ETHICS

Introductions
 Ethics deals with principles of ethical behavior in modern society at the level of the
person, society and in interaction with the environment and other shared resources.
Morality pertains to the standards of right and wrong that the individual originally picks
up from the community. The course discusses the context and principles of ethical
behavior in modern society at the level of the individual, society, and in interaction with
the environment and other shared resources. The course also teaches students to make
moral decisions by using dominant moral frameworks and applying a seven-step moral
reasoning model to analyze and solve moral dilemma. The course is organized according
to the three (3) main elements of the moral experience: (a) agent including context-
cultural, communal and environmental; (b) the ct, and (c) reason or framework (for the
act).

MODULE 1
Introduction to Ethics
 This course discusses the following basic concepts of ethics, namely: moral vs. non-
moral standards, dilemmas, levels of moral dilemma, foundation of morality, and
minimum requirement for morality.
Objectives:
At the end of the session, the participants should be able to:
1. Explain the meaning of ethics.
 Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing,
defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. The field of ethics,
along with aesthetics, concerns matter of value, and thus comprises the branch of
philosophy called axiology.
 Ethics is a set of moral principles and values that separate right from wrong.
 The English word "ethics" is derived from the Ancient Greek word ethikos, Meaning,
"relating to one's character", which itself comes from the root word? ethos, meaning,
"character, moral nature." This word was transferred into Latin as ethica and then into
French as? ethique, from which it was transferred into English.

2. Distinguish between moral standards and non-moral standards.

What are moral standards?
  Moral standards are norms that individuals or groups have about the kinds of actions
believed to be morally right or wrong, as well as the values placed on what we believed
to be morally good or morally bad. Moral standards normally promote "the good", that is,
the welfare and well-being of humans as well as animals and the environment. Moral
standards, therefore, prescribe what humans ought to do in terms of rights and
obligations.

 According to some scholars, moral standards are the sum of combined norms and values.
In other words, norms plus values equal moral standards. On the one hand, norms are
understood as general rules about our actions or behaviors. For example, we may say
"We are always under the obligation to fulfill our promises" or "It is always believed that
killing innocent people is absolutely wrong". On the other hand, values are understood as
enduring beliefs or statements about what is good and desirable or not. For example, we
may say "Helping the poor is good" or "Cheating during exams is bad".

 According to many scholars, moral standards have the following characteristics, namely:
1) moral standards deal with matters we think can seriously injure or benefit humans,
animals, and the environment, such as child abuse, rape, and murder; 2) moral standards
are not established or changed by the decisions of authoritative individuals or bodies.
Indeed, moral standards rest on the adequacy of the reasons that are taken to support and
justify them. For sure, we don't need a law to back up our moral conviction that killing
innocent people is absolutely wrong; 3) moral standards are overriding, that is, they take
precedence over other standards and considerations, especially of self-interest; 4) moral
standards are based on impartial considerations. Hence, moral standards are fair and just;
and 5) moral standards are associated with special emotions (such as guilt and shame)
and vocabulary (such as right, wrong, good, and bad).

What are non-moral standards?

 Non-moral standards refer to standards by which we judge what is good or bad and right
or wrong in a non-moral way. Examples of non-moral standards are standards of etiquette
by which we judge manners as good or bad, standards we call the law by which we judge
something as legal or illegal, and standards of aesthetics by which we judge art as good
or rubbish. Hence, we should not confuse morality with etiquette, law, aesthetics or even
with religion.

 Likewise, on-moral standards are matters of taste or preference. Hence, a scrupulous

observance of these types of standards does not make one a moral person. Violation of
said standards also does not pose any threat to human well-being.
  Finally, as a way of distinguishing moral standards from non-moral ones, if a moral
standard says "Do not harm innocent people" or "Don't steal", a nonmoral standard says
"Don't text while driving" or "Don't talk while the mouth is full".

3. Discuss moral dilemmas.

 A dilemma is a Greek word meaning, problem offering two possibilities, neither of
which is unambiguously acceptable or preferable. (Wikipedia)

 On the other hand, Oxford dictionary defines it as a situation in which a difficult choice
has to be made between two or more alternatives, especially ones that are equally
undesirable. An example would be: 'he wants to make money, but he also disapproves of
it: Den's dilemma in a nutshell'

Three Levels of Ethical Standards in a Business Organization

 The ethical standards of an organization have a major influence on how it conducts its
business. Business ethics are defined by the behavior standards of management and
personnel, and the way in which business is carried out at both a strategic and operational
level. A positive approach to maintaining ethical standards can lead to competitive
market advantage and an enhanced reputation. Ethical standards are classified at three
levels.

