MODULE 8: The Political Self and Being a Filipino

INTRODUCTION
Primary Questions: In your opinion, what does it take to be a proud Filipino? Do
you think that the Philippines is still living in the shadows of the colonizers?

The 1987 Philippine Constitution

citizenship of Filipinos are within the Article IV Section One

ABSTRACTION
Who are Filipinos? How do we distinguish Filipino people from other nationalities? Do
physical characteristics such as having dark hair, flat nose and dark complexion enough to
tell a person is a Filipino. The person’s physical appearance, language, birth place, and
ethnicity are not enough to tell the identity of a person.
The colonization of Spaniards, Americans and Japanese made a difference. Could we say
that Filipinos have developed their own identity?
Values and traits are also important indicators that set apart one nationality from the
others. These values are not always positive since it also points out the weaknesses and
mistakes but with the unity and commitment, there would be a progress and
empowerment through common goals, principles, and values of its people.

WHO IS FILIPINO?
Filipinos are often referenced from globally know personalities who have made Filipinos better recog-
nized in the world.
Independence Day and Buwan ng Wika celebrations prompt us to go back to our roots.
According to the Philippine Constitution, Filipino citizens are those whose fathers or mothers are citizen
of the Philippines, those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizen-
ship upon reaching the age of majority, and those who are naturalized according to the law.
Citizenship – a legal relationship between a person and a country. It can be acquired by birth or
naturalization.

Jus soli-right of soil

Jus sanguinis- right of blood
Nationality- the country where you came from
Culture and history have greatly influenced the manner Filipinos learn, live, and behave.
People who grew in the same community share the same traits and values.
KINDS OF FILIPINO CITIZENS UNDER THE PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION
Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this constitution.
Natural born citizens
Citizens through election
Naturalized citizens
HOW CAN YOU BE A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN?
According to the Philippine Nationality Law, it is based on “Jus sanguinis.”

FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS

The Philippines is a lush island paradise famous for its grandiose mountain views, pristine
beaches, rich and diverse culture changing from province to province. While the Philippines may be well
known for its awe-inspiring beauty, perhaps the Filipinos' unique traits, reputable values, and laudable
talents make the Philippines a place to be.

Tourists who have visited the Philippines can never forget the:

Big and Bright smiles that greeted them.

Colorful and loud jeepneys.

Common Filipino phrases such as "Mabuhay!" and "Salamat!"

Habits such as saying "po" at "opo" to the elders.

Leaving shoes or slippers at the front door before entering a house.

Importunate asking of "kumain ka na ba?" meaning "Have you eaten yet?".

Indeed, it is a marvel to experience first-hand these unique traits of the Filipinos.

As Filipinos, we possess the best characteristics in the world. We aren't perfect, but we do have
amazing values and traits that everyone should be proud of. As a result, let us recognize that these
ideals should be applied to our society in order for it to have a good potential in terms of working for
our human upliftment and national betterment.
FILIPINO HOSPITALITY
Is the most common terminology that describes how Filipino welcome foreigners or tourists who
visit the country. It is a pleasure and the country’s honor to accept foreigners as visitors and build genuine
relationships and friendship with them.

Every country has its differing values, and the Philippines is no exception. One thing that stands out
the most about Filipinos is their Hospitality between people from other countries, it has been long term
relationship and it grew even more because it gets praised from people who experience it. Many
foreigners throughout the years have been fond of the Filipinos because they greet you with a warm
welcome when you visit the country. If you go and look at the social medias, there has been tons of
documentaries or even vlogs about the Philippines and its people that solidifies the praise we get, and
their opinions is actually true. And an important reminder is that you need to have the positivity, optimism
and humor so that you can get along with each other.

As we all know Hospitality is a Filipino trait that is known everywhere. The Filipinos being hospitable
makes the culture of the country outstandingly distinct. It is never taught to an individual because it just
naturally comes from within, and when it comes to foreigners who visit our country, we Filipinos always
try to accommodate them and make them feel welcome in our country and to not be disrespected as an
individual. An article that I found about an American’s perspective about Filipino Hospitality said “Filipino
Hospitality goes beyond the friendly treatment of guests or a warm welcome into their home. It is Filipinos
welcoming you to their family or in other words, becoming a part of the Filipino Family.” This statement
proves that our Hospitality towards foreigners who visit our country is getting the recognition it deserves
since we are doing a good job at it. Rest assured, you are bound to get your share of warmth by the
Filipinos when you visit the country.

RESPECT FOR ELDERS

Respecting elders has always been part of our identity or tradition.

