Arnel G.

Perez
Kunelrubyperez@gmail.com
May 3, 2021

The Tagasalo Personality: A Review

The Tagasalo Personality by Udarbe (2001) is a study which investigates the theory of tagasalo or
mananalo syndrome of Carandang (1987) specifically its origin, development and dynamics. Similarly, the
study underscores the possibility of tagasalo’s relationship to gender and birth order. There are ten families
with at least two children aged from 18 to 35 years old who participated in the study and these families are
from the middle-class urban family. Data in this study are generated from the conduct of the interviews and
augmented from the three psychological tests such as Heroic Myth Index (HMI); California Psychological
Inventory (CPI); and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
In this study, the finding shows that the tagasalo personality has no significant relationship to
gender and birth order. However, the finding affirms that the tagasalo personality can possibly develop out
of the need for a child to be different from sibling who causes upheaval in the family. Likewise, the tagasalo
personality is associated to person’s characters such as responsible and caring, listener and mediator,
intent on harmony, strong desire for control and capacity for emotional distance. Moreover, the tagasalo is
a person who takes charge in efforts at relieving tension and resolving conflicts in the family (Udarbe,
2001).
The term tagasalo is coined by Carandang (1987) to describe a certain syndrome among Filipino
children who occupies the role of caretaker or one who comes to rescue the family. Carandang believes
that every family has tagasalo and this tagasalo develops from societal norms where female members are
expected to take care of household matters early in life which eventually, the chores expand to emotional
care of family members and others outside the family. Subsequently, the tagasalo syndrome evolves into
tagasalo personality which can be classified as the non-compulsive and compulsive tagasalo. As cited by
Tuazon, and Quinain, (2020), the non-compulsive tagasalo is driven by compassion and care for his or her
loved ones and the need for harmony among them. He or she helps out of willingness loved by his or her
parents, and respected by his or her siblings. The non-compulsive tagasalo is likewise set reasonable
boundaries and expectations of self. However, the compulsive tagasalo is driven by compassion but also
for the need to find personal significance and external assurance. He or she is the type of tagasalo who
seeks the help of others from his or her assumed roles. Moreover, this type of tagasalo finds difficulty to
receive “salo” (help) from others because he or she is used to giving it automatically and unconsciously.
The tagasalo in this study is different from the tagasalo identified by Caradang. Udarbe (2001) in
her study, she generates nine (9) themes to describe the personalities of the tagasalo and these tagasalo
Arnel G. Perez
Kunelrubyperez@gmail.com
May 3, 2021
personalities are the following: 1) sense of responsibility; 2) ability for listening; 3) need to mediate; 4) need
for harmony; 5) need for control; 6) parents as central; 7) capacity for caring; 8) tagasalo as sibling; and 9)
capacity for emotional distance. Moreover, Udarbe also found that the tagasalo is not specific for female
and middleborn, if not the eldest as Caradang theorized. She found out that the tagasalo in the Filipino
family can be either a male or female and not specific to birth order as the eldest or the middleborn.
The tagasalo as a syndrome (Carandang, 1987) which eventually turns into personality (Udarbe,
2001; Tuazon & Quinain, 2020) is still broad and ambiguous. Carandang believes that the tagasalo is either
the first born or middleborn female child who develops her personality as tagasalo because of the expected
or assumed role like taking care of the household as a societal norm. However, Udarbe’s study refutes
Carandang’s notions of tagasalo. In her study, she clarifies that the tagasalo is not specific to female who is
usually the middleborn, if not the eldest. She found in her study that many males are the tagasalo in their
families and these tagasalo are not specific to the firstborn or middleborn. Moreover, in the study, Udarbe
found that tagasalo does not feel unloved by the parent as Carandang theorized, but rather the tagasalo
might feel dependent or unappreciated because of the overwhelmed responsibilities he or she has taken.
Udarbe likewise clarifies that the tagasalo is an active individual who makes significant impact on the
family, a prime mover who is very influential person in family’s life.
Hence, if Carandang’s theory of tagasalo is different from the tagasalo as generated from Udarbe’s
study as shown in Table 1, we can assume that the concept or context about the tagasalo is still ambiguous
and broad. Similarly, the concept of tagasalo (catcher) is used as pagsalo (catch or catching) in the study
conducted by Atenas, et al. (2018) and they associate pagsalo (the action of the tagasalo) to parentification
or adolescent’s adaptation of adult family roles in providing emotional support for their families. Likewise, in
the study conducted by Agor, et al. (2018), they relate taga-salo to parentification.
Furthermore, as cited by Udarbe (2001), the counterpart of tagasalo as a syndrome in Western
thought builds a wide variety of possibilities and the term can be associated to careaholics, workaholics,
busyaholics, and rushaholics which somehow deviates its original context as theorized by Carandang.
Ergo, the tagasalo as syndrome and personality is broad and ambiguous and it is distinct as a Filipino
personality which has no counterpart in Western thought. Moreover, for the meantime, it can be assumed
that the tagasalo has no definite or specific behavior or personality, rather the tagasalo develops his or her
behavior or personality depending on the environment (both social and physical) he or she is raised and
nurtured. Likewise, it can be presumed that the tagasalo is distinct to Filipino children which is rooted in
their culture and family system.
Arnel G. Perez
Kunelrubyperez@gmail.com
May 3, 2021
Table 1.
Variation on the concept and context of tagasalo
Carandang’s Theory of Tagasalo Udarbe’s Study of Tagasalo
Age Age was not identified but assumed Samples are 18 to 35 years old, any
that every family has a female tagasalo gender

