STRENGTHENING THE FILIPINO

FAMILY
OBJECTIVES:

AT THE END OF ONE HOUR SESSION, THE PARTICIPANTS

ARE EXPECTED TO:

1.) Identify the strengths and weaknesses of a

Filipino family.
2.) Analyze the contributing factors of marital
difficulties.
3.) Celebrate a prayer service for forgiveness and
love
HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Activity :
Buzz Session – A Situationer on the
Filipino Family

Guide Question :
What are the strengths and weaknesses in
the Filipino Family today?
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1.) What happened or what did you
observe in your group while the
activity was going on?
2.) What were your feelings during the
activity?
3.) At this time, you may now ask the
group to report their sharings/
observations.
Strengths
 Strong family ties
 Devotion
 Catholicism
 Simple living
 Sense of sacrifice
 Faith
 Sense of humor
 Work assignments early in childhood
 WEAKNESSES
 Infidelity
 Poverty
 Materialism
 Moral Degradation
 Separation
 Laziness
 Abortion
 Weakness to vices
 Overprotectiveness
SYNTHESIS
 The Filipino family is being subjected to tremendous
strains and stresses.

 Thebeauty of the past has given way to a megacity

chaos like traffic jams, heinous crimes, broken
home, drugs & etc.

 There is a dramatic shift in lifestyles that has taken

place just in our generation.
 There is an atmosphere of consumerism and
materialism that reshaped the traditional moral
values.

 Socialstatus based on material wealth and success

– changed the priorities and behavior of parents
and children.

 Advertising pushed the clamor for lavish fads and

fashion trends.
 The most basic socio-economic unit in any
country is the family.

 The Filipino family is the first school of wisdom,

professional competence and citizenship.

 Itis the semi-urban part of our country where

family life remains relatively strong and family
contact hours extended.
 Despite both material and spiritual treats, the
family has remained a stable institution.

 The recognition of true family values among

our people is intact and is especially strong.

 Filipinoenjoy close and extended family ties

which provide moral as well as material support
to its members.
 Each member of the family keeps a strong
sense of honor and a characteristic concern not
to tarnish the family name.

A strong bond unites brothers and sisters and

these contribute to the family stability.
 People
are always being developed (Peter F.
Drucker- an international management guro)

 Theonly choice is whether they are to be

developed equal to their potential and
tomorrow’s demand, or whether they are
misdeveloped.
 Any development requires a human component
that will introduce a change.

 People are the agents of change. The quality of

any change will necessarily depend on the
quality of the agent.
 Development is primarily about productivity. It
should start at home. The work ethics learned
at home will be carried and enhanced the
professional lives of its members.

 Tobe efficient participants in society’s

development, all members must seek and
reach personal levels of maturity.
 Statistics on the Youth in the
Philippines
Practices Considered Socially Acceptable Might or will do
wrong
Looking at 58% 44% 15%
pornographic material

Cheating on 85% 45% 15%

husband/wife or
boyfriend
Having sexual 66% 51% 51%
relationship before
marriage
Having a Mistress or 66% 40% 19%
Boyfriend, if married
Using forbidden drugs 90% 33% 11%
Getting drunk at 64% 57% 24%
Parties
Smoking cigarettes 62% 63% 26%
Cheating in school 61% 40% 24%
Getting items from store 79% 29% 30%
Ways to counteract the widespread
corruption in the Family

 Rebuildfamily life along foundations of

Christian Spirituality

 Provide full satisfaction for the family’s

judicial, economic, biological & cultural
needs.
Ways to counteract the widespread
corruption in the Family

 Vigorouslyreaffirm the sacred character, unity

and indissolubility of the conjugal society
known as marriage.

 Recognize and educate others on the need for

adequate preparation (spiritual/biological) for
marriage and for the natural duty of
procreating and educating children.
Ways to counteract the widespread
corruption in the Family
 Make certain that family members treasure and
enjoy their homes.

 Stronglyoppose immoral movies and all forms of

pornography
Ways to counteract the widespread
corruption in the Family
 Recognize and restore to honor the spiritual
needs of the family making it possible for all
family members to lead wholesome upright lives.

