Module II The Political Self: The Filipino Citizen

Lesson 8:
Learning Objectives:
1. Cite necessary change of negative traits and promoting to
be a better person and citizen
2. Examine a consciousness for the Filipino Identity, values,
traits, community, and institutional factors
3. Investigate responsibility for knowing and being a Filipino

List It:

Activity 1: List at least five positive and negative characteristics of a

Filipino. Be ready to share your answer during online discussion.

Positive Characteristics Negative Characteristics

The Political Self: The Filipino Citizen

 "To do my best to increase and never lessen my country's pride was the underlying motivation
of all I might attempt... I had to be outstanding, to make the greatest effort to win, to prove I was
capable not in spite of having been born Filipino but because I was a Filipino." -
Carlos P. Romulo I Walked With Heroes

Seeking the Filipino Identity

A complete and a comprehensive idea of a Filipino identity is not easy to identify

because of the rich culture each set and subset of people living within the Philippines have. If
we ask, what is a cultural identity of a certain group of people, say Ilocano’s or the Mangyan’s,
then there would be a readily available answer for that. But to ask about who is a Filipino, as a
national identity- that takes a lot of digging of the past. History has shown us how Filipino
identity has evolved from the pre-colonial period, to the colonial period and the present. We
were shaped by the wars and powers that usurped our land that bowing down to their definition
of who we are seems to be the recourse. In the process of this acceptance, we have forgotten
who we are. The current movement towards globalization is also threatening that thin and
vulnerable definition that we have come up with. Our resilience and adaptability made us
embrace other people's culture, shoving aside our tradition, values and even somewhat our
identity. This is also very much pronounced as well in our search for our political self.

The independence and the constitution given to us declared that we are a Filipino
citizen. But what exactly does that mean? What does it mean to be a Filipino citizen?

According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Art 4, Sec.I these are the citizens of the
Philippines. Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this
Constitution:

1. Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;

2. Those born before January 17,1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship
upon reaching the age of majority, and
3. Those who are naturalized in accordance of law.

Such identification as enshrined in the constitution is very helpful but the challenge is how
far and up to what extent do we feel this citizenship? When we say I am a Filipino citizen, does
it necessarily translate to I have a Filipino nationality? Is there a sense of nationalism that we
can truly and proudly say? I am a Filipino and Philippines is my homeland? Unfortunately, such
technical definition might not be translated to our beliefs and tradition, especially when we go
deep to the marginalized Filipinos. So the quest continues. Just who are we as a people? What
are the roles we are supposed to play?

Historical background - Indio to Filipino

The role of the young people cannot be ignored in the shaping of our identity for it is
from their ranks where Rizal came from. Rizal was a person of enlightened education-one of the
ilustrados, whose heightened conscience made it difficult for him to forget the poor plight of his
people. At an early age, his genius made him cognizant of the racial disparity demonstrated
towards the Filipinos at a time when they were called the derogatory term - Indio. This
recognition instilled in him a sense of responsibility to seek the true identity of the Filipinos, one
which is removed from the concept of Indios (stupid, barbaric, idiotic) as claimed by the Spanish
colonizers. Searching the annals of library for history books that will support his thesis that the
Filipinos are not indios - he even reached England for that investigation. It was there that he
discovered Antonio de Morga’s book, which he later annotated and at the same time corrected
the errors committed by the Spanish chronicler regarding his understanding of the pre-colonial
Filipino practices and traditions. According to the historian Leon Ma. Guerrero, Rizal had race
jealousy. This race jealousy gave Rizal an impassioned pursuit towards proving that Filipinos
are not Indios and that they are a race worthy of being given equal opportunity and freedom as
that of its colonizer. Thus, at a time when the use of the term Filipino was reserved only for the
elites, Dr. Rizal had the temerity to use it officially in his article The Indolence of the Filipino
People. It was a bold move that successfully announced, we are Filipinos and we are not indios.
Owing to the popularity of Dr. Rizal, people soon followed his example. These trickles of
changes paved the way for a baptism and a change of title, from Indio to Filipino. I cannot
emphasize enough how the right to use this title has caused the life of the pride of the Malay
race (Rizal as called by Blumentritt), including other heroes whose lives were shortened so that
we can be called Filipinos.

