FILIPINO THINKING

FROM LOCAL TO
GLOBAL
It may sound presumptuous to speak “
Filipino Thought” for the reason that the
Philippines could not very well speak of a
tradition such as that China, India, or Greco-
roman. Yet for the Filipino, there has to be
“Filipino Thought” or none at all. Like any
other people, the Filipino must eventually
take consciousness of his own particular life
and his world, his society and his gods in the
light of Truth, and thereby realize his proper
The three dimensions of Filipino thought are: Loob, Filipino
Philosophy 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. For Mercado (1992), interiority manifests
itself in freedom. Loob puts one in touch with his fellow beings.
Great Philippine values, in fact, are essentially interpersonal.
The use of intermediaries or go- betweens, the values of
loyalty, hospitality, pakikisama ( camaraderie, conformism), and
respect to authority are such values that relate to persons.
• In short, the Filipino as individual looks himself
as holistics 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 to the violation of these
two. ( Mercado 2000)
2. Filipino Philosophy of time- whether Ilokano or
Kapampangan proves that he believes in the gulong ng
palad ( literally “ wheel of fortune”) and hence, looks at
life as a series of ups and downs (Trimbreza 1992). This
philosophy of life makes the Filipino an unmitigated
optimist. When the so- called wheel of life is on the
downtrend, he looks to the fortune with hope because
life’s wheel cannot down forever. When one weeps,
one- surely smile. The Filipino looks upon every event ,
fortunate or unfortunate as fleeting or transitory.
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. The
concept of “siesta time” or “power naps” is
also important for filipino culture that must
not be necessarily considered negative.
• 3. Bahala Na- The pre- Spanish Filipino people believed in a
Supreme Being. Batula or Bathala. However, in this regard,
the originality of Filipino thought will probably be precisely in
his personalistic view of the universe (Timbreza 2002)
• The Filipino subsconciously accept the bahala na attitude as
a part of life. Bahala na literally means to leave everything to
God who is Bathala in the vernacular.
• The bahala na philosophy puts complete trust in the Devine
Providence. It contains the element of resignation. Thus the
Filipino accepts beforehand whatever the outcome of his
problem might be ( Mercado2000)
4. Filipino Thought and Values: Positive and Negative
Aspects
It is believed, however that the Philippine values and
system, in line with Filipino philosophy, are in dire need to
be used as positive motivation.
As we consider our duty, it should not be bounded by
utang na loob (indebtedness to patrons) but to help to
uplift the life not only of one’s own family but of others as
well. The Filipino gives great value to endurance and hard
work as means to economic self- sufficiency refers, not to
individual self, but to the family to which one owes a
special debt of gratitude for having brought him life and
nurtured him.
Bayanihan is another moving spirit of the filipino people.
Deep down in the Filipino psyche, these exists the belief
that whatever good one has done will rebound to one’s
benefit because a Supreme Judge will dispense just
compensation whether in this life or in the next.
Filipinos may not be able to formulate or articulate this
philosophy but it is nonetheless evident in all their
transactions ad their everyday existence. This indigenous
philosophy may be said to be a spirit that permeates the
Filipino as Filipino, and without which, he feels certain
dissatisfaction.
• There was a consensus that Asia, being the seat of the world’s
oldests civilizations, does have a philosophical character all on its
own but that it will not surface unless local philosophers dig to the
roots of their own indigenous culture (Gripaldom 2000). The
nationalist challenge is still relevant today. In this vein, Gripaldo
believes four important items to be considered.
• 1. replacing colonial consciousness with a nationalist consciousness
thereby doing away with colonial and crab mentality.
• 2. creation of super industrial society;
• 3. utilization of education as the means of realizing the imeage of
the future as super industrial society and;
• 4.choosing not just for oneself but for all humanity, fo the nation as
a whole
• Eventually, Gripaldo argues that once
economically strong, the Philippines will
transcend nationalism to internationalism.
This action is one step toward globalism
where economic choices to be made are
choices not for oneself but for humanity.