Realism in Philippine Values Education

Author(s): Niels Mulder

Source: Philippine Studies, Vol. 49, No. 3 (Third Quarter 2001), pp. 429-444
Published by: Ateneo de Manila University
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/42634452 .
Accessed: 28/06/2014 15:20

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Ateneo de Manila University is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Philippine
Studies.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Realism in Philippine Values Education

Niels Mulder

In the 1990s and into the new century,elementaryand secondary

schools throughoutIndonesia, the Philippinesand Thailand are devot-
ing considerable attentionto the teachingof values. This emphasis on
morals, ethics and appropriatebehavior is nothingnew. When I first .
startedreading Thai school texts- some thirty-five years ago- I was
struckby the importancegiven to good manners and rightconduct.
Since the curriculumreformof 1978,these have only grownin signifi-
cance. In the same year,in Indonesia,Pancasila Moral Education- now
known as Pancasila and Citizenship- was introducedas a compulsory
subject.
The idea of formalvalues education was not strange,however,and
sits well with Javanese ideas about the ethicallyaccomplished indi-
vidual. The Philippines,too, has a long traditionof teachingmorality
in school,harkingback to Catholicideas about the relationshipof God,
individual and fellowman,and, more recently,to American concep-
tions of Good Manners and RightConduct (GMRC)- at some schools
even called Eugenics, the improvementof the race. Since 1989,Values
Education has achieved the status of an independentknowledge and
skill area.
It seems attractiveto trace the importanceof values education to a
Southeast Asia-wide common heritage.In the cases of Java and Thai-
1is
land, the idea of a shared rootin the Indian dharmashastra plausible,
at least, and can be argued forthe late colonial Javaneseeducational
reformmovements as well as forthe establishmentof formalschool
and universityeducation in Thailand where,afterall, the second uni-
versitywas called the Dharmashastra(Thammasat) University
The idea thatthe cradle of knowledgeis the studyand understand-
ing of ethics- discoveringtheunityof the good, the trueand thebeau-

429

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
PHILIPPINE
STUDIES

tifiil- is most alive in Buddhist Thailand. The wise person, the one
who is aware of cause and effect,of the nature of things,and of the
- -
great teachings in brief,who has insightin Dharma cannot behave
in an ignorant,unenlightened,and thus despicable way.2Thus teach-
ing the Science of Dharma makes sense. Those who understand will
not be subject to theirdrives and emotions; theywill be beneficialto
associate with.Fromthem,good societyoriginates.In Java,the prevail-
ing of the rational faculty,of akal, over body and drives, or nafsu,is
thought to lead to inner (batin) equanimity and a refined intuition
(rasa) that will serve as an unfailingguide in human association.3
Drawing Philippine thinkinginto this comparison perhaps seems
less obvious. Indie influenceis slight.Yet,some basic conceptualization
is strikinglysimilar. The Indian-derived Tagalog word budhimeans
both conscience and intuition,and comes close to the Javanese rasa.
When explaining that the Tagalog concept of utang-na-loob ("debt of
the interior"=debt of gratitude,of honor) equates with the Malay-In-
donesian hutangbudi, everyTagalog immediatelysenses the similarity.
In Thai, the same word (phutthi)also refersto the facultyof discern-
ment and wisdom.
All agree thatit is the absence of discretionand wisdom thatleads
to undesirablebehavior,which is clear fromthe idea of kurangajar (M-
I) or kulangsa pinag-aralan(Tag)- falling short in learning. There is
thereforeno dispute that the budhineeds developing, that it can be
trainedthroughstudy and learning- which is an individual, intellec-
tual pursuit.4In short,ethics can be taught and learned. Values Edu-
cation makes sense.
I am probably on safer ground if I refrainfromdrawing attention
to the presumablyIndie origins of the importanceof ethics.The most
strikingsimilarityamong the three cultures referredto is the shared
perceptionof the natureof societyand human bonds. Societyis inher-
entlya moral construct;the glue that ties people togetheris the debt
of gratitude. Such bonds imply inequality and reciprocity,and are
necessarilyseen in personalisticterms.In dealing with others,people
should be guided by theirknowledge/awareness of the ethicsof their
individual place. If everybodyfollowed its moral imperatives,society
would be harmonious.
The imperative side emphasized consists of obligations: parents
should educate theirchildren,children should follow theirparents;
patronsshould protecttheirwards, who, in turn,should serve them;in
general,minors,or inferiors,must honor seniors,or whomsoever in a