Trivia: Antonio De Morga wrote a history book Sucesos De Las Islas Felipinas covering a
first hand account of their venture in the Philippines. It was first published in Mexico in
1609
 We have come a long way since then. The Americans defeated the Spaniards and
Americanized us. This was just briefly interrupted by the presence of Japanese and the British.
After the WWII, we have assimilated the American lifestyle-at a much faster rate than with the
Spanish. The strong presence is seen in our language, form of government, names, etc. We are
now becoming little brown Americans, molded in the shape of Uncle Sam. We were taught how
to govern ourselves and we were taught their political system- the democratic process. For the
Americans, they are giving us favor by staying here and used the idea of Benevolent
Assimilation to validate why they have to stay here in the Philippines. In the declaration for their
continued presence, they gave this as one of the reasons... (2) establish a public school system
which would "cure the Filipino of his laziness and prepare him for a large participation in the
affairs of government;" (Taft, 1902. P9).

Then finally, came our independence. One

administration after another have tested the survival instincts
of the Filipinos. Democracy has been challenged especially
during the time of President Marcos. When EDSA revolution
broke out, the democratization took another turn. When
democracy was taken from us, there was a deeper
appreciation what democracy means and the liberty
associated with it. We were a recovering people, conscious of
the mistakes of the past and wary of repeating those
mistakes. There was a hunger in the exercise of political
freedom and right. It was Benigno 'Ninoy' Aquino who said, "The
Filipinos are worth dying for". That was the battle cry that sought to inspire a hurting and
recovering nation. Since then, there was almost a possessive attitude towards democracy.
Everybody wanted to safeguard it. But such consciousness got lost as the echoes of EDSA
ebbed. Through time, we may have lost the meaning of democracy that was so clear then. Thus
the question is, how do we define democracy now? What political rights and duties do we need
to exercise as a Filipino citizen? How much awareness do we have of our role as a citizen? How
can we translate democracy into our everyday way of life?

Democracy - From Theirs to Ours

 The inception of democracy was derived from the colonizer's (specifically the Americans)
traditions and continued by the elite (who took over from where the proletariats started when the
Spaniards were defeated). This ideology was handed down to us by the Americans and we
have been taught to pattern ourselves according to their brand of government. The idea of
democracy did not emerge from our identity but it was forced on us and rigidly shaped us and
our identity according to the definition given by our colonizers, most especially US. This is not
really a good start because we have kind of political system that did not grow from the political
will of the ordinary people. A true democracy is a rule coming from the people, but if the people
do not understand it- how they can say that they are the ones who rule? The problem lies now
in the lack of identity between the democratic practice and the beliefs and practices of the
Filipinos.

Therefore, there is a need to re-write our definition of democracy. It has to be a definition

that will tell us this is OUR government, written by the sweat of its people and guarded by their
hearts.

The Filipino’s first bath. Mckinley: Oh you

dirty boy. Filipinos receiving the bath of civilization. (http://globalvoices.org)

At present, we have been making a movement towards a grass root concept of

democracy. But this will only be possible if the masses of poor people and uneducated will find
their voice. This struggle for the building of a Filipino nation is a continuous process that keeps
changing the parameters of the challenges every time the society moves from one era to
another, decade after decade. A different problem is faced as times change and with every
response, that identity keeps shifting as well. According to a study conducted in 2015, we are a
very highly Social Nation .This is the new platform for Filipinos that we can use towards a
sincere path to positive change.

A social nation. Highest among top-50 Opera mini users (Opera SMW Report 2015)

Perception of a Filipino's Role in a Democratic Setting

What we face today is a people who embrace the ideology of democracy. The problem
lies in how we can translate this idea into everyday practice so that people can fully appreciate it

Art 2, Sec 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states:

The maintenance of the peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and
property, and the promotion of the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all
the people of the blessings of democracy.

According to this article, three things should be provided by the government before we
can enjoy democracy (1) maintenance of peace and order (2) protection of life, liberty and
property and (3) promotion of general welfare. We demand, as a citizen enjoying the full rights
provided by the constitution, that we must have all these three. Otherwise, we may not be able
to fulfill our role as a citizen in a democratic setting. If we cannot have these three, then we will
not be able to reach our full potential and make a clear definition of our political self. The
absence of those three may create the lack of empathy towards nationhood.

