CHAPTER 2: 


Practice Positive Self-talk
Be Mindful of Comparison

unpacking the self 


Be Wary of Stereotypes
Have the Attitude of Gratitude
 Improve What You Can and Accept
What You Cannot
The Physical Self

 Self as Influenced by the Body The Sexual Self

 Body Image
“All people are sexual beings and we are all
Your body image is how you feel and think about
capable of the human sexual response. “
how you look like.
Secondary Sex Characteristics
2 ELEMENTS
Females Males
Mental Picture – shape, size, colour, and other - Rounder face - Square face
indicators of appearance - Breast enlargement - Prominent hair growth
- Prominent hair on the face, underarm,
Mental Representation – how you think, believe, growth on the chest, and pubic area
and feel about your body. underarm and pubic - Adams Apple or
area Larynx enlargement
Unhealthy Body Image - Widening of hips - Deepening of Voice
- Smaller waist - Broadening of
- More active oil and shoulders and chest
 too anxious about their imperfections sweat glands - More active oil and
 irrational beliefs regarding their body sweat glands
parts

Healthy Body Image

 Accept their bodies and understand that THE HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
imperfections naturally occurs among all
human being MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
 They do not often think about what they
“lack” as an individual and still feel
comfortable about their physical self.
 Has a realistic perception of both strength
and weaknesses
 Inspired to work towards improvement
 Truly understands how he looks like is
just one aspects of his identity.

Culture on Body Image and Self

Esteem
The Importance of Beauty
Body image FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE
- Centers on the physical self SYSTEM

Self-esteem
- Considers the global evaluation of one’s
worth.
Recommended steps in developing a more
“beautiful you”:

BASIC BIOLOGY OF SEXUAL
BEHAVIOR
CHEMISTRY OF LUST, LOVE, AND ATTACHMENT
The following are the hormones, produced by
endocrine glands, which can significantly
influence your experience of lust, love, and
attachment.
Oxytocin: This is popularly known as the “love
hormone” as it is involved in close relationships.
It is produced when you kiss, hug, or intimately
touch someone. Moreover, this is associated with
the mother and child bond during breastfeeding.
Serotonin: A reduced serotonin activity is
associated with the attraction phase or infatuation
stage. Since a low level of serotonin is also
observed among those with obsessive-compulsive
disorder, this may explain why you “obsessively
think or fantasize” about your crush or new
partner.
Dopamine: This neurotransmitter is linked with
pleasurable experiences, addiction, motivation,
desire, and attention. Dopamine makes you feel
euphoric sensations that is similarly experienced
when one takes substances like cocaine.
Vasopressin: The level of this hormone increases
when males are aroused as evidenced by an
erectile response.
Testosterone: Like vasopressin, this hormone
contributes to sexual motivation among men
Estrogen: This hormone increases females’
sexual motivation
Progesterone: Unlike estrogen, this hormone
decreases females’ sexual motivation.
The Phase of Sexual Response
Excitement Phase: The sexual motivation is
aroused and muscle tension builds.
Plateau Phase: Prepares the individual for orgasm
as muscle tension increases.
Orgasm: This is the climax of the cycle as it is the
release of tension. (“Sex flush”)
Resolution Period: This is the unaroused state
before the cycle resumes. Women may feel fatigue
and men go through refractory period during
which they need to recover and that it takes time
before they can have another orgasm again.
Sexual Diversity or GSD
Heterosexual – It is an enduring sexual attraction
between individuals of the opposite sex: Male and
Female. “straight”
Solitary – sexual behavior is mostly associated
with self-masturbation wherein sexual pleasure is
derived from oneself.
Homosexual – sexual attraction is between the
same sex. Regarding gender identity, they are
commonly referred as gays. Most experts believe
that this kind of orientation is caused by an
interplay of neurobiological and environmental
factors.
Bisexual – people who are bisexual are attracted Trichomaniasis
to both males and females. - Smelly vaginal discharge, Itchiness and
redness in the genital area Frequent and
Transexual – people who are transsexuals painful urination Pain during intercourse
“transferred” from their previous sex through - The infections usually clear out after 7
days. antibiotics
surgery and/ or hormonal pills.
