LESSON 12: POLITICAL SELF: DEVELOPING ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

This section discusses the nature of politics, elements of active citizenship,

and how they shape one’s political self. It details how one can become
actively involved in pol itical and communal affairs, and how they are
significant to the shaping of the self.

The brief primers on Politics, Citizenship and the Self and Active Citizenship were accessed July 27,
2020 from https://utsged101portfolio.wordpress.com/section-1-the-political-self-developing-active-
citizenship/rio's

POLITICS, CITIZENSHIP AND THE SELF

• As members of the society, people are naturally obligated to participate in a political system as social
citizens. Politics refers to the actions or activities concerned with achieving and using power in a
nation or society. It is also defined as the ways that power is shared in an organization and the ways
it is affected by personal relationships between people who work together.
• As Aristotle stated, “man is, by nature, a political animal.” This is because man is a social being and
that people naturally drawn to various political involvements in order to satisfy their social needs.
• Politics as imbibed by man implies several things:
1. Politics is concerned with power. Power inequalities can be observed within societies. The one
who holds power holds influence.
2. Politics functions based on a particular social economic and cultural context. The nature of
politics and political systems is dependent on the culture of the state. Political claims made by
advocates are influenced by their geographical location and ideology.
3. The political is also personal. One’s personal choices reflect his/her personal politics; both are
indistinguishable.
4. Politics goes hand in hand with the society. Politics pervades the structure of society, and thus
influences inhabitants in their beliefs, ethics, and behavior.
• However, the political self is not only shaped by one’s political affiliation or beliefs. One’s sense of
accountability should be manifested in promoting certain advocacies through healthy political
engagement. This is aligned with the concept of active citizenship.
Political Culture
Political Culture is a pattern of individual attitudes and orientation towards politics among
members of a political system. (Almond & Verba, 1965).

Characteristics of Philippine Political Culture

1. Dominance of family ties or kinship system
Political dynasties usually control the government. In the Philippines where
consanguinity (blood relations) is given utmost importance, it does not matter even if a political
candidate is inefficient, immoral or corrupt. As long as he or she is part of a political dynasty
found trustworthy by a community, he or she would also be considered as trustworthy. This is
because the family is seen to function collectively, having shared values and beliefs.

2. Euphemism
Officials and employees in lower positions are not frank or straightforward in criticizing
officials of higher rank. They use parinig or patutsada instead of confronting the official to
immediately address the problems or issues in their area. They put more importance to their
relationship with the officials for they are afraid that their negative comments or criticisms might
offended them. Thus, in the end, problems and issues are not given immediate attention.

3. Utang na loob
Filipinos feel obligated to repay immediately or in the future any favor they receive from
another person. They always look for an opportunity to return any favor given to them. In
politics, utang na loob (debt of gratitude) is instrumental in becoming a popular politician.
Citizens often disregarded the impact of their votes to public interest when they elect corrupt and
incompetent officials just because they feel indebted to them. They disregarded the impact of
their votes to public interest when they elect corrupt and incompetent officials as payment for
utang na loob.

4. Sense of overdependancy
Some constituents rely on elected official or a “patron” politician for their personal and
economic needs. This culture results in the re-election of incompetent officials whose means to
stay in power is to provide temporary relief to impoverished Filipino families.
This attitude of overdependancy also manifests when citizens and/or lower-ranked
employees wait for orders rather than take initiative or be active participants in policy making.
This passive attitude is sometimes abused by authorities to remain in power.

5. Belief that majority of politicians are corrupt

The term buwaya (crocodile) has been used to describe corrupt politicians in the
Philippines signifying their greed for money and power. “Pag may semento, may porsyento,”
“Bigay Ikaw Regalo (BIR),” or “kulan lang ng padulas” are common phrases usually heards in
the government activities and projects. Many Filipinos believe that politicians are corrupt and are
in government service only to promote their vested interest and not the public interest. The
statement “Wala naming pulitikong hindi kurakot,” only shows that public perception towards
politics is anchored on the idea that it is evil for many politicians value more the money they get
instead of actually being good as public servants.

6. Lack of Political maturity

People elect officials based on popularity and personality and not on the performance and
platform. It has been observed in national and local campaign activities that candidates who can
sing, dance, and crack jokes are the ones who become popular among voters. It seems that people
 are more serious interested in entertainment rather than the serious presentation of platforms and
plans of action for the country. This is manifested in the number of showbiz personalities who are
now politicians. Politics is no longer limited to individuals with backgrounds in political science
and law, even celebrities are now able to hold positions in office by sheer popularity.

