Lesson 8- The Political Self and Being Filipino

The Philippines as we know it today has only emerged in the 1890’s after over three
centuries of colonization of the Spaniards. Liberation from the last colonizers, the Japanese,
only occurred in 1946. Foreign culture, beliefs, language, and religion have made a huge dent
on our by setting a foundation to the contemporary Filipino identity and culture.
Who Is a Filipino?
According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino citizens are:

 Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this Constitution.
 Those whose fathers and mothers are citizens of the Philippines.
 Those born before January 17, 1973 of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship
upon reaching the age of majority and
 Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.
Culture and the Filipino Identity
The set of values, beliefs, thinking patterns, and behaviour practiced by a society and
transmitted from one generation to another through time comprises culture. These typified
practices and beliefs shared within a group creates a sense of identity and fosters a feeling of
belonging ness within the group. Clearly, culture and identity are inextricably linked as both
influences each other on different levels. Culture, both material and nonmaterial, shape the
formation of our identity. Across generations, these typified beliefs and behaviors that make up
the Filipino identity were transmitted and are still being practiced.
Values and Traits

 Hospitality
The Filipino’s brand of hospitality is widely known across the globe. Filipinos welcome
their guests and tourists as if they are their own brothers and sisters. They always make
their guests feel at home, offering them something to eat, or even a place to stay.
 Respect for Elders- Filipinos give high regard to elders, whether they are related or not.
Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand while saying “mano po” and constantly
using “po” and “opo” in conversation. A wide array of references to elder people such as
ate for older sister, kuya for older brother, tito and tita for uncle and aunt, lolo and lola for
grandfather and grandmother, and manong and aling for older outside the family.
 Close Family Ties- Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their families. They are
fond of family reunions during birthdays, holidays, or fiestas year-round. Some Filipino
families even opt to live in a big house where everyone can stay together. Nursing
homes are almost always not an option for family members.
 Cheerful personality- Filipinos smile when they are happy, or sometimes even when
they are sad or angry. Smiling has been a coping strategy for many Filipinos especially
during trying times and calamities.
 Self-sacrifice- Filipinos go out of their way to extend help to their friends, families and
loved ones. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sacrifice a lot. That is why they are
regarded as modern-day Filipino heroes.
 Bayanihan- it is the spirit of communal unity and coopearation of Filipionos. It is also
about giving without expecting something in return.
  Bahala Na Attitude- it is the Filipino version of the famous line “Hakuna Matata”,
meaning no worries. The phrase is said to have originated from “Bathala Na”, where
Bathala means God, and the phrase meaning leaving everything into God’s hands.
 The Colonial Mentality- this trait is often frowned upon among Filipinos, but it is actually
often unconsciously practiced by Filipinos. It connotes a lack of patriotism and attitude
where Filipinos favour foreign products more than their own, but also the desire to look
more foreign than local and keep up with foreign beauty trends. As a result, Filipinos
patronize imported products more than their local products.
 Crab mentality- this trait talks about being insecure or jelous of another’s achievement.
It is toxic trait among Filipinos where one resets the achievement of another, instead of
feeling happy for that person, just like crabs in a container, they pull each other down.
 Manana/Maniana Habit- Filipino term for procrastination, derived from a Filipino phrase
called “mamaya na” meaning dawdling thiongs, which could have done at an earlier
time.
 Ningas Kugon- ningas is a Filipino term for flame and kugon is a Filipino term for Cogon
grass that easily burns out after it is out into flames. It is the attitude of eagerly starting
things but quickly losing eagerness soon after experiencing difficulty.
 Pride- most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if they are more precious than keeping a
good relationship with family and loved ones.
 Filipino Time- Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at commitments,
dinner, or parties especially if they are meeting someone close to them.
Promoting Sense of Nationalism
Now that you know how your traits and values are important indicators of your being a
Filipino, the problem now is how to truly become one and how you can be useful to the
development and progress of your country. Below are few ways on how you can foster a sense
of nationalism:
1. Be an active Filipino citizen- a good Filipino citizen should be aware of the current
events and participate in government programs that aim for the country’s progression
and development. By simply exercising your right to vote, you also become an active
citizen.
2. Study the Philippine history- the road of the Philippine history is long and bloody, and
by learning and fully understanding the events of the Philippine history, one will learn so
much why it is so important to love one’s country with your life, extend help to fellow
Filipinos in need, and recognize abuse of political power.
3. Support local products- when you buy local products, you do not only support local
manufacturers and business executives, but you help strengthen the local economy.
4. Speak Filipino language- the history of the Filipino language was as long and hard as
the Philippine history. Jose Rizal highlights the importance of speaking the national
language as a way of displaying the love for one’s country. Speaking Filipino also serves
as a unique identifier of being a Filipino.
5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with conflict- this period in
the history of the Philippines has seen how the internet has spawned tons of possibilities
for us, both good and bad. Nowadays, it is easier for Filipinos working abroad to
communicate with their loved ones left in the Philippines through the Internet. Despite
this, the Internet has also made the spread of fake news very common. As a good
Filipino you need to sort out everything before actually buying it and spreading it like
wildfire. It is also the responsibility of every Filipino to recognize disagreement in political
views, be tolerant, and argue intelligently without having to resort into name-calling
people.