HIV / AIDS
Transgender - is an umbrella term for persons
- Brief period of flu-like sickness which
whose gender identity, gender expression or
may be followed by a period with no
behavior does not conform to that typically
illness Infections like tuberculosis,
associated with the sex to which they were
tumors. and weight loss as AIDS
assigned at birth.
progresse.
Sexually Transmitted Disease (STDs) or - No cure
- Antiretroviral treatment can slow down
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
the progress of the infection
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Warts in the extremities, Genital warts
Sores in the mouth, tongue, or lips
Abnormal cell growth or dysplasia which
may develop into cancer
- Topical creams for genital warts and Methods of contraception
sores. The infection usually clears out on NATURAL METHODS
its own.
➼ CALENDAR METHOD
Chlamydia
- Genital discharge, Pain when urinating,
Nausea, Gever, Pain during sexual
intercourse, Pelvic pain, infertility. Many
do not feel symptoms
- Oral antibiotics

Gonorrhea
- Genital discharge, pain when urinating,
sore throat, Swelling of genitals, Fever,
Lower abdominal pain
- Oral or injectable antibiotics
➼ CYCLE BEAD
Syphillis
- Chancres ("shank-ers") which are
painless open sores signal the primary
stage Rashes appear after 2-12 weeks of
infection. This is the secondary stage. In
the latent stage, there are no apparent
symptoms but internal organs are initially
damaged. In the late stage, symptoms
include nervous system problems,
blindness, and even death.
- Antibiotics such as Penicilin
Genital Herpes
- Blisters. Flu and fever, Painless red areas
around genitals, Itchiness in the anal
region, Fatigue, Head and back ache
- No cure symptoms are lessened with
antiviral medications
➼ BREAST FEEDING OR LACTATION
AMENORRHEA METHOD (LAM)
➼ ABSTINENCE UNTIL MARRIAGE OR
CELIBACY
➼ WITHDRAWAL / COITUS INTERRUPTUS
➼ CERVICAL MUCUS METHOD
 Not ovulating: dry or sticky
 Ovulation may be coming: creamy
 Ovulation is very close: wet & watery
 Ovulation: very wet, stretchy, & resembles
a raw egg white
➼ BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE
- is a method of natural family planning that
requires only the purchase of a very accurate
thermometer.
ARTIFICIAL METHODS
➼ BIRTH CONTROL PILLS - come in a pack,
and you take 1 pill every day.  connectedness, and openness to the
➼ DEPO-PROVERA INJECTION - Depo-
Provera is given as an injection every three
months. Depo-Provera typically suppresses
ovulation, keeping your ovaries from releasing an
egg.
➼ INTRAUTERINE DEVICE (IUD) - is a small
T-shaped plastic and copper device that's put into
your womb (uterus) by a doctor or nurse.
➼ SUBDERMAL BIRTH CONTROL
IMPLANTS - inserted beneath the skin of the
upper arm.
BARRIER METHODS
➼ CONDOMS - is worn on the penis. It is usually
made of latex, a type of rubber.
➼ SPERMICIDES - is a chemical that you put
deep into your vagina right before sex. It prevents
pregnancy two ways
➼ DIAPHRAGMS - is a circular dome made of
thin, soft silicone that's inserted into the vagina
before sex.
➼ STERILIZATION OR SURGICAL
METHODS - Female surgical sterilization is a
form of permanent contraception that involves
sealing off or blocking a woman's fallopian tubes.
➼ TUBAL LIGATION - is surgical procedure to
prevent pregnancy. It has commonly been called
"getting your tubes tied." It is also called a female
sterilization.
➼ VASECTOMY - is a surgical procedure to cut
or seal the tubes that carry a man's sperm to
permanently prevent pregnancy
The Spiritual Self
SPRITUALITY
- is a set of “personal and private beliefs
that transcend the material aspects of life
and give a deep sense of wholeness,
infinite.
- any experience that feels meaningful
- connectedness of an individual with the
higher power which is manifested in their
daily experiences.
