Business Ethics and Social

Responsibility
COURSE MATERIAL 6

1
 The Filipino
Value System

 Identify different Filipino Value system.

 Understand its importance to the business

organization and how it will our decision
making.
Focus Questions:

 Apply different Filipino Value system in a

real-life situation and to the business
1. How the Filipino Value System
affects the attitude of business organization.
constituents?
2. How are these Filipino Value
System contributes to our daily
lives?
 WHATS’ INSIDE
THIS MODULE?
Filipino Value System
Welcome to Business Ethics and Social Responsibility!
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Positive Filipino Values
This subject is designed to let you understand the basic concept,
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core competencies, techniques, strategies and purpose of a
Utang na Loob
business ethics and social responsibility. We’re going to discuss
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these topics in a way that you can fully understand and apply all
Filial Piety
the learning. There will also be a chance for you to share your
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own ideas and learn from others as well. It will help to improve
Fun loving Trait
your critical thinking as well as your creative thinking.
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This course material is separated into different topics and is Ability to Survive
designed for a weekly basis. This would give you additional Page 7
materials based on the power point slides, as well as the link to Familism or Close Family
the MS forms you are going to answer for assessments. Relations
Every topic has a pre-test and assessment/checkpoints by the Page 8
end of each lesson. This helps both of us to assess your Ningas Cogon (Ningas - Kugon)
background and mastery, and while pre-test is not graded, your Page 9

assessments are. So, always review your lessons prior to Kapalaran Values (Fatalism)

answering your assessments. Page 10

Tsamba Lang Attitude
Remember that this Course Material is created to assist you in
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learning your subject. We are going to make sure that this
Lack of Sportsmanship
subject will be fun, engaging and interesting. If there are topics
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that may still not understand at the end of each material, feel
Padrino System
free to ask me during our synchronous sessions.
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Check point
Page 14
Assessment
Page 15
Lesson Summary
Page 17
References
Page 18

2nd Term, AY. 2021-2022 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Page | 6
 FILIPINO VALUE SYSTEM

Values allow a person to choose, prize, cherish, publicly affirm, act and celebrate on

something. These are either positive value where a person is likable, pleasing, and socially

integrative or negative values that make one anti-social, unproductive and destructive to self

and others. Values are developed from the home through the parents as the primary teachers

of Filipino families then by its members.

As the individual grows, the environment has influence either to retain or reject the

values taught or established values at home. Filipino values and traits vary depending on how

they are raised in their respective homes. Values are developed from the home through the

parents as the primary teachers of Filipino families then by its members. As the individual

grows, the environment has influence either to retain or reject the values taught or established

values at home. Filipino values and traits vary depending on how they are raised in their

respective homes.

The Filipino value system or Filipino values refer to the set of values or the value

system that a majority of the Filipinos have historically held important in their lives. The

value system of a given country is a combination of ethical principles, classical philosophies,

and belief systems. The unique value system of a given country is also a product of its history,

local customs and traditions. The Philippines and its value system is a creation of all these

influences.

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 It is necessary for a business practitioner and student to examine the Filipino value system to
evaluate its difference and/or agreement with ethical principles, classical philosophies, belief
systems, and local culture. This study enables one to be guided in the distinctive value system of the
Philippines and its impact on Filipino business practices.

POSITIVE FILIPINO VALUES

Utang na Loob (Debt of Gratitude)

It is a feeling of obligation to repay someone

who extended assistance to another which may take
place in undetermined time and in whatever way.
Saving another’s life, providing employment or
making it possible for another to become educated are
“gifts” of favors that create utang na loob.
This concept of ‘debt of gratitude’ occasionally
extends over years and decades, where even the
subsequent generations of debtors still attempt
repayment to those who provided ‘gifts’ to their
ancestors when the businessperson is confronted with
ethical issue.

The essence of utang na loob is an obligation to appropriately repay a person who has done
one a favor. The favors which elicit the Filipino's sense of utang na loob are typically those whose
value is impossible to quantify, or, if there is a quantifiable value involved, involves a deeply personal
internal dimension.
This internal dimension, loob, differentiates Utang na Loob from an ordinary debt ("utang");
being an internal phenomenon, utang na loob thus goes much deeper than ordinary debt or even the
western concept of owing a favor. In business: Utang na Loob may be good or bad for business
depending on a lot of considerations, but it affects the way business is conducted especially when the
businessperson is confronted with ethical issue.