Free Speech (sites.google.com)

A major part of such a fulfillment is a general consensus coming from Filipinos that first,
we should be able to participate and be heard in the political process. Our needs and wants
should be heard, if possible through our individual voices or through our chosen
representatives. The challenge as is the case in every nation where freedom of speech is
present, would be in consolidating these voices and opinions into one range of acceptable
interpretation. Secondly, there must be a consistency in the principles and policies declared in
the constitution and in how Filipinos live their lives. It is not enough that we be called Filipinos,
but we should understand and translate into action what that really means. Thus if we say, we
have a democracy, then we should also say that there is peace and order, my life, liberty and
property are protected and that general welfare is promoted.
 Fundamental Duties, Corporate Responsibility (Indiacsr.in)

But before we can claim our rights, most Filipinos are also aware that there are duties to
be performed as well. As to what kind of duties they are, there are variations of answers.
According to a study done in 1994, entitled the Contemporary Philippine Value, there are
general agreements on certain situations like, standing when the national anthem is being
played, awareness of community affairs and payment of taxes. However, diversity also
manifested itself in certain situations like, family needs versus those of societal needs and how
public property should be treated. According to Diokno (1997), the Democracy Agenda Project,
still garnered the same conclusion after three years. Also, lifting from the same study made in
the Conference covering the Democracy Agenda Project, the general agreement regarding the
definition of democracy was democracy is a process, fundamentally a way of life, a means
of relating with other individuals, groups and the state, and a collective process of
decision-making in order to attain political liberty, social justice and equity. (Diokno,
1997. P19) from this, we can see that participative democracy was the preferred choice of
democracy over the elite democracy. It entails a more active role in the political decision
making. An example of this would be participation during elections. According to Zialcita, F
(1997), effective citizenship is one where people know that they can depend on themselves to
help the state because they are productive and can build things, "people who come up with
ideas and resources; people who are bold; people who are accountable."

But such participation will not be successful if we keep a 'me/us family only attitude. In
the same conference, it was found out that one of the missing ingredients in our democratic
practice is the lack of concern towards the common good. We will see this in their definition of
the community. In a democratic setting the community should always include the nation,
however, there are many instances when loyalty is given more to the local community. In fact
it's not even the local community that is taken into account but its loyalty to a very limited
immediate community which is composed of the family. It is also worth noting that when this
conclusion was compared to the indigenous practice of democracy, the result shows that
indigenous people have a strong sense of community and thus, prioritize common good over
individual rights.

Another finding made during the project was the consensus regarding redistributive
democracy. There is a clamor to have a better redistribution of resources and capabilities,
particularly land, income and wealth. According to a statistics research done in 2014, seven out
of ten farmers are not landowners. Though this has been a problem since during the time of the
Spaniards, we can see that the problem still persists. Laws on land reforms have been enacted
but the process of land distribution has been slow. The law was passed 27 years ago hoping to
balance the status and to answer the demands of social justice. There is a belief that failure to
redistribute these would be a great hindrance in the true exercise of democracy. As long as the
presence of the wide economic gap between people in one republic is present, then the practice
of democracy will be difficult and rights would be more prone to abuse by those who have so
much more in terms of the economic value.

Trivia: The Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines state that when the national anthem is being
played, one must stand and sing while placing the right hand over the left chest. The penalty for failure
to do so is imprisonment for a year and a fine from P5,000-P20,000.

Filipino Citizenship vs. Me, Family, Institution, Cultural Citizenship

As for citizenship, the perception was almost the same as the definition given by March
and Olsen- an identity defined by a bundle of rights and duties and by an awareness of others in
a similar position.
 Among the characteristics mentioned of a Filipino citizen are these- honesty, loyalty to
the larger community, collective pride and national identity (Diokno, 1997). The larger
community was understood to be the nation, though there was also insistence for that
community to include the local community. However, in the Filipino setting, familial community
most often take precedence over any types of community. It seems the case is that one
identifies more with the family than being Filipino.

An image of the typical good citizen was drawn (Diokno, 1997) - diligent taxpayer,
honest voter, one who follows the traffic rules, etc. Aside from that, one also has to know how to
assert one's rights and defend those who cannot defend themselves, cares for the environment
and honors equality between men and women. Here we can see that we did learn from history.
The contention of shared duty and equality, of obedience and assertion speak of a pro-active
approach of the citizens in the running of the government and a more aggressive practice of
democracy through a deliberative process. A process that hears or tries to hear what everybody
has to say. There is a more conscious effort to protect rights, not just of the majority but the
marginalized people as well. The recognition of the people as the sovereign tempers the power
of the state and that's what fires the pro-active citizenship. An example would be of laborers
who were engaged in a labor strike. They were very much aware that though they have access
to courts, it will be difficult for them to just rely on that since court proceedings mean shelling out
money-a commodity that they do not have.

The solution was to exercise other rights to augment their judiciary because there was a
concerted rally and strike. This seems to work since they won the initial battle. Citizens have
learned pressure the government to do its job as enshrined in the constitution. The voice is
louder for accountability on the part of the public officials. However, even if the voice is louder, it
doesn't mean it's already heard or that everybody is using them. The next part will discuss the
different culture that might prove problematic for a formation of a national identity.