 At Macro or systemic level, ethics are defined and influenced by the wider operating
environment in which the company exists. Factors such as political pressures, economic
conditions, societal attitudes to certain businesses, and even business regulation can
influence a company's operating standards and policies. Business owners and managers
must be aware of how these pressures affect operations and relationships, and how they
may impact on markets locally, nationally and internationally.

 At a company or corporate level, ethical standards are embedded in the policies and
procedures of the organization, and form an important foundation on which business
strategy is built. These policies derive from the influences felt at macro level and
therefore help a business to respond to changing pressures in the most effective way.
  Since businesses are run by people, the ethical standards of individuals in the business
are an important consideration. Individuals may well have a very different set of ethical
standards from their employer and this can lead to tensions. Factors such as peer pressure,
personal financial position, and socio-economic status all may influence individual
ethical standards. Managers and business owners should be aware of this to manage
potential conflicts.

4. Determine the foundations of morality.

The main five foundations of morality are:
According to Moral Foundations Theory, differences in people's moral concerns can be
described in terms of five moral foundations:
 Care: cherishing and protecting others; opposite of harm
 Fairness or proportionality: rendering justice according to shared rules; opposite of
cheating
 Loyalty or ingroup: standing with your group, family, nation; opposite of betrayal
 Authority or respect: submitting to tradition and legitimate authority; opposite of
subversion
 Sanctity or purity: abhorrence for disgusting things, foods, actions; opposite of
degradation

 These five foundations are argued to group into two higher-order clusters the person-
focused Individualizing cluster of Care and Fairness, and the group-focused Binding
cluster of Loyalty, Authority and Sanctity. The empirical evidence favoring this grouping
comes from patterns of associations between the moral foundations observed with the
Moral Foundations Questionnaire.

The liberty foundation

 A sixth foundation, liberty (opposite of oppression) was theorized by Jonathan Haidt in
The Righteous Mind, chapter eight, in response to the need to differentiate between
proportionality fairness and the objections he had received from conservatives and
libertarians (United States usage) to coercion by a dominating power or person. Haidt
noted that the latter group's moral matrix relies almost entirely on the liberty foundation.
The evolutionary roots of the liberty foundation are theorized to lie in "hypervigilance of
egalitarian hunter-gatherers for any sign of alpha male behavior, including boasting."

5. Discuss the minimum requirement for morality.

The two requirements for moral-minimum are the following:
a. IMPARTIALITY
 Impartiality (also called evenhandedness or fair-mindedness) is a principle of justice
holding that decisions should be based on objective criteria, rather than on the basis of
bias, prejudice, or preferring the benefit to one person over another for improper reasons.
(Wikipedia).

 Impartiality is a more complex concept than is generally recognized. Judging a person to

be impartial is not as straightforward as judging a person to have some moral virtue such
as kindness or trustworthiness.

 The most common characterization of general impartiality is that it requires that like
cases be treated alike. Almost all philosophers take this characterization as trivially true,
but it is mistaken.

 A person is impartial with regard to a group in a specified respect insofar as that person
acts impartially in that respect with regard to that group. The basic concept of impartiality
is defined as follows:

 A is impartial in respect R with regard to group G if and only if A's actions in respect R
are not influenced at all by which member(s) of G are benefited or harmed by these
actions.

b. Reasoning
 Moral reasoning applies critical analysis to specific events to determine what is right or
wrong, and what people ought to do in a particular situation. Both philosophers and
psychologists’ study moral reasoning.
 How we make day-to-day decisions like "What should I wear?" is similar to how we
make moral decisions like "Should I lie or tell the truth?" The brain processes both in
generally the same way.
 Moral reasoning typically applies logic and moral theories, such as deontology or
utilitarianism, to specific situations or dilemmas. However, people are not especially
good at moral reasoning. Indeed, the term moral dumbfounding describes the fact that
people often reach strong moral conclusions that they cannot logically defend.
 In fact, evidence shows that the moral principle or theory a person chooses to apply is
often, ironically, based on their emotions, not on logic. Their choice is usually influenced
 by internal biases or outside pressures, such as the self-serving bias or the desire to
conform.
 So, while we likely believe we approach ethical dilemmas logically and rationally, the
truth is our moral reasoning is usually influenced by intuitive, emotional reactions.

