Ang Konsepto ng

Sikolohiyang Pilipino:
Kabuluhan at Tunguhin
Prepared by Rodelon G. Jose
The Beginnings of Sikolohiyang Pilipino
• The beginnings of Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino
psychology) From the beginning of the periods
when the Philippines was colonized by Spain,
and then the USA, academic psychology, or the
psychology taught in schools, was
predominantly Western in theory and in
methodology.
• Many Filipino intellectuals, notably the two
Philippine heroes Jose Rizal and Apolinario
Mabini, expressed dissatisfaction at the
pejorative interpretations of Filipino behavior by
Western observers. This disenchantment
continued as Filipinos struggled to assert their
national and cultural identity.
• In the 1960s, many Filipino intellectuals and
scholars were already sensitive both to the
inadequacy as well as the unfairness of the
Western-oriented approaches to psychology.
• For instance, in the area of personality, the
Western approach in research of not being
enmeshed and bound by the culture being
studied has resulted in a characterization of the
Filipino from the ‘‘judgmental and
impressionistic point of view of the colonizers’’
(Enriquez, 1992, p. 57).
 Virgilio Gaspar Enriquez
Ama ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino
• 1970’s Virgilio Gaspar Enriquez returned to the
Philippines from Northwestern University USA
with a Ph.D. degree and lost no time in
introducing the concept of Sikolohiyang Pilipino
(Filipino Psychology)
• He then, together with the chairman of the
Department of Psychology at the University of
the Philippines (U.P.), Dr. Alfredo V. Lagmay
embarked on a research into the historical and
cultural roots of Philippine Psychology
• Subsequently, the research included identifying
indigenous concepts and approaches in
Philippine psychology and developing creativity
and inventiveness among Filipinos.
• From these researches, a two-volume
bibliography on Filipino psychology and a
locally developed personality test:
Panukat ng Ugali at Pagkatao (Measure of
Character and Personality)
• In 1975, Enriquez chaired the Unang
Pambansang Kumperensya sa Sikolohiyang
Pilipino
Indigenous Psychology in the Philippines: FILIPINO PSYCHOLOGY
o The scientific study of the ethnicity, society
• When the US colonized the Philippines in the
and culture of a people and the
early 1900’s, it established the American
application to psychological practice of
educational system and language. With it came
indigenous knowledge rooted in the
American psychology (Lagmay, 1984).
people’s ethnic heritage and
consciousness.
• With the beginning of the nationalist movement,
Filipino psychologist in the 1960’s began
o SP is an indigenous Asian psychology that
confronting the issue of applicability of Western
emphasizes identity and national
theories, concepts, and methods to Filipino
consciousness, social awareness and
realities (Guthrie and Bulatao, 1963).
involvement, psychology of language and
culture, and applications.
• The most important development in Filipino
indigenous psychology was founding of the
o SP stressed the need for psychology to be
Pambansang Samahan ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino
ethical or respectful of the Filipino
(PSSP), or the National Association for
(makatao), to be relevant to Filipino social
Philippine Psychology.
realities (makabuluhan), and to be
culturally appropriate (angkop sa kultura).
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
• Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology) refers to the psychology
born out of the experience, thought and orientation of the Filipinos,
based on the full use of Filipino culture and language.

• The approach is one of ‘‘indigenization from within’’ whereby the

theoretical framework and methodology emerge from the experiences of
the people from the indigenous culture.

• It is based on assessing historical and socio-cultural realities,

understanding the local language, unraveling Filipino characteristics, and
explaining them through the eyes of the native Filipino.

• Sikolohiyang Pilipino is anchored on Filipino thought and experience as

understood from a Filipino perspective (Enriquez, 1975).

• Sikolohiyang Pilipino is the scientific study of psychology derived from

the experience, ideas, and cultural orientation of Filipinos.
 SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
“Sikolohiyang bunga ng karanasan,
kaisipan, at oryentasyong Pilipino,
batay sa kabuuang paggamit ng
kultura at wikang Pilipino.”