3 main themes of spirituality
(Yabut, 2016)
CONNECTEDNESS WITH THE
SACRED
the development and maintenance of one’s
connection to the sacred. These manifest
connection with a supreme being, with people or
even with nature which also includes harmony,
interpersonal relationship and sense of faith or
belief to God and people
SENSE OF MEANING OR PURPOSE
this is generally associated with the development
of a focused sense of self, individuality, and
values. Spirituality is something that completes
the life of a person, it includes a sense of peace
and direction.
EXPRESSION OF SPIRITUALITY
which can be done by manifesting values in one’s
relationships and activities with family, friends,
and loved ones. He is described as someone who
has: a strong faith in God, positive personal
qualities, a strong sense of morality, a positive
sense of self and well-being, a spiritual
connectedness, and a mature ability to solve
problems.
The Souls According to the Ethnolinguistic
Groups of the Philippines
Ifugao – ‘Linnawa’
The soul (linnawa) of a child floats
around in the heavens, awaiting its entry into the
human world. During sexual intercourse the
soul/spirit enters the female through the male,
resulting in pregnancy. If a woman cannot
conceive, shamans conduct sacrifices to see if the
couple is compatible. If they are, shamans offer
other sacrifices to enhance fertility.
The soul is believed to continue in existence in the
world of its ancestors. In time the soul of the new-
dead becomes one of the callading or ancestral
spirits. The callading are considered man’s
benefactors.
In some sources (The Soul Book) the
Ifugao believe there are two souls, one in the eyes
and one in the breath. Illness is the withdrawal of
the soul in the eyes. Death is the withdrawal of the
soul in the breath.
Ibaloi
The Ibaloi afterlife is populated by
ancestral spirits, and explains animal sacrifices. In
that spiritual world, when the soul arrives with
physical treasures, it receives a great welcome. An
empty-handed soul finds himself the object of
scorn. He is unwelcome and unaccepted in his
new world and this feeling of insecurity may
cause the spirit to bring evil, disease and even
death among his relatives. In the light of all those
beliefs, relatives of the dead person bring donation
of cash or animals.
Isneg – Kaduwa
The Isneg believed that dead exist in
other world, the Aglalanawan, where the earthly
tasks of planting, harvesting and communal living
are functions common to them. The kaduwa, soul,
is believed to cross the pond in a ferry piloted by
the spirit, Kutaw(A psychopomp). In a bid to
please kutaw, who could facilitate the spirit’s
entry to aglalanawan, the appropriate customary
death rituals would be the key.
Kankana-ey – Ab-abiik or Kadkadwa
Ab-Abiik is the spiritual self as opposed
to the physical self (Awak). The Ab-abiik can also
apply to inanimate objects such as mountains,
trees or rivers. It can also mean ‘inspiration’ in
some contexts.
Bikol
No one should miss their dinner and go
to bed hungry or their spirit will roam for food. If
a pot of food is covered while the spirit is eating
inside, the person who is sleeping will now wake
up until the lid is lifted.
Tagalog – Kaluluwa and Kakambal
The Tagalog soul, the kaluluwa can leave
the body involuntarily. The kaluluwa refers more
to the soul of the deceased. The soul of a living
person is called kakambal (meaning twin or
double). The kakambal may travel around at night
and some particularly bad encounters are the
cause of nightmares (bangungut). The kakambal
becomes a kaluluwa after death.
Ilokano – ‘Kararua, Karkarma, Aniwaas and
Araria’
The first soul of the Ilokanos is called the
kararua, or the soul proper. This is the term used
for the equivalent of the Christian soul that can
only leave after death.
The Ilokano have a four soul system. In addition
to the kararua there are three other souls.
Karkarma is the name of the second soul.
It can leave the physical body when one is
frightened, or may be stolen. If this soul fails to
return the owner becomes insane, sacrificial
ceremonies may be held to lure back a lost
karkarma. Karkarma stands for natural vigor,
mind and reason.
Aniwaas is the name of the third soul. It
can leave the body during sleep and visits places
familiar to the body. If one wakes up while the
aniwaas is visiting these places, they may lose the
aniwaas and become insane.
Araria is the name of the fourth soul.