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Filial Piety
 It is a virtue of respect for one’s parents, elders,
and ancestors. Filial piety is an important
concept in Filipino culture. It is understood as
essential to maintain the collective face of the
family and to avoid experiencing hiya in
business: The Filipino family is so intact that it is
common for members of the same family work
for the same company. Filial piety is central to
Confucian role ethics and is the cardinal virtue
that defines limits or even eliminates all other
virtues.

According to the traditional texts, filial piety consists of physical care, love, service, respect
and obedience. According to Chinese tradition, filial piety (hsiao) was the primary duty of all
Chinese. Being a filial son meant complete obedience to one's parents during their lifetime and--as
they grew older--taking the best possible care of them. After their death the eldest son was required
to perform ritual sacrifices at their grave site or in the ancestral temple. A son could also express his
devotion to his parents by passing the Civil Service examinations, winning prestige for the whole
family. Most important of all, a son had to make sure that the family line would be continued.

Most Filipinos possess strong conformance of

2nd Term, AY. 2021-2022
Religious
their religious belief in action and in words.
Religion holds a central place in the life of
most Filipinos, including Catholics, Muslims,
Buddhists, Protestants, and animists.
Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Page | 9
Religious associations are part of the system
of kinship ties, patron client bonds, and other
 Religion functions as a historical force, indirectly affecting business behavior. It can also be
a regulatory force and in so doing affects business more directly. Finally, religious institutions are
part of the ongoing conversation about responsible business behavior and as such play a variety of
interlocking roles.
Filipino businessmen placed God as the center of their business. A business man with faith
and religious for instance serves not just his customers, but all of humanity and the planet.
Managers also demonstrate servant- leadership which is an attitude and set of practices
that deepens the lives of individuals, creates better organization and eventually builds a more just
and caring humanity.

A trait found in most Filipinos, a trait that

Fun-loving
makes them unique Trait
that even in time of
calamities and other challenges in life. This
famous trait is the ability of Filipinos to find joy
and humor in everything. Filipinos have a
cheerful, optimistic and fun- loving approach to
life and its ups and downs. Joking and laughing
at everything perhaps give them relief and make
them see things more positively

Having fun is one way of effectively managing and improving employees' emotions. It's also
proven to improve teamwork, build trusting relationships and increase employee retention. As
humans, we are social creatures that need a little fun to cope with the daily stressors that we face.
Fostering a fun work environment can make your employees less stressed, more productive, more
creative, and more engaged. And in the long run, all of this can have a positive impact on your
organization's bottom line — and on your career.

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 Ability to Survive

The Filipinos as a people who have been

constantly under the rule of numerous powerful
countries has over times developed a sense of
resourcefulness or the ability to survive with
whatever they have. They have the extraordinary
ability to make something of basically nothing.
Filipinos have an ability to survive which is
manifested in our capacity for endurance despite
difficult times, and in our ability to get by on so
little.

Filipinos make do with what is available in the environment, even, e.g., by eking out a living
from garbage dump. This survival instinct is related to the Filipinos who bravely carry on through
the harshest economic and social circumstances. Regretfully, one wonders what we might be able
to do under better circumstances

The word bayanihan

Bayanihan is derived
and Damayan from the
System
Tagalog word bayan which means town or
country depending on the context. The term
refers to any communal voluntary effort to
achieve a common goal. It is a common practice
in Philippine towns wherein community
members help their neighbor move to a new
place, repair homes or build communal
infrastructures.

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 On the other hand, Damayan denotes a good relationship among the people in the family or
within the group or community and connotes helping one another in time of need. Filipinos engage
themselves in mutual cooperation. The practice of damayan shows the community’s solidarity
through compassion. It is a practice that lessens another person’s grief through being there for
them.
A common example is pakikiramay (consoling), observed during a time of death in a family;
friends and neighbors express sympathy for one’s loss and often give money to defray burial costs.
Other examples include offering solace or advice during times of grief or misfortunes. Bayanihan
and damayan are indigenous practices of support that is often utilized by people especially in
poorer communities in the country.
In times of natural disasters, they utilized bayanihan and damayan as support as well as
coping mechanisms to tide over the disaster. Especially in situations when external support is
limited or lacking, poor people rely on themselves for survival and recovery.

