MODULE 1

LESSON 1: “VALUES EDUCATION LEGAL AND ETHICAL

PERSPECTIVES”

Lesson Objectives:
1. Defined values, education, ethics, law and their relationship to one another,
2. Explained how each term compliments with one another in the process of
achieving progress and development,1
3. Determined the role of man, culture, law, education and values to the social,
political and economic development of the country.
Introduction

The Call for a Change

Values Education is what we need today considering the enormous problems

confronting with the Filipino people such as “Narco Politics” and its offshoot the “Extra
Judicial Killings”. This in addition to the corruption in the government; the insensitivity to
the needs of others, or the selfishness in general; the people’s addiction to gambling;
the distorted standard for success and propensity to commit crimes especially against
person or property are but a manifestation of lack of proper values as the foundation of
a strong and progressive society for the Filipino people.

The constitutional mandate to this effect is for the Filipino people to build a just and
humane society and to establish a government that shall embody our ideals and
aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony and
secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessing our independence and democracy
under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom love, equality and peace
(Preamble 1987 Phil. Constitution).

Thus, to achieve the goal of building a just and humane society, it is a must that
meaningful changes shall be undertaken now, as later may be too late. For as the
popular song says “It’s Now or Never”.

EXCITE!

What is values education?

Think for some phrases or words that relates to “values education”. Complete the
diagram.

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 1.

VALUES
2. EDUCATION 4.

3.

ENGAGE!

Values Defined

Values is defined as the established ideals of life, object, customs, ways of acting
and the like that a member of a given society regard as desirable.

Otherwise stated values are deep rooted motivators of behaviour. They define
what is important to us and indicate the course of action we may take confronted with
choices.

Simply put values are the set of rules adhered to by a person as a matter of
principles that serve as guide to one’s behaviour towards anyone or anything given a
particular situation.

Education Defined

Education is defined as the development of knowledge, skills, ability or character

by teaching.

Thus, education refers broadly to the total social process that brings a person
into life in a culture. By living and participating in a culture the youth gradually becomes
a recipient and a participant in a culture. However, education in a more formal and
deliberate sense takes place in the school, a specified social agency established to
cultivate knowledge, attitudes (values) and skills in the leader.

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 Education therefore is an acquisition by man of whatever knowledge about
anything. Otherwise stated, it is a truth searching about anything as the subject of the
study and the process of its transfer to somebody else whether formal or informal.

Purpose of Education

The purpose of education is truth searching with respect to anything in relation to

a man’s quest for the better life. Thus, according to some advocates, if education is to
promote change for the better, then education has to refer to Philosophy to determine
what “better” means for a particular segment of a society or for a society as a whole.

Values Education

Values Education as a field of discipline therefore deals with the principles of how
man ought to act in relation to anything that comes across his way. It includes his
dealing with his fellowmen with the end in view of making the world a better place for
everyone to live in. Thus, the aim of values education is character building. It is the
study on how man can properly respond to his environment with the aim of achieving
the desired result of cooperation, unity and self-reliance among members of the society
to ensure that progress and development be attained.

Foundations of Values Education

Truth about man and his environment is the foundation of values education. Man
must discover the truth about him and his relations with his Creator, his purpose in life
and his relationship with his fellowmen and the role of the environment with all the
bounties that can be found therein.

Thus, man must rationalize as to what he’s living for? How shall he deal with
others and for what reason the world exists in relation to him. This truth searching must
be the primary objectives and concerns of man’s existence which can be only be
possible if he finds his true relation with his Maker being the Truth Himself.

Values Formation

Values education being a character building is primarily formative in nature. It is

an acquired attitude that culminates into man’s behavior. As such, values education
constitutes as a training endeavor to make the values themselves become a man’s
habit in terms of an acquired character being the common social norms of a given
society. Hence, the need of a values education through formal training for the purpose
until such time that the same values have become the foundation of the people’s way of
life.

The best way to achieve this purpose is through formal education as part of the
school curricula as one regular subject with emphasis as to its importance in relation to
the government’s effort of establishing a just and humane society.

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Formative Age

Adolescents as they are, these young adults are in the crossroads of what life to
live as they are with the dilemma of which way to go. Hence, with lack of proper values
to guide them, in most cases, they become victims of their own frustrations. On the
other hand, when they are guided with proper values, they become successful and
more often than not they become prominent and great men of their times.

Foundation of Filipino Values

The foundation of Filipino values refer to such virtues that we believe necessary
in the making of the Filipino nation at par with other progressive countries in the world.
The kinds of virtues which will make the Filipino people believe in themselves as a
respectable race and worth looking up to by other countries in the world. The race of
great men who are proud of their history being the story of their struggle from slavery to
greatness, from poverty to progress and most of all, the lack of their identity as a nation
to one with a county of pride not only in Asia but all over the world.

Ethics

Ethics as a branch of Philosophy is truth-searching relative to what is right or

wrong in consonance with the norms of a given society. This is a question of morality or
immorality of one’s behavior which largely depends on the social norm being the
standard of one’s action or behavior. Be that as it may however, man having possessed
the universal character of divinity which is the attribute of the Divine nature of his Maker,
acquires that universal concept of what is morally good or bad. Hence, the people all
over the world have common standard of what is ethical or not, although with minor
differences brought about by their unique character as a nation.

Law

Law is defined as the rule of conduct, just and obligatory promulgated by

competent authority for common observance and benefit. Thus, law by its nature ought
to be the kind of act or behavior which the people must do under a certain situation. The
reason is that it is obligatory upon those who are covered by its simply because the
same is considered good under the given circumstances. Hence, promulgated by the
proper authority, particularly, the branch of government authorized to issue the same.
Indeed, non-compliance with the said law is even made punishable.

Therefore, vales being the desired conduct or behavior of people within a given
society as they are considered right, correct or ethical must be, and ought to be the law
on the subject.

The reason why, values, ethics and law must be discussed together in relation to
a certain subject is to acquire the correct perspective of the same.

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Legal and Ethical Perspective

Man must live in a society, or community along with others. This is, so because
man is a “social animal” and therefore, they live by the rules of the society. Technically,
this refers to what is commonly called as a “law”.

Hence, everyone has to abide by the law so that peace and order, as well as
progress and development can be achieved. In fact, ignorance of the law excuses no
one from compliance therewith (Art. 3 Civil Code). The reason is necessity. Thus, said
the Court, “Being a general principle, founded not only on expediency and policy but on
necessity, there is no ground why Article 3 should be relaxed. If the rule were otherwise,
the effect would involve and perplex the Court with questions incapable of any just
solution and would embarrass it with inquiries almost interminable.

Therefore, everyone is conclusively presumed to know the law.

Human Relations

In consonance with the legal principles involving guidance of one’s behavior

towards one another as a matter of personal values, Articles on Human Relations of the
Civil Code (RA 386) are relevant and worth internalizing as an integral part of one’s
character or values as follows:

Any public officer or employee, or any private individual, who directly or indirectly
obstructs, defeats, violates or in any manner impedes or impairs any of the following
rights and liberties of another person shall be liable to the latter for damages:

1. Freedom of Religion
2. Freedom of Speech
3. Freedom to write for the press or to maintain a periodical publication
4. Freedom from Arbitrary or illegal detention
5. Freedom of Suffrage
6. The right against deprivation of property without due process of law
7. The right to a just compensation when private property is taken for public use
8. The right to the equal protection of the laws
9. The right to the secured in one’s person, house, papers, and effects against
unreasonable searches and seizures
10. The liability of abode and of changing the same
11. The privacy of communication and correspondence
12. The right to become a member of an associations or societies for purposes not
contrary to law
13. The right to take parts in a peaceful assembly to petition the Government for
redress of grievances
14. The right to be free from involuntary servitude in any form
15. The right of the accused against excessive bail
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 16. The right of the accused to be heard by himself and counsel, to be informed of
the nature and cause of the accusation against him, to have a speedy and public
trial, to meet the witnesses face to face and to have compulsory process to
secure the attendance of witness in his behalf
17. Freedom from being compelled to be a witness against himself, or from being
induced by a promise of immunity or reward to make such confession, except
when the person confessing becomes a state witness.
18. Freedom from excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishment, unless the
same is imposed or inflicted in accordance with a statute which has not been
judicially declared unconstitutional; and
19. Freedom of access to Courts.

In any cases referred to in this Article, whether or not the defendant’s act or
omission constitutes a criminal offense, the aggrieved party has a right to commence
an entirely separate and distinct civil action for damages and for other relief.

Such civil action shall proceed independently of any criminal prosecution (if the
latter be instituted) and may be proved by a preponderance of evidence.

The indemnity shall include moral damages. Exemplary damages may also be
adjudicated.

The responsibility herein set forth is not demandable from a judge unless his act
or omission constitutes a violation of the Penal Code or other Penal statutes (Art.32
Civil Code).

Physical Injuries

When a person claiming to be injured by a criminal offense, charges another with

the same, for which no independent civil action is granted in this Code, or any special
law, but the justice of the peace finds no reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has
been committed, or the prosecuting attorney refuses or fails to institute criminal
proceedings, the complainant may bring a civil action for damages against the alleged
offender.

TASK 1 -Lesson 1

Direction: Choose 3 from the following human rights inside the box and explain how
these rights will affect your students in the future.

1. Freedom of Religion
2. Freedom of Speech
3. The right to the equal protection of the laws
4. Freedom to access to Courts
5. The privacy of communication
7 and
correspondence
 LESSON 2: “PERSONAL VALUES AND ITS DEVELOPMENT”

Lesson Objectives:
 Recognized the role of different social institutions to the development of one’s personal
values.
 Identified the different personal values and their respective roles in one’s life; and
 Appreciated the importance of personal values and their respected roles in the task of
nation building.

ENGAGE!

Love and Care

The foundation of personal values is love and care especially at the childhood
stage of every person. The reason is that the early experience of man determines his
first impression of what life is all about and this may serve his outlook towards anything
or anyone. Thus, a person who experienced violence during childhood instead of love
and care become violent during manhood and most likely turned to be a criminal and
the problem of the society.

The scientific basis of the behavioural pattern is due to the fact that attitude is
acquired in terms of man’s experience with his environment. Hence, the love and care
or violence as a matter of an experience with his environment has been imbued unto his
mind that constitutes his values which guides him in dealing with his environment or as
a way of life in relation to his fellowmen.

Family as the First Training Ground

Every home that constitutes a family serves as the first training ground for
everyone. Indeed, it becomes even the determining factor in one’s attitude or behaviour
acquisition. This is so because the first encounter of everyone with his environment at
the time when he starts to be aware of it is the home that his awareness identifies as his
own family.

In the process of man’s interactions with his family, he acquires values which are
perfectly similar to that which being practiced and exercised by people at home. This
explains why members of the family are said to be very influential upon everyone.

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Family Solidarity

Family solidarity plays a very important factor in every one’s values formation.
The reason is that an emotional development of a person affects also his psychological
development. Thus, the values formation of a child whose parents are separated
especially at the time of his formative age is definitely negative compare to one of the
same age whose parents are showing love and care to one another as witnessed by the
child. This may be true also with other members of the family. For instance; where
parents, brothers and sisters are quarrelling with one another, the child also most likely
becomes quarrelsome compared to one whose family members love one another.

Family Values and its Role on Personal Values Development

The role of family values to the development of the personal values of every
member thereof is indispensable. Indeed, it is even the determining factor of such
individual or personal value. The reason is that family values are but the collective
values of all the members thereof, and secondly, the same constitutes as the first
encounter of every member and thereby acquired by him in the process. Thus, the
family values in almost all cases are even almost identical to that of every member of a
given family. For instance, if the parents are criminal, then most likely, the children living
with them will also be criminals.

The Role of School Values to the Development of Personal Values

Moreover, the subject introduced by the school curricula as part of the learning
process somehow also contributed to the personality of every student being their first
encounter to the outside world other than their respective families. Likewise, the subject
concern being parts of the curriculum constitutes the various disciplines that serve as a
“show-window” of the society as a whole. Although, the same is introduced gradually in
terms of gradual grade level from Kindergarten to Elementary, High School and all the
way to college.

Hence, it is very important that the school values constitute the values that we
really need to learn in order to achieve the ultimate purpose of establishing just and
human society.

The Role of Religious Values to the Development of Personal Value

Religious values determine man’s behaviour in relation to his belief about God
relative to the religion he professed. In all respects, his actions toward anything or
anyone is largely determined by the religious doctrines which he believes he ought to
follow as dictated by the religious teachings of the church to which he belongs. In
almost cases, a person does not have the free choice of what church to join because it
is predetermined by the family religion although in some cases there are people also
who break away from his family but the same is rare and usually comes at the later

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stage when the person concerned is somewhat detached from the family customs and
traditions brought about by a long disassociation from his family.

The Role of Economic Values to the Development of Personal Values

The economic values are likewise important in the sense that they determine on
how man acts in relation to his material needs such as foods, shelter and other basic
needs of his life upon which his physical comforts depend.

The more man is deprived by such basic needs in terms of their unavailability to
him, the more his need for the same has become intense so that the temptation to
acquire the same has become more urgent. Hence, usually, those lack of spiritual
values or whose foundation of the same is weak, are tempted to commit crimes against
properties such as theft, robbery, hold-up or estafa.

The Role of Social Values to the Development of the Personal Values

Social values constitute the man’s outlook on a given society to which he

belongs. Usually, the same are acquired by the person concerned through his close and
constant association with people who are socially conscious of what is going on within
the society in relation to the political ideologies they uphold as the basic principles of life
and therefore their yardsticks of judging what is right or wrong in relation to what is
going on as the order of the day.

Simply put, this serves as the ideal order of things as they believe they ought to
be based on their ideological foundation.

The Role of Political Values in the Development of Personal Values

The political values are directly related to one’s personal values. Indeed, the
degree of one’s participation in any political exercise in terms of whatever involvement
relative thereto is proportionately related to his personal values. This is so because any
person who is not politically motivated does not care of whatever political development
going on in the society he belongs.

Hence, the political agent must create such political environment that is
conducive for positive political participation that is directly related to the development of
personal values.

Moral Renewal

In recognition of the need to install positive values as above stated then

President Fidel V. Ramos issued Presidential Proclamation No. 62 on September 30,
1992 stating as follows:

Presidential Proclamation No. 62, September 30, 1992

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 Whereas there is a need for moral renewal in order to eradicate the social ills that
have plagued us for the past several decades, such as graft and corruption, patronage
politics, apathy, passivity, mendicancy and lack of patriotism.

Whereas, Art. XIV, Section 3 (2) of the Constitution provides that all educational
institutions shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect
for human rights, appreciation the role of national heroes in the historical development
of the country: teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual
values, develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative
thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge and promote vocational
efficiency.

Whereas the Senate Task Force, after a comprehensive study, has established
the need to develop in Filipino – (1) a sense of patriotism and national pride, or
pagmamalaki sa bansa – a genuine love, appreciation and commitment to the
Philippines and things Filipino; (2) a sense of the common good or “kakayahang
magmalasakit” – the ability to look beyond selfish interest, a sense of community living,
a sense of justice and a sense of outrage at its violation; (3) a sense of integrity and
accountability or “Katapatan at pananagutan” – an aversion towards a graft and
corruption in society and an avoidance of the practice in one’s daily, life; (4) the value
and habits of discipline, hard work or “pagsisikap”, self-dignity and self-reliance; and (5)
the value and habits of self-reflection and analysis or “pagpapahalaga at pagsusuri sa
sarili”, the internalization of spiritual values, the emphasis on essence rather than form.

Strengths of the Filipino Character

1. Pakikipagkapwa tao – the characteristics of being one with others in all

respects. This is commonly manifested by friendship, unity, sympathy, hospitality and
gratitude.

2. Family Orientation – brought by close family ties which is even extended beyond
immediate family members.

3. Joy and humor – cheerful and fun loving approach to life.

4. Flexibility, adaptability and creativity – capability to adopt and adjust and be

creative.

5. Hard work and industry – the ability to do hard work given proper condition.

6. Faith and religiosity – Filipino have deep faith in God.

Weaknesses

1. Extreme personalism – Filipino are too emotional

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 2. Extreme family centeredness

3. Lack of discipline

4. Passivity and lack of initiative

5. Colonial mentality

6. “Kanya-kanya” Syndrome

7. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection

Nature of Values

Values are ideals that give significance to our lives, which are reflected through
the priorities we choose and that we at on consistently and repeatedly. Philosophers
have seen values as guides to excellence in thinking and action. Following tis views,
values, therefore, are standards which we strive to achieve. They are practical habits
which enable individuals to live, be successful and achieve happiness (p.21 Modules in
NSTP Bucao etc 2008 ed.).

Values being the principle to guide one’s standard behaviour must be such that
serve as tools to achieve one’s objective either individually or collectively. It must be
effective as to constitute the meaning and the very purpose of his life that ought to be
his habit and ultimately his way of life.

Collectively, values are manifested as the norms of society. Therefore, those

norms must be the result of the collective values that each member of the society live
up to as desirable or ethical and translated into actions in terms of the collective
behaviour of a given society.

In that sense and to such extent, people must be selective with the values they
must live up to, the same being a determining factor in shaping their kind of lives. Thus,
as we ought to follow the laws, therefore, we need to know the law as a matter of values
that we have to live up to.

Filipino Cultural Values

Values do not belong exclusively to Filipinos. But certain universal values find
different meaning and application within the experiential and historical circumstances of
the Filipino. What we call Filipino values are those we derive from our culture or way of
life, from “our distinctive way of becoming human in this particular place and time”
(Villiano Gorospe Filipino Values Revisited, cited p.69 Ethics and Filipino R. Agapay
1991 ed.).

Universal Values

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 But since we are living in an era of globalization, the Filipino youth as a member
of the world community must not be oriented only with beautiful Filipino values but also
with universal values that will make his/her adjustment to and understanding of the
world better and broader. Thus, universal values such as love, respect, responsibility,
strong family relation, truth, beauty, goodness and religiosity must be strongly inculcated
in the youth for them to become real citizens of the world who feel, think and work not
only for themselves but more for the sake of others (p.18 Modules in NSTP by Bucao,
etc. 2008 ed.).

Search for meaning

Value is intimately related to the search for meaning in human life. For we say
that life is meaningful when a man has found something capable of arousing his
commitment to it: something deserving of his best efforts, something worth living for and
if need be, worth dying for. It has been said that values are the goals of man’s striving,
having as their purpose to render human existence meaningful and to achieve the
complete fulfilments of man’s personality as individual and as a community. Values
enable man to change, established self-control and self-direction (Thomas Andres:
Understanding Values cited p.65 Ethics and the Filipino Agapay, 1991 ed.) to this effect
Graham said:

“I knew I had to get out of my comfort zone to understand the world that my
children will inherit – a world that will not provide them safety in the streets unless I tried
to make a difference for the poor to live a more dignified life”. (p.7 The Genius of the
Poor by Graham, 2014 ed.).

Christian Values

On the other hand, Christian advocates emphasize on the following values to

with:

1. Compassion and care for others

2. Justice for all
3. Equality and inclusiveness
4. Faithful stewardship
5. Right use of power
6. Responsibility and obligation
7. Spiritual Foundation
(p.23 Modules in NSTP by Bucao, ect. 2008 ed.)

TASK 2 -Lesson 2
Answer briefly:

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 1. How does the school contribute to our endeavor for values formation?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. Among the social institutions which do you think will have the impact upon
values formation? Why?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. Can people live without values? Why?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

4. Why families of criminal most likely produce a criminal member thereof?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

5. What is the significance of values education as part of the senior curriculum?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

POST ASSESSMENT

I. Write T if the statement is True and F if the statement is False.

_______ 1. Man is a social animal.

_______ 2. Value must be ethical although not necessarily legal.
_______3. In case there is conflict as to what is ethical and legal, the latter prevails.
_______4. Ignorance of the law excuses no one.
_______5. Everyone is presumed to know the law.
_______6. Values are what we believe in, we must do.
_______7. Law as the rule of conduct must be observed and complied with.
_______8. Narco politics refers to proliferation of drugs syndicate in the Filipino
society.
_______9. Values must be instilled especially among the Filipino youth if progress
and development be achieved.
_______10. The “call for change” is an urgent undertaking as we are running out of
time.

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 ______11.Values reflects one’s personality.

______12.Family determines to a great extent one’s value in life.

______13.Love and care is the foundation of one’s personal values.

______14.Economic values have something to do with one’s material needs.

______15.Religious values are more intense and least violated.

II. Answer Briefly:

1. Explain the relationship among values, ethics and laws.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. What do you mean by the phrase that “What is ethical is not necessarily legal?”
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. Why call for a change?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

4. Can there be a “meaningful change” without Values Education? Why?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

5. What is Values Education and its legal and ethical perspective?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

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