430

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 REALISM EDUCATION
IN VALUES

higherposition.Hence, individualsare important. Iftheyrenegeon their

obligations,theywill endangerthedesiredharmoniousorder.Individuals
must,therefore,be aware of theirplace, know morals and manners.
This moral constructwhich of course prevails in familialrelations
the world over,is at variancewiththesociologicalview of societyas an
area of conflictingvalues and interestswhere individual choice (and
behavior)is seen as determinedby class position.In thethreecountries
concerned- and in many more attractedto Confucianor Asian Values
doctrines- the idealized moral perceptionof the social edificeis also
applied to businesslike, wider society.Along the coast of the South
China Sea, this perceptioneven gains extraordinaryurgencybecause
of the bilateralstructureof relationships:thereare no higherformsof
social organization- such as castes or clans- to command people's
loyalties.What remainsare families,patron-client ties,and states.These
institutionsthus receive ample emphasis in the teachingmaterials.
When I came to Thailand in the 1960s,the famousprimerThe Trea-
-
sureoftheGentleman meaning the rules of refinedconduct- stillwas
part of the curriculum.It was complementedby TheDutiesofthePopu-
lace. Meanwhile, with vast educational expansion and effortsat "de-
mocratization," titles have changed. At the elementary level, the
courses on PromotingCharacterand Dispositionand Preparingforthe
Experience of Life- which take approximatelyone-halfof teaching
time- are about manners,presentation,attitudes,Buddhist wisdom,
history,state ideology,et cetera. The explicitpurpose of the school is
to train "good people," which boils down to dutifulsubjects of the
king,or state,who behave as membersof a big family.Ethicsare pre-
scriptive,and clearlyblack-and-white.
Subsequent secondarysocial studies continueto offera firmdose of
state ideology,thatis, the Doctrineof the Three Institutions,in which
the good citizen honors his parents,the Nation, Religion,and King.
The course makes it abundantly clear that the nation, and thus the
state, the country,Thai society,is like an intimatecommunity,like a
- and thatproblems
family originatefromindividual waywardness.If
all Thais orientedthemselvesto Buddhism,the time-honoredrules of
rightconduct, and fulfiltheirduties, life in Thailand would be as in
paradise- and democraticto boot! Basically,the orientationis towards
an idealized past.
In Indonesia, the emphasis on individuals as mere parts of an en-
compassing whole is even more pronounced than in Thailand. The
person is part of a family,of a community,a society,a nation,a state,

431

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
PHILIPPINE
STUDIES

and a commonweal. People are subordinatedto these,much as wives

are to theirhusbands. Indonesians should be loyal to the whole, ex-
ecute theirduties, and not insist on individual rights.This Pancasila
ideological indoctrinationcomes close to the Confucian thinkingthat
is these days oftenreferredto as "Asian Values." The state as the in-
carnationof the people is always right.If religionprevails, the popu-
lace is definitelyexpected to be good subjects.
The textson Pancasilaand Citizenshipagree thatthereare stillprob-
lems, that the "Pancasila Man," or the "Whole Indonesian Human
Being," is in the process of being created,and thatsome people are so
un-Pancasila-ishas to be greedy,ostentatious,arrogant,individualistic,
liberal,corrupt,and such. In the future,however,when everybodyhas
reached a deep understandingof Pancasila ethics,we shall see a har-
monious Pancasila society where people are devoted to the public
good. Indonesian moral teachingshave not changed the experienceof
most people and, more gravely,have not cured any of the multitudi-
nous cleftsthat run throughtheirsociety Since they do not trainfor
individual responsibility,or rather,moral autonomy,they are a poor
guide for life in modern anonymous urbanity.Those educated in a
modern Islamic school may see theirway more clearly,just like those
Thais who received supplementaryeducation in Theravada Buddhist
thought.This is probablythe reason why Thai intellectualsare so sar-
castic about school indoctrinationand Mahathir's or Lee Kuan Yew's
ideas about citizenship.In Indonesia, discussingideas otherthanthose
of the New Order state has but recentlybecome an option.
Whetherwithinthe confinesof the Three Institutionsor withinthe
ideology of the integralisticPancasila state,in Thailand and Indonesia
the teaching of morality in school aims at creating dutiful subjects
ratherthan (autonomous) citizens.These subjectsshould restrainthem-
selves, honor superiors,be aware of theirposition,and preferablybe
devout believers as well. The nation is thoughtof as a big family,rep-
resentedby the state. Under king or president,the paternalisticstate
provides moral guidance for the populace - at least as long as the
pupils are at school.

