THE PINOY VALUES

Ethics – Asian and

and MORAL Filipino Moral
CHARACTER Understanding
At the end of this Module,
the students should be
able to:
1.Explain the Filipino Way: An Asian and a
Filipino Understanding of Moral Behavior
2.Classify and differentiate Strengths and
weaknesses
 (Perceived) Differences between
Western and Eastern “Ethics” :
Categories WESTERN ETHICS EASTERN ETHICS
Focus Finding truth Protocol and respect
Basis Rational thought Religious teachings
Emphasis Logic, cause and effect Respect towards family

Roots in Athens, Rome and Judeo- Hinduism, Buddhism,

Christianity Confucianism, Taoism

Approach Rational Holistic and cultural

Conflict and Good must triumph over Good and bad, light and
harmony evil dark, all exist in
equilibrium
 FILIPINO MORAL
CHARACTER:
FILIPINO
VALUES
STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES
 Activity
We will watch 3 short films

In each film, these are the guide

Think-and- questions/points to ponder:

Share Tayo… • Facts/details of the film (narrate the

story)
 • What Filipino value/s are evident in the
film? In what instance/s? Cite same
personal experience about these values.
• Is the value/are the values considered
strength or weakness of the Filipino
character? Explain.
• Realization: What did you learn from the
film?
FILIPINO MORAL
CHARACTER:

STRENGTHS AND
WEAKNESSES
 Filipino Cultural Morality

Filipino cultural morality centers/anchors on ideally having a Smooth

Interpersonal Relationship (SIR) with others.

Smooth Interpersonal Relationship

Amor Utang na Filipino Respect

Pakikisama Hiya
propio loob hospitality for elders
1. Pakikisama
 Maintaining good public relations/relationship
 Practice pakikisama in order to avoid clash with other people or certain group.
 Characteristics:

A value A goal
Keeping good feelings
in interactions

Get along well with

others (at all costs)
 Pamilya: Sama-sama, sa hirap at ginhawa
 Brotherhood / sisterhood
 Barkada: Bawal ang kill joy…

POSITIVE PAKIKISAMA
Over-generous
Having good public praise, concealing
relations negative feelings,

DESTRUCTIVE
smiling even

PAKIKISAMA
things are going
wrong, avoiding to
say no, avoiding
losing temper.
2. Hiya
 Feeling of lowliness, shame, embarrassment and shyness.
 Related to the concept of “Face”
 The Filipino concept of hiya is “fear of losing face”

POSITIVE HIYA
Too much hiya

DESTRUCTIVE HIYA
Afraid to do bad may lead to
things as it may having
damage one’s inferiority
reputation in the complex and
sight of other low self
people. confidence.
3. Amor Propio
 Translatedas self-esteem or self-respect or sense of pride (ayaw
patapakan ang pride)
 Itcomes from the Filipino’s tendency to protect his/her honor
and dignity such as refusing offers of others even he/she really
wants to accept them.

POSITIVE AMOR PROPIO

High degree of

DESTRUCTIVE AMOR
Protects from losing sensitivity that
self-respect, makes one
publicly criticized, intolerant to
insulted, belittled or criticism and easily
humiliated. have a wounded

PROPIO
pride.
4. Utang na loob
 Involvesthe concept of reciprocity or returning the
received favor back
 Utang na Loob – debt of gratitude usually makes a
person “walang utang na loob” or “walang hiya”

POSITIVE UTANG NA
LOOB

DESTRUCTIVE UTANG
To avoid being
Reciprocation: in dubbed as
terms of parents walang utang na
and children, and loob, Filipinos
with other people sometimes do

NA LOOB
things that may
be bad (just to
return the favor)
5. Filipino Hospitality
 Innate ability and trait of Filipinos to be courteous and entertaining
to their guests.
 Open heart/arms / warm welcome to guest/families/visitors

POSITIVE HOSPITALITY
Filipinos are
Filipinos are
prone to being
internationally
abused and

DESTRUCTIVE
known to be

HOSPITALITY
maltreated.
warm,
welcoming and
accommodating.
6. Respect for Elders
 Filipinos are respectful and have unique ways of expressing our respect for
our elders such as using “po” and “opo”, “pagmamano”

POSITIVE RESPECT FOR

ELDERS

DESTRUCTIVE RESPECT
it makes one
We, as Filipinos, dependent or
are highly irrationally
respectful to our obedient to

FOR ELDERS
parents, teachers, parents and
and those people elders.
in authority.
Other values we should consider:

Give 5 other Filipino Values

 Resilience
 Resilience – the ability to recover from / or adjust easily to
misfortune or change.
 Filipinos have the ability to accept what has happened and
able to fully recover easily.
 Filipinos smile even when they encounter problems – what
you see is not what you get.
Gulong ng Palad character

 Fate and fortune is like a wheel.