A Filipino child is taught to respect older people or family by greeting them and showing a gesture by
taking the older relative's hand and placing it on his or her own forehead to express profound respect for
the elder called “mano po.”

We also have a wide array of references to older people (such as ate, kuya, tita, tito, lolo, and lola)

One of the very important words that a younger person must not miss out on is the word ‘po’ or ‘opo’
because forgetting to address older people properly will regard them as rude and impolite.

Although there are a lot of ways to show respect, we should always show respect to elders not just by
addressing them but by helping, taking care of them and having a respectful conversation with them.
CLOSE FAMILY TIES
Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their families regardless of the children are old enough and al-
ready have families of their own

family reunions are a common thing for Filipinos

extended families exemplify that it's their center, while a nursing home is not practiced

Extended Family (Stach Philippines, 2017)

are one or more bloodlines living in a house, compound, or community; they genuinely take care of each
other as long as they are somewhat biologically connected

even after marriage, the couple tends to stick to either of their bloodlines' homes

CHEERFUL PERSONALITY
Filipinos have been smiling and laughing a lot and this has been a coping strategy for Filipinos especially
during hardships and calamities, maintain a positive outlook in life which makes them resilient.

SELF-SACRIFICE
Self-sacrificing is an extension to Filipino hospitality.

Filipinos extend their help to their friends and loved ones.

They even go to the extent of working abroad to earn more money and save up for them.

Overseas Filipino Workers(OFW) sacrificed a lot that’s why they are regarded as the modern day Filipino
heroes.

BAYANIHAN
Is a Filipino word derived from the word bayan meaning town, nation, or community in general. It
literally means, “being a bayan,” and is thus used to refer to a spirit of communal unity and cooperation.

It is also a Filipino core value that inspires the community to be living heroes to each other. It is not
the celebration of the strengths of an individual mighty hero, but is the practice of helping a kababayan, a
member of the community who is in need, and it showcases what Filipinos can do together. Bayanihan is
also known as tulongan or damayan, a system of mutual help and concern which has become the backbone
of family and village throughout the Philippine archipelago. It may also be expressed as pagkakaisa and the
people who get together or unite to execute a job are the magbabayani.
 Bayanihan during the time when most Filipinos lived in nipa huts is referred to as the cooperative
spirit of neighbors carrying a hut or house to a new location. But In today’s age, the term has been
adopted to refer to local civil efforts; regular Filipinos working together to uplift fellow compatriots.
Bayanihan as an example of this would be Brigada Eskwela which was enacted during the time of
President Ramos, which is a nationwide voluntary effort that was first established in 2003. A program of
DepEd which aims to address resource gaps faced by the Department through strengthening partnerships
with local communities. The program mobilizes and brings together thousands of parents, alumni, civic
groups, local businesses, non-government organizations, teachers and individuals who volunteer their
time and skills to do classroom repairs, maintenance work, and clean-up of public elementary and second-
ary schools.

"BAHALA NA" ATTITUDE

One of the most commonly used phrases in the Philippines is bahala na. This phrase has been so
overused that it is sometimes used as a natural reaction. When Filipinos are unable to decide their next
course of action or have no idea what will happen next, they commonly say "Bahala na." They say it as if
all they want to do is go with the flow, regardless of the consequence.

“Bahala Na” is the Filipino version of the famous line Hakuna Matata which means "no worries".

Hakuna Matata is a Swahili phrase that means "there are no difficulties,"

Hakuna = "there's not here"

Matata = "problems or troubles”

Hakuna Matata can be translated as "all is fine" or "everything is alright."

The phrase “Bahala na” originated from "Bathala na"

Bathala means God and the phrase means leaving everything to God's hand.

It can also be viewed as something similar to the cheerful and positive attitude of Filipinos and allowing
situations to take care of themselves instead of worrying about them.

The Filipinos' pag-asa is an extension of their bahala na attitude, which encourages them to rely on the
future positively rather than negatively.

It becomes a coping mechanism in the face of risky activities. This attitude is evidence of a deterministic
mindset from this perspective.
COLONIAL MENTALITY
Colonial mentality is defined as the perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority and a form of internal-
ized racial oppression.

This is one of the negative traits that we are viewed as.

It is regarded as the lack of patriotism or supporting one’s own nationality.

This does not only concern goods, but the desire to look more foreign than local and keep up with for-
eign beauty trends are included.

It is attributed to the centuries of colonization Filipinos had experienced under the Spanish, American,
and Japanese rule.

One good illustration could be by watching too much foreign drama series like Korean drama or Holly-
wood movie, Filipino people tend to unnoticed the adaption of others’ culture and way of behaving.