Values Education in the Philippines

As observed earlier,since ten years Values Education has become a

separate subject- next to English or Science- in schools in the Philip-
pines. This means that ideally one period of every day is devoted to

432

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 IN VALUES
REALISM EDUCATION

the teachingof morals and that,of late, specialized teachersare being

trainedto instructthem.The formalestablishmentof Values Education
can be traced back to the reportBuildinga People,Buildinga Nation: A
Moral RecoveryProgram , published by Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani
in 1988 that identifiedthe weaknesses and strengthsof the Filipino
character.5 If the nationis to prosper,weaknesses should be eradicated,
and people must be convincedthattheirpersonalrighteousnessmakes
the differencebetween national advancementand stagnation.
In the fourthyear of high school,the Prefaceof theofficialtext(that
serves as our guide in thischapter)6reveals thatthe effortof teaching
Values Education seeks to explain to studentswho and what theyare;
how theyrelate to each other;how to respond to theirsocial respon-
sibilities;how to attain(moral) maturity("innercompleteness/perfec-
tion") (Punsalan 1995). These foursubjectsconstitutethe focal points
of the course.
The choice of thisparticulartextis attractivebecause thebook is the
best by farof the fourvolumes thatcomprisethe fullcourse. The texts
for the firsttwo grades- for twelve- to fourteen-year olds- are very
academic and, in my view,suitableforbeginningstudentsof sociology.
They explain what a group is, and describe a value- the subjectmat-
ter of the course- as somethingthat is freelychosen fromamong al-
ternatives,and thisin a thoughtful manner.A value is somethingto be
cherished,publicly affirmed,acted upon, and acted upon again. This
concept is thensubstantiatedby sets of rules to go by.As a result,the
tone of the firsttwo years is dogmatic ratherthan realistic.
The teachingsforthe thirdyear are more lively,and oftenreflectthe
public discussion in the media. They take theirpoint of departurein
the theses of the Moral RecoveryProgramreport,thatare elevated to
the status of gospel truths.This results in the common practice of
Philippines-bashing:Filipinos are self-centeredto the extreme;their
society is unjust and thus at war with itself;its ecology has been de-
stroyed.Similar to the uninteresting two-waymoralchoices offeredin
the text,such pertinentstatementsare at a considerableremove from
everydayexperience.The book is explicit,however,when it discusses
human rightsand the problems of the nation.
The inspirationof the textforthe fourthand finalgrade is derived
more frommoral theologythan fromabstruse social science. Its tone
and wording are differentfromthe earlier material,and the moral-
choice situationsthe studentsare confrontedwithreflecteverydaylife.
Implicitly,the focus is on attitudesand orientations.The textbenefits

433

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
PHILIPPINE
STUDIES

from the Roman Catholic Church's moral ingenuity,but does not

elaborate on the liberation-theologicalissues when they are brought
up. Moreover, a littlemore adolescent psychology would have ben-
efitedthe discussions of fallingin love and sex.
Be thatas it may,an importantdifference in comparisonto Thai and
Indonesian curriculacomes to lightin the discussion of the individual.
In modern Catholicism,the stressis on the individual consciencethat
roots in man's being created in God's image, and in the love forGod
and your fellowman.Love is the wellspringof good conductand good
society.Because of this,obedience and the duties thatgroup member-
ship entail are not so constantlyemphasized. On the contrary, encom-
- the -
state are distrustedin their
passing groups especially capacity
to provide moral leadership. Morally matureindividuals should make
theirown decisions. Even so- and that is made very clear- theycan-
not escape fromtheirfamilymembership,its duties and demands of
loyalty.
These Roman Catholic tenetsmust,of necessity,coexistwith certain
visions of stateleadership.Afterall, it is the state,not the Church,that
introduced the course in Values Education. According to the text,
President Ramos- on the occasion of launching the Moral Recovery
-
Program in 1993 emphasized that the moral basis of the nation
stands in need of a thorough reform.The nation must renew itself,
both spirituallyand materially.In order to improve theirmoral basis,
Filipinos need to renew their person-centeredvalues and attitudes
concerning honor, conscience and faith. The present laws are not
rootedin thetruevalues of thepeople and virtuessuch as nationalism,
integrityand concern for others are only weakly developed. Self-
centerednessand materialismprevail. "If we aspire to nationalrenewal
and progress,we must change the values thatconstitutethe centerof
our life.We must rid ourselves of the ills that plague social life,such
as irregularities,tax evasion, rottenpolitics,inactionand indifference.
If we considerthatthe individual capacityforimprovinglifehinges on
personal spiritualpower and stability, it is not far-fetchedto thinkthat
the capacity of a communityto renew itselfis an inner (spiritual?)
affair.Our experience of freedomis sweet indeed, but what we also
need is devotion to duty and self-discipline. Our praying is not
enough; we must act up to our values, too" (45-46).
Later on in the text,under "The Moral Dimension of Filipino Cul-
ture,"the Moral RecoveryProgram- the verybasis of the currentVal-
ues Education- is reviewed. Afternoting some eight positive traits,