This is the liberated soul of the dead, the soul that
visits relatives and friends in the earthworld
asking them to pray for it or perform a duty it
failed to do in life. Its presence can be heralded by
the howling of dogs. This soul can make sounds
and manipulate physical objects usually relating to
what it did in life.
Ibanag – ‘Ikaruruwa’
The Ibanag have a distinction between
body (baggi) and soul (ikaruruwa). Ikarurua
means ‘a companion of the body’. Mekararuanan
(me + kararua – to be rid of the soul) is a
phenomenon where the soul can leave the body
but it is without sense. The ritual Mangagaggako
invites the soul to return to the body
The Ibanag believe that the soul has
physical characteristics. The soul may have color
and the souls of dead babies can reach adulthood
in the spirit realm. The role of the soul is to give
direction and wholeness to the man, but the body
can survive without the soul, and even without the
body the soul experiences material wants and
needs.
Mangyan – ‘Karaduwa’
The Hanunoo Mangyan believe in a
plurality of souls. Karaduwa tawu/tawo (human
soul), karaduwa manok (Chicken soul) Karaduwa
Baboy (pig soul) karaduwa kuti (cat soul) and
karaduwa hipon (shrimp soul). An individual may
possess 2-5 other souls. These other souls are
explanations for miraculous recoveries from near
fatal experiences, their dream life or natural
reactions to startling sounds or movement.
A soul can also separate itself from the
physical body. If a person is scared, his soul
leaves his body causing sickness. When a person
dreams the karaduwa walks around. The dream
that a person has is caused by this walk,
(bangungut). The Kakambal becomes a kaluluwa
after death.
Bisaya – ‘Dungan’
A soul can be captured by bad spirits
(e.g. egkantu). Souls may be imprisoned in a spirit
cave guarded by old Tan Mulong whose spirit dog
has one mammary gland and two genitals.
Sickness is the temporary loss of the soul,
permanent loss is death. The soul can be lured
back by a skillful shaman. The dungan is ethereal,
something not weighed down by the world. Before
it inhabits a human body it inhabits a region above
the earth with other dungan. The dungan then
takes interest in the unborn being, usually a
relative which it had chosen to inhabit.
The dungan is not located in any specific
part of the body and it grows proportionately with
the person’s body. Weak at birth it is vulnerable to
usug or the unintentional transfer of disturbing
vapors of a strong body to a weak one by
proximity. There are many rituals performed to
protect and nurture the dungan.
Dungan also has a secondary meaning of
willpower. A stronger dungan means that the
person has a greater capacity to dominate others to
their line of thought. People living together may
lead to a spiritual competition between the two
dungan leading to the weaker becoming sick.
At death the dungan leaves the body via
any of the orifices and goes with the air toward the
upper regions. There it waits until it finds another
body to enter.
Ilonggo – ‘Dungan’
The Ilonggo soul, the dungan is not seen
by the human eye. Sometimes it goes out of the
body and takes on visible forms as insects or small
animals A dungan may leave the body voluntarily
while the person is sleeping. If one sees
themselves in their dreams it means their dungan
has left their physical body. A slumbering person
should be waken gently to give the soul a chance
to return to the body. Whatever happens to the
dungan also happens to the physical body. The
dungan also withdraws from the body if said body
is badly treated
Sulod – ‘Umalagad’
Dying among the Sulod is said to be like
passing through a narrow door. The experience is
horrible, as if the person has to pull hard to get in
the door. Once one departs they simply disappear.
No trace of them is left behind.
This soul is watched over by three
brother gods Mangganghaw, Manglaegas and
Patag’aes. Mangganghaw keeps track over man’s
affairs immediately after marriage. He keeps track
of pregnancy. He is also the first to come to the
house of a laboring mother, peeps in the house and
sees the child being born, after which he reports to
Manglaegas. Manglaegas, after being reported to
by Mangganghaw, enters the house to look for the
child to make sure the child was born alive, then
reports to Patag’aes who waits until midnight then
enters the house to have a conversation with the
infant. If Patag’aes discovers anyone
eavesdropping on their conversation, he chokes
the child to death. The conversation is on how
long the child wants to live and how the child will
eventually die. The child gets to choose. After the
child has chosen, Patag’aes takes out his
measuring stick and computes the child’s life
span, and then he departs.