MANANA HABIT
Filipino term for procrastination

originated from the Spanish word "mañana," which means tomorrow

the delay of priorities to do other activities or simply in Filipino phrase "mamaya na"

a bad habit

passed down to the current generation to the current generation by the Spaniards (Ron Arabit, 2013)

TYPES OF PROCRASTINATION (ARABIT,2013)

Structured Procrastinator
prioritizes wanted activities instead of needed to do tasks

Active Procrastinator
rushes tasks within the last minute

Couch Potato Procrastinator

does leisurely activities for the rest of the day such as watching TV, reading a non-academic novel,
browsing the internet, etc.
NINGAS KUGON
Ningas- flame

Kugon- Cogon grass

The attitude of eagerly staring things, but quickly losing eagerness soon after experiencing difficulty just
as fast as the fire ignited.
Laziness- common problem of the Filipinos that’s why they are regarded as “Juan Tamad” or “Lazy
Juan.”

PRIDE
Is an assertion that the people and culture should promote the interest of the Philippines by
developing and maintaining a national identity based on largely shared characteristics such as language,
race, religion or political goals. It is also when Filipino consider the success of Philippine citizens or
foreigners of Philippine descent–such as boxer Manny Pacquiao, chess prodigy Wesley and so on, as a
national achievement since they were able to accomplish things with they’re amazing talent like being
on national television broadcast.
People’s notions of “Pinoy Pride,” after all, often stems from a long history of Pinoy humiliation of
being told we were second class, alongside being exploited and held back to such an extent that our
inferiority seemed natural. People have looked at international validation as a way to affirm their sense
of national worth and by accepting Pinoy pride, we reinforce the power of others to validate us,
unwittingly perpetuating our marginality. The foreign validation that stems from our pride is exploited by
unscrupulous entities, such as those who extract huge fees for children and adults alike to participate in
some international event, or get some foreign certificate. And because, in turn, the resentment for this
“foreign validation” is then capitalized on by racists who insists on a narrow definition of what constitute
is.
Pride as we know is a trait that almost all Filipinos have, it is sometimes viewed as corrupt or as a
vice, sometimes as a proper or a virtue. We have something called Pinoy Pride, it promotes the Filipino
national identity and shared characteristics and exhibits the country’s race and culture only when a
Filipino athlete or beauty queen takes the international spotlight. It may seem positive on the surface to
others but in reality, it can be unhinged and misplaced because of the superiority complex that we show
towards one another.

CRAB MENTALITY

Crabs, as we all know, are a type of sea creature or seafood that is commonly found around
seashores, and Talangka is a little crab. When you put a lot of crabs/talangka in a container, you'll notice
that they all want to climb to the top, with one crab dragging down the other to be in his place, and only
a few of them are able to escape and survive. Just like crabs in a container, Filipinos pull each other
down and ruin each other's reputation rather than bringing them up, which results in no progress.
 Crab Mentality is a toxic trait among Filipinos where one resents the achievement of
another instead of feeling happy for that person.

This is one of the negative traits of Filipinos. This mindset occurs when someone desires to
always be the greatest, to be the highest of all, and to believe that no one can compare
to his thoughts and abilities.

They have a motto in life of…”Why should you have it, if I can't?”

Filipinos should change this troublesome attitude and focus more on their own inadequacies
in order to improve one's self.

Signs that a person has a Crab Mentality:

1.They are too proud of themselves and treat others as inferior

beings.
You can sense a breeze of arrogance from people with crab mentality. When they earn
some achievements of their own, whether big or small, they brag it to everyone to
position themselves higher from the rest of the Filipinos. And that is why they will
always look down on you, especially if you’re a Filipino who came from the province or a
“probinsyano/probinsyana”. They can be racist to their own race, the Filipinos.
2. They panic when their comrades are happy and improving.
Aside from arrogance, you can also smell envy, jealousy and bitterness from these
kinds of people. They freak out when the people they look down on are rising or
progressing beyond them. It gives them a terrible feeling of insecurity. That’s why they
will try to pull them down, either by harsh words or by unkind actions.
3. They are full of positivity for themselves but full of negativity for others.
They only see the good things in themselves, but they’re blind when it comes to their
negative characteristics. When it comes to how they view other people, it becomes the
opposite. They only see the bad things of other people while they’re blind to their
positivedeeds.
4. They treat their comrades as competitors.
It seems like the words unity and cooperation are not in their vocabulary. They
always treat other Filipinos as competitors instead of teammates. You can find this kind
of person everywhere. In a basketball team, in your office, and even in a cooperative
organization, they could be there.
5. They don’t know a thing about compassion.
Compassion is a great virtue that enables us to understand the feelings of other
people. But people with crab mentality lack compassion. They are inconsiderate and
ignorant of the many people they are offending. They only care for themselves.
FILIPINO TIME
punctuality is a rare thing to Filipinos

they have this common attitude of arriving late at commitments, dinner, or parties especially if they are
meeting someone close to them

