The Role of Colonization in the History of Psychology in the Philippines

SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
to the domination of
Western, especially
FILIPINO PSYCHOLOGY American, mainstream
 Refers to the Psychology born out psychology and a
of the experience, thought and reflection of a global
orientation of the Filipinos, based concern for making
on the full use of Filipino culture psychological knowledge
and language. culturally appropriate
(Yang, 2020).
 Scientific study of psychology
derived from the experience, ideas  The Philippines is considered to
and cultural orientation of the have the strongest and most
Filipino. articulate indigenous
psychology in Asia (Sinha, 1997).
 Western psychology is taught in
Filipino schools.
DISTINCTIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY IN o Schools started to adapt
THE PHILIPPINES American psychology
Psychology in the Philippines although it is unresponsive
(Sikolohiya sa Pilipinas) – refers to a or not right to Philippine
series of events related to the field of culture.
psychology in the Philippines (ex. Number o Thus starts the
of published journals in Filipino hegemony/dominance of
Psychology). western American
psychology known as
Psychology of Filipinos (Sikolohiya ng “colonial psychology”.
Pilipino) – refers to any theories of o As a result, western
knowledge of Filipino nature regardless scholars’
of source, western or local. impressions/opinions about
the Filipinos are very
Filipino Psychology (Sikolohiyang
critical (in a negative
Pilipino) – refers to a psychology based
way) and impressionistic
on the Filipino’s true thoughts, feelings,
(their opinion is opposite of
behaviors and must derive from
what we value).
Indigenous Filipino sources, language
o Therefore, Filipinos
and methods.
suffered from the
comparison because of
the blatant imposition of
HISTORY OF SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO the “American ways” to
Filipinos.
 Sikolohiyang Filipino (SP) was a
 The initial step in the
protest against colonization or
development of Filipino
Philippine colonial education;
psychology was the translation
hence, the push towards
of foreign materials in Filipino.
indigenization of Psychology in
o But these efforts failed to
the Philippines.
address/correct the
 SP can be viewed as part of
problems brought about by
worldwide indigenization
colonial psychology.
movement that began in the 60’s.
o The reason was because
o The indigenization
Filipino scholars are not
movement was a reaction
The Role of Colonization in the History of Psychology in the Philippines
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
united or passive in trying Angel de Blas, OP
to improve the system.
 In 1970: because of the
rough/stormy period of Ferdinand 1948 PWU
Marcos dictatorship, Filipino Institute of Human Relations
psychology came into being to
Estefania Aldaba-Lim
address colonial psychology.
1954 USC, CEBU
o Scholars then started to
Department of Psychology
have a Nationalist and
radical sentiment about Joseph Goertz
the Philippines. Thus, 1960 ADMU
Filipino Psychology was Department of Psychology &
born. Central Guidance Bureau
o This was spearheaded by
Virgilio Enriquez where Fr. Jaime Bulatao
he introduced the concept 1962 PHILIPPINE
of Filipino PSYCHOLOGICAL CORP.
Psychology/Sikolohiyang Offered psychological
Pilipino together with Dr. services and stood as the
primary retailer for
Alfredo V. Lagmay –
psychological
Chairperson, Dept. of measurements.
Psychology, University of 1971 VIRGILIO ENRIQUEZ
the Philippines. Questioned the current
 In 1975: the Pambansang measures of psychology in
Samahan sa Sikolohiyang the Philippines arguing that
Pilipino (National Association for western psychology cannot
Filipino Psychology) was be used as a measure for
born/formalized. Filipinos as it does not
consider the Philippine culture
TIMELINE OF SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO and experiences of the
Filipinos
UP MANILA 1975 PANUKAT NG UGALI AT
Department of Psychology PAGKATAO (PUP)
1926 and School of Education Known to be a measure that
is sensitive to the
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Philippine culture from
Agustin Alonzo process to acquiring tests.
1930 UST
Department of Psychology VIRGILIO ENRIGUEZ
1932 UP Created PUP; established
Psychological Clinic Sikolohiyang Pilipino
Father of Filipino
Sinfronso Padilla Psychology
1933 FEU 1976 MODEL OF THE NEW
Psychological Clinic FILIPINO RESEARCH
To guide the practice of native
Jesus Perpinan research.
1938 UST Virgilio Enriquez and
Experimental Psychology Carmen Santiago
Laboratory
The Role of Colonization in the History of Psychology in the Philippines
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
 Western Tradition: This was started
TWO SCALES DERIVED by priest-professors at the
FROM THE EXPERIENCES University of Santo Tomas. This
OF RESEARCH IN NATION: tradition is mainly focused on what
1. Scale of the is called ‘Rational psychology’.
Researcher
2. Scale of the ETHNIC PSYCHOLOGY (Taal na
Researcher and The Sikolohiya)
Participant
 This is the tradition on which
Philippine psychology is
BASIC ORIENTATION AND CONTEXT primarily based.
 This refers to the indigenous
 Filipino psychology is usually
concepts that are studied using
thought of as a branch of Asian
indigenous psychological
psychology, the placement,
orientation and methodologies.
determined primarily on culture.
 However, there is an ongoing PSYCHO-MEDICAL RELIGIOUS
debate on the make-up of PSYCHOLOGY (Sikolohiyang Siko-
Philippine culture, because this will medikal)
generally determine whether
Philippine Psychology is to be  The tradition that fuses native
placed under the realms of either healing techniques and explains
Asian psychology or Eastern it in an indigenous religious
psychology. context.
 The view of Philippine Psychology  A social scientist suggested that
is largely postcolonial and is seen many poor Filipinos are
as a kind of liberation considered superstitious as a
psychology. result of Catholic dogmatism,
characterized by a vague
combination of animism and
Catholic beliefs.
FOUR TRADITIONS
 The majority of Filipinos are poor
In 1985, historian Zeus A. Salazar and religion has become an
identified four traditions upon which important facet of life, to the
Philippine psychology is rooted: extent that some disbelieve in
science.
ACADEMIC SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY  Many foreigners look down on
(Akademiko-siyentipikal na Sikolohiya) Filipinos, going as far as calling
them slaves.
 Western Tradition: This follows the
 That is why when working as
tradition of Wilhelm Wundt in
domestic helpers, many Filipinos
1876 and is essentially the
report cases of work-related
American oriented Western
abuse.
psychology being studied in the
Philippines.