434

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 IN VALUES
REALISM EDUCATION

Filipino behavior also needs to be criticizedbecause people fall short

in self-knowledgeand moral conviction.They are too self-and family-
centered,without discipline and initiative;theyhave a slave mental-
ity,are almost completelyincapable of analyzing themselvesor what
happens around them. Besides, many people - because of being
spoiled or poor- happily depend on others.
Filipinosare said to live in a verypoor society,taintedby a big gap
between the haves and the have-nots,and by inadequate government
services. The rich have the power to govern,to exploit the political
process to their own advantage; they have foreigntastes, and their
American orientationis engraved in the educational systemand the
media. It seems as if the ability to speak English defines a person's
self-esteem.Nonetheless, the people are characterizedby an inferior-
itycomplex when dealing with Caucasians.
The presenteducational systemdoes not agree with basic Filipino
culture.Religious attitudes,however much theycontributeto the ca-
pacity of acceptinglife's hardships,also lead to indifference and gull-
ibility.Povertypromotesperseveranceand self-sacrifice togetherwith
gamblingand corruption.The media exemplifya slave mentalityand
are an opiate formost. Moreover,respectforseniorsand leaders eas-
ily leads to admirationforall sorts of despicable behavior.
This negative self-imagelargelydefinesthe ideas behind the Moral
RecoveryProgram (MRP). Its stated goal is to renew societythrough
cultivatingnationalism,national pride, and self-esteem.The intention
is to fosterthe common good, social concern,social justice,and respect
forhuman rights.It also aims to instillloyaltyand responsibility, dis-
cipline and diligence, and a distaste forirregularities.
It hopes to cre-
ate people with both self-respectand self-criticism, who value the
spiritualand inner dimensions of existenceratherthan its superfici-
alities (173-76).
Whetheror not the intentionsof the formerpresidentand his sister
can be fulfilledthroughteachingValues Education at school,is a moot
point. Many people seem to thinkso, consideringthe vastness of the
undertaking.In any case, they feel that the presentsituationis intol-
erable, and apparently hope that moral restructuring is easier to ac-
complish than structuralreform.Seemingly,theyshy away fromthe
latter,and do not want to thinktoo much about any linkagebetween
the two.
The course is obviously meant to remedycertainills. In doing so, a
certainimage of society arises. This is not as much based on the out-

435

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
PHILIPPINE
STUDIES

rageous generalizationsof the presidentialspeech or the pretensionsof

the Moral RecoveryProgram,as it is on the practiceand experienceof
everyday life. In this section we want to investigate this image, as
deduced fromthe ethical conundrumsthatthe studentsare invitedto
reflectupon.

Realism in Values Education in the Philippines

In all courses in Values Education commented upon in this essay,
the input of the stateis clear.In Indonesia, thisreflectsthe ideal of the
New Indonesian Man who is an obedient subject as well. With aims
set so high,realismsuffers, althoughit is avowed thattherestillis much
rotin the realm. In Thailand,many problemsare blamed on individual
moral decay The two-way choices offered,however, are not of this
world. What, forinstance,to do with the informationthat smoking,
drinking,frequentingprostitutes, having mistresses,cominghome late,
and such, are destructiveof familyhappiness? Some childrencan only
reach the conclusion that theirfatheris a devil ratherthan a saint-
which does not appear as a correctportrayalof everyday life.
In the Philippinecurriculum,at least in the finalyear of high school,
subjectionand obedience receive scant attention.The emphasis is on
conscience,and thus on individual choice. In so-called "situations,"the
studentis presentedwith recognizable,oftenreal-lifedilemmas. As a
result,the students are being made aware of certain situations they
may always have taken forgranted.It should be noted, however,that
the perspective is entirelydefined by modern- post-Vatican II- Ro-
man Catholic teachings,to the detrimentof other views, such as hu-
manism; autonomous citizenship;social-structuralconsiderations,or
the connectionbetween individual responsibilityand democracy.
Be that as it may, given the age and experience of the students it
is littlewonder that theirrelationships with adults, especially with
parents, often receive attentionin the imaginary situations they are
placed in. The firstsituation focuses on money and obligation. Si
Kuwan is treasurerof a school project at the time his fatherfalls ill.
The parent is broughtto the hospital, despite the familynot having
any money.The questionthe studenthas to face thus becomes whether
he would use the project's assets to care for his father.Because it is
almost unthinkable that he would not, the problem becomes: "And
what if you are then unable to refundthe money?" (43).
Throughoutthe text,the reader is repeatedly assured that parents
always love theirchildrenand are fullof goodwill towards them.Situ-