MODULE 2
The Moral Agent Part 2
 This course addresses the following issues: why freedom is crucial for us in making a
decision, how culture shape the moral behavior of a moral agent, why culture should be
the ultimate determinant of values, and what is the Filipino understanding of right and
wrong.

1. Discuss the importance of culture in moral behavior.

 In its broadest description, culture is a structure of collective experience and shared
practices which are commonly expressed in, but not limited to, arts, music, dance,
literature, behavior and social norms. Or, as defined above, culture is made up of the
external and material elements around us. In its simplest form, anthropologists describe
culture as a way of life. In any of this description, we see culture as life or an attribute
ascribed to a particular form of life, be it a society or a group of people that manifest their
collective and particular way of doing, thinking, and valuing things that are identifiably
and distinctively theirs.

 Moral values, judgment, behavior as well as moral dilemmas and how we perceive them
are largely shaped and influenced by history (i.e., historical contingencies), power
dynamics (i.e., competing ideas and interests), and the religion of a society. The way we
appreciate and assess things are not created out of nothing (ex nihilo) or simply out of our
imagination. They are conditioned by external and material elements around us that, in
turn, provide the basis for principles that orient our judgment and valuation of things.

 In other words, culture is what shapes and influences social and personal values,
decisions, behavior, and practice.

 In the field of anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies, scholars have demonstrated
why culture is the best site for consideration as the material condition that shapes the way
we judge and value things, and how through culture these things come into concrete
 expression. That is to say, culture can tell us a great deal about one particular society. Let
us think about this idea concretely in and through our very own context, the Philippines.

 To understand Filipino values is to understand Filipino culture.[1] However, in order to

understand Filipino culture, one must recognize that it has been profoundly Christianized.
[2] After hundreds of years of colonization by Western Christian empires,

the Filipinos' moral and ethical imagination cannot be understood outside Christian
values and morality. Christianity is pervasive in our culture so that the way we judge and
value things and how things ought to be follows the doctrinal grid of Christian theology.
An example of this pervasiveness and influence of Christianity to Filipino culture is how
Filipinos value more neighborliness (i.e., "bayanihan" or "pakikipagkapwa tao" or
"pakikisama"). Christianity reinforces the neighborliness of the Filipino bayanihan
system. In other words, within Filipino culture, biblical teachings found their way as
foundational principles for a social norm.

 Being aware of these "external and material elements around us" which we interact
(implicitly and explicitly) with and incorporate (consciously and unconsciously) into how
we do things with and for ourselves and in relation to and with others is, therefore,
necessary in understanding why we respond to issues and to situations of our lives in a
certain way. Culture is normally understood as what people do and how they do things-
people and do/action.

2. Explain the concept of Cultural Relativism.

 Cultural relativism is the idea that a person's beliefs, values, and practices should be
understood based on that person's own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria
of another.

 It was established as axiomatic in anthropological research by Franz Boas in the first few
decades of the 20th century and later popularized by his students.

Advantages of Cultural Relativism:

a. It is a system which promotes cooperation.
 For the most part, humanity is strong because of the differences we all have. Every
individual has a different perspective that is based on their upbringing, experiences, and
 personal thoughts. By embracing the many differences, we have, the cooperation creates
the potential for a stronger society.

b. It creates a society where equality is possible.

 In any society, people rise by climbing on top of other people. It is a socially acceptable
way of creating discrimination. We see this today in the wage gap that women face, the
educational opportunities that minority groups face, and the violence we see because of
political oppression.

c. People can pursue a genuine interest.

 In the modern society, people are funneled toward certain career options because of their
circumstances. If you can't afford to go to college, then you pursue a vocational career or
some sort of entrepreneurship instead of a career that requires a graduate degree. In
cultural relativism, you get to pursue your own interests without restriction.

d. Respect is encouraged in a system of cultural relativism.

 People come from different cultures. They have different ideas. They pursue different
definitions of success. Because such a system promotes the individual's definition instead
of a group definition, a society can evolve because there is a natural level of respect built
into the process.

e. It preserves human cultures.

