Chapter 3

Self-Awareness
and Filipino
Values
Introduction

• There is still a part that is being hidden and that is your inner Self. It is
a quiet presence which will draw attention to itself. However, it is
only you by your free will that is awareness will come to mind. So do
not expect your inner Self to blow its horn in midst of the stressful
situations, loss, etc., to “save” you. It requires a conscious decision to
change the focus of your attention.

• The key to your inner Self is: awareness. Be consciously aware of the
things that you do, but do not judge or act on them. Just be aware of
the thoughts and feelings, but do not believe that they are a reality in
itself. Let them go by. Do not hurry this process, because too big a
step in one time will induce fear and resistance with your personality.
• Your inner Self is subtler, it can easily be overpowered by your
personality due its nature of defenselessness. It will wait until you
return to it by free choice. It also takes experience to be able to tell
the difference. So do not underestimate the skill of your personality
to disguise itself as your Self.
Nature of Self and self-awareness
According to Birch (1997), one of the most crucial processes in
the early years of the child’s life is the development of sense of self.
Gardner (1982) suggests that there are number of factors that the
children should know. They should:
• be aware of their own body, its appearance, states in size (body-size)
• be able to refer themselves appropriately through language and be
able to distinguish descriptions which apply to self and which do not;
• be aware of their own personal history, experiences they have had,
skills and abilities acquired, their own needs and wishes.
Emotional Self Awareness
It is the ability to recognize our emotions and their effects on us. This
means that we are aware of how we react to environment factors and how
our emotions affect our performance. The person who possesses
competency of emotional self-awareness is one who:
• is aware of his own feeling;
• knows why feelings occur;
• understands implications of our emotions;
• pays attention to the physical signs that are aroused in stressful situations
(high blood pressure, sweaty palms; and
• knows his own strengths and weaknesses and understanding his own
emotions and the impact of his behavior on others in diverse situations.
Accurate Self-Assessment
It is the ability to know our inner resources, abilities and limits
and to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses. We can only know
our potentials and limitations if we are positive to constructive
criticisms.

The person who possesses the competency for Accurate Self-

Assessment should:
• have a sense of humor about him or himself;
• be aware of own strengths and weaknesses; and
• be open to feedback.
Self Confidence

This is the belief in your own self, your capability to

accomplish the task. This competency is an acknowledgement
of your potentials that you are the best for the job.

We can develop self confidence if we are equipped with

sufficient knowledge and sure of what we are doing and try to
act decisively. We can improve ourselves if we accept
feedback positively.
The Meaning of a Man as a Person
The term ‘person’ cannot be exclusively attached to human
beings since not all persons are considered human being and vice-
versa. A business enterprise is a person, although, is not a human
being.
On the other hand, a slave is a human being, but he is not a person by
virtue of his being divested of his rights as a human being-although he
is still a human being.
To speak of man as a being-with-others is to speak of man as a person.
Consequently, ample consideration is rendered in an inquiry on
personalism.
Personalism, as a philosophical movement, was founded by Borden
Parker Browne and was developed later by Max Scheler, Emmanuel
Mounier, Henri Bergson, and Martin Buber. As a philosophical movement,
personalism is a study of man as a person. Thus, it pays much interest on
the personhood of man and not so much on the nature of man.
Man as a person, then, means that man is unique, a who, a subject, and a
self, man is never alone in his existence in the world; man has that
indelible trademark of his ‘being-with’ existence in the world.
Since man is a person, his “being-with” existence should not be focused
with a “being-for” kind existence. “Being-for” is the opposite of “being-
with” in the sense that the latter is heading to a direction of treating man
a person. Thus, in man’s intersubjectivity, man is called to treat his
fellowman as a person; this is made possible only in the context of man’s
“being-with” existence.
Love of God, Oneself, of Neighbor, and of
Country
Biblical Basis
Matthew 22:35-40 TEV
and of them, a teacher of the Law tried to trap him with a question.
“Teacher,” he asked, “which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus answered, “Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and the most
important commandment is like it: Love your neighbor as you love
yourself.” The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets
depend on these two commandments.

Roman I:19-20 NKJV

because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has
shown it to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power
and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
The Self
Every one of us has an obligation to ourselves, but there are times
that we are facing difficulties in understanding these obligations. One of the
reasons is how we understand exactly what ‘self’ is.

