 Alfredo V. Lagmay from U.P.

Diliman was sent to the United States ostensibly on a fellowship

precisely to weaken the U.P. Department of Philosophy, led by an articulate, charismatic and
controversial agnostic-philosopher, Ricardo Pascual.
 Lagmay’s colleagues in the department were also sent abroad, not to strengthen the Philosophy
Department but to neutralize it. Ruben Santos-Cuyugan was sent to study sociology; Jose
Encamacion, Jr. economics; and Alfredo V. Lagmay, psychology at Harvard, where he trained with
B.F.Skinner in experimental psychology.
 With his Harvard training under Dr. BF Skinner, Dr. Lagmay greatly influenced the development
of scientific psychology in the Philippines. He introduced behavioral studies in psychology and
published numerous researches on experimental analysis of behavior modification, relaxation
and related states, and hypnosis.
 Dr. Lagmay was also a recognized institution builder. From a small department of some five
faculty members then squatting in the College of Education, he built the UP Department of
Psychology into its present respectable status, with over 30 faculty and 500 students enrolled in
undergraduate and graduate courses.
 Lagmay’s First move was to transfer to the College of Liberal Arts, reorienting psychology’s
applied educational perspective at the UP to a basic scientific orientation.
 Experimental Psychology is now an integral part of the undergraduate psychology curricula in
the Philippine School but Lagmay didn’t quite succeed in promoting behavior analysis in the
Skinnerian tradition. Even to date, the said course is not offered in a good number of Philippine
colleges and universities. Lagmay, though influenced by Carl Rogers, was known as a
"Skinnerian."
 U.P. Department of Psychology was perceived as behavioral in orientation from the late 50s to
the early ‘70s. Ironically, the U.S.T. was seen as psychoanalytic in orientation, together with the
unjustified verdict that to be psychoanalytic is “‘unscientific.”’
 Scrupulous language purism can pose challenges in a country striving to keep up with fast-paced
technological changes.
 The main concern for the government of Corazon Aquino is "economic recovery," surpassing
issues of language, culture, or the separation of church and state.
 While the economic problem is not framed as a Great Cultural Divide between the rich and the
poor, it is a significant issue in Philippine psychology, potentially extending to the Third World.
Economic segregation has a spiritual dimension, differentiating the benevolent 'God of the rich'
from the powerful but distant 'God of the poor.'
 The poor, considered "bakya" or lacking sophistication, have distinct tastes in food, leisure, and
entertainment, including their own culture and language. The elite primarily speak English and
occasionally French, while the Filipino masses use Filipino and regional languages. Those
speaking non-mainstream languages might feel ashamed, similar to Tagalogs who are
comfortable not understanding Tagalog.
 MLQU's Unique Characteristics: MLQU's psychology program, led by Agustin Alonzo, caters to
the working class. MLQU students, unlike those in elite schools, speak good Filipino and lack the
English accent associated with the elite.
 Quality of MLQU's Program: MLQU's Filipino program is considered superior, evident in the high
quality and quantity of theses submitted in Filipino to the MLQU Graduate School.
 Part-Time Students at Elite Schools: Acknowledges that part-time students may enroll in elite
schools like De La Salle and Ateneo. These part-time students typically work in multinational
corporations or hold stable jobs.
 Separation of the Elite and Working Class: Proposes that the rich should receive a quality
education from schools designed for the elite. Expresses concern about the potential harm
caused by separating those who have resources from those who do not, especially if an MLQU
graduate struggles to secure a teaching job at an elite institution like De La Salle.
 Challenges of Economic Mobility: Highlights the challenging and prolonged process of economic
mobility in the Philippines, particularly in a democratic setting. Mentions the built-in bias of the
National College Entrance Examination in favor of English-speaking elites.
 Value of University Education: Despite challenges, Filipino-speaking individuals still value
university education. Acknowledges that, in practice, a university degree may serve as a passport
to certain jobs abroad, such as construction work in the Middle East or domestic work in Hong
Kong.
 Opportunities for Upward Mobility: Notes the potential for individuals to secure scholarships for
elite programs, such as De La Salle's Ph.D. counseling psychology. Implies a waiting period until
these graduates can be recognized as bona fide graduates of elite institutions, emphasizing
aspirations for upward mobility.