The definition of psychology takes into account the

The use of the Filipino language in SP as
means of understanding Filipino culture
was integral, with language seen as
reflecting indigenous culture and
promoting national culture.
study of emotions and experienced knowledge
(kalooban and kamalayan), awareness of one’s
surroundings (ulirat), information and understanding
(isip), habits and behavior (another meaning of diwa),
and the soul (kaluluwa) which is the way to learning
about people’s conscience. (Enriquez, 1976)
Why Sikolohiyang Pilipino?
“Application of concepts and measurements
which are not appropriate in a particular culture (or
context) may result to an incorrect interpretation of
one’s behavior and thinking”
Major Characteristics of Sikolohiyang Pilipino
 Identity and national consciousness
 It’s against a psychology that perpetuates
colonial status of the Filipino
 Psychological practice in a Philippine context
 It is concerned with both science and
humanistic approaches
 It also maintains mentalism-behaviorism
approach
 It is not inconsistent with a universal
psychology
It must be stressed at the outset
though that developing a particularistic
psychology such as Filipino
psychology is not anti-universal in
as much as the ultimate aim of
Sikolohiyang Pilipino is to
contribute to universal psychology,
which can be realized only if each
group of people is adequately
understood by themselves and from
their own perspective.
Sikolohiyang Pilipino is a step towards
contributing to universal psychology.
Anyo ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino
Sikolohiya sa Pilipinas
Lahat ng mga pag-aaral, libro
(texbook), at sikolohiyang makikita
sa Pilipinas, banyaga man o
makapilipino.
Ang kabuuang anyo ng sikolohiya
sa kontekstong Pilipino –
KANLURANIN
Sikolohiya ng Pilipino
Lahat ng mga pag-aaral,
pananaliksik at mga konsepto sa
sikolohiya na may kinalaman sa
mga Pilipino.
palasak na anyo
It refers to theories/research on
the social psychology of the
Filipino done by both local and
foreign researchers (utang na
loob, hiya)
Sikolohiyang Pilipino
Nilalayong anyo ng
sikolohiya sa Pilipinas.
Sikolohiyang bunga ng
karanasan, kaisipan at
orenyentasyong Pilipino
(KKO)
The product of the Filipino
cultural experience,
cognition, and orientation.
Tao sa Bahay/Taong–Bahay?
Ayon kay Enriquez, “higit na malaki ang pagkakaugnay ng mga sangkap na
kahulugan ng dalawang salita sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino kaysa sa mga salitang
bumubuo sa pariralang Sikolohiya sa Pilipinas.

Maaaring ipaliwanag ito sa pamamagitan ng isang nahahawig na halimbawa:

Bagamat halos pareho na ang kahulugan ng mga salitang “taong bahay” at “tao sa bahay,” mapapansing
may higit na malalim na kahulugan ang mga salitang “taong bahay” kaysa sa salitang “tao sa bahay.”

Mas madalas tayong maging “tao sa bahay” sapagkat ang pagiging “tao sa bahay” ay hindi kailangang
kinukusa, pinag-iisipan, o sinasadya. Puwede pa ngang napadaan lamang ng sandaling-sandali o kaya’y
hindi talagang tagaroon ang nagkataong “tao sa bahay.”

Sa kabilang dako, mayroon namang mga talagang nakatira na sa bahay ay ayaw pang maging taumbahay”
Ang Batayan ng
Sikolohiyang Pilipino
(Basis of Filipino Psychology)
Philippine Psychological Thoughts
Academic Scientific Psychology or Akademiko-siyentipikal na Sikolohiya.
This follows the American-oriented psychological tradition that can be traced back to Wilhelm Wundt in 1876. It was introduced
in the Philippines through formal American education system in universities.

Academic Philosophic Psychology or Akademiko-pilosopiya na Sikolohiya.