Ideal Citizen
In most constitutions, citizenship is acquired through blood relations. If a child’s parents are
citizens of the country, the child follows the citizenship of his or her parents. One could also be a citizen
through his or her birthplace. If a person is born in a particular country, he or she undergoes the legal
process of naturalization in order to become a citizen. Citizenship by birthplace is not granted here in the
Philippines.
An ideal citizen can be a person who follows the laws, protects and takes care of the environment,
and contributes to the welfare of other people. An ideal citizen carries out his or her civic
responsibilities—duties that help shape a better society for the citizens.
Article XIV, section 3, Paragraph 2 of the Philippines Constitution identifies the qualities
expected of citizens to possess, thereby creating ideal citizens. The provision states that an ideal citizen is
patriotic, nationalistic, fosters love of humanity, has respect for human rights, appreciated the roles of
national heroes, knows the rights and duties of citizenship, has strong ethical and spiritual values, and has
good moral character and personal discipline. To produce graduates who possess these qualities should be
the mission of every educational institution.

Active Citizenship
➢ Active citizenship refers to the structured forms of engagement with political processes and
everyday forms of participation in society. It is also defined as the process of sharing decisions
which affect one’s life and the life of a community in which one lives. Participation is the
fundamental right of citizenship.
➢ Active citizenship is anchored on one’s cognitive and behavioral engagement to participate in
formal and informal political activities. Different people manifest different levels of active
citizenship; some they take a more active approach in making their voices heard.
➢ Active citizenship is a practice of democracy. Democracy should not only be thought of as a form
of government. It is a communal system that allows volitional freedom of citizens to make
informed choices that allow them to be heard.
➢ Active citizenship is a social construct. It fosters social relatedness and belongingness.
➢ The most important goal of active citizenship is to instil change and influence society at large.
Active citizenship is also associated with the “sense of community.” People, including adolescents,
participate in communal activities because it gives a sense of belonging in a particular group. Active
citizenship may facilitate ethnic pride and provide a voice to the woes of their social group.
For the younger generation, active citizenship can contribute to their social development.
Engaging in such activities can also enhance efficacy and competence of the younger generation, as they
are considered to be the “future leaders” of the society. The participation of the youth in nation-building
activities enhances their value orientation and fosters integrity, compassion, and the sense of justice,
which are crucial to the holistic development of a citizen of a nation.
Active citizenship helps an individual embrace his/her individuality through the choices he/she
makes and the behavior he/she manifests. The political self is a result of various personal and
environmental factors that impact the individual. The participation of the youth in political discourse and
social activities can result in cultural and political paradigm shifts that may be felt even by future
generations. Thus, the future begins now.
Governance
Governance is defined as the traditions and institutions that determine how authority is exercised
in a particular country. This includes (1) the process by which governments are selected, held accountable,
monitored, and replaced; (2) the capacity of governments to manage resources efficiently and formulate,
implement, and enforce sound policies and regulations; and (3) the respect of citizens and the state for the
institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them.

Good Governance
In 1994, Brtish Prime Minister John Major created the Committee on Standards in Public Life to
outline proper behavior by public servants. In its first report, the committee released the Nolan Principles,
named after the committee’s first chairman, Norman Micheal Nolan. The principles of public life are self
are the following:
1. Selflessness- It means caring for what the people need and wants instead of promoting personal
interests. Public service is nothing else but serving the people. Elected or appointed officials have
the discretion on handling government resources for their maximum utilization. Ideally, these
resources should be allocated in ways that are most beneficial to people.
2. Objectivity- It means being neutral and free from biases in making decisions. The law must be
applied as it is. Decisions must be based on verifiable data and evidences for transparency and
impartiality. Officials should not favor those who are close to them. They should apply what the
law dictates.
3. Integrity- It means maintaining a good name and character. Public officials and employees must
be the epitome of obedience to laws. They should follow the ethical standards of being public
servants and serve as good examples to their constituents. They have to free themselves from illegal
practices such as corruption and unethical and immoral activities such as gambling, womanizing,
and other similar practices.
4. Honesty- It means that telling the truth, hiding nothing and being transparent at all times. Honesty
of government officials is usually measured in the accuracy and truthfulness of their SALN
(Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth). It is a declaration of assets, and liabilities,
including business and financial interests of the government official or employee, his or her spouse,
and his unmarried children under 18 years old still living in his or her household.
5. Accountability- It means bring liable and responsible or one’s actions. Government officials or
employees owe their office to the people; thus they are liable and responsible to them. The
Constitution states that sovereignty resides in the people and all government powers emanate from
them.
6. Openness- It means being transparent with whatever information one handles. To free the
government from false accusations and to inform the public about what is happening in the
government, the Constitution mandates full public disclosure of all government transaction
involving public interest (Article II, Section 28 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution).
7. Leadership- It means being able to lead the way for development that would benefit all. Personal
qualities are essential in government service but the most important quality is professional
competence. Every nations needs a leader who knows how to manage and run the government
despite its limited resources. A leader must be a visionary who thinks of the future of the nation,
an astute politician with strong political will and will not hesitate to implement the law, and a good
statesman who maintains healthy relations to others states.
Filipino Values
There are inherent traits that make Filipinos different from another nationality. These traits from
part of the socio-anthropological self of the Filipinos. These traits have also formed part of the Filipino
identity. It is interesting to note that values enumerated here reveal the influence of eastern thought for
Filipinos being “others-oriented” in nature. Below are the positive and negative Filipino values.