Filipinos refer to being late as Filipino time

it spanned from the Spanish era when siesta was brought to the Philippines; even though Filipinos know
the World Standard Time, they would still proceed to continue on their own time (Tin Valerio, 2016)

Siesta (Valerio, 2016)

means taking a nap in the midday, which may result in being late in meet-ups of occasions and other
social activities

FILIPINO MARKERS
PROVERBS OR SALAWIKAIN
Proverbs are traditional sayings or concise expressions of fundamental principles used by Filipinos based
on local culture, wisdom, philosophies from Filipino life/

It conveys a lesson and reflection on Filipino practices, beliefs, and traditions.

It corresponds to the word salawikain, kasabihan or saying.

Proverbs are utilized to emphasize a point or a thought of reasoning: the Filipino philosophy.

Six categories of Filipino Proverbs according to Damiana L. Eugenio:

a. Proverbs expressing a general attitude towards life and the laws that govern life
b. Ethical proverbs recommending certain virtues and condemning certain vices;
c. Proverbs expressing a system of values;
d. Proverbs expressing general truths and observations about life and human nature;
e. Humorous proverbs; and
f. Miscellaneous proverbs

SUPERSTITIONS

Filipinos also subscribe to their own set of superstitions passed down from generation to generation. Some
of these beliefs may be influenced by beliefs from other cultures, but Filipinos have retold these superstitions
according to their own experiences and they sometimes end up even more interesting. Superstitions that hold to
ancient beliefs and traditions are still popular in today's Filipino culture. Some may be humorous, while others
may be strange. According to an article, superstitions originate from the belief that most early Filipinos worshiped
many gods, creatures, and spirits. They worship them through a variety of rituals, sacrifices, and practices.
Religious beliefs and customs in the Philippines have shifted from animism to Christianity as a result of the
country's long history of colonization. Filipino superstitions continue to have an impact on everyday life, ranging
from fortune, love, and marriage to family, disease, and death, despite the union of animism and Christianity.
Some examples of most common superstitious beliefs in the Philippines:
A woman singing while cooking will end up spinster according to a Filipino superstition so parents
remind their daughters to avoid singing while preparing their meals.
Filipinos also avoid taking picture in threes as the one in the center is said to die, according to another
superstition.
Siblings should not marry within the same year
*This superstition is called “sukob” and advises against siblings marrying within the same year as it is
said to divide the luck between the two marriages. Another type of sukob advises against marriages
within the same year as the death of an immediate family member. Pushing to do so is considered bad
luck.
Serve pancit (noodles) at celebrations, especially birthdays
*This ever-present dish at Filipino gatherings is believed to represent long life. It remains a staple at
nearly every birthday feast.

MYTHS AND LEGENDS

Myths is the body of stories and epics originating from, and part of, the indigenous Philippine folk
religions, which include various ethnic faiths distinct from one another. It attempts to explain the nature
of the world through the lives and actions of heroes, deities (referred to as anito or diwata in some
ethnic groups), and mythological creatures.
The indigenous religions of the Philippines developed through a variety of migration phases and
trade routes. Scholars theorized that Austronesians arrived through the “Out of Taiwan model”, where
Homo sapiens from mainland Asia crossed Taiwan, and later the Philippines, until furthering to other
islands south of the Philippines. The Austronesians are believed to have brought complex animist beliefs
with shamanism, ancestor worships, totemism, and tattoo artistry. The beliefs and malevolent spirits
was also established by their arrival. By 200 to 300 CE, Hindu mythologies arrived in some area of the
Philippines about a variety of superstitions which gradually established more complex indigenous
polytheistic religions through trade routes and more waves of ethnic migrations.
Each ethnic group in the Philippines has its own set of stories depicting their mythical heroes,
notably through oral traditions such as epics and verbal poems. The oral tradition or literature (also
known as folk literature) consists of stories that have been or still are being passed down from one
generation to another through oral means such as verbal communications. Many of these stories have
now been published in scholarly works and books by various folkloristic and anthropological scholars and
researchers throughout the country. And we also have written literature that is a part of oral tradition
that has been committed to writing in the form of manuscripts or publications. The publication of these
books ranged from the 16th century to the 21st century. There are also printed but unpublished sources
of Philippine mythologies. Specific written literature should not be used as a generalizing asset of a
particular story, as stories differ from town to town or village to village, despite the people of a
particular area belonging to the same ethnic group. Some examples are the story of Bakunawa and the
Seven Moons and the story of the Tambanokano, which have multiple versions depending on the
locality, origin story, and cultural progression.
HEROES AND ICONS
Filipino Heroes

serve as a reminder of true patriotism and nationalism as they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of
their country’s freedom and progress
on the last Monday of August, Filipinos celebrate the National Heroes' Day
Rizal Day (December 30) that commemorates the life and works of Dr. Jose Rizal, the National Hero of
the Philippines