This was started by priest-professors at the University of Santo Tomas during the 17th century Spanish era. This tradition
originally came from the writings of the preachers and monks in philosophy and "pre-scientific" Spanish elites and would later
join with the American-oriented scientific psychology.

Ethnic Psychology or Taal na Sikolohiya.

This is the Philippine indigenous psychology in the sense that this includes the frame of psychological reasoning, enculturation
practices, beliefs, and proto-clinical practices that can be culled from language, literature, myths, legends, etc. This also
includes psychological systems worked out by Filipinos with Filipino indigenous elements as basis (eg. Hermano Pule, Rizal,
Isabelo de los Reyes, Kalaw, etc.) and Sikolohiya ng mga Pilipino (Psychology of the Filipino) as formulated by Virgilio Enriquez.

Psycho-medical Systems or Siko-medikal na mga Sistema.

A psychological tradition that is closely related to ethnic psychology. The psycho-medical tradition that has religion as the basis
and explanation. This includes the faith healing practices of the babaylan and the katalonan. According to Salazar, he believed
that “no real healing could take place if there were no common ideology or frame of reference… understood and accepted by
both healer and patient.”
The FIL-PSY CORE VALUES
KAPWA: The Core Concept of Filipino Psychology
• Unity of the self with others, is the central value
that connects all the different Filipino values
(Enriquez, 1978).

• The English others is actually used in opposition

to the self, and it implies the recognition of the
self as a separate identity.

• In contrast, kapwa is a recognition of shared

identity, Enriquez argues for a Filipino
psychology that begins with the concept of
shared inner self, or a self with others (Conaco,
2007)
 KAPWA: The Core Concept of Filipino Psychology
Kapwa has two categories: 3. Pakikibagay (conformity). This runs into
conflict with individuality which many Filipinos
A. Ibang Tao ("outsider") in fact willingly throw away in favor of
There are five interaction levels under this conformity with demands of those who are in
category: charge.

1. Pakikitungo (courtesy/civility). The right 4. Pakikisama (getting along). being united with
behavior meant right demeanor towards the group.
authorities (Parents, Elders, etc.).

2. Pakikisalamuha (act of mixing). This is a B. Hindi Ibang Tao ("one-of-us")

social value that is primarily communitarian. It There are three interaction levels under this
espouses the ability to adapt. category:

3. Pakikilahok (act of joining). This translates to 1. Pakikipagpalagayang-loob: act of mutual trust

participation of the entire community to help a 2. Pakikisangkot: act of joining others
person. 3. Pakikipagkaisa: being one with others/unity
The FIL-PSY CORE VALUES
 Pivotal interpersonal value
Pakiramdam (Shared inner perceptions)
Filipinos use damdam, or the inner perception of
others' emotions, as a basic tool to guide their
dealings with other people.
 Linking socio-personal value
Kagandahang-Loob (Shared humanity)
This refers to being able to help other people in
dire need due to a perception of being together as
a part of one Filipino humanity.
 Accommodative surface values
Hiya: Loosely translated as 'shyness' by most
Western psychologists, Hiya is actually 'sense
of propriety'.
Utang na loob (Norm of reciprocity). Filipinos
are expected by their neighbors to return
favors—whether these were asked for or not—
when it is needed or wanted.
Pakikisama and Pakikipagkapwa: Smooth
Interpersonal Relationship, or SIR, as coined by
Lynch (1961 and 1973). This attitude is
primarily guided by conformity with the majority.
The FIL-PSY CORE VALUES
 Confrontative surface values
Bahala na: it is translated as "determination in
the face of uncertainty" and is used as an
expression, almost universally, in Filipino culture.
Lakas ng loob
This attitude is characterized by being courageous
in the midst of problems and uncertainties.