436

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 IN VALUES
REALISM EDUCATION

ational parents,though,do not always live up to thatimage. We are

told of parents who are extremelycruel to Kuwan's elder siblings,to
such an extenteven, thatthe eldestplans to run away For fearthatthe
fiercefatherwould hurttheboy,Kuwan can neitherinformtheparents
of the plan, nor convince his brotherto give up. So, what should she
do? Since it is almost impossible to give a straightanswer here, the
next question becomes whetherthe sisterthinksthatfleeingwill con-
tributeto the personalityformationof her brother(43).
This last possibilityseeminglyanticipatesthe followingexposition
on "the truemeaning of aging." Growingolder should be a process of
maturation,of growing up spiritually,and of carryingresponsibility
gracefully(47). A few pages onward,however,readers are confronted
with the possibilityof less than matureparents,and childrenbecom-
ing responsible forthe wholeness of familylife.Under the title"The
Family as the Foundation of the Moral Personality,"ideal parenthood
is contrastedwith the many problemscurrentFilipino familiesexpe-
rience. Withboth parentsworkingoutside the home, theyhave little
or no time to devote to theiroffspring, let alone to theirupbringing.
When this situationarises, it makes the childrenresponsibleforfam-
ily wholeness. They must look forways of tyingthe familytogether,
of keeping the home in good order,while cultivatingmutual under-
standing and love. This is all the more importantbecause the whole-
someness of society- at presentfullof problems- ultimatelydepends
on the firmspiritualfoundationof its individual citizens(50-51).7
Anyway,problems with parents abound. Some mothersare abso-
lutely unwilling to listen to theirprogeny and just hit them at their
slightest displeasure. Some daughters are so dependent on their
mamas that they cannot take any decision by themselves.Afterall,
many parentsare in thehabitof forcingtheirwill- howëverunreason-
able- on their offspring,and the latterare supposed to obey. Often
parents equate childrenwith theirschool results.When these grades
constitute the only measure to appreciate them with, children will
naturallyfeel abandoned and of no value. Besides, not all parentsbe-
have nicely. In some homes they shout at and fightwith each other
every day (104-5), and certainfathersare well-knownto be less than
honest in takingadvantage of theirposition of honor and trustin the
baranggay(141). Can a child protestagainst such things?
Using position,connections,or whitelies to one's own advantage is
oftenat the heart of moral-choicesituations.The school's advice on
fatherswho personally profitfromthe communal developmentfund

437

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
PHILIPPINE
STUDIES

is to refuseto accept the much needed pair of shoes bought with that
dirtymoney (141). Then, what if you lose a contestand fatheroffers
to pull strings to improve your grade? (104). Apart from dubious
manipulationsin the world outside the home, therecan be many do-
mestic problems with parents. Some are so strictas to forbid the
simple pleasures allowed to your friends.Would you go against your
parents' dictates and yield to the pressure of your peers? (250).
A reason is not always given forbad parent-childrelationships.So
what to do when fatherand child are angry with each other as to
avoid each other,even to the point thatthe child stays away fromthe
familymeals? (202).
There are also a few situationsabout the debt of gratitudea child
is to feel towards its parents.When the girlin question prefershaving
a good time to studying,she is clearly in the wrong because her par-
ents have to scrape forevery penny to send her to school (173). But
what about a mother who, because of the child's miraculous cure,
vows to St. Martin thather son would become a priest,while the boy
concerned does not feel attractedto that vocation at all? (154-55).
It is interestingto note thatproblems with teachersand the school
administrationhardly receive any considerationotherthan two cases
in which a pupil is cheated on his grade in competitionsin which the
runner-up has been declared the winner (121). The in-and-out-of-
school situationsthat receive ample attention,however,are the prob-
lems with peers. Often the ethical emphasis is on being courageous,
willingnessto sacrifice personal considerationsforthe sake of others,
generositytowards and sympathy with those who need it, and on
having the guts not to give in to peer pressure (128-29).
Frequently the imaginary situations in which the students are
placed are quite complex, and sometimes even seem to imitate the
prevailingperson-centereddynamics of politicsforwhich the country
is famous. What about the following:

The girlyou'reengagedto is certainto win thehonorofbeingthevale-

dictorianofherschool.You toldherand herparentsthatyou'llbe your
school's valedictorian.However,the nextday you get to know that
you'llhave to competeforthehonorwithyourclosefriend. The twoof
you will be given a special examinationin orderto knowwho's the
winner.Yourfriend,who is of a verypoor family, absolutelyneeds to
win ifhe is to entercollegeforfree,and thusat all. On theotherhand,
yourfamilyis quitewell-to-do. Whatifyou arenotgoingto finishfirst?
Wouldn'tyou lose facewithyourbetrothed and herparents?Whatare

438

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 IN VALUES
REALISM EDUCATION

you goingto do? Now, in case you are thepoor student,would you
proposeto yourwell-offfriendthatifhe pays you,you will let him
win?Explainyouranswers.(43-44)

Regularly,the issue of smoothinterpersonalinteractionis broached.