 Humanity is a very diverse set of thoughts, traditions, ideas, and practices. Many times,
the traditions of humanity are set aside so that a group set of standards can be appeased.
Native and First Nations tribes in North America did this by signing treaties which would
help them to preserve some lands, but limit their rights by being subject to a new
governmental authority.

f. Cultural relativism creates a society without judgment.

 We are so trained to judge others in today's world that we don't even give it a second
thought. Looking at someone and saying, "Glad that isn't me," is a judgment. Under the
theory of cultural relativism, judgment goes away. The only person that judges you is
yourself.
g. Moral relativism can be excluded from cultural relativism.
 Each culture can be treated as an individual under the theory of cultural relativism. This
means the moral codes of a culture can be defined and an expectation implemented that
people follow it.

h. We can create personal moral codes based on societal standards with ease.

 To determine if a decision would be "right" or "wrong," cultural relativism allows

individuals to consult with the standards of their society or culture. It is a simple test to
determine the course that a person should take in such a circumstance. By consulting with
the moral code of the culture, one question must be asked: does the action conform to the
cultural moral code? If it does, then the action is permitted.

i. It stops cultural conditioning.

 People tend to adapt their attitudes, thoughts, and beliefs to the people they are with on a
regular basis. This is cultural conditioning and it prevents people from having an
individualistic perspective. Cultural relativism stops this.

Disadvantages of Cultural Relativism:

a. It creates a system that is fueled by personal bias.
 Every society has a certain natural bias to it because of how humanity operates. People
tend to prefer to be with others who have similar thoughts and feelings, so they segregate
themselves into neighborhoods, communities, and social groups that share specific
perspectives.

b. It would create chaos.

 People who can follow their own moral code because there is no "wrong" or "right"
would be allowed to pursue any life they preferred under the theory of cultural relativism.
If you're upset with your neighbor, then you can kill that person without consequence if
your moral code allows for murder.

c. It is an idea that is based on the perfection of humanity.

  Many people strive to do good every day. Most want to see everyone have the chance to
pursue happiness in some way. That is why the idea of cultural relativism often seems to
be inviting. The only problem is that people are not perfect.

d. It could promote a lack of diversity.

 Cultural relativism promotes an individualistic point of view, so although it seems to
promote diversity, it actually removes it from a society.

e. It draws people away from one another.

 Although cultural relativism can promote people coming together to share their strengths,
it can also encourage people to draw apart from one another. C.S. Lewis, in his
description of Hell from The Screwtape Letters, envisions a place where people are
constantly going away from each other to avoid the demons that each person has.

f. It could limit moral progress.

 When we look at the idea of moral progress, we think of becoming more inclusionary
instead of exclusionary. This inclusion is reflected in the laws and customs of the culture.

g. It could limit humanity's progress.

 We often think of the concept of cultural relativism as progression, but it isn't necessarily
that way. When you remove the ability to judge one standard from another, then the
comparative process of placing a current society or culture against a past one is removed
as well.

h. Cultural relativism can turn perceptions into truths.

 It's a dark night and it is warm outside. An African-American teen is walking down an
alley wearing a hoodie and the hood is up. His hands are jammed into his pockets and
there is a bulge in one of them. In this scenario, some people may automatically assume
that the teen is up to "no good." The bulge might even be a weapon under that
assumption. In the world of cultural relativism, that bias becomes a truth that can be acted
upon. It doesn't matter if the bulge is a gun or a package of Skittles.

3. Compare the Filipino understanding of moral behavior with other Asian countries.
FILIPINO CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY:
 Filipinos have been described as friendly, outgoing, sensitive, easily offended, nosy,
garrulous, direct, hospitable, feisty, irreverent, good natured, clever, witty, gregarious,
happy, generous, easy to laugh, gracious, easy to befriend, casual, fun loving, sensitive
and hospitable. Personal and family honor are stressed, as well as dignity and pride.
Education is highly valued and families make great sacrifices to educate their children.
Hiya (shame) is instilled in Filipinos at an early age. To be shamed is the greatest form of
disgrace. Filipino culture developed over centuries in tandem with and in response to
Western culture introduced by the Spanish and later Americans.