Tagbanwa – ‘Kiyaraluwa’ and others
A Tagbanwa has one ‘true soul’ the
kiyaraluwa and five secondary souls. The
kiyaraluwa is given to each infant by the god
Magindusa as the nose of the child emerges from
the vulva.
The secondary souls are located in the
extremities of both hands and feet and in the head
just below the air whorl (puyo). The souls of the
feet protect one while walking and from injuries to
the feet, the same functions to those in the hands.
The secondary soul located by the puyo is not
fixed in young children and may cause illness if
not properly aligned, some shamans specialize in
realigning the soul to its proper place. This soul is
said to have a material form like a round white
stone.
Bukidnon – ‘Makatu’ and ‘Pipitu ha makatu’
The makatu, their world for soul, exists
before a child’s birth but it is separate from the
body. There is a ritual in which a miniature cradle
is hung over the pregnant mother in a place where
the mother sleeps. The small cradle is where the
soul of the unborn baby will sleep before it joins
the infant at birth. The makatu is breathed into
man at birth by Miyaw-Biyaw. If all are present in
an individual, they are healthy, if one or more
wanders away from the body then Illness,
irritability and sadness follow. If all makatu leave
the body at the same time, the individual dies.
The Bukidnon also believe in seven souls
called the ‘pipitu ha makatu’. One jumps off the
cliff, one swims in the water, one puts its hand in
snake holes, one sits under a tree, one is always
walking around, one is awake in the day and one
is awake at night.
Bagobo – ‘Gimokud
There are two souls called gimokud.
Right hand gimokud is the good soul that
manifests as a shadow on the right hand side of
the path while the left hand gimokud is the bad
soul that manifests as a shadow on the left side of
the path.
The right hand is associated with life,
health, activity and joy, remaining in the body
throughout life. When death causes the right hand
gimokud to leave the body, it gives notice by
visiting in the form of an insect.
The left hand soul is the cause of
lethargy, pain and illness. The left hand soul also
leaves the body at night and risks various dangers,
if it visits the sea the sleeping person feels shivers,
the behavior it engages in leaves a physical effect
on the body. After death the gimokud becomes a
busaw (digging up dead bodies).
When the throbbing of the skull cap
stops, the soul exits through what used to be the
fontanel.
All larger animals have two souls each
while smaller birds bees and insects only have one
soul. Inanimate objects have a single soul which
goes to the underworld so they can serve their
owners.
RITUALS
- Is a sequence of activities involving
gestures, words, and objects performed in a
sequestered place, and performed according to set
sequence. It is often viewed as a sincere or
religious series of actions which follow a certain
order.
Examples:
Reverence rites, masses of organized
religions, commencement exercises, rites of
passage, baptisms, weddings, funerals, and
graduations
Life-cycle rituals
There are 3 stages:
• Separation
• Transition
 • Reintegration
Pilgrimage
Some religions necessitate or encourage
rituals of pilgrimage which is a trip to a place
viewed sacred for the purpose of devotion. A
pilgrimage often has hardships and is meant to
achieve spiritual change.
Rituals of Reversal
Some believe that these ritual allow for social
“blowing off of steam” and allow individuals to
go against certain social norm. These activities are
playful and are confined to a certain place and
time.
Sacrifice
is the offering of something valuable to a
supernatural being. This is often done to please or
appease deities as a sign of gratitude, humility,
worship, and/or devotion.
For instance:
Some traditional beliefs offer live animals to
honor a supernatural being. Some churches view
various offerings such as money, food.
Functions of Rituals in
Spirituality
• Demonstrate Reverence - bowing,
raising of hands and/or clapping
• Sense of Belongingness – participating in
the sequence of activities in a baptism
emphasizes your connection with the one
who is being baptized.
• Achieve Spiritual Connection – symbolic
gestures, repetitive movements, chants
and mantras.
Sources of Discovering
Meaning to Life
Meaningful Relationships
Love, is the strongest connection between
people and will lead to wonderful inspiration and
great sacrifice. Many of the great works or art
were inspired by such strong emotions including
general forms of love such as of nature or God.
Work
Without meaningful task, we may fall
into a drifting reality. Work offers motivators and
striving to achieve pertinent objectives can result
in a profound gratification and sense of worth.
Struggles
Challenges are a part of life and it is hard
to appreciate the goodness of life without its
opposite. Indeed, we sometimes have to hit rock
bottom before we can rise. All people who are
successful in their right went through a certain
kind of suffering which served as the turning point
in their lives.
The Material/Economic Self
“I Shop, Therefore I Am: I Have, Therefore, I
am?”
Factors Influencing Purchasing Behavior
Geographical Group
People from a certain area tend to prefer
buying certain products.
For instance:
a number of Filipinos may want to buy shoes
made in foreign countries as compared to
domestically-made ones.
Wealth/Income
Obviously, those who have something to
spend tend to spend more. Individuals who have
the financial capacity to splurge on shopping
sprees often buy more expensive items.
For Instance:
Someone who earns 100,000 pesos a month would
be more confident in buying a car than someone
who has a monthly income of 30,000 pesos.
Education
People who have higher educational levels
would like to evaluate a product’s worth from
various angles first before buying. Beyond the
product endorser, they would like to know the
product’s origin, nutrients or materials, proof of
efficiency, and the like. This stems from the
assumptions that educated individuals have more
information or would like to seek more
information regarding an item specially when it is
very valuable.
Occupation
People prioritize spending on things that are most
likely relevant to their sources of income.
For example:
A teacher would invest on a high-quality laptop
while a pianist would invest on an organ with a
reputable brand.
Family
Relatives’ opinions can be very vital in purchasing
a product. Moreover, one’s role in the family often
influences decisions.
For example:
a breadwinner would less likely pay much
attention to luxurious items
Peers
Peer groups’ influence is apparent in different
social aspects. Most especially for teens and
young adults, one way to be socially accepted is
by having something that majority of the members
have or by owning the most popular and
expensive gadgets. However this may lead to
impulsive buying and other related unwise
shopping behaviors.
Age
As needs and priorities change over the
life span, so does purchasing behavior.
For instance:
Adolescents would most likely go for aesthetics
while adults would prioritize durability in
assessing a product. Furthermore, older people
would usually go over their decisions several
times before buying something as compared to
younger ones.
Personality
Researched has verified that people who
have high levels of agreeableness, that this those
who are very friendly, warm, tactful, and
optimistic would most likely buy products or pay
for services.
Moreover, they may often offer to treat their
friends or buy products for their loved ones.
Shopping the Way We See Ourselves: The
Role of Consumer Culture on Our Sense of
Self Identity
Consumer
Someone who buys services or products for
personal use
Self-image congruity / product-image congruity
The process of how consumers purchase
products that symbolize their self concepts. This
theory suggest that objects may have particular
personal meanings and images. Therefore, most
people would prefer to buy products that are
congruent to their sense of self.
Consumers behavior
and self-identity:
 We often want to buy identity-linked
products when we feel the need to belong
to a certain group.
 Buying a highly aesthetic product boosts
our self-esteem.
 Risky consumption, particularly smoking is
correlated with self-concept discrepancies.
Advertising Body Image
The Political Self
POLITICS
- is defined as social institution through
which power is acquired and exercise by some
people and groups (Kendal, 1998).
- Is an important part of human
development because it promotes ideologies about
democracy, citizenship, human rights, freedom,
family, health and other issues.
Political self
 - Organizes self-relevant information about
politics.
- Organizes one’s belief, attitudes,
affiliations an aids in the processing of politically
relevant information.
The development of
POLITICAL SELF
The family
- Makes the most contribution in the
development of one’s political self.
- It performs educational, religious,
recreational, and political functions.
- The family directly or indirectly influences
the political views and beliefs of its members.
- Parent have the responsibility and duty to
educate and train their children to become good
and worthy citizen.
The school
- Is responsible in the formal education and
training of the children.
- It helps to mold the children to be morally
upright citizens.
