I.

INTRODUCTION

Values are universal, shared by all people. What we call “Filipino” values are those given
emphasis in the culture and tradition of the Filipinos. They shape character, or ugaling Pilipino

The study of cultural values belongs also to Ethics. They are cultural habits that define the
Filipino attitude towards life in general and towards specific actions in particular. They might rightly be
regarded as modifiers of human acts, influencing their motivations. They are besides the raw materials of
the social and spiritual development of a Filipino as a person in a community of persons. They lend
support to the effort of building a nation.

II. CONTENT

Filipino Cultural Values

Values do not belong exclusively to Filipinos. But certain universal values find different meaning
and application within the experiential and historical circumstances of the Filipino. What we call Filipino
values are those we drive from our culture or way of life, from “our distinctive way of becoming human
in this particular place and time”. (Vitaliano R. Gorospe, Filipino Values Revisited, Manila: National
Bookstoe, Inc., 1988, p. 104)

The values of the Filipinos spring from their peculiar way of viewing life, its origin, its meaning,
and its purpose. For example, the value of pananalig sa Maykapal comes from the belief that God is the
Supreme Creator. The values of pag-ibig, pakikipag-kapwa, pagpapahalaga sa familia, hiya, utang ng
loob – take roots on their awareness of social relatedness. And from the awareness of his worth as a
person, dignified and responsible,-come dangal, amor propio, delicadeza, and palabra de honor.

Filipino Moral Ideal

Filipinos subscribe to the concept of moral integrity as the ideal ultimately desirable ideal.
Success is measured in terms of moral respectability. “Di baling mahirap, basta’t may dangal” expresses
this noble aspiration.

The ultimate expectation is for somebody, for everybody, to act the way a rational being ought to
behave. More fundamental than magpakalalaki, or magpakababae, is the conceptual expectation of
magpakatao. This means that, before one is anything else, he must first be an authentic person, a tao.

One who falls short from the general expectation does not deserve respect. In the mental frame of
a Filipino, one who chooses to reduce himself to the level of brutes, does not deseve to be in the company
of the decent people. Thus, such unfortunate individual is ostracized and dismissed as “hayop”, or
“walang-hiya”, implying that only a brute can act so shamelessly.
Objective and Subjective Values

Values are both objective and subjective. They are objective in the sense that they are valuable
and desirable. They are subjective in the sense they presuppose a subject, that is, a person who is valuing
or experiencing such value.

Subjectively values are either positive or negative.

Positive-when they contribute to the development of proper attitude and behavior

Negative-when they do not lend to the development of proper behavior, but instead lead to the corruption
of behavior.

Double-Standard Mentality

The Filipino moral behavior is characterized as ambivalent, meaning, that the Filipino is
comfortable with a double-standard mentality. “the truth”, says Fr. Gorospe, “is that Filipino values are
ambivalent in the sense that they are potential for good or evil, they may help or hinder personal and
national development, depending in how they are understood or practiced or lived”.

Social expectation or pressure from family and community simply makes it difficult for the
individual Filipino to act in accordance with his personal convictions.

Erroneous Norms of Morality

Filipinos judge what is right or wrong on the basis of (1) group-centeredness or “group-thinking,
or (2) on the basis of shame and fear of authority figure.

“Group-thinking” is the mentality of the herd. Where the lead carabao goes, there the rest of the
carabaos go. What is right or wrong depends on what is favored by the group as a group. Instead of
listening to his conscience coming from within his being, the Filipino listens to the conscience of other
people. “What will may family, or may relatives and friends, or may barkada think or say?”, “What will
other people say” –are expressive, according to Fr. Gorospe, of the moral norm of the Filipino.

The other norm of morality which Filipinos are inclined to follow is based on fear or shame of
the authority figure. This is the “don’t-be-caught” attitude. According to this norm, it is alright to do
wrong provided one is not caught doing it. Thus, a student may cheat in an exam, provided he is not
caught by the teacher. Thus, morality is equated with the skill of palusot.

Re-orientation of Attitudes

The solution to the moral ambiguity of the Filipinos depends largely on the attitude towards the
problem itself. Three difficulties must be overcome: ignorance, complacency, and rationalization.
 Filipinos must be aware of the problem. A Filipino, unaware of the inconsistency in his moral
outlook, will not attempt to correct himself. There is indeed a need to internalize values, to make them
part of one’s inner character.

Complacency - the feeling of being comfortable with the present state of affairs. It leads one to
be indifferent to existing problems. One who is complacent is afraid to make any alteration of his
behavior.

Rationalization - the mental turning away from the real issues. It is an attitude intended to escape
responsibility. It is ready excuse for doing what is wrong. “Ako’y tao lamang”, “ganyan lang ang
buhay”, “uso yan” are rationalizations. They project an individual’s helplessness in a particular situation
and, therefore, not responsible. Rationalization in any form is wrong, because it denies man’s capacity to
control himself and to have dominion over his action.

Moral Commitment

Values are not acquired genetically; they are personally cultivated and lived. They involve a
commitment where one submits himself to the rational demands of his intellect for truth and the moral
demands of the will to abide by what is good.

Commitment implies responsibility. A responsible person is one who can think for himself and
make his own decisions independently of others.

To be responsible is not essentially becoming an independent person in the like of a “rebel”. The
rebel is a socially immature individual who wants the right to make his own decisions but refuses to
assume the responsibility for the consequences of his decisions.

Characteristics of a Responsible Person

A responsible person has the following qualities:

1) A responsible person has the ability to differentiate between what is essential and accidental.

2) A responsible person has the ability to internalize his values. For a responsible person, life is not an
external following of required actions; instead, life is the expression of love coming from his heart and
mind, motivating all his actions and desires. Internalization of values implies the acceptance of the self as
a person, one who must respect himself and the order of created things.

Core Values of the New Filipino

Moral maturity is a process of conversion. It means shedding off the old self and putting on the
new self. For the conversion to be total, it must work from within the person. This involves a new way of
thinking, a new perception of realities. For the Filipino, this conversion begins with the fresh view of
human dignity. While the significance of human dignity has always been part in our Filipino tradition,
somehow its true meaning was lost in our national consciousness.

On the basis of human dignity, Fr. Gorospe explores the potentials of values which he considers
“core” or central to the education and eventual transformation of the Filipino.

These core values are:

1. Truth, Love and Faith

There is a need for intellectual conversion. One should be ready to deny what is false and to
accept what is true. This involves genuine concern for study and research, denying tsismis or guesswork
as reliable sources of information.

There is a need for moral conversion in love. Love for the good should be the basis of decisions
and choices. One should be ready to choose not on the basis of what is pleasant or unpleasant, convenient
or inconvenient, but solely on the basis of what is objectively good under the circumstances.

Religious faith is needed too. Reason and good intention are not enough. There must be the faith
in the Almighty God who holds us in the palm of his hand.

2. Integrity

The word stands for wholesomeness or completeness. It connotes perfection of the whole from
the perfection of its parts. In the language however of the Filipinos, integrity means honesty. It means
repudiation of lying, deceit, cheating, stealing, fraud, hypocrisy and dishonesty in all its forms.

The Filipino should learn to hate “lagay, paduls, areglo, puslit, palusot”. He should protest a
system that institutionalizes palakasan and padrino. He should refrain from pakiusap.

Integrity is the essence of self-respect. One should love himself and keep his dignity.

3. Hard Work

Filipinos are hard working. That many Filipinos have left their families and homes for work
abroad proves that Filipinos are not afraid of work.

Work for the sake of salary kills creativity. Permanent or tenured employees, secured in the
thought that they may not be dismissed easily and without due cause, become lackadaisical towards their
work.