Afterall, "to know how to get along with others,"or pakikisama, is and
remainsan importantasset ifone wants to be accepted.So, what to do
if you have been orphaned, thenaccepted into the household of your
aunt. This aunt is almost never at home, and your cousins flauntthe
most reprehensibleof manners:watchinglewd movies, drinkingwith
theirfriends,and always noisy.Of course, theyinviteyou to join, but
you, because you feel disgusted,cannotbringyourselfto go along. As
a result,theyget angrywith you. They take your refusalas an insult
to theirfriendsand a shamingof themselves.This is the message they
convey to theirmother,who does not even ask foryour side of the
story."If you cannot get along with your cousins, you had betterfind
anotherplace to stay." What will you do? (91-92).
A related argumentis presentedin the case of a young adult who,
because he's handsome, infatuatesmany girls.He himself,however,is
not interested,and spends most of his freetime chatting,discussing
and drinkingwith a friend.In thisway, he becomes the targetof gos-
sip. His behavior is understood as a show of disrespectforthe opin-
ions of his relativesand neighbors.As a result,he is advised to break
with his "sissy" friend(92).
Apparently,people oftenneed to tread the narrow path between
individual common sense, taste and desire, and the expectationsof
others.Moreover,ifa newcomer,a person should firstachieve security
throughcultivatingamiable relationships.It is not really possible to
give sensible advice if that runs counter to the opinion of an estab-
lished group. The lattermay simply feel insulted,or irritatedat the
very least (118).
People do need to associate pleasantlywith each other.Some fellow
students,though, are simply abandoned, apparentlyunable or unin-
vited to join in the activitiesof the majority.This is no fun forthem,
and Kuwan is advised to extend sympathyto the loner,who may be
a newcomer or be stigmatized.This becomes more delicate when the
personconcernedis the buttof sly digs and such. Would you dare side
with him or her,and riskthe contemptof your classmates?(129; 154).
This lesson on lack of considerationforotherscan be extended to
cases such as the discriminationof the Ita ethnicminority, or the tol-
erance of corruption.To side with the 'silent majority'is apparently

439

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
PHILIPPINE
STUDIES

safer (141). Yet,studentsare repeatedly advised to consciously make

theirown decisions, to the extentthat girls are encouraged to let ca-
reer prevail over (early) marriage (252-53), and that in a societythat
exercises considerable pressure to the contrary.
Apart fromthese general problems in the relationshipwith peers,
there is also the problem of love. When the girl Teri assures Kuwan
that she loves him too, the boy feels great, and more committedto
make the best of high school. Soon after,however,he meets Teriin the
company of a formerrival. Kuwan gets so jealous thathe even misses
a day of school. He confrontsTeri saying that he is the only boy to
accompany her and that she must stop seeing the other.This is pro-
tested by Teri, who advises Kuwan that if he insists on such a re-
stricted relationship,he had better find another girl friendwho is
similarlynarrow-minded(92).
Love not only leads to untamed feelings;it can also be exploited.
The boy complains to the girl that she is very intractable,even to the
extent that he doubts whether she really loves him. Being afraid of
being abandoned, the girl wants to know how she can prove her de-
votion to him. "If you really love me, you must be willing to give
yourselfto me even thoughwe are not yet married" (92).
Other situationsreveal the possibilityof aggressive and unreason-
able behavior in emotional relationships,whether between lovers or
between parents and theirissue. Whatever the source of troublebe-
tween the latter,theymay well affectthe minds of the childrencon-
cerned. Such is the case with Baby's boy friend,who proposes that
theyhave sex so thathe can forgethis problems with his parents.In
order to do thatsafely,he even advises that she startstakingthe pill.
What is Baby to say or to do? (97-98).
The way communitylifeis problematized points to a near-absence
of civic action,indifference(147), and exploitation.We already encoun-
tered corruptbaranggayofficials - people who are supposedly thereto
-
act forthe common welfare who have the power to allow a karaoke
bar to noisily and drunkenlydestroythe nightand the good order of
its neighborhood(122). What steps can ordinarycitizenstake to defend
their surroundings,or what can they do against the inconvenience
caused by irritatingand abusive out-of-workyouths hanging around
at streetcorners?(119). It seems that people can only complain, and
that no action is ever taken. Besides, those in power routinelyabuse
theirworkersand servants(118, 119, 141, 146-47), and it takes a lot of
guts to protest."Do not provoke the other,do not build yourselfan