American psychologist Bostrom describes that

Filipinos engage in the bahala na attitude
equivalent to American fatalism and escapism. Pakikibaka: Literally in English, it means
Contrary to the connotation of passive fatalism concurrent clashes. It refers to the ability of the
and escapism suggested by Bostrom, "bahala Filipino to undertake revolutions and uprisings
na" would be a confrontative attitutde. It is risk- against a common enemy.
taking in the face of the proverbial cloud of
uncertainty, and the possibility of failure. It is also
about an indication of an acceptance of the
nature of things, including the inherent limitations
of one's self.
The FIL-PSY CORE VALUES
 Societal values
Karangalan: Loosely translated to dignity, this Katarungan: Loosely translated to justice, this
actually refers to what other people see in a actually refers to equity in giving rewards to a
person and how they use that information to person.
make a stand or judge about his/her worth.

o Puri: the external aspect of dignity. May
refer to how other people judge a person of
his/her worth. This compels a common
Filipino to conform to social norms,
regardless how obsolete they are.
Kalayaan: Freedom and mobility. Ironically, this
may clash with the less important value of
pakikisama or pakikibagay (conformity).

o Dangal: the internal aspect of dignity. May

refer to how a person judges his own
worth.
Studying the surface values led to the identification
of an underlying pre-condition:
Example: a person without PAKIKIRAMDAM, cannot
have PAKIKISAMA and UTANG NA LOOB or HIYA
■ ang taong hindi nakikitaan ng mga SURFACE
VALUES ay tinatawag na MASAMANG TAO
■ ang attribution ay directed towards the inside of
the person
Example: ang masamang tao ay WALANG HIYA,
WALANG UTANG NA LOOB, WALANG
PAKIKISAMA
■ “WALA” denotes the absence of SURFACE
VALUES--hindi napapakita ang surface; hindi nag-
surface!
Mas masaklap ang WALANG PAKIRAMDAM –
MANHID
■ mas inner ang kakulangan; walang pivotal value
Mas malala ang taong WALANG
PAKIKIPAGKAPWA
1. walang pakisama – matututo din
2. walang hiya – hindi naturuan ng mabuti ng
magulang
3. walang utang na loob – iiwasan
4. walang kapwa tao – napakasama na niya
Ang konsepto din ng ABNORMALITY ay iba ang
turing para sa mga Pilipino
Hindi tinitingnan bilang sakit ang abnormality –
Halimbawa: sira ang ulo, may sayad, na-baliw vs
you have schizophrenia, I am depressed
FILIPINO PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
Filipino: Sikopatolohiya
Spanish: psicopatologia
The study of abnormal psychology in the
Filipino context.
Several mental disorders have been identified
that culture-bound syndromes, and can therefore
be found only in the Philippines or in other
societies with which Filipinos share cultural
connections. Examples of such are:
Amok: Malayan mood disorder, more aptly called
"Austronesian Mood Disorder", in which a person
suddenly loses control of himself and goes into a
killing frenzy, after which he/she hallucinates and
falls into a trance. After he/she wakes up, he has
absolutely no memory of the event.
Bangungot: A relatively common occurrence in
which a person suddenly loses control of his
respiration and digestion, and falls into a coma and
ultimately to death. The person is believed to dream
of falling into a deep abyss at the onset of his death.
This syndrome has been repeatedly linked to
Thailand's Brugada syndrome and to the ingestion of
rice. However, no such medical ties have been
proven.
Filipino psychopathology also refers to the
different manifestations of mental disorders in
Filipino people. One example of such is the
manifestation of depression and schizophrenia in
Filipinos, which are, for the most part, less violent.
Covar’s Bayang Daluma at Pagkataong Pilipino &
Alejo’s Loob: Metapora ng Katawan at Banga
Since our Austronesian ancestors had a pottery
culture, we are actually like the jars they made. We
have labas (outside), loob (inside) and lalim (depth)
and of course, laman (content).
Kamalayan and Kaluluwa
Back to the figure on a boat on the cover of the
Manunggul secondary burial jar. It is a
“kaluluwa” going to the afterlife. The equivalent
concept of the “soul” — “kaluluwa” in Tagalog,
“kalag” in Visayan and “kaladwa” in Pampanga.
It is one of the life forces inside a person in the
Filipino psychology.
Based on the beliefs of many ethnolinguistic
groups in the country, we know that our
ancestors believed that a human being is
composed of the “panlabas” (external, our
bodies) and the “panloob” (internal). And
“panloob” makes the human a “tao.” Panloob
in itself contains the life forces “ginhawa” and
“kaluluwa.”