 Filipinos are generally easier going than other Asians. A survey conducted by the Hong
Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Constituency (PERC) ranked Filipinos as "the
easiest people in Asia to get along with." In the 2006 Happy Planet Index (HPI) by a
British think-tank New Economics Forum (NEF), the Philippines ranked 17th out of 178
countries, far ahead of the United States, which ranked 150. According to NEF, this
report is "an index of human well-being and environmental impact", which moves
beyond crude ratings of nations according to national income, measured by gross
domestic product to produce a more accurate picture of the progress of nations based on
the amount of the Earth's resources they use, and the length and happiness of people's
lives."

 Filipinos have a strong sense of family and community They are very gregarious and like
to talk and hang out with family and friends. They love to fool around, gossip, make
jokes and tease one another. Rumors spread quickly. Some say Filipinos are happy-go-
lucky people who are often pessimistic about today but always optimistic that tomorrow
will be better.

 People living in urban areas are more exposed to cosmopolitan values. They tend to be
less traditional and more modern. Those living in rural areas, on the other hand, still
value tradition Even though life appears to be a struggle, many people are happy with
their lives.

 Winston posted in his blog happierabroad.com: "1) Most people are nice and good folks
who are cheerful and open. It is easy to meet people and start conversations. People are
always willing to enjoy life and have a goodtime (especially if it's on your tab of course).
2) It is the most nonjudgmental and least racist country in Asia. Filipinos are a mix of
many ethnic tribes, including Chinese, Spanish and Malay. Thus, it is truly
multiculturally advanced and integrated. Everyone is accepted here, including misfits
from other countries, as long as they are nice, courteous and law abiding. 3) People are
not stuck up, but warm, open and like to enjoy life. They are not too uptight or serious
about relaxing and partying. There is a very relaxed laid-back attitude in the populace.
 They are fun and enjoy corny jokes even. [Source: Winston, happierabroad.com,
December 22, 2011]

Social Values and Organization in the Philippines

 The great majority of the Philippine population is bound together by common values and
a common religion. Philippine society is characterized by many positive traits. Among
these are strong religious faith, respect for authority, and high regard for amor proprio
(self-esteem) and smooth interpersonal relationships. Philippine respect for authority is
based on the special honor paid to elder members of the family and, by extension, to
anyone in a position of power. This characteristic is generally conducive to the smooth
running of society, although, when taken to extreme, it can develop into an
authoritarianism that discourages independent judgment and individual responsibility and
initiative. [Source: Library of Congress *]

 Social organization generally follows a single pattern, although variations do occur,

reflecting the influence of local traditions. Among lowland Christian Filipinos, social
organization continues to be marked primarily by personal alliance systems, that is,
groupings composed of kin (real and ritual), grantors and recipients of favors, friends,
and partners in commercial exchanges. *

Filipino Values
 Three main traits underlie Filipino values and value-orientation: 1) person-alism, 2)
familialism, and 3) particularism (popularism). These strongly influence Filipino
behaviour and decision making, and are the basis of his personal beliefs, and cultural
traditions and practices. They are the basis for acceptable behaviour. [Source:Philippines
Australia Business Council ]

 Personalism is the emphasis Filipinos give to interpersonal relations or face-to-face

encounters.

 Familialism emphasizes the welfare and interest of the family over those of the
community.

 Particularism results from the strong family influence on individual and group behaviour.

Religion and Filipino Character

 Catholicism has a strong influence of the Filipino character. According to Thank God I'm
Filipino: " The Philippines is one the most religious countries in world, particularly in
Catholicism and Islam. Families would encourage and strengthen the values of their
 children and would at least have one day a week for worship and at the same time
strengthening family ties. Religion is the foundation of most of the country's morals and
values and sometimes, the church greatly affects the minds and opinions of the general
populace, affecting its decisions.

 The Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia and Filipinos have high spiritual
fervor. They observe holy days (business establishments are normally closed on Maundy
Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, All Saints'-All Souls' Days and Christmas). Sunday is
considered both a religious and a family day. As much as possible, avoid working on that
day because most Filipinos go to church and do things together as a family. [Source:
Canadian Center for Intercultural Learning]

Latin Influence on Filipino

 The Filipinos character has been described as a mix of Hispanic and Asian cultures.
Many say Filipinos have more in common with Latin Americans than they do with
Asians. Life in the Philippines often has a slow pace. Big gatherings and fiestas are
common. There is a manana attitude about time. Being punctual is called "American
time.