- It also emphasize to the students their
respective roles in the community.
The church
- Helps in the development of an
individual’s political self.
- The teachings, services and activities of the
church contribute in the ideals of politics
especially activities of the church contribute a
strong influence in the political formation and
view of an individual . It has an impact on their
political belief as well.
The character
- The character of other people also
influence the political self.
- Traits and values of the individuals in the
society greatly affect the attitudes and beliefs of
an individual.
- Both strengths and weaknesses of character
mark changes in an individual’s perspective.
 Strength of filipino character
Pakikipagkapwa-tao (regard for others)
Filipinos are open to others and feel one
with others. We reagard others with dignity and
respect, and deal with them as fellow human
beings, Pakikipagkapwa-tao is manifested in a
basic sense of justice and fairness, and in concern
for others, in helpfulness and generosity in times
of need (pakikiramay), in the patice of bayanihan
or mutual assistance and in the famous Filipino
hospitality.
Family orientation
Filipinos posses a genuine and deep love
for the family, which includes not simply the
spouses and children, parents, and siblings, but
also grandparent, aunts, uncles, cousins,
godparents, and other ceremonial relatives. To the
Filipino, one’s family is the source of personal
identity, the source of emotional and material
support, and the person’s main commitment and
responsibility.
Joy and humor
Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving
approach to life and its ups and downs. There is a
pleasant disposition, a sense of humor, and a
propensity for happiness that contribute not only
to the Filipino charm, but to the indomitability of
the Filipino spirit. Laughing at ourselves and our
trouble is an important coping mechanism. Often
playful, sometimes cynical, sometimes
disrespectful, we laugh at those we love and at
those we hate, and make jokes about our fortune
good and bad.
Flexibility, adaptability and creativity
Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust,
and to adapt to circumstances and to the
surrounding environment, both physical and
social. Unplanned or unanticipated events are
never overly disturbing or disorienting as the
flexible Filipino adjusts to whatever happens. We
possess a tolerance for ambiguity that enables us
to remain unfazed by uncertainty or lack of
information. We are creative, resourceful, adept at
learning, and able to improvise and make use of
whatever is at hand in order to create and produce.
Hard work and industry
Filipinos have the capacity for hard work,
given proper conditions. The desire to raise one’s
standard of living and to possess the essentials od
a decent life for one’s family, combined with the
right opportunities and incentives, stimulate the
Filipino to work very hard. This is manifested
most noticeably in a willingness to take risks with
jobs abroad, and to work there at two or three
jobs. The result is productivity and
entrepreneurship for some, and survival despite
poverty for others.
Faith and religiosity
Filipinos have a deep faith in God. Innate
religiosity enables us to comprehend and
genuinely accept reality in the context of God’s
will and pan. Thus, tragedy and bad fortune are
accepted and some optimism characterizes even
the poorest lives. Filipinos live very intimately
with religion; this is tangible – a part of everyday
life.
Ability to survive
Filipinos have an ability to survive which
is manifested in our capacity for endurance
despite difficult times, and in our ability to get by
on so little. Filipinos make do with what is
available in the environment, even, e.g., by eking
out a living from a garbage dump. his survival
instincts is related to the Filipinos who bravely
carry on through the harshest economic and social
circumstances. Regretfully, one wonders what we
might be able to do under better circumstances.
 weakness of filipino character
Extreme personalism
Filipinos view the world in terms of
personal relationships and the extent to which one
is able to relate to things and people determines
our recognition of their existence and the value.
There is no separation between an objective task
and emotional involvement. This personalism is
manifested in the tendency to give personal
interpretations to actions.
For example: “TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY”
Extreme family centeredness
While concern for the family is one of
the Filipino’s greatest strengths, in the extreme it
becomes a serious flaw. Excessive concern for the
family creates an in-group to which the Filipino is
fiercely loyal, to the detriment of concern for the
larger community or the common good.
Excessive concern for the family
manifests itself in the use of one’s office and
power as a means of promoting the interests of the
family in the factionalism, patronage, and political
dynasties, and in the protection of erring family
members. It results in lack of concern for the
common good and acts as a block to national
consciousness.