Ginhawa and Kaluluwa
The “ginhawa” is the life force located in our liver
(stomach area), and it animates our well-being —
comfortable life, healthy living, relief, good
breathing, food, even sexual pleasure.
People who want to cut your “ginhawa” would
punch you in the stomach area (upper cut). But
there would be no true “ginhawa,” it will not work
well, if the “kaluluwa” is not in its right place.
The “kaluluwa” is the life force located in our brain,
and is the one that gives us our feelings and our
will as “tao.” Our ancestors believed that our
“kaluluwa” has an alignment in heaven. Our soul’s
alignment should always be in place because if it is
moved (disoriented — nausog), we will feel ill
(magkasakit, mawalan ng ginhawa).
There is no “ginhawa” if there is no goodness
“matuwid na kaluluwa,” “mabuting kalooban.”
Because the belief is that the “kaluluwa” goes out of
our bodies (through holes in our faces and the
extremities of our bodies which are our fingers and
toes), they have to come back again in an orderly
fashion by waking up well.
To disturb the sleep might disorient the return of the
“kaluluwa” which explains one’s bad feeling and
irritability. A “kaluluwa,” especially of a young kid,
can be disoriented by a person with a strong
“dungan” or willpower, hence, nausog and nabate.
A bad person’s “kaluluwa” is not aligned in heaven
(horizontal), hence, “haling ang kaluluwa.”
A good person’s “kaluluwa” is “matuwid” (vertically
aligned to heaven) and that animates
“kaginhawahan.”

Kaluluwa
• Protection of the “kaluluwa’ from intrusion of the
“masamang kaluluwa”, “maitim na budhi” was
important, that is why they scare these elements
through “kaliwanagan,” by wearing gold near
these parts of their bodies as anklets, bracelets,
necklaces, earrings and sashes — hence the
culture of gold of our ancestors which amazed
the Spaniards.
• “Mabuting kalooban” is manifested through
“pakikipagkapwa” (seeing the self in the
other) and “kapatiran” (treating your fellow
as a brother). In short, loving your fellowmen.
We even form our political communities into the
“bayan” when the datus agree to come together
and do the ritual of “sandugo,” from “isang-
dugo” or having one blood as brethren.
When the “kaluluwa” dies, he goes to the afterlife
riding a boat with an “abay” — a companion. This
shows the primacy of the maritime culture in our
ancestor’s lives. But the “kaluluwa” can go back to
nature to take care of his relatives, becoming an
“anito” and dwelling in nature, taking the forms of
trees, wood, rivers, mountains. This is the reason
why our ancestors loved nature and respected it.
It is true that no civilization is perfect, yet, we can
say that these concepts, the “kalooban,” of our
ancestors are important to us because they are
reflected in our words and way of life, and because
a careful reading of history will show that these
concepts continued to be manifested in our struggle
for freedom, especially with how Andres Bonifacio
and Emilio Jacinto imagined what our nation could
be like after the revolution — a nation of
“magkakapatid” who are “malaya,” free, because
they have “kaginhawahan” and mabuting kalooban.
Hence, a civilization of Love.
Pagkatao at Katauhan
Madali ang maging tao; mahirap magpakatao

Apat na pares ng mga bahagi ng katawan ang nagtatakda ng pagkataong Pilipino. Ang tambalan ay nabuo
ayon sa konseptong tambalan ng labas at loob. Pansinin na may kanya-kanyang katangiang gamit ang
bawat bahagi ng katawan.