Arlie Jay A.

Dacion BSPsych4A September 26, 2022

MGA BATAYAN NG SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO SA KULTURA AT KASAYSAYAN

VIRGILIO G. ENRIQUEZ

CRITIQUE PAPER

Ang Artikulo, “Mga Batayan ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino sa Kultura at Kasaysayan”, ni Virgilio G.

Enriquez na inilathala noong 2016 ng Pebrero 22 sa Departamento ng Sikolohiya, University of the
Philippines seeks to address the difference between Filipino Psychology, Psychology in the Philippines,
and Psychology of the Filipinos. It also seeks to explain the six foundations of Filipino Psychology which
derived from Filipino experiences, ideas, and orientation through the collection of materials relating to
psychology such as books, articles, and reports associated with the history of psychology in the
Philippines, as well as the analysis of the outcomes of surveys and interviews made in the different
regions in the country.
The abstract of the article states very clearly how the Psychology in the Philippines was formed
in the context of Filipino orientation. The author starts by differentiating the three main types of
Philippine Psychology where he defined each of the type in a very simple manner. It is a good thing that
the author used a very simple term in giving definitions to each type since it is the starting point of
understanding easily the concepts and ideas of where the Philippine Psychology come from and how it
functions for the benefits of the Filipinos and its researchers.
Books and Articles which involved history of Philippine psychology truly contribute to the
influence of understanding the psychological orientation of Filipinos (Cf. Enriquez 1974). There are
various sources in order to understand the Philippine Psychology and part of that is the use of theories
and own interpretations that can dictate either the precise meaning or the ambiguity of a Filipino term.
Filipino Psychology is a product of Filipino experiences, ideas, and orientation; Psychology in the
Philippines is the sequence of events that have to do with the field of psychology in the country; and
Psychology of the Filipinos refers to the collection of theories contributed by anyone interested in the
study of the psychological nature of Filipinos residing in the Philippines and in other countries.
A lot of factors to be considered in understanding Filipino psychology concepts but the six
foundations of Filipino psychology seem to be the major tenets of the bases of Philippine Psychology in
culture and history. Specifically, (1) indigenous psychology, which includes the lessons and rituals of the
babaylan, chants, prayers, hearsay, folk tales, legends, and epics; (2) the person and his or her
consciousness; (3) the period of changing consciousness; (4) the period of increasing valuation for
human behavior and abilities; (5) the period of increasing awareness of societal problems, which
discusses the Filipino psychologists’ descent from their ivory towers; and (6) the language, culture and
perspective of the Filipino, which constitute the fundamental foundations of all the other
aforementioned bases (Enriquez, 2015). Categorizing and discussing these bases into specific sources
made the entire article less difficult to comprehend especially that some of the words and terms used
are a bit uncommon. It’s good that the author sectioned the areas of focus so it would be easier to
remember information.
The influence of western psychology perspectives has somehow shaped the formation of
Philippine Psychology. That is why, the article have a very nice viewpoint as it focuses more on the
unique characteristics and bases of Philippine psychology which by the way, still debatable at present
due to dominant influences, non-Filipino perspectives.
How the author structured the article quite to be providing all necessary information,
guidelines, and principles which every readers need and or expect for understanding the general
psychology in the Philippines. In other words, the article sounds great as a scientific paper however it
doesn’t easily translate to everyday life due to some ambiguous words used by the author, not to speak
of the language used that doesn’t apply to all Filipinos therefore it could form a barrier for knowledge.
Good thing is that the author translated some of the technical terms into English to avoid total
confusion. Few researches in the context of Filipino Psychology are being studied by Filipino itself and
even foreigners who seems to be curious and interested with the Philippine culture. And the author
quite made an impression for including many examples of work written by previous intellectuals who
happened to be studying the same subject and or topic. The author cites people like Jung, Paterno,
Felipe, Carreon and many other well-known authors which definitely add a great deal credibility to the
article.
In Conclusion, the article is very scientific in nature and a bit difficult to understand in the first
part due to alien terms. But the understanding escalated in the third page where the focus of the topic is
headed. In order to catch the attention of readers and encourage them to read the whole article, a more
comprehensive and concise introduction is recommended. The reader would be more interested in good
and relatable examples which they could experience in their daily life as well. Overall, the article is well-
written and conveyed very relevant and significant information which provides concrete guidance on
the basis of the Filipino Psychology.
References:
Enriquez, V.G. (2015). Mga Batayan ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino sa Kultura at Kasaysayan.