Lack of discipline
The Filipino’s lack of discipline
encompasses several related characteristics. We
have a casual and relaxed attitude towards time
and space which manifest itself in lack of
precision and compulsiveness, in poor time
management and in procrastination. We have an
aversion to following strictly a set of procedures,
which result in lack of standardization and quality
control. We are impatient and unable to delay
gratification or reward, resulting in the use of
short cuts, skirting the rules (the palusot
syndrome) and in foolhardiness. We are guilty of
ningas cogon, starting out projects with full vigor
and interest which abruptly die down, leaving
thigs unfinished.
Passivity and lack of initiative
Filipinos are generally passive and
lacking in initiative. One waits to be told what has
to be done. There is a strong reliance on others.
Example:
Leaders and government, to do things for us.
Colonial mentality
Filipinos have a colonial mentality which
is made up of two dimensions:
Lack of patriotism or an active awareness,
appreciation, and love of the Philippines.
An actual preference for things foreign.
Filipino culture is characterized by an
openness to the outside-adapting and
incorporating the foreign elements into our image
of ourselves.
Kanya-kanya syndrome
Filipinos have a selfish, self-serving
attitude that generates a feeling of envy and
competitiveness towards others, particularly one’s
peers, who seem to have gained some status
prestige. Towards them, the Filipino demonstrated
the so-called “crab mentality”, using the levelling
instruments of tsismis, intriga and unconstructive
criticism to bring others down.
Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection
There is a tendency in the Filipino to be
superficial and even somewhat flighty. In the face
of serious problems both personal and social, there
is lack of analysis or reflection. Joking the most
serious matters prevents us from looking deeply
into the problem. There is no felt need to validate
our hypotheses or explanation of things. Thus we
are satisfied with superficial explanations for, and
superficial solutions to, problems.
The Digital Self
Digital self
o Is a mask that an individual puts on to
engage the high-tech world (Tamara,
2010)
o It is an aspect of oneself which is shared
to others through the use of social media
and computerized technology.
The development of digital self
The idea of digital-self developed from
the original phenomenon of the extended self.
Russel Belk (2017) believed that
possessions are a major contributor to and
reflection of individuals Identities.
Generally, material possessions, such as
clothes, houses, and gadgets are considered as
extensions of the self.
In the current millennial age, digital
belongings like videos, online messages, and
social media statuses are viewed as factors in
molding the identity.
The reasons for
having digital self
1. People want to meet the expectation of
others
2. People want to boost their self-esteem
3. To feel a sense of belonging
4. Bigger sense of freedom
5. People strive for their ideal self
Theory of self (winnicot, 1970)
Self presentation
How individual try to influence how
others view them, Often manifested in our digital
selves
For instance:
Some may present themselves as “professional,
idealistic, and modest” online but they may be the
opposite in the offline world”.
Social media
- is a term for numerous technologies that allow
instantaneous communication, status updates, and
social networking among individuals
- Socmed platforms today include text
messaging via cellular phones and social
networking sites such as facebook.
The positive impact of social media
 Enhancement of social contact,
independence and communication
 Remain connected with their existing
friend
 Increased social connectedness, well-
being and friendship quality
 Allows people to enhance existing
relationships
 Develops companionship, well-being and
mature emotional state
 Has social and educational benefits for
the user
 the use of internet develops positive
attitude towards culture
The negative impact of social media
 Meanness and bullying;
misunderstanding; unwanted contact and

unintentional disclosure
Attract more socially and emotionally
vulnerable adolescents
 Facebook use may have a negative
impact on their cognitive and emotional
well-being
For Instance:
Depressive symptoms may increase when
internet is use for other purposes.
“Facebook depression”
(Van Pelt, 2018)
A situation where individuals become
depressed due to facebook use or due to being
rewarded with attention from close others when
they post depressive status updates.
 Facebook use has been related to jealousy
and self-mutilation (Whitbourne, 2017)
 Some people may get encouraged to
harm themselves when they see others
posting content on self-harm
 Relationship may suffer when
befriending and communicating with
someone online may lessen quality time
spent with a partner as well as cause trust
issues.