Famous Filipino Icons

also serve as important Filipino markers as they have made the Filipino name more pronounced world-
wide through their expertise
Filipinos such as our very own Jose Rizal, Manny Pacquiao, Lea Salonga, the more widely known nowa-
days, Bretman Rock, and many more.

HOW TO BE A GOOD FILIPINO

BE AN ACTIVE FILIPINO CITIZEN
Be aware of the current events and participate in government programs.
Exercise your right to vote.

STUDY THE PHILIPPINE HISTORY

The road of the Philippine history is long and bloody.
One way to be a good Filipino is to know one’s person own history.
It gives us a greater understanding of our stand today.
Through learning and fully understanding the events of the Philippine history, a person would know the
importance of loving one’s country with their life, extend help to fellow Filipinos in need, and recognize
abuse of political power.
SUPPORT LOCAL PRODUCTS
When you buy local products, you do not only support local manufacturers and businessmen, but
you also help strengthen the local economy. How is this so? there will be more demand for local
products, thus, local businesses will be in the need for more employees which will open new job
opportunities. The business owners will also invest within the country and are less likely to leave.
Supporting our local products also displays our creativity, innovativeness, and resourcefulness.

Here are some reasons why we need to support Philippine-made products:

1. It generate more jobs for Filipinos.
By supporting Filipino products, your money goes directly into their pockets. You are helping in creating
more jobs for Filipinos, especially those in need. Moreover, with almost a million micro or small
businesses all over the archipelago, micro or small businesses provide a third of the total employment of
the Philippines.

2. It helps build the Philippines’ economy.

Supporting locals means supporting yourself too. When you buy Philippine-made products, money stays
in the community when you purchase from locally-owned businesses because they also purchase from
other local businesses such as banks, service providers, and farms.

3. Local food is healthier.

Food that comes from local businesses and farms use little to no preservatives and chemicals. Those
produced by commercial and international enterprises, however, tend to use more preservatives to
maintain their products’ quality since they ship them all over the globe.

4. It provides more product choices.

Buying from Philippine micro or small businesses grants you access to unique, healthy, innovative, and
cheaper products that are results of a healthy competition among the marketplace. As a consumer, this
is great news since you’ll enjoy the benefits of having more products that are in tune with your needs.

5. It encourages future investments.

A thriving market attracts investors and entrepreneurs which in turn improves the country’s economic
growth. With this, they’ll see the Philippines as a progressive country, a secure place they can invest in.

As our country faces its biggest challenge, as hundreds of thousands of Filipino artisans, makers,
creators, and entrepreneurs face the prospect of a weakened economy, let us remember that they need
our support more than ever. “Buhayin ang ekonomiya. Maging bayani. Maging BUYani. Buy local, Go
Lokal!”
SPEAK THE FILIPINO LANGUAGE
Our Filipino language is inextricably connected to who we are as a people, it’s a way for us to be
united as a whole in our country. And as we all know, majority of the population know how to speak
Filipino since it’s the spirit of the national identity, and these words that we express is a unique way of
how we communicate with one another.
The Filipino language is a member of the Austronesian language family, which includes Malay,
Maori and Hawaiian. It belongs to the subgroup of Malayo-Polynesian languages that are typically
spoken by people in several island nations in the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia. As a Filipino citizen of
the Philippines, speaking the Filipino language is very important because this is our own language or
dialect to begin with. It is the basis of Filipino language and is used officially by Filipinos across the
nation, regardless of the province or island. And as a Filipino we should be proud of it and encourage
the newer generations so that they can understand more about our country.

Do not spread fake and be democratic in engaging with dissent

the easier the information spread, the creation of false information is more likely it is to happen
This period in Philippine history has seen how the internet spawned tons of possibilities for Filipinos,
both good and bad
Even though the internet brought us closer through communication, it also became the breeding ground
for misinformation and disinformation
in a disagreement with a fellow Filipino, do not attack personally and call names for it to be formal as it
should be

False Information
spreads like wildfire once information is uploaded to the net regardless of its legitimacy; especially when
the election is near, Filipinos become divided to the point where they mock each other's credibility and
intellects