Positive Filipino Values

1. Bayanihan- As a practice of the spirit of kinship and camaraderie, the custom of bayanihan is
observed whenever a helping hand is extended to accomplish a task as a group. It started from the
Filipino tradition of helping out a neighbor who is member of the community. A popular depiction
of bayanihan is the picture of village men carrying a nipa house on their shoulders.
2. Damayan- Filipinos always extend sympathy for the people especially for those who lost their love
ones or who were victims of calamities. This is characterized by providing assistance to the families
affected by unfortunate events in terms of money of goods.
3. Familism or Close Family Ties- Filipinos are known to prioritize the welfare of family members
above other things. As compared to other cultures, the Philippines has few retirement homes or
institutions like senior homes. The elderly live with and are taken care of by the families of their
children because of strong family ties.
4. Optimism- Filipinos have the attitude of looking at all ways to be happy and to maintain a positive
outlook even in calamities and other challenges in life.
5. Hospitality- Filipinos are identified to be warm, friendly, generous and accommodating to other
people, fellow Filipino or not.
6. Regionalism- Outside of the “significant others,” Filipinos have this attitude of giving more
priority to their provincemate.
7. Flexibility- Filipinos have the ability to adapt or conform to the expectations or will of other people
to achieve smooth and harmonious relationship.
8. Religious- This is the characterized by strong faith and submission to the will of a supreme being.
9. Respect for Elders- Filipinos are thought to show courtesy towards the elderly at all times. This is
manifested in the act of pagmamano (kissing the hand of elders) and saying po and opo when
talking to someone older as a sign of respect.
10. Remedyo Attitude- Filipinos are known for being creative and resourceful. This is characterized
by their ability to find usefulness in things that may already be considered as junk by others.
11. Matiyaga- Filipinos are known for their strong determination in every undertaking.
12. Utang na loob- This is a feeling of gratitude, recognition of one’s indebtedness, and obligation to
repay someone who has extended assistance to another.

Negative Filipino Traits

1. Bahala na Attitude- This is a Filipino trait of leaving to fate and luck the outcome of a certain
undertaking, hence the expression of bahala na.
2. Colonial Mentality or Blue-seal Mentality- It is a Flipino value of giving high regard to foreign
products and treating local as inferior and low in quality.
3. Crab Mentality- It is a Filipino attitude born out of jealousy and insecurity characterized by an
attempt to pull down those who are ahead of them in life.
4. Euphemistic- This is a Filipino attitude of not being frank and straight forward so as not to offend
or hurt another person.
5. Filipino Time- This manifests among Filipinos through lack of punctuality.
6. Gaya-gaya Attitude- This is a Filipino trait of copying or imitating others’ work, product, type of
business, fashion, and the likes.
7. Jackpot Mentality- This is characterized by an “instant millionaire” mentality of some Filipinos
who could rather engage in fast ways of acquiring money by betting in lottery, participating in a
contest, sending entries in raffle draws rather than working har to have a better life.
8. Belief in Kapalaran- It is a Filipino trait of believing and accepting that one’s fate is already
written in the stars.
9. Mañana Habit- Mañana, from the ohrase mamaya na means “I’ll do it later,” is an attitude of
Filipinos characterized by stalling on doing tasks instead of doing in immediately.
10. Ningaas Kugon- This is characterized by the attitude of being enthusiastic only at the beginning of
an endeavor.
11. Oversensitivity- It is the inability of some Filipinos to withstand and accept criticism or negative
comments.
12. Pakikisama- It is a Filipino attitude of always adhering or submitting to the will of the group they
are part of.
13. Lack of Sportsmanship- It is an attitude of Filipinos manifested in how they cannot seem to accept
defeat.
14. Tsamba lang Attitude- It is an attitude characterized by the refusal to take the credit of one’s own
accomplishments, instead owing it to charm and luck.