440

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 IN VALUES
REALISM EDUCATION

enemy" seems to be the prevailingwisdom. So, if you want to keep

your job, do not ask the boss forjustice.
The rich seem to favortheirnarrow self-interest above being good
bosses or initiating civic action. The reasoning of the members of
Kuwan's familyis interesting, A flood has struckthe area where they
live, and the poorer people have been especially hard hit. Kuwan's
fatheris a richand prominentmemberof the community, who should
be expected to lead the reliefeffort.He does not feel like it. "If we
start helping, nobody else will lifta finger."The mother does not
agree. "What will the people say about us ifwe do not step in?" (129).
Next to indifferent and sly "haves," we are also presentedwith the
less virtuous of poor people. Some of them seem to really cultivate
theirdependence on do-gooding,alms and government,and have no
inclination to take personal responsibility,let alone action. Besides,
they appear to be insulted when they are reminded that there are
thingsthey can do themselves(147).
The difficultyof appealing to law, civic spiritor considerationfor
each other- do not vex thyneighboror the powerful! - is a themethat
runs through many "situations." Of course, people should dare to
advance theiropinion,to confrontothersabout theirantisocialbehav-
ior,and people must even have the courage of facingthemselves(201),
yet,in the finalanalysis,theyare no more thanants in a big world full
of evil, controversies,noise, anger and confusion(200). So what to say
to or do about those who dump theirgarbage anywhere,who make a
lot of noise, who cause grave environmentalproblems?(181-82). What
about a neighbor who likes to firehis gun, especially when drunk?
People are already afraid of him, so it becomes a very delicate prob-
lem (202).
Apart fromsuch instances,corruptionand gettingaway with dubi-
ous action almost seems to be part of the culture.Would you just say
no to a good opportunitybecause you are under age? It is so easy to
up it by a year or two, and boss or coach will see to it. Is tampering
with statisticsnot a normal thing to do? Who would abstain from
copying froma neighbor if that helps you to pass a test?Aren't the
newspapers hiding the truthbecause of tea money or a bribe? Isn't it
true that those in power are always right?(211).
This last instanceis elaborated in various examples. It may be seen
in the controversialposition of the richversus the poor- and as long
as it lasts, therewill be no justice and thus no peace (200). It appears
as the protectionof illegal racketsby the authorities.Would Kuwan

441

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
PHILIPPINE
STUDIES

support thisby also gambling in the perennialjueteng? (250). You wit-

nessed a rich man's car hit a poor fellow.The car ran off.You know
the number of the license plate. What do you do? (173). Then, closer
to home: you know of a murdercommittedby someone high up, who
is rich and well-connected.He needs you to cover up his crime. Be-
cause you refuse,he causes you, and even your relatives,all sorts of
trouble.What are you going to do? (254). Similarly,your very chiefin
a road-buildingproject appears to be mastermindingthe use of infe-
rior materialsand the upping of the budget. If you shut up, you au-
tomaticallybecome his accomplice. Well? (254-55).

Comments

Throughoutthe text,thereis considerable emphasis on overcoming

the individual's own limitationsand developing personal judgement
and conscience.These ideas also surfacedin PresidentRamos's advice.
If people are guided by theirresponsible conscience, and act accord-
ingly,societywill be in good order.
This idea of the individual being the wellspring of good society
seeminglycorrespondsto the moral conceptionswe noted forThailand
and Indonesia. There, however, the emphasis was more in the nega-
tive: individuals have the capacity to damage the good order of soci-
ety,and the teachingsparticularlystressed thattheyshould submitto
group and hierarchicalrelationships.Moreover,as we have seen in the
situationsconstructedaround the Philippine imperativeof pakikisama,
or of cultivatingsmooth interaction,the ethics course clearly advised
to demonstrateindependence and personalityratherthan to go with
the flow.As a result,rule followingand obedience received littleatten-
tion,at the same time that the image of wider society- whetherreal
or ideal- remainedvague. This thus stands in considerablecontrastto
the ethics taughtin Thailand and Indonesia.
In practice,this contrastis not as starkas it appears. In the Philip-
pines, it is as importantas in the neighboringcountries"to know how
to join," to smooth in with one's fellows, not to (openly) oppose, to
guard and save face,and not to rock the boat. In the Philippines,too,
people see themselves as part of groups and identifystronglywith
them. This belonging, or the possibility of doing so, is much more
importantthan the development of an "autonomous" conscience.The
ethical advice advanced by the study materialsforthe fourthyear of
high school reflectshopeful developments,futureideals, and stillis at

442

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 IN VALUES
REALISM EDUCATION

quite a remove fromthe way lifeis lived. It does however,realistically

reflectproblems of everydaypracticeand morality.

