Jesser M.

Caparas January 21,2 011

BALM I-B Social Science 123

Contradictions on Filipino Values

We Filipino people have a lot of good values to be proud of. Values that makes
us unique in our own way and values that make us different from other nationalities.
But, we can not hide the truth that in every good side of a thing there’s a bad side, that
in every good Filipino value there’s something that contradicts it. Based on the readings
and article I have read here are some of those contradiction on Filipino Values.

 I have read an article on the book entitled “SOSYOLOHIYA AT

ANTROPOLOHIYA”, the article was entitled “PAGPAPAHALAGANG PILIPINO”.
There is a part in this reading that I have read, it tells that Filipinos have the
characteristic PARTIKULARISMO, it was describe as giving importance to the
greatness or the welfare of a single person in a group. Not the greatness the
group has or the welfare of the whole group but it focuses on a single person or
individual. An example given was a political leader, using the funds for the people
for his own welfare. She/he only thinks about hi s self and his family but he does
not have any concern with the people he should be serving.

What’s wrong with this is that we Filipinos are known for sharing ourselves
to other. Sharing what we have or helping others for the benefit of the mass not
only for the benefit of a single individual. It really contradicts the value of sharing
ourselves to other.

 Another reading I have read in the same book is that Filipinos have the
tendencies of doing things by themselves, or described in the book as
“PAGKAKANYA-KANYA”. It comes from the Filipinos “ISIP TALANGKA” or crab
mentality. Because of envy or jealousy Filipinos tend to bring others down,
because of envy with the accomplishments or success a person has had.
Because of this attitude Filipinos tend to lose cooperation in doing projects that
will lead for the benefit of everyone and with this attitude the rights of a person is
being disgraced. Sad but true that Filipino have this attitude contradicting our
good values.

We all know that we Filipinos are fond of doing “BAYANIHAN”, we tend to help
each other for the benefit of them. But with crab mentality we don’t want others
be on top or have success greater than what we have instead of doing
“BAYANIHAN”, Filipinos tend to do things to bring others down so they would not
have greater accomplishments with us. We are not helping them in a good way
but instead we are helping them to go down.
  I have read an article discussing that Filipinos some times tend to be tactless.
We tend to forget about the feelings of others and we take all things as a joke.
Even in times that we need to be serious we tend to laugh on things and joke
about it. We don’t care about how others will feel if we said or done something to
them. Everything is a joke. We forget to think first before saying something and
putting it into action.

SIR or Smooth Interpersonal Relation was defined as Filipinos maintain good

relationship with others. Thinking of the feelings of others before doing
something. We don’t want others to feel bad or hurt their feelings, but with us
being tactless, or taking everything as a joke we tend to hurt others feeling
without us noticing it. It is a complete opposite of us maintaining good
relationship with other.

 Filipinos are people who will not work until they are told to, this is the
description of the book I read in some of the weaknesses Filipinos have.
Translated in tagalong Filipinos lack of having “KUSANG PALO”, it was describe
as letting others do the works that we have to do, we will not work until we are
oblige or asked to do those things. With this attitude Filipinos tend to be abusive
to others and tend to be lazy. He does not care with how others feel, as long as
he feel comfortable.

We Filipinos are also popular of “PAKIKIRAMDAM” but in this kind of

situation, we don’t care how others feel as long as we are comfortable, sitting in
out throne watching TV, we don’t feel that someone needs help. Another one that
it contradicts is sharing ourselves to other, or the shared self. We don’t offer help
unless they asked for it. A complete opposite of sharing and helping others for
the benefit of them.

We all know that Filipinos are rich in good values, we just can’t hide the truth that
sometimes instead of doing and putting those values into work we tend to do the
opposite. But we still have time to change and put those Filipino Values we are famous
of into work.