Familism or Close Family Relations

The basic and most important unit of a

Filipino's life is the family. The Filipino puts a
great emphasis on the value of family and being
close to one's family members.
Familism is one of the most distinctive
characteristics of Asian culture and is widely
found across Asian cultures regardless of
religion, traditional custom, and dominant
philosophy.
Familism is defined as a social structure where the needs of the family are more important
and take precedence over the needs of any of the family members. It is a sense of loyalty, unity,
identification with, and responsibility to immediate and extended family. An example of familism
is when a family's values are held in higher esteem than the values of the individual members of the
family.

Ningas Cogon (Ningas Kugon)

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Mañana Habit (Mamaya Na – Do it Later)
The phrase “ningas cogon” is actually a
Filipino idiom which describes someone who is
only doing well, in whatever it is that they're
doing, during the beginning. It figuratively
means that the individual is unable to maintain
the quality of his/her work any better than a
Cogon grass maintains its burn.
Ningas-kugon is a tendency among
individuals to start a new venture or task with
too much enthusiasm and effort, but after some
time will take a pause or will suddenly stop
working, until such time that they lose interest in
the venture or task.

Mañana habit is one of the most negative

traits of some people. It means mamaya na in
Filipino or to do a certain thing in a later time. It
is a way of doing a things or simple means
finding a way to delay a work to be done. This
habit may produce negative consequences such
as anxiety and depression with regards to the
personality.
Mañana habit may lead to
procrastination, most specifically the academic
procrastination. It is defined as a permanent
desire on the part of the student to postpone the
academic activities.

Kapalaran Values (Fatalism)

A Filipino trait of accepting his fate by

believing that everything is written in his palm
such trait contributes to lack initiative and
2nd Term, AY. 2021-2022 perseverance among Filipinos. Page |
Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
13 ng
Kapalaran is a twin term of guhit
 This, however, is not predestination. The Filipino is no less a fatalist than other people, for he
is also very conscious of his own freedom, he can do something to rise above his lot or reverse his
fortune, if he wants to. But he also believes that God’s will is supreme and that abiding by His will,
accepting His will, is often the wisest course.

Euphemism
A Filipino way of substituting a word or
phrase that is thought to be offensive or harsh with
a mild and acceptable one in order to not offend or
hurt another person, some examples of Filipino
euphemisms used: Instead of saying someone has
'died' ('namatay'), in the Filipino language, one says
they 'went to the afterlife' (sumakabilang buhay)
Substitute calling someone 'smelly' (mabaho) for
'smell off '-not necessarily good or bad (may amoy).
Euphemism is also a good language technique when
in situations where causing too much of an offense
to the person would not be good. For example
instead of saying “you are fat” one could simply say
“you look healthy, you eat well” or simply “big Lang Attitude
Tsamba
boned”.

This is a Filipino attitude of simplicity by declaring that his/her accomplishments are

results of luck and not from perseverance and ability. It refers to the mental attitude of relying on
swerte or tsamba in some of our undertakings. We are so obsessed by this attitude that, in most
cases, we do not resort to deliberate and careful planning. It can also explain
Bahala the Filipino penchant
na Attitude
for gambling.

A Filipino trait characterized by retreating or withdrawal from

certain undertaking and leaving everything to God to interfere
nd
2 Term, AY. 2021-2022 and determine
Business Ethics and Social the outcome of his deeds. This fatalisticPage
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outlook
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can be viewed in two ways: First, as a kind of fatalistic
 Gaya gaya Attitude

It refers to the Filipino imitativeness

which gives rise to emphasis on façade, palabas,
pakitang-tao, pagyayabang. It is also an attitude
on imitating or copying other culture specifically
in mode of dressing, language, fashion or even
haircut

Lack of Sportsmanship

The Filipino places high regard in victories or

success in sports and other competitive endeavors. He feels
disgraced and shamed once he loses or fails. There is a
tendency to sulk and offer all sorts of excuses for defeat,
which he considers as dishonor.

