B.

FILIPINO THINKING: FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL

- “Filipino thought” may seem presumptuous for the reason that the Philippines could not very well
speak of a tradition such as China, India, or Greco- Roman.

- There has to be a “Filipino thought” or none at all.

- Nevertheless, Filipinos do have their own philosophy.

- The three dimension of thought are loob, Filipino concept of time, and bahala na.

- These attitudes and values constitute the hidden springs of the Filipino mind.

1. Loob: Holistic and Interior Dimensions

- Kagandahang -loob, kabutihang- loob, and kalooban are terms that show sharing of one’s self to
others.

- Loob puts one in touch with his fellow beings

- The use of intermediaries or go-betweens, the values of loyalty, hospitality, pakikisama, and respect to
authority are such values that relate to persons.

- Filipino generally believes in the innate goodness of the human being.

- Filipino ethics has an internal code and sanction that flow from within itself. The Filipino, who stresses
duties over rights, has plenty in common with the Eastern neighbors.

- In short, the Filipino as an individual looks at himself at holistic from the interior dimension under the
principle of harmony. The Filipino looks at himself as a self, as a total whole---as a “person”, conscious of
his freedom, proud of his human dignity, and sensitive violation of these two (Mercado, 2000).

Example:

Filipinos prefer to personally take care of their old parents than leaving them to a retirement home.

2. Filipino Concept of Time

- Filipinos believe in the concept of gulong ng palad, hence look at life as a series of ups and downs.

- This philosophy of life makes the Filipino an unmitigated optimist.

- The Filipino looks upon every events especially the unfortunate as fleeting or transitory.

- Gulong ng palad, which consider time as cyclic blends well with foreign philosophical ideas in the Asian
region. (Yinyang in Chinese)

- Often, Filipino time is mistakenly interpreted as always delayed in the committed time of arrival. This
notion can be misleading since the Filipino farmers are early risers to go to their field and waste no time
for work.

3. Bahala Na

- For Filipinos, humans live with cosmic spirits or presence.

- Bahala na is anchored to the belief that there is Bathala, a personal being that keeps the balance in the
universe.

- The bahala na philosophy puts complete trust in the divine providence; it contains the element of
resignation. Thus, the Filipino accepts beforehand whatever the outcome of his problem might be
(Mercado, 2000).

- This fatalism is not just present in Asia but even universally it is accepted.

C. Filipino Thought and Values: Positive and Negative Aspects