Along with the proper attitude towards work, Filipinos must be educated in the wise use of
money. “Money does not grow on trees”,-this the Filipinos understand. But many are profligate, assuming
the role of a one-day-millionaire on payday. “Naghihirap na kung wala, maghihirap pa kung mayroon”-
partly explains why many Filipino families remain poor.
4. Social Justice

Social justice requires that we share our talents and material possessions with those who are
unfortunate and poor. The concept that giving alms, donations and assistance to the poor is “only” a
demand of charity and therefore, voluntary, must give way to the concept of social justice.

Social justice is founded on the principle that all earthly goods belong to all men, for them to
share equally: not in the mathematical sense of equality, but in the prudential sense, that is, that all have
the right to a decent life.

Social justice requires that we live only simple lives and that we should not flaunt our wealth,
especially in the midst of so much poverty and deprivation. It urges us to feed the hungry and to clothe
the naked, not because it is the “pious” thing to do, but because it our obligation to do so on account of
our fortune.

III. RELATION TO THE VARYING CULTURAL FACETS OF FILIPINO

A Filipino value refers to the set of values or the value system that a majority of the Filipino have
historically held important in their lives. This Philippine value system includes their own unique
assemblage of consistent ideologies, moral codes, ethical practices, etiquette, and cultural and personal
values that are promoted by their society. As with any society though, the values that an individual holds
sacred can differ on the basis of religion, upbringing and other factors.
All of us are deeply rooted in faith. Filipinos strong faith in God keeps them united to overcome
all the problems and challenges of life. Filipinos have the trait to laugh at themselves and their
misfortunes or failures. This is a coping mechanism to balance emotional stress and to boost the capacity
to survive. They can smile in midst of problems and hardships. They can still crack jokes despite the
stresses of their daily lives and during calamities. They are strong and cheerful people.
Filipinos are also hospitable. Hospitality is one of the values that tourists from around the world
notice first every time they visit the Philippines. Filipinos took great care of their guests, making sure that
they're comfortable and happy in their stay. Filipinos are very kind to the visitors even in our simple
homes. They are offering all that they can have to satisfy their visitors. At times, they sacrifice their own
comfort to accommodate their guests very well.
Filipinos are also family oriented. They value greatly their families, which is always on top of
their priorities. They say that a family that eats together stays together. It means that Filipino families
cannot be separated by any means because they love each other and their family is their first priority.
Close family ties results to the family still being intact regardless that the children are old and with
families of their own. Respect for elders is shown through the use of “po” and “opo” in conversing or
addressing older people is a sign of a Filipino’s respect for the elders. Filipinos do not send their elders to
nursing homes because they still value the worth and presence of the elders at home.
Social approval, acceptance by a group, and belonging to a group are major concerns. Caring
about what others will think, say or do, are strong influences on social behavior among Filipinos.
Filipinos are usually caught in the midst of social changes, of depression and other natural crises.
Problems usually encountered by every Filipino challenge their establishing and thereby pose aspects of
life.
On the other hand, we cannot deny the fact that nowadays, we can observe negative Filipino
values. Filipino has a colonial mentality which is made up of two dimensions: first, lack of patriotism,
second, actual preference for foreign things. Filipino culture is characterized by openness to the outside
adopting and incorporating the foreign elements into our image of ourselves. Some Filipinos have also
selfish, self-serving attitude that generates a feeling of envy and competitiveness towards others. The
kanya-kanya syndrome is also evident in the personal ambition and the desire for power and status that is
completely insensitive to the common good. Filipino also demonstrates also the so-called “crab
mentality” using the leveling instruments of tsismis, intriga and unconstructive critism to bring others
down. Sadly, Filipino time is also one of the attractive traits of Filipinos. Ironically, we Filipinos have to
accept the fact sometimes we are not sincere in keeping our time. We waste precious time in most of our
daily activities.
As the generation of today, we should save the good traditional cultural values. Let us not be
afraid to live according to our values. In whatever we say or do, let us act and behave according to the
good and beautiful things that are most precious to us. Filipinos has exceptional beliefs and traditions
which makes our culture richer. These beliefs reflect our viewpoints as a person. It is not actually wrong
to follow these as long as it still carries a good result.