 Minsan nasa ibabaw, minsan nasa ilalim.
 Negative: Passivity and Lack of Initiative
 In contrast with what Henley said: “Man is the
captain of his own ship and master of his own
fate” and with…
 …what Protagoras said: “Man is the measure of all
things”.
Faithful and Religious
 The Filipino is a man of faith, prayer, patience,
perseverance, peace and love.
 These values of Filipinos are often misconstrued by critics to
mean inaction, lack of will-power, indecision and
indifference to progress.
 The “Bahala Na” Philosophy of Pinoys…”Bahala na” means…
 May be taken positively and/or negatively.
 In the negative sense, being excessively faithful and religious may really lead
to inaction and sloth. Bahala na Philosophy (leaving all the work to Bathala).
The Pinoy Love (Mapagmahal)
 When it comes to love – Hahamakin ang lahat.
 Pinoy Love – sa asawa at pamilya, gagawin ang LAHAT para sa
kanila.
 Mentalities: Family centeredness versus Extreme family
centeredness; True love is selfless love versus self love
 Other thoughts on love…
“UNTIL DEATH DO US PART” versus “WALANG FOREVER!!!”
Pakikipagkapwa-tao
 “Regard for others”
 Summarizes some of the values that we have (such as
hospitality, respect, pakikisama, utang na loob, pagtulong sa
kapwa, etc.)
A Moral Recovery Program: Building a
People--Building a Nation by Dr.
Patricia Licuanan

Filipino Values
Filipino cultural morality, especially that which
concerns social ethics, centers on ideally having
“Smooth Interpersonal Relationship” (SIR) with
others.
STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER
 Pakikipagkapwa-Tao (regard for others).
 Family Orientation.
 Joy and Humor
 Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity
 Hard work and Industry
 Faith and Religiosity
 Ability to Survive
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER
 Extreme Personalism – MAKASARILI
 Extreme Family-Centeredness - Nepotism
 Lack of Discipline
 Passivity and Lack of Initiative
 Colonial Mentality
 Kanya-Kanya Syndrome
 Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection
THE MANY FACES OF THE FILIPINO

 From this discussion of the strengths and

weaknesses of the Filipino, it is clear that there is
much that is good here, but there is also much
that needs to be changed. Many of our strong
points are also the sources of our weakness.
 ROOTS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

 the home environment,

 the social environment,
 culture and language,  religion,
 history,  the economic environment,
 the educational system,  the political environment,
 mass media, and
 leadership and role models.
GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE

 Goals. Based on the strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino, the

following goals for change are proposed. The Filipino should develop:
1. a sense of patriotism and national pride--a genuine love,
appreciation, and commitment to the Philippines and things Filipino;
2. a sense of the common good--the ability to look beyond selfish
interests, a sense of justice and a sense of outrage at its violation;
3. a sense of integrity and accountability--an aversion toward graft and
corruption in society and an avoidance of the practice in one's daily life;
4. the value and habits of discipline and hard work; and
5. the value and habits of self-reflection and analysis, the
internalization of spiritual values, and an emphasis upon essence rather
GOALS AND STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE

 General Strategic Principles. In identifying goals for change and developing

our capabilities for their achievement, it is necessary to consider certain
general principles:
1. Strategies must be multi-layered and multi-sectoral;
2. Strategies must emphasize change in the power-holders as well as in
the masa (people);
3. Strategies should be holistic, emphasizing individual as well as systemic or
structural change;
4. The change should involve a critical mass of people;
5. The goals should be divided into small pieces for implementation;
6. Strategies must be connected to the daily life of people; and
7. Strategies must be implemented by an act of the will and involve self-
sacrifice
 Multi-Layered, Multi-Sectoral Strategies.
 Roles of Power-Holders and the Masa.
 Holistic, Individual and Systemic/Structural Change.
 Critical Mass or Network of Change Initiators.
 Restricted or "Bite-Size" Goals.
 Goals Related to People's Lives.
 Act of the Will and Self-Sacrifice.
 SPECIFIC STRATEGIES
 A. For Developing
Patriotism, and
National Pride:
1. Ideology. B. Developing a Sense of the Common Good:
2. History. 1. Government.
3. Languages. 2. Non-governmental organizations.
D. For Developing Discipline and Hard Work
4. Education. 3. Religious Organizations/Movements.
E. For Developing Self-reflection and Analysis
5. Trade and Industry. 4. Education.
1. Religion/Religious Movements.
6. Media/Advertising. C. For Developing Integrity and
Accountability: 2. Small Groups/NGO's.
7. Government.
1. Government Leadership 3. Government Leadership.
Structure/Systems
2. Education/Training.
Conclusions:
About culture and cultural relativism…
About Filipino values…

Are there (any) Universal Values?

(Ethics book, pages 31-32 )
Thank you