because they are held
accountable.
The fourth code tackles discrimination against people of color. A Katipunero must
view another as a person not distinct from himself. Violence, forced assimilation, abuse.
Despite all the positive developments in international human rights standard-setting,
indigenous peoples continue to face serious human rights abuses on a day-to-day
basis. In education, The Philippine historical accounts show that Indigenous Peoples
(IPs) in the Philippines have long been suffering from discrimination and lack of access
to Education. According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social
Affairs (2023), Indigenous human rights advocates are increasingly being labeled
terrorists for advocating and defending rights that have been granted for decades. This
concerning tendency may be found all across the world. As a result, it is critical that the
Human Rights Council's relevant special procedures collaborate with one another and
with other human rights bodies to address the situation through monitoring, mediation,
analysis, and the provision of concrete recommendations for the effective protection of
indigenous human rights defenders. This implies that racial prejudice against
indigenous peoples persists, not just in the Philippines, but also around the world. It is
important for Filipinos to be superior to no one and that no one is superior to anyone.
The fifth, sixth, and ninth code tackles being an honorable person who
recognizes that valuing oneself entails prioritizing honor over selfish gain. An honorable
man has to be a man of his own word. He must follow through on promises since said
promises can never be taken back. In the Philippines, the basic idea of honor is one of
sacrifice, of putting one's own troubles aside to address matters that are more important
and beneficial to the whole. It is a social code based on concepts of loyalty, courage,
and goodness that are imposed via social constraints (etiquette standards). Filipinos
describe loyalty as the undeniable capability to be able to trust the other person, “I do
for you, and you do for me; when you betray me or I perceive you to be a liability, the
pact is broken.” It applies to friendship, marriage, and other forms of relationship. In
terms of the Katipunan brotherhood, loyalty refers to an ability to commit to the
organization that adheres to its own values and internal compass and what they view as
right or wrong. Courage is about moving into the unknown in spite of having fear and
uncertainty. A person without courage will be led around their entire life, making vague
moral choices that aren't truly their own, and that will be it, whereas a person with
courage will never have to think to themselves "I wonder what would have happened if I
went for it.". As for being good, an honorable man is defined as someone who has the
capacity to define it as right, acceptable, and true. If these individuals have evident
influence, they are free to define things in a very open manner, and people will follow
them. Only Filipinos who grasp what it means to be "honorable" will we be able to
actually make changes to make our country a better place.
Written in the tenth and eleventh is how a man should treat his wife and children.
To the wife, he should see her as his best companion, his confidence, the brains of the
partnership, the strength in times of trouble, and a mother to their children. Even if it is
not the wife, he still must treat women with respect as to his respect for his mother. To
his children, He must play his role to be a father who teaches his children to respect his
parents with kindness and understanding. A father who models the behavior he expects
from his children. Teach your male children how to be good men, by being a good man
who values honor and loves God above all else.
Lastly, the twelfth code loudly speaks the golden rule of the Filipinos: “Huwag
mong gawin sa iba ang ayaw mong gawin sa iyo”. Engl trans: “Don't do to others what
you don't want done to you”. It simply means treat others in the same way you would
like to be treated. According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the rule
reminds us also that we are peers to others who deserve comparable consideration. It
suggests a general orientation toward others, an outlook for seeing our relations with
them. Filipinos are closely associated with Christian ethics and adopted the rule as a
golden rule which dictates how to act, from a biblical principle expressed by Jesus in
Luke 6:31 and Matthew 7:12. If you want to be treated kindly, treat others sweetly; treat
others nicely because of the grace you have received. So that no matter how you feel in
any particular situation, you may provide grace similar to the grace God offers to you on
a regular basis (Heeren, J. 2021). It is a core value statement that promotes
compassion and consideration among all groups of people: family, friends, strangers,
city, state, nation, and the world. A Katipunero must not do bad things against other
people if he does not want other people to do bad things against him.
III. Analysis

The content and context of this primary source document are analyzed. As a
book produced for a brotherhood whose central objective is to topple a colonial
authority, we can interpret the Kartilya's content as a reaction and response to specific
societal values that they considered loathsome in the current condition of events that
they are fighting against. For example, in the perspective of the Spanish colonial era,
Filipinos were referred to as indios and were considered inferior to white Europeans, the
Katipunan ensured that the alternative order that they wished to establish via their
revolution unavoidably eradicated this type of unjust hierarchy as it was written in the
fourth and thirteenth provisions of the code of conduct which highlights the fundamental
equality of men regardless of ethnicity, occupation, or rank.
Furthermore, the document's beliefs may be analyzed as being congruent with
the century's emerging rational and liberal ideas. Equality, tolerance, freedom, and
liberty were principles that originated during the French Revolution and expanded
across Europe, eventually reaching the educated class of the Kartilya's author, Emilio
Jacinto, who clearly understood these ideas. Aside from the liberal ideals that can be
seen in the paper, we can also find some chivalrous values in it. For example, The
teaching of the Katipunan on how women should be treated equally to the men, with
honor and respect, certainly tells the Katipunan’s regard for women in relation to men
such as written in the tenth rule, which specifies that men should be the guide to women
and children and that he should set a good example, otherwise the women and the
children would be guided in the path of evil. Nevertheless, the same document stated
that women should be treated as companions by men and not as playthings that can be
exploited for their pleasure in respect to the person who bore and took care of them.
In the modern perspective, the Katipunan might be condemned for their
provisions. However, it is important to remember the situation in which the organization
was founded. At the time, neither Europe nor the West addressed the problem of
inequality between men and women. Indeed, one may argue that the Katipunan's
acknowledgment of women as vital players in the battle, as shown not just in the
Kartilya but also in the fraternity's organizational structure, where a woman's unit was
founded, was a struggle of its time. Aside from that, the Kartilya was educative not just
in terms of the Katipunan's behavior toward others, but also in terms of the members'
development as individuals of their own rights. The rules in the Kartilya may be divided
into two categories: how one should respect one's neighbor and how one should grow
and behave oneself. Both are essential to the success and satisfaction of the
Katipunan's ideals, e.g., honoring one's word and not wasting time are self-development
teachings, whereas the rules on treating your neighbor's wife, children, and brothers the
way you want yours to be treated are instructions on how Katipuneros should treat and
regard their neighbors.

IV. Recommendation

As a Filipino who appreciates our culture, I consider that we should educate

ourselves about our past in order to understand how and why our country is in the
position wherein our culture is changing from adapting the Kartilya to taking more
interest in international cultures such as can taking they have learned from America
such as trends, products, and services. Instead, take into consideration to engage the
ideas and create them here in the Philippines. It is also critical to understand our history
from the perspective of the Filipinos rather than the colonizers (e.g. Magellan came to
the Philippines vs. Magellan discovered the Philippines). The Philippines might not lose
its original culture, it is a versatile country that can adopt a lot of various influences even
from the start of civilization of the nation, the Philippines adopted lots of various
influences from the traders, merchants, and colonizers that it came into contact with and
indigenized and localized it mixed with the ancient practices and belief systems which
resulted in an intricately sophisticated and diverse culture and it truly helped me respect
and love the Philippines. There are still several ways to assist our country, but they are
all futile if there is no sense of nationalism.

V. Conclusion And Way Ahead

The proper reading of the Kartilya reveals a more throughout understanding of

the Katipunan and the significant roles that it played in the revolution and in the
unfolding of the Philippine history as we know it. It determines the rules of conduct in
the Katipunan, and properly understanding the Kartilya will thus help in understanding
the values, ideals, aspirations, and even the ideology of the organization. Furthermore,
the Filipinos adopted the Kartilya as one of the major cultures and values we still
prolong and practice.

VI. References

Kartilya ng Katipunan. (2017). CulturEd: Philippine Cultural Education Online.

https://philippineculturaleducation.com.ph/kartilya-ng-katipunan/#:~:text=%E

2%80%9CKart%C3%ADlya%20ng%20Katip%C3%BAnan%E2%80%9D%2

0ang%20popular,Ll.
Smolkin, L. (2022, March 14). How Being Filipino Has Kept Me Humble.

https://www.smps.org/how-being-filipino-has-kept-me-humble/

Lagudas, E. (n.d.) Retrieved from

https://www.scribd.com/document/400133933/BAHALA-NA#

Menguin, J. (2022, June 28). Utang na Loob: Filipino’s Sense of Gratitude and

Generosity.

https://jefmenguin.com/utang-na-loob/

Menguin, J. (2021, April 2). Malasakit: The Filipino Culture of Caring for Others.

https://jefmenguin.com/malasakit/

Eduardo, J. P., & Gabriel, A. G. (2021). Indigenous Peoples and the Right to

Education: The Dumagat Experience in the Provinces of Nueva Ecija and

Aurora, in the Philippines. SAGE Open, 11(2).

https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211009491

United Nations For Indigenous Peoples (2023). Human Rights. Un.org.

https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/mandated-areas1/

human-rights.html
 The Golden Rule | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2023). Utm.edu.

https://iep.utm.edu/goldrule/

Heeren, J. (2021, April 23). What Does “Do Unto Others” (The Golden Rule) Mean

in the Bible? - Topical Studies. Biblestudytools.com.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-does-do-un

to-others-mean.html#:~:text=%22Do%20unto%20others%20as%20you,(Mat

thew%207%3A12).

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