Philippine Political Culture - A problem of variation

In assessing the Philippine political culture, it is necessary for us to understand the

cultural background of the citizens and when I say citizens, this would include the majority and
the countless, nameless minority out there. This is important because as has been discussed
earlier, one of the problems is the way we prioritize the immediate community we are in -in this
case the family. Thus, if the citizens feel removed from the bigger community to which they
belong, then we cannot expect much nationalism from them.

Ethnicity in the Philippines, 2016 (sites.google.com)

There are culturally two categories of communities:

1. Minority - They are a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that coexists with but is
subordinate to a more dominant group. In the above figure we can see that they represent
25.3% of the whole population. Emphasis here is given on the subordinate. They are usually
marginalized and perceive themselves (whether rightly or wrongly) as unrecognized by the
national government. Some examples of such groups are Ifugao of Kala, Bukidnon of Iloilo, and
Muslims.

2. Majority - would often be characterized by Tagalog/English speakers and with

Christianity/Catholicism as the basis of faith. How does faith factor in the political culture? The
relationship becomes pronounced during the election where some religious sectors would go for
block voting. However, the extent of such an influence of the church is not easily demonstrated
as some of the endorsed candidates have not won. Also, in the passing of a law, it can also be
seen that those bills considered to be controversial are those that primarily go against the
practices of the dominant church the Catholic Church. One major direct political participation
was during the first EDSA revolution. We can see how the church can still have a strong
influence on the people.

One thing that characterizes this participation is the emotional response. Majority would
be prompted by emotion rather than an intellectual speculation. This goes true with regard to
people who will be voted into power. 2 reasons were cited by Doronilla (1997) for this: (1)
limited venue for political participation so that when an opportunity presents itself in which
people can find a commonality of interest, the response is spontaneous; and (2) deeper or less
superficial understanding of the issues owing to the weakness of schools or mass media which
are mainly in English, and the lack or absence of systematic popular education of the public on
issues of common interest.

Movement towards the Common Good. A Path to a Defined Political Self

 The greater demand from the citizens, also means that they are aware that this is a
partnership which also demands the performance of duties and obligations from the side of the
citizens.

Some duties have already been mentioned, but the most problematic area recognized
was the lack of empathy towards others. There is an idea that for as long as one is happy and
not hurting others, then they are still good citizens. However, this also results in the lack of
community conscience where one has to deeply care for the community - and not just the
family. This is a bit surprising, considering the traditionally-held honored values like pakikisama,
bayanihan, etc. This will not help the cause of democracy since as a political animal, we do
necessarily live in a community and feed off on each other's rights and duties. Thus, there is an
urgent need to create a national identity to which everybody can claim right and feel the need to
protect that right for the good of the nation-community. As a citizen, there should be a sense of
belonging and ownership of that community that will draw out the protective instinct of that
individual towards the nation. The individual must understand, that the protection of this
community is also a protection of the individual citizen. Just how dangerous is this lack of
consistency between protecting individual right and the right of the community? Say that one
takes a bath everyday so we can be sure that this person likes to be clean. However this
cleanliness is not transferred to the community. The person will still disregard garbage cans and
make a mess of the place with the thinking that it is not the individual's responsibility. The state,
in this case has been neglected. Or a case where one steals from others because the small
group to which the individual belongs to dared him to steal. Here, loyalty to the peer group
supersede loyalty to the nameless others (the nation community). Sooner or later, the clash
between self/familial interest and that of the state will ruin one or the other.

In determining the problems that might be encountered in nation building, the

membership of the individual in an institution is also worth looking into. The citizen is not just a
member of the nation but also of the agencies of the state, namely-church, school, government,
family, mass media etc. Usually, the values needed for a true democratic concern for the nation
is taught in these agencies especially the family but such is a limited proportion only
commensurate to the needs of the family. What will nurture such communal concern would be in
their socialization process, where the young people are taught to follow the rules and take note
of their action when the larger community true exercise of one's duty as a citizen.
 Art 2, Sec 12: The state recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and
strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution...

The need of the family overrides all other needs, including that of the state- even when
the state is at risk. Thus, we cannot rely much on the Filipino family for the formation of
nationalism. The family usually looks for school when it comes to teaching kids about
nationhood. This puts pressure on the school to teach these, not just about citizenship but also
about democracy- something that might not be directly addressed especially during the early
years of the child's education. There should be an emphasis on the correlation of a citizen's
rights and duties and how this is factored in a democratic system.