Image of society
The image of societyas a whole remains,because of selectivepre-
sentation, rather disorderly.In this, the Values Education course is
doing no betterthan the study materialsforSocial Studies.8Sociologi-
cal considerationsof structureand process remainvague, and are not
elaborated. In one paragraph about liberationtheology,unjust struc-
tures are mentioned (144), but the meaning of thatphrase is not ex-
plained. There are haves and have-nots,rich and poor, exploitative
bosses and subservient laborers, but how they all stick togetheris
never illuminated,and social oppositions are simplyreduced to ethi-
cal, and thus personal, questions. Interestingly, school-based moral
situations that involve its verticalrelationships- pupils versus adult
-
personnel are totallyabsent, while the statementwe found in both
the President'sspeech and the Moral RecoveryProgram,namely that
the presenteducational systemdoes not agree withbasic Filipinocul-
ture/values,receives no clarificationat all.
The image that has been presented in the President's and MRP's
analysis is one of trouble and strife,a kind of negativismknown in
wider society as Philippines-bashingor self-flagellation. Filipinos are
no good; they are family-centered egoists,exemplary what, in an-
of
thropology, has become known as amoral familism.Such behavior is
strategic and understandable, because it operatesin a basicallyunjust
societypresided over by a weak government.
The clearerpictureis thatbased on the experiencesof the students.
Fifteen-or sixteen-yearolds are, according to the hypotheticalsitua-
tions given, fullyaware of the corruption,hypocrisy,abuse of power,
and the general absence of civic-mindednessthatsurroundsthem.To
counter these negative tendencies, they have to go throughValues
Education. They need to reformthemselves,or at least to strengthen
theirpersonalities and dare to go against the flow.Puttingso much
(social) responsibilityon individual shoulders may- thoughnot nec-
essarily- reinforcethe negativeimage of social life.Afterall, the mag-
nitude of the social chaos- to which people are well adapted in any
case- is such that a sense of despair easily leads to widespread indif-
ferenceand cynicism.Most people certainlyare men of good will,but
individually they are powerless against the deep-rootednessof prob-
lems in the unjust hierarchiesof politics and exploitation.

443

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
PHILIPPINE
STUDIES

The students also appear to be ratherfullyaware of love and its

consequences, of sex and birth-control pills, and a few of them seem
to have already made up their minds about who will be theirlife's
partners.The way the situationsconcerned are presentedis ratherre-
alistic: sex is a male preoccupation; love leads to jealousy and strong
emotions. What is called "love" is representedas a most egocentric
drive,and it is unfortunate,certainlyso forthe students,thatthe text
leaves it at that.
The overall image of Philippine societythatemerges is unpleasant.
There are many good-willingindividuals- and one meets themprac-
ticallyevery day, thatis also experience.Yet theirsocietyitselfis ugly,
messy,and hard to cope with. This image is, sorryto say, fair.

Notes

1. Dharma - therightcourse /teaching/natureofthings/duty; - sacred

Shastra
"science/'
writings,
2. Notethattheopposition is betweeninformed/wise versusignorant action.Not
goodversus bad,neitherrighteousversussinful.
Theideaof"sin"is a recent - andill-
understood - introduction
toSoutheastAsia.
3. NotetheArabicorigin ofthethreefirstconcepts;rasais Indie(inTagaloglasa).
4. TheDharmashastra tradition
emphasizesknowledge /rationality/wisdom as the
basisformoraldecision making. Christian-western
thinkingstresses (loveand
feeling
conscience.)
5. Itis thisideaofvaluable
behaviorissuingfromindividual moral that
personalities
seemstoexplaintheresponsibility ofthechildforitsfamily. Whileitis avowedthat
personality is influenced
bythehomeenvironment, theschool, thechurch,themedia
andthewholeofsociety, thepersonmustalsoindividually shapehis/her personality
(51).
6. Fora discussion oftheSocialStudiescurriculum,seeNielsMulder(2000).

References

Mulder,Niels. 2000.Filipinoimages:Cultureofthepublicworld.Quezon City:

New Day.
Punsalan,Twila G. et al. 1995.Edukasyonsa pagpapahalagaIV. Quezon City:
InstructionalMaterialsDevelopmentCenter,Kagawaranng Edukasyon,
Kulturaat Isports.
Shahani,SenatorLeticiaRamos. 1988.Buildinga people.Building a nation.A
moralrecoveryprogram. A reportsubmitted to theCommittee on Education,
Artsand Cultureand theCommittee on SocialJustice,
Welfare and Devel-
8
opment. May, InstructionalMaterialsCorporation,Quezon City.

444

This content downloaded from 141.101.201.103 on Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:20:12 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions