THE POLITICAL SELF

DEVELOPING A
FILIPINO IDENTITY:
VALUES, TRAITS,
COMMUNITY, AND
INSTITUTIONAL
FACTORS.
EASY TRICKS YOU CAN DO TO ACE YOUR TALK
Traits
Referred to as a distinguishing
characteristic, typically one
belonging to a person.

Values
Is the regard that something
is held to deserve; the
importance, worth or
usefulness of something.
What is the Political self?

STRENGTHS
OF THE
FILIPINO
CHARACTERS
STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO
CHARACTERS
Pakikisama
, Strong Family Orientation,
Joy and Humor,
Flexibility,
Adaptability and Creativity,
Hardwork and Industry,
Faith and Religiosity,
and Ability to Survive
 PAKIKISAMA

refers to an interpersonal relationship

where people are friendly with each
other. T
 Family Oriented

Filipinos value their families so much

that they tend to keep families intact
through the generation, which is why
extended family set-up is the
common family setting in most
Filipino households.
 Joy and Humor

the idea that something good could be

found in the most challenging of
circumstances is the hallmark
characteristic of the Filipinos (Grogan,
2016).
 Flexibility,
Adaptability,
and Creativity
Filipinos have a great capacity to
adjust, and to adapt to circumstances
and to the surrounding environment,
both physical and social.
 Hard work and
Industry

Filipinos have the capacity

for hard work, given
proper conditions.
 Faith and Religiosity

Philippines is one the most religious

countries in world.
 Ability to
Survive

Filipinos are survivors, it is

manifested in our capacity to adapt
and endure despite the difficult
times.
WEAKNESS OF
THE FILIPINO
CHARACTER
Yin and Yang

(e.g., dark and light) are described as complementary

opposites within a greater whole.
WEAKNESS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

extreme personalism,
extreme family centeredness,
lack of discipline,
passivity and lack of initiative,
colonial mentality,
kanyakanya syndrome and lack of self-analysis and
reflection.
 Extreme
Personalism
This personalism is manifested in the
tendency to give personal interpretations
to actions, i.e., “take things personally.”
 Extreme Family
Centeredness

While concern for the family is one of

the Filipino’s greatest strengths, in the
extreme it becomes a serious flaw.
 Lack of
Discipline
The Filipino’s lack of discipline
encompasses several related
characteristics.
 Passivity
and Lack of
Initiative
Filipinos are generally
passive and are lacking
initiative.
 Colonial
Mentality
Filipinos have a colonial mentality which is
made up of two dimensions: the first is a
lack of patriotism or an active awareness,
appreciation and love of the Philippines;
the second is an actual preference for
things foreign
 Kanya-kanya
Syndrome:
Filipinos have a selfish, self-serving
attitude that generates a feeling of
envy and competitiveness toward
others, particularly one’s peers who
seem to have gained some status or
prestige.
 Lack of Self
Analysis and
Reflection

There is a tendency in the

Filipino to be superficial and
even somewhat flighty
TOWARD A DEMOCRATIC
CULTURE

Democracy comes from the

Greek words ‘demos’, meaning
people, and ‘kratos’, meaning
power or rule.
These are the following (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, 2011) to name a few:

Democracy is government in which power and civic responsibility are exercised

by all adult citizens, directly, or through their freely elected representatives.

Democracy rests upon the principles of majority rule and individual rights.

Democracies understand that one of their prime functions is to protect such

basic human rights as freedom of speech and religion;

Democracies conduct regular free and fair elections open to citizens of

voting age.
Helmke and Levitsky (2004)

formal institutions are openly codified,

informal institutions are socially shared rules, usually unwritten, that are
created, communicated,
and enforced outside of officially sanctioned channels.