Such a multi layered affiliation becomes more pronounced when talking to Muslims,
where most of them would associate Filipino with Christians. Such connotation makes them
wary of using that term and they would be ready to clarify that they are Filipinos in paper only.
Such absence of belongingness is a serious problem that has to be addressed if we want a truly
reconciled and united nation. They don't feel that there is a benefit that they can get from the
state, in fact it is worsened by the sense of alienation they already feel.

What can be concluded is that, the less benefit a citizen enjoys from the state, the less
one feels affiliation with the nation. Such is true also of traditional practices. If the citizen feels
alienated from the community/state, then the less one will feel an emotional link to it.

From this, definition of a Filipino should be taken from the grassroots. The political self must be
defined according to the needs of the citizen taking into account the variance of practices and
traditions. This is not an easy feat because members of the Filipino nation are very diverse.
How far should we take in the ethnic, religious, traditional practices that might deviate from the
law imposed on the general public? Example of this would be the Sharia Law and the confusion
this might give Muslims. There are instances that they can exercise their rights under the
Constitution but they may not exercise it because of a Muslim law. How will the state protect
them in case they choose to reject that particular Muslim law?

The citizen must therefore be not just free or not just responsible; the citizen must be
free and responsible (Diokno, 1997). What should be done now is to develop a sense of
community at the national level and empower them, making them active participants in the
democratic process. This participation should not only be through election but more importantly,
in the decision on how they should continue with their way of living without destroying their
unique culture. This will be realized if true democracy is practiced and the two fundamental
policies of due process and equal protection of the law are applied consistently. Where the
ideals of justice, fairness, equity and liberty are given, then we can assume that democracy is
working, not just for the majority but for the minority groups as well.

Thus, the project proposes the following action agenda. Improve the political and social
environment and reduce poverty through structural reforms in order to foster a sense of
community, and enable citizens to exercise their rights and fulfill their obligations.

Developing a Democratic Culture

What hinder the growth of the culture of democracy?

As suggested by Zialcita (1997, p 39.68), in order for us to establish a democratic

culture the following values are necessary:

1. Respect for and affirmation of the individual. This entails recognizing that every
individual has inherent rights. Thus, we say that one rights end where another person is
rights begin.
2. Recognition of the inherent dignity of all human beings. Once recognition is made of
such dignity, then it is case for us to treat people as ends in themselves
3. Concern for the public good. We must understand that our individual rights are also
limited by the power of the state. The welfare of the state is considered together with the
civil rights.
4. Willingness to listen to others. This is consistent with the three above. If we respect the
individual, then we should be giving time to listen and understand the aim of that
individual.

All these imply the need for us to help the anonymous stranger that is more than our
individual families - we should also involve and care for our nation. And that should be a major
part of our Political Identity, an identity closely tied to being a Filipino citizen in heart and mind.
 Pop –up Questions
Activity 2: Answer the following questions and be ready to share your
answer during online discussion

1. If you were to help Rizal, how would you prove that Filipinos are not Indio’s?

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Support your answer by giving concrete examples or situations.

 2. How will land distribution help in the democratic process? Do you think that this
is necessary for farmers in order for them to have a sense of nationalism?

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Video Analysis!

Activity 3: Kindly watch the video by clicking the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhDHGgo4yZg
After watching the video, write a one page essay stating your analysis on what hinders a person to
be responsible citizen especially in these trying times of a pandemic. State at least three (3) possible
solutions to solve the problem.

Note: Rubric will be posted in the LMS.

Summary
From an investigation of our history, the search and definition of a truly
Filipino identity has been marked with a lot of challenges. But it is a
challenge that we are willing to meet head on to ensure our survival as a nation. In this
globalization age, it is easy to be swept away by modernization. But as long as we continue
nurturing that search, we will be able to stand as one Filipino nation.

Keywords:
Citizenship: One's political identity in one state

Constitution: the highest law of the land

Democracy: a form of government whose ideal is that should enjoy the right to participate in
deciding on public matters

Nationalism: loyalty and devotion to one's nation

National Identity: may be viewed as the set of meanings and predisposition’s defining
one's attachment or sense of belonging to a national community

Participative Democracy: emphasis on the participation of the members to the different

political processes

Race Jealousy: a consciousness to prove that Filipinos are equal with the other race

Resources:

De Vera Palean, et.al. (2018). Introspection: Understanding the Self. Mandaluyong City:
Books Atbp, Publishing Corp.
Frando, F. and Isip, L. (2019). Understanding the Self. Books Atbp.Publishing Corp.
Starving in Philippines’ Coronavirus Lockdown: A 16-Year-Old’s Story. (2020,
September 18). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhDHGgo4yZg