Filipino Time

This is an aphorism to indicate the Filipino

attitude on always being late at an appointed time or
place. For the Filipino, time is a succession of
2nd Term, AY. 2021-2022 moments
Business Ethics and Social PagePinoy
without a starting point nor an end.
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starts when he wants and ends just the same.
 Colonial Mentality

It refers to the mental attitude of preferring

imported goods or ideas over locally made ones.

Padrino System

The padrino system, or patronage in Filipino

culture and politics, is the value system where one gains
favor, promotion, or political appointment through
family affiliation or friendship, as opposed to one's merit.
The padrino system in the Philippines has been the
source of many controversies and corruption.

Crab Mentality

A Filipino attitude characterized by an attempt to

“pull down” someone who has achieved success beyond
the others. It refers to the mental attitude of putting
2nd Term, AY. 2021-2022 Business Ethics the
and top
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down other people to prevent them from reaching 16
or attaining success.
 Jackpot Mentality

A “get rich quick” mentality of some Filipinos who

would rather engage in fast ways of acquiring money
than through hard work and sacrifice by getting in
lottery, joining raffle draws and other.

Checkpoint

Give at least one negative effect of the following Filipino value system
to business.

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 Assessment

Identify the Filipino value system in each item. Write your answer on
the blank.
___________1. A trait found in most Filipinos, a trait that makes them unique that even
in time of calamities and other challenges in life. This famous trait is the ability of
Filipinos to find joy and humor in everything.
___________2. A Filipino attitude of simplicity by declaring that his/her
accomplishments are results of luck and not from perseverance and ability
___________3. A feeling of obligation to repay someone who extended assistance to
another which may take place in undetermined time and in whatever way
___________4. A Filipino attitude characterized by an attempt to “pull down” someone
who has achieved success beyond the others. It refers to the mental attitude of putting
down other people to prevent them from reaching the top or attaining success.
___________5. A Filipino trait characterized by retreating or withdrawal from certain
undertaking and leaving everything to God to interfere and determine the outcome of
his deeds. Page |
2nd Term, AY. 2021-2022 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
___________6. An aphorism to indicate the Filipino attitude on always being late at an 18
appointed time or place, for the Filipino, time is a succession of moments without a
 starting point nor an end. Pinoy starts when he wants and ends just the same.

LESSON SUMMARY

FILIPINO VALUE SYSTEM

The Filipino value system or Filipino values refer to the set of values or the value system that a
majority of the Filipinos have historically held important in their lives. The value system of a
given country is a combination of ethical principles, classical philosophies, and belief systems.
The unique value system of a given country is also a product of its history, local customs and
traditions. The Philippines and its value system is a creation of all these influences.

POSITIVE FILIPINO VALUES

1. Utang na Loob (Debt of Gratitude)

2. Filial Piety
3. Religious
4. Respect for Elders
5. Hospitality
6. Fun-loving Trait
7. Ability to Survive
8. Bayanihan and Damayan System
9. Familism or Close Family Relations
nd 10. Ningas Cogon (Ningas-Kugon)
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11. Mañana Habit (Mamaya Na – Do it Later) 19
12. Kapalaran Values (Fatalism)
2nd Term, AY. 2021-2022 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Page |
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 REFERENCES

Journal:
Rebuilding Communities and Lives: The Role of Damayan and Bayanihan in Disaster
Resiliency By Teresita V. Barrameda and Arlen Sandino Barrameda Citizens’ Disaster
Response Center

Online Sources:

Brians, Paul
Examples of Filial Piety (kenyon.edu)

Discarga, Dominick
The Filipino Value System and Its Effects On Business | PDF | Value (Ethics) | Business
(scribd.com)

Evans, Prince
The manana habit and its effect — Steemit

Filipoknow
ningas-kugon.jpg (500×234) (filipiknow.net)

Hispanic Parenting
Familism / Familismo – Hispanic Parenting / Paternidad Hispana (wordpress.com)

Wikihow
aid47567-v4-728px-Greet-People-from-the-Philippines-Step-08.jpg (728×546) (wikihow.com)

7 Stones Boracay
15 Filipino Traits that Make the Philippines Fun to Visit - 7Stones Boracay | Boracay, Philippines