ACADEMIC PHILOSOPHIC BASIC TENETS IN FILIPINO

PSYCHOLOGY (Akademiko-pilosopiya PSYCHOLOGY
na Sikolohiya)
CORE VALUE: Kapwa
The Role of Colonization in the History of Psychology in the Philippines
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
 Shared inner self or togetherness
 Hindi ka nag-iisa
 Core construct of Filipino
Psychology
 TWO CATEGORIES:
o Ibang Tao (outsider/other
people)
o Hindi ibang tao (one of
ous/no other people)
 Filipinos gives importance to
conformity because in contrast to
non-Asian countries, Filipino
culture is generally Confucian.
 This goes against the
individualism (kanya-kanya)
which was brought to us by
western colonialism.
 IBANG TAO has 5 interaction
levels:
o Pakikitungo (Civility)
o Pakikisalamuha (Act of
Mixing)
o Pakikilahok (Act of Joining)
o Pakikibagay (Conformity)
o Pakikisama (Being united
with the group)
 HINDI IBANG TAO has 3
interaction levels:
o Pakikipaglagayang loob
(Act of Mutual Trust)
o Pakikisangkot (Act of
Joining Others)
o Pakikipagkaisa (Being one
with others)
PIVOTAL INTERPERSONAL VALUE:
Pakikiramdam
 Shared inner perceptions.
 Filipinos use damdam, or the inner
perception of others’ emotions, as
a basic tool to guide his dealings
with other people.
LINKING SOCIO-PERSONAL VALUE:
Kagandahang-Loob
 Shared humanity.
 This refers to being able to help
other people in dire need due to a
perception of being together as a
part of one Filipino humanity.
ACCOMODATIVE SURFACE VALUES:
Hiya
 Loosely translated as ‘shyness’ by
most Western psychologists.
 Hiya is actually ‘sense of
propriety’.
Utang na Loob
 Norm of reciprocity.
 Filipinos are expected by their
neighbors to return favor, whether
these were asked for or not—when
it is needed or wanted.
Pakikisama and Pakikipagkapwa
 Smooth Interpersonal
Relationship, or SIR, as coined by
Lynch (1961 and 1973).
 This attitude is primarily guided by
conformity with the majority.
CONFRONTATIVE SURFACE VALUES
Bahala na
 Bahala Na translates literally as
“leave it up to God (Bathala)”
and it is used as an expression,
almost universally, in Filipino
culture.
 Filipinos engage in the bahala na
attitude as a culture-influenced
adaptive coping strategy when
faced with challenging situations.
Lakas ng loob
 This attitude is characterized by
being courageous in the midst of
problems and uncertainties.
Pakikibaka
 Literally in English, it means
concurrent clashes.
The Role of Colonization in the History of Psychology in the Philippines
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
 It refers to the ability of the
Filipino to undertake revolutions
and uprisings against a common
enemy.
SOCIETAL VALUES
Karangalan
 Loosely translated to dignity.
 This actually refers to what other
people see in a person and how
they use that information to make a
stand or judge about his/her
worth.
Puri
 The external aspect of dignity.
 May refer to how other people
judge a person of his/her worth.
 This compels a common Filipino to
conform to social norms,
regardless how obsolete they are
Dangal
 The internal aspect of dignity.
 May refer to how a person judges
his own worth.
Katarungan
 Loosely translated to justice.
 This actually refers to equity in
giving rewards to a person.
Kalayaan
 Freedom and mobility.
 Ironically, this may clash with the
less important value of pakikisama
or pakikibagay (conformity).
APPROACHES AND METHODS IN
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
Approaches (lapit), Methods
(pamamaraan), in Filipino Psychology,
these are different from that of Western
Psychology.
Kalahok (subjects/participants): In
Filipino Psychology, the kalahok is
considered as equal to the researcher.
PAKIKIPAGKWENTUHAN
 The researcher engages in a story
telling with an umpukan.
 The researcher merely serves as
the facilitator, while the kalahok or
participants are the one who are
to talk.
 The term kwento, from the Spanish
word cuento, literally means ‘to
tell a story’.
PANUNULUYAN
 The researcher stays in the home
of his kalahok or participant while
he conducts the research with
consent by the host family, whose
head of the family serves as the
tulay to an umpukan.
 The term tuloy, which is the root
word of the term panunuluyan,
literally means ‘to go in’.
PAGDADALAW-DALAW
 The researcher occasionally
visits the house of his host or
tulay, as opposed to staying in the
house.
 The term dalaw literally means
‘visit’.
PAGTATANUNG-TANONG
 The researcher undergoes a kind
of questioning session with his
kalahok or participants.
 In this method, however, ‘lead
questions’ (those questions which
directly refer to the topic being
studied) are not supposed to be
asked, instead the questions to be
asked are supposed to have
The Role of Colonization in the History of Psychology in the Philippines
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
been derived from the kalahok’s
answers themselves.
 The word tanong literally means
‘question’
PAKIKIRAMDAM
 The researcher uses entirely
his/her own feelings or emotions
to justify if his participants or
kalahok are ready to be part of his
research or not.
 The term damdam literally means
‘inner perception of emotions’
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
 Sikopatolohiya (Filipino),
Psicopatologia (Spanish)
 Study of abnormal psychology in
Filipino context.
AMOK
 Malayan mood disorder, more aptly
called “Austronesian Mood
Disorder”.
 In which a person suddenly loses
control of himself and goes into
a killing frenzy, after which he/she
hallucinates and falls into a trance.
 After he/she wakes up, he has
absolutely no memory of the
event.
BANGUNGOT
 A relatively common occurrence in
which a person suddenly loses
control of his respiration and
digestion, and falls into a coma
and ultimately to death.
 The person is believed to dream of
falling into a deep abyss at the
onset of his death.
 This syndrome has been
repeatedly linked to Thailand’s
Brugada syndrome and to the
ingestion of rice.
 However, no such medical ties
have been proven.
 Manifestation of universal mental
disorders.
HILOT
 The use of massage to aid a
pregnant mother in the delivery of
her child.
KULAM
 Hex or bewitchment.
LIHI
 An intense craving for something
or someone during pregnancy.
 Faith healers or manghihilot testify
that if the craving is not satisfied,
abnormality of the child may
result.
PASMA
 A concept that explains how init
(heat) and lamig (cold) together
can result in illness, especially
rheumatism.
SUSTO
 Soul-flight; derived from Latin-
American traditions.
PAGTATAWAS
 A method of diagnosing illness
wherein alum (called tawas) is
ritualistically used by the
albularyo or medicine man for
diagnosis of a variety of health
conditions.
 The tawas is used to ‘cross’ (sign
of the cross) the forehead and
other suspicious or ailing parts of
the body as prayers are being
whispered (bulong or oracion).
The Role of Colonization in the History of Psychology in the Philippines
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
 It is then placed on glowing
embers, removed when it starts to
crack, then transferred to a small
receptacle of water.
 As it cools, its softened form
spreads on the water surface and
assumes a shape that may
suggest the cause of the illness,
often one of several indigenous
forces: dwarfs, devils or other evil
spirits (na nuno, na-kulam, na-
demonyo).
 The water in the vehicle is then
used to anoint the ailing part or
parts of the body to counteract the
evil forces or illness.
 The tawas is then discarded and
thrown westward, preferably into
the setting sun.

USOG

 A concept that explains how a

baby who has been greeted by a
stranger acquires a mysterious
illness.
 Apparently derived from the
Spanish tradition of Mal de Ojo.

GABÂ OR GABAA

 The Visayan concept of negative

Karma.