A glimpse on educational Philosophy of Filipino Educators

Written by Mary Charlotte R. Bonus | Teacher II | MNHS-Cabcaben | Mariveles, Bataan

Published: 03 November 2014
Created: 03 November 2014

There were famous Filipino educators whose work is undeniably contributed to the
present Philippine education setting. I  truly believe that these educators had  an impact on how
Filipino teachers deals with the present Filipino learners and  adapting to the continuous
changing on education system .

The Educational Philosophies Of Filipino Educators

“Rizal’s concept of the importance ofeducation is enunciated in his work

entitledInstruction wherein he sought improvements in theschools and in the methods of
teaching. ”For Rizal, the mission of education is to elevate thecountry to the highest seat of glory
and to develop the people’s mentality. Since Education is the foundation of society and
aprerequisite for social progress, Rizal claimed thatonly through education could the country be
savedfrom domination.Rizal’s philosophy of education, therefore, centers onthe provision of
proper motivation in order to bolsterthe great social forces that make education a success,
tocreate in the youth an innate desire to cultivate hisintelligence and give him life eternal.He
believed in the importance of the school as a social organization. According to him, the school
must train the citizens inthe three phases of life: 1. Moral 2. Intellectual 3. Physical .The school
should prepare the individual to live efficiently both as individual and as a member of the
community to which he belongs.

Dr. Camilo Osias“School has an important role in the development of

dynamicnationalism and internationalism in relation to democracy in theeducation of the
youth.”“High educational institutions should do more to turn outgraduates who can think
logically, scientifically and creatively.” “Our education should instill love for work, spirit of
tolerance, respect for law, love for peace and practice of thrift. Dr. Osias’ suggestions to
Philippine schools:1. Preserve the solidarity of Filipino;2. Maintain the unity of the
Philippines;3. Work out a proper equilibrium in economic order;4. Develop social justice;5.
Observe the merit system in government service;6. Promote peace and national defense;7.
Uphold the inalienable rights of life, property, liberty, and happiness;8. Keep in their prestige
majesty the fundamental freedom, especially freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of
peace and assembly, and freedom of worship;9. Conserve the principle of equality.10.Hold high
the ideals of religion.11.Keep over aloft the torch of education, and12.Make democracy a living
and functional reality.

Palma “Education must produce individualswho are both useful to themselves and
tosociety.”Jorge Jacobo prepared himself well for any task that awaited him.Into any
undertaking, he always put the best of hisenergies and, to use his own expression, "made the
failureof any work which I undertake my own failure, its success my own success." He stressed
that Filipino culture and tradition should be thebases of education in the Philippines. According
to him, the educational concept is closely relatedto nationalism and love of country. He also
stressed that education in this country shouldprepare the child for the democratic way of life.

Apolinario Mabini “Thou shalt cultivate the special gifts whichhad been granted thee,
working and studyingaccording to thy ability, never leaving the path ofrighteousness and justice
in order to attain thineown perfection.”

TH Pardo De Tavera “Our education should instill love forwork, spirit of tolerance,
respect for law, lovefor peace and practice of thrift.”

Francisco BenitezThe qualities that should distinguish the educatedFilipinos of today are
(1) power to do (2) knowledgeof the past and current events and (3) possession ofthe elements of
conduct that area theaccomplishment of culture and morality.“The function of our school is
neither to fit theindividual for the past which is dead and gone, nor to prepare him for a remote
future which is problematic, rather it is to train the individual so that he will be a member of the
world as it is.”

Dr. Lourdes Quisumbing “Believes that education must strengthen thedignity of the
learner as a human person. Assuch, the various dimensions of man’spersonhood has to be fully
developed by theschool system through an effective andsystematized values education”

Venancio Trinidad “Education should aim to develop men andwomen who are as deeply
concerned in thedevelopment and uplift of ourcommunities, particularly in the ruralareas, as in
the promotion of their ownpersonal or individual well-being.”

Manuel L. Quezon “Show me people composed of vigorous, sturdy individuals, ofmen

and women healthy in mind andbody, courteous, industrious, self-reliant , purposeful inthought
as well in action, imbued with sound patriotism andprofound sense of righteousness, with high
social ideals andstrong moral fiber and I will show you a great nation, a nationthat will not
submerged, a nation that will emerge victoriousfrom the trials and bitter strife of a distracted
world, anation that will live forever, sharing thecommon task of advancing the welfareand
promoting the happiness of mankind”

The Filipino value system arises from our culture or way of life, ourdistinctive way of
becoming human in this particular place and time. Wespeak of Filipino values in a fourfold
sense. First, although mankind shares universal human values, it is obvious thatcertain values
take on for us a distinctively Filipino flavor. When we speak of Filipino values, we do not mean
that elements ofthese Filipino values are absent in the value systems of other peoples
andcultures, Universal human values in a Filipino context (historical, cultural, socio-economic,
political, moral and religious) take on a distinctive set of Filipinomeanings and motivations.
Lastly we can speak of Filipino values in the sense that the historical consciousness of values has
evolved among our people.

 A philosophy of education for Filipinos must also consider the Filipino behavioral
context. Our negativetraits must be and taken in tow, and efforts must be expended to transform
the Filipino from selfish, indolent, grasping, uncaring man into the independent, hard-working
concerned man..