Basis Base on clinical observation and Base on the conduct of the interviews
theories and family system approach

Behavior Self-doubting, unloved, compulsive, Responsible and caring, listener and

dependent, and passive mediator, intent on harmony, has a
strong need for control and capacity for
emotional distance

Birth order Firstborn/eldest child or No specific birth order, even the

Middleborn/middle child (if not the youngest child can be tagasalo
eldest child)

Classification Compulsive tagasalo is driven by No specific classification, however she

compassion but also for the need to distinguished the tagasalo as the
find personal significance and external identified tagasalo (IT) and the least
assurance and the Non-Compulsive like tagasalo (LT)
tagasalo is driven by compassion and
care for his or her loved ones and the
need for harmony among them

Cognition She perceived herself as powerful or He or she lack of awareness that he or

dominant (eldest’s ego), to control and she is driven by the need for power
to decide but she would not admit
readily because it appears incompatible He or she is the prime mover who is
with the concept of caring and sacrifice very influential person in the family’s life

She is viewed as passive recipient of

responsibilities and obligations and
being acted upon by external forces
seemingly beyond her control

Development Rooted from the assumed or expected Developed out of the need for a child to
role like taking care of the household by be different from a sibling who causes
female child in the family which emotional upheaval in the family
eventually expand to emotional care of
family members. This is distinct to
female child with birth order of being
the eldest child or the middle child.
Arnel G. Perez
Kunelrubyperez@gmail.com
May 3, 2021
Emotion (Feeling) The tagasalo feels unloved and The tagasalo does not feel unloved
unrecognized, and she strives for rather he or she might feel dependent
attention through acts which are or unappreciated that seem to stem
socially approved from being overwhelmed by the
responsibilities he or she has taken on,
and not from lack of love from parents

In times of stress, he or she feels

discomfort and uncomfortable

Gender (Sex) Female only No specific gender (sex), either male or

female can be tagasalo

Sample Clinical samples Non-clinical samples from selected ten

families who have at least two children
aged 18 to 35 years old of any gender

Roles in the Family Based on the interviews on the clinical
practice of Dr. Carandang, she
theorized that the tagasalo does not
fulfill the role because he or she lacks
love and attention.
Based on the conduct of the interview,
the identified tagasalo has a sense of
responsibility and control; ability to
listen, mediate, and harmonize family
conflicts; tendency to prioritize the
parent; capacity for caring not just
within the immediate family but beyond
it; capacity to emotional distance; and
capacity to act as sibling.

He or she fulfills the role because he or

she feels that someone must be in
control of the situation and must set
some form of order

References
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Atenas, P., Bobis, C.F., Maghanoy, C.J., Manondo, M., Perez, G.M., & Tucay, L. (2018). Ang Pagsalo: A
parentification study among female adolescents.
Arnel G. Perez
Kunelrubyperez@gmail.com
May 3, 2021
https://www.academia.edu/38423411/Ang_Pagsalo_A_Parentification_Study_Among_Female_Adole
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