 Proclaimthe social value of family life via

studies/conferences/publications designed to
promote physical and economic well-being of the
family.
Character is the sum total of what Christian civilization has called the virtues

Faith Belief in God and all that He has taught

thru his church
Hope Confidence that He will provide the
means for our salvation
Charity Love of God and of all people, for the
love of God.
Prudence Sound judgment making important
distinctions like good/evil, truth to
falsehood.
Justice Sense of responsibility
Fortitude Personal toughness
 COMMON TRAITS OF PARENTS WHOSE
CHILDREN GREW UP TO BE MEN AND
WOMEN OF CHARACTER:

 Parents work as a unified team

 Each parent should frequently shows his/her

children respect for the other spouse.

 Parentsare clear that they are raising adults

not kids.
 COMMON TRAITS OF PARENTS WHOSE
CHILDREN GREW UP TO BE MEN AND WOMEN
OF CHARACTER:
 Parentstreat their children the way God treats us
all combining firmness with understanding.

 Parents consistently do not allow into their family

anything they do not approve of.

 Parents make each child feel needed at home by

assigning him / her tasks
 COMMON TRAITS OF PARENTS WHOSE
CHILDREN GREW UP TO BE MEN AND
WOMEN OF CHARACTER:
 Parentsshow in practice to their children their
God, His law , the church : Employers-
employees; the needy; guests & friends.

 Parentsdo not allow television or other

entertainment media to act as rivals for their
children’s respect and affection.
 COMMON TRAITS OF PARENTS WHOSE
CHILDREN GREW UP TO BE MEN AND
WOMEN OF CHARACTER:

 Parents converse a lot with their children.

 Parents realize that they only have one chance

to raise their children right.
Reflection/ Challenge to Christian Living

 TheFilipino family has certain strengths we should

maximize

 Certainweaknesses have to be eliminated or at least

made irrelevant.

 Parents have the responsibility – their behavior is

vital.
 SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS ON THE
FILIPINO FAMILY

 Achieving
and maintaining FAMILY SOLIDARITY
AND STABILITY; and

 Informing
/ forming each and the children in
STRENGTHS OF CHARACTER.
Resolution to all couples to start the
campaign for the family

I WILL IMPROVE AND STRENGTHEN

MY MARITAL RELATIONSHIP
I WILL IMPROVE AND STRENGTHEN MY
MARITAL RELATIONSHIP

 This is the key to Family stability

 Once achieved, there is happier and more

cheerful homes

 Conducive to the molding of all members of

the family in strengths of character.
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 N:To the fathers here present as we were the
ones who courted and won our wives, we
should realize that we too are responsible for
keeping the relationship at an optimal level.

 Success or failure is mostly our responsibility.

CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Renew your love for your wife with every
passing day,

 Toshow details of love and affection daily

because these means a lot the wife.
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Wives to remain ever faithful and caring for
their husband.

 Mothers must always be available to provide

the encouragement and understanding needed
by their children, especially in their younger
and adolescent years.
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Mothers to be always available to provide the
encouragement and understanding needed by
their children especially in their younger and
adolescent years.

 Mothers do not spoil your children.

 Do not give them too much money.

CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Mothers help your students grow into mature
individuals by teaching them the value of
hardwork

 Motherstake personal responsibility for your

students’ actions.
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Fathersto take a more active role in the
upbringing of their children.
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Forparents, to study and learn well their
parenting roles

 Read good books for marriage

 Goodupbringing of children starting with

Catechism of the Catholic Church
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Tochallenge couples to be uncompromising on
protecting the unity and indissolubility of their
marriage.

 Studieshave shown that the most critical

element in determining the future state of a
child’s marriage is the relationship between his
parents.
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Parents to be authentic role models for their
children

 Parentsto practice in the family the virtues of

mutual respect, sacrifice, understanding and all
the other virtues needed to grow in their
married life and foster a wholesome family life.
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Parents to spend more and more of your
leisure time with your children.

 Parentswill continuously work at improving

marital relationship asking our Lord to help
them not only to “stay in love”but more
importantly to “grow in love”.
CHALLENGES TO STRENGTHEN
OUR FAMILIES
 Parents
to raise morally upright individuals,
steeped in the strengths of character.

 Toproduce Filipinos who will be strong enough

to manage the environmental forces for or
against them as well as harness their strengths
for the common good for a better Philippines
and for a better world.