Selfhood, is to conceive it as a personal role that one plays in the

general drama of life. In the totality of human history, I have my own
unique role to play because of the presence of individual differences.

In understanding our selfhood, there are certain moral obligations

that arise. If a person has a particular life to live then he has basic
responsibility toward that life. He has the obligation to see that life is ‘lived’
to its fullest. He should play his role as well as he can and do not neglect it.
The Many Faces of the Filipino
We cannot deny the fact that nobody is perfect. All human being
possess strengths and weaknesses. Many of our strong points are also
the source of our limitations.

Our family orientation is the source of our strengths and

weaknesses. It gives us a sense of rootedness and security, both very
essential to any form of reaching out to others.

Our flexibility, adaptability and creativity are our strength that

allows us to adjust to any kind of environment and to make the best of
the circumstances.
Our faith in God and our religiosity are sources of strengths
and courage, but they also lead to become passive to external
forces.
There are other conflicts in the many faces of the Filipino. We
find pakikipagkapwa-tao and the kanya-kanya mentality, which
are opposite, yet so many of us are living comfortably with
these contradictions. We are other-oriented and capable of
severe empathy, and yet we are self-serving, envious of others
or with crab mentality, and unconstructively critical with one
another.
We are also noted for being hardworking and lazy as being
portrayed by Juan Tamad. Indeed, we see that we are capable
of working long and industrious and efficient in any job.
Roots of the Filipino Character
These are factors that greatly affect the roots of the Filipino strengths and
weaknesses. These are:
1. The home environment
2. Social environment
3. Culture and language
4. History
5. The educational system
6. Religion
7. The economic environment
8. The political environment
9. Mass media, and
10. Leadership and role models
The family and home environment
The home plays a vital role in the development of the character
of individuals. The childbearing practices, family relations, and family
attitudes and orientation are the main components of the home
environment. The child grows in the family, which is full of love, high
nurturance, low independence training, and low discipline.
Social Environment
We are social beings and we cannot live without the support of
one another, for “no man is an island.”
Culture and Language
Filipinos have been noted as warm and our being person-
oriented, devoted to family, and with sense of joy and humor are part
of our culture and reinforced by all socializing forces such as the family,
school, and the peer group.
Filipino culture is also characterized by being open minded to the
outside forces which easily accepts foreign elements without being
conscious of cultural core. This is brought by our colonial mentality in
which we feel the white Americans are superior to us, hence the
acceptance of the English as the medium of instructor in school.