IV. REFLECTION

Del Pilar, Jenfrey

Being a Filipino, we have our own values to accept. Filipinos have differences in the way of
dealing people. As an individual we have their own perception about what values is, for me Filipino
Values is how people act and do good things to the other people. The Filipino has moral values to apply
in his or her self. A good relationship to other people in personal you can good to dealing it in one person.
In our family I feel blessed and thankful maybe because I belong in the nuclear family. I have complete
family and I'm happy to have them. I can value myself, though I have a negative and positive behavior. If
I have a negative behavior I can do it to become a positive as always for the good purposes. Nowadays,
Filipinos at the age of 18 you have to be independent.

In my college life, I'll do my best to become an independent student and study hard. Based on what
I see and what I observed Filipinos are hardworking. Many people have to go abroad to work for their
family to gain money and support their needs. In reality, like in our country the most important is our
family. For me if I have good values, I’ll become a successful in life and I can be a good person to handle
things.
Linatoc, Kaye-Cee

As a Filipino there have a beliefs and traditions that part of every culture. For Filipino like us,
it also serves as evidence that is some way or another we still have similar point in terms of culture and
traditions. Filipino values is to aim us through reflect what kind of citizen the Filipino is. This kind of
Filipino values show how we need to be discipline and to be important to follow our values and to follow
to the elders saying for the good of sake and the best for us. It not just to be east to adapt the different
values but for the action and living in this country; we need to show to be part of the Filipino values. He
traced in the wrong path, but we change because of the values we have. Values desires for us what are
desirable good and correct for the better. These are Filipino values like a human activities, family
orientation, joy and humor, ability to survive, hard work and industriousness, hospitality, faith and
religiosity and other.

A list that cultures that I have first hard to experiences by Filipino. There are under of Filipino
values like Filipino Moral Ideal, Objective and Subjective Values, Double - Standard Mentality,
Erroneous Norms of Morality, Re-Orientation of Attitudes, Moral Commitment, Characteristics of a
Responsible Person and Core Values of the New Filipino. This is to embrace us to be a better person in
terms of values that we need. Values that to follow our heart not only minds. We need to follow our heart
and mind to be a better result of our values. Filipino knows must to become a better to have their own
values in self and for others. Working this values always remember have a good in the different we have.
Each Filipino values given emphasis those culture and traditions of the Filipino values that we gave to
believe what Filipinos values have.

Lorente, Nerie

Filipino values have become one of the most important parts of our history. Filipinos up today
and yesterday were described through their traditional values. I agree that foreign influences brought
changes and alternations in the moods of the long-cherished Filipino values.
It is true that Filipinos by nature has a strong family bond. Whenever problems arise, the very
first people whom we will reach out are our family. This is why we value them so much.
Filipinos are also very determined when it comes to pursuing their dreams. We want to have a bright
future so as to acquire admiration and respect from others. As a student, it is very important to use my
values positively. I should have known my goal values or my purpose in life and trough my instrumental
values I could attain my ideal self. Leaving the negative values is one of the steps I should take. I must be
sensitive if the eight negative values blindly destroying me.
Love and care is one thing I value most. I am willing to reach out other people in order to give
support and to experience their support in return. Faith in God as a value is the strong belief in His power
and grace as our savior. I truly believe I am nothing without Him.
This lesson gives me awareness of the current values of the Filipinos. It knocks my heart and
awakes my mind to move into action. It also let me realize the suddenly fading of Filipino values.
Filipino values are our distinct contribution to the many cultures around the globe, so we must preserve
and embrace it. As a Filipino youth, I should do my part.
Malabanan, Kayla
The most treasured things to do is to have value our self-first and the Filipino Values to simplest
way of respect, love, care, loyalty, virtue and honesty to those people who around us. Meaning the Values
help, we make decisions in life and work by helping us weigh out the options, and even values could lead
you to a choice without noticing. Having values can even make you think and motivate us to choose one
path over the other. Our values help build our character and help us deal with conflicts with others.
Filipino Values it has become our culture and tradition because our ancestor influences us. Values in
terms of fellowmen or customs of Filipino show their characteristics of personality the behavior or
attitude of a person to grow and develop our lives in this world.