The introduction of the English language being used in the Philippine

schools de- Filipinized the youth and taught them to regard American
culture as superior. The implies that the Filipinos have no self-
confidence. At our early age, we develop our self- esteem the moment
we have the mastery of something foreign.
History
Our mentality is the product of our colonial history, which is
regarded as the culprit for our lack of nationalism. Colonialism
developed a mind-set on us, to think of the colonial power as a
superior and more powerful. With the invasion of the Spaniards and
Americans, we developed a sense of dependence on foreign powers
that made us believe that we are a second class citizen to them and we
are not responsible for our country’s fate.
The Educational System
Going back to our history, our curriculum was patterned from the
American educational system. Problems cropped up because the
textbooks being used are still dependent on foreign sources. The
knowledge derived from these books is not relevant to the Philippine
setting. At present, we still lack suitable local textbooks. Schools are
highly authoritarian, with the teacher as the central focus. The Filipino
student is taught to be dependent on whatever the teacher says.
Religion
It plays a vital role in the spiritual and moral development of an
individual. We, Filipinos, believe in life after death, hence we practice
what the religion teaches. It is the root of Filipino optimism and its
capacity to accept life’s hardships.
The Economic Environment
Poverty is the number one felt problem in our society and it
serves as an excuse for graft and corruption in our bureaucracy. It is
also the vital factor in the crime incidence in our country as well as all
over the world.
The Political Environment
Our government is obliged to deliver the basic services to the
people and in return, we pay our taxes. The political power and
authority are concentrated in the hands of the elite and participation of
the people is limited only to voting elections.
Mass Media
They have strong impact on the moral
development of the youth. The children idolize young
actors and actresses. If they portray negative values, it
is internalized in our children’s mind.
Strengths of the Filipino Character
There are some of strengths of the Filipino character:
1. Pakikipagkapwa-tao (regard for others)
This is manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness, ability
to empathize with others, helpfulness and generosity in times of need
(pakikiramay) in the practice of bayanihan or mutual assistance, in the
famous hospitality and in concern for others.
2. Family Orientation
This pertains to the concern for the family, which is manifested in
the honor, and respect for parents and elders. This is further
manifested in the care given to children, even up to the extent of
extended family, where married children still reside in their parent’s
house.
3. Joy and Humor
Filipinos by nature are fond of social celebrations. We inherited
this character from the Spaniards. We have a positive attitude to our
ups and down in our lives because despite the odds, we still have the
capacity to laugh even at the most trying times and laughing is an
important coping mechanism.
4. Flexibility, Adaptability, Creativity
Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust, become creative,
resourceful, adept at learning and have the ability to improvise and
make use of whatever is on hand in order to create and produce any
thing.
5. Hard work and Industry
This pertains to the desire to raise one’s standard of living by working
very hard, given proper conditions and to possess the essentials of a
decent life for their loved ones.
6. Faith and Religiosity
Filipinos are noted for deep faith in God because of the belief of life
after death. Their ultimate goal is to go to heaven and they are afraid of the
ball of fire or otherwise known as hell. The Filipino’s faith results in courage,
daring, optimism, inner peace, as well as the capacity to genuinely accept
tragedy and death.
7. Ability to Survive
We are known for our ability to survive despite the economic
difficulties we are encountering. Filipinos have this survival instinct which is
related to basic optimism, flexibility, and adaptability.
Weaknesses of the Filipino Character
1. Extreme Personalism
This is manifested in the tendency to give personal interpretations to actions,
e.g. pakiusap (request), lagay and regalo (fixing), palakasan (power and influence),
nepotism and favoritism and to “take things personally.”
2. Extreme Family Centeredness
While it is true that concern for the family is one of the Filipino’s
greatest strengths, in the extreme it becomes a serious flaw. Excessive
concern for the family could be detrimental to the common good and acts as
a block to national consciousness.
3. Lack of Discipline
This is manifested in relaxed attitude towards time, tagged as “Filipino
time” and space which in itself is lack of precision, in compulsiveness in poor
time management and delays of work, and in procrastination.
4. Passivity and Lack of Initiative
Filipinos are generally passive and lacking of initiative. Filipinos
are submissive to those in authority, and are not likely to raise issues or
to question decisions. Hence, we are easily oppressed and exploited.
5. Colonial Mentality
This pertains to the openness of the Filipinos to the outside-
adapting and incorporating the foreign elements into our image of
ourselves. Such mentality is made up of two dimensions: first is lack of
patriotism or an active awareness, appreciation, and love of the
Philippines; the second is an actual preference for foreign things.
6. Kanya-kanya Syndrome
Filipinos have a selfish, self-serving attitude that generates a
feeling of envy and competitiveness towards others.
7. Lack of Self- Analysis and Self-
Reflection
This related to the Filipino emphasis on form
(“maporma”) rather than substance. There is tendency to
be satisfied with rhetoric and to substitute this for reality.
Filipinos’ tendency is to joke at something even if it
is a serious matter and prevent from looking deeply into
the problem.
8.Filipino Indolence
The Filipinos were called by the Spaniards as indolent
which means lazy and lack of initiative and ambition, but Rizal
refuted this negative description and explained that:
1. It is unhealthy to work in the Philippine hot climate;
2. The industries during the Spanish era proved that they were
not lazy, but instead the invaders forced labor and closed
down the industries;
3. The Filipino were the ones who taught gambling to Filipinos;
4. The Filipinos were discriminated and discouraged to pursue
their studies.

9. Mañana Habit
This negative attitude was inherited from the Spaniards.
This means putting off for tomorrow what can be done today
or procrastination. It has the element of fatalism and is link
with “bahala na” attitude.
10. The Fiesta Syndrome
This is still being celebrated in the rural areas.
Filipinos celebrated so many occasions like feast of the Patron
Saint of their place, birthdays, baptismal and confirmation of
their child, marriage, anniversaries, etc.

11. Hospitality
The Filipino families are very much well known for
hospitality. The visitors are welcomed warmly with full of
enthusiasm. They are offered the best food and even to the
extent of depriving themselves just only to please their
visitors.