Based on my observation about these 8 Filipino Values on how we value our self, value to other
people and define Filipino attitude towards life. First, the Filipino Cultural Values these are shared
assumption of what is right, good or important in a certain society. As a human being I know the value of
our own life that I need to know that what is morally right and wrong and also to have trust and belief in
God, because the values is there to love and care for everything. (2) Filipino Moral Ideas. No matter how
hard life is, I need to be thankful for everything that I have. I should know or value myself first before
other people who around me, it means magpakatao. (3) Objective and Subjective values. The subjective
because we as Human Beings we refer pleasure rather than pain, so all our desire therefore seek pleasure.
Objective is values that hold worthy of desire no matter if we actually desire them or not, a good example
of this is ‘life’, life is valuable no matter whether you desire to life or not. If this is the case then we value
good because there are good not because we desire them , as we don’t have power or control over the
‘truth’ or good, the good remain good even if we disagree with it. (4) Double - Standard Mentality. We
should be aware of something we are doing things good or bad. (5) Erroneous Norms of Morality.
Sometimes there are people who always judge me when it comes to how I speak and action. I really do
not care what people think or say to me. It has all right to do wrong when it is good, you just have to
cheat if you know what you are doing is right. (6) Re-orientation of attitudes. I did many things wrong
but in the meantime it still has time to change. For the things I did wrong, I needed to be corrected. Just
be aware of everything. (7) Moral Commitmemt. The first thing to do is I have to set my own plan to
make a good decision to myself. That is the important thing to do first to set our own good and priority in
life. (8) Characteristics of a Responsible Person. As a person I need to be a good daughter to my family
my friends and to other people.

One person I heard something he said that, "Manatili kang Mabuting Tao kahit hindi sila naging
mabuti sayo." As a responsible person I need to be patient, fairness, courage, respect, honesty, love to
other people and to my family especially to God because to change my bad attitude.

My core values are truth, love, faith, integrity, hard work and social justice. My most important
value is family, no matter where an individual is or what an individual goes through in life I believe that
family should always be first. Every family has ups and downs and I firmly believe that a family should
always help each other and should not become enablers. The second most important value to me is love; a
person must first love his or herself before others can love him or her. I love God first and my love for
others is very true and does not falter if someone does me wrong. I truly believe an individual can still
love a person if the person hurts him or her in any kind of way, but the individual can love that person
from a distance. My faith is very strong in my life because without God, I would not be here and I know
that his love will take me further than what man can. I also believe in honesty because if I am honest with
people they will trust me. One cannot have honesty without trust.

I realize the life of a person here on earth is not just self-esteem or anything but, I appreciate that
the Lord God gives me the only life and strength I have now. Whether I am bad or good, God knows
everything. "Ang paggawa ng Mabuti ay hindi magbubunga ng Masama." All of this everything happens
for a reason. But now this our modern generation mostly Filipino did not follow the values we have
before. Actually, this is the biggest mistake happen to our country this period of time. Why? Because we
have forgotten, all that good, works teach us. Often young or old, they lose their respect, help, love and I
have been noticing that more kids nowadays are no longer saying "po" and "opo" also forgot to use
"pagmamano" in the elderly the way of respect. With the gradual change of time, people's attitudes are
changing and so much has changed those children, young and old they become rude or violent through
speech or actions. Yet there are still some who practice the cultures and traditions the Filipino Values we
learned from our ancestors.

V. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Belvez, Ed. D., et al., RETORIKA:Mabisang Pagsasalita at Pagsulat.REX Book Store,

C.M. Recto Avenue, Manila Philippines

https://www.slideshare.net

http://www.academia.edu