Asian Influence on Filipinos

 National Geographic photographer Karen Kasmauski said, Filipinos "are more expressive
and emotional than other Asians, yet they still have a polite Eastern restraint and civility
about them and a strong aesthetic sense, an appreciation of beauty-particularly beautiful
women." Despite have a reputation for being emotional, Filipinos are surprised by overt
expressions of emotion and don't like when people raise their voice.

 An emphasis is placed on skills to smooth interpersonal relations and minimize

Interpersonal conflict. When a difference of opinion arises, an effort is made to settle the
matter with euphemisms and go-betweens rather than open criticism. Pakikisama-the art
of smooth interpersonal relations-is of utmost importance to Filipinos. Social control is
exerted through customs similar to adat found elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

 "Face" is important in the Philippines as it is elsewhere in Asia, where it has been said
that "face is more important than truth or justice" and losing face is often an individual's
greatest fear. Face is essentially respect in a community and is a crucial underpinning of
society. Loss of that respect threatens the relations of individuals with almost everyone in
his or her world and is hard to get back once lost and thus is avoided at all costs.
  Filipinos and Southeast Asians consider it rude to say "no" directly. They often say
something like "maybe," "I am busy," or even "yes" when they really mean "no," or
convey a no answer in a way that foreigners don't understand. This behavior sometimes
causes confusion with Westerners who like a "yes" or "no" answer,and who tend to
believe there is a possibility of a "yes" unless they are told "no" straight out.

Filipino Traits
 According to Thank God I'm Filipino (TGIF): 1) The Filipino attitude of bahala na
("come what may") enables a person to meet difficulties and shortcomings with
resignation by leaving it up to the Almighty to sort things out. This attitude can also
result in overconfidence that everything will work out in his interest without doing
anything. 2) The Filipino's manana habit causes the delays in many public transactions
and even corporations. This attitude can affect the engagement to wait until tomorrow or
the next day especially when the person involve is not interested or not in the mood.
However, one must remember that many Filipinos take their time in doing things or in
making decisions. [Source: Thank God I'm Filipino - TGIF, Facebook, October 8, 2010].

 National Geographic photographer Karen Kasmauski said Filipinos keep up a positive

attitude often in the face of great adversity. "Filipinos know that life can change quickly,
so why not celebrate it while you can? Almost anything is cause for a parade or a party; a
reason for music and dancing. They seem to engage with life intuitively, in present time,
instead of worrying about what might lie ahead or dwelling on the past."

 Anne C. Kwaantes wrote in Christian Classics Etheral Library: "Everyone here agrees -
Filipinos love fiestas. The word "fiesta" will bring a smile to the face of almost any
Filipino. After all, a fiesta is a special time with friends, a time for fellowship, food, and
lots of activities. Each year brings numerous fiestas. Sometimes people are busy for
weeks preparing for them. It is surprising, how eventhose facing many problems in their
day-to-day life set them aside and participate in the festivities. [Source: Anne C.
Kwaantes, Fourum, Winter 2000, Christian Classics Etheral Library, pages 6, 7]

Emotional Filipinos
 Filipinos have been accused of being overly fatalistic and concerned only with the here
and now. Bahala na is popular expression that roughly translates to "I don't care what
happens in the future, as long as I survive now."

 The Philippines was ranked as the most emotional society in the world, with Latin
American countries dominating the top of the list, in a three-year study conducted by
Gallup in more than 150 countries. In another study Filipinos were ranked as the 6th most
positive people in the world, Panama was the most positive country with Paraguay
 coming in second and Thailand came in sixth. [Source: Agence France Presse, November
24, 2012]

Hospitality, Honesty and Resiliency of the Filipino People

 National Geographic photographer Karen Kasmauski said, "Filipinos are such warm,
hospitable people. Whenever I go there, I always feel like that I'm a special guest. People
welcome me into their homes, to their weddings, their funerals, their religious
celebrations. Because so many Filipinos emigrate to other countries, they know what it
feels like to be a stranger in a foreign country; they know hard it can be. So when a
visitor comes to their country, they want to be welcoming. And their strong sense of
family and community extends to everyone."

Bad Side of Clueless Filipinos According to One ExPat

 Winston posted in his blog happierabroad.com: "Many people are rude and inconsiderate
without manners or civilized behavior. They cut in line in front of you, interrupt when
you're talking to a salesperson, are pushy when they want you to buy something, etc.
Beggars will touch you and stand in your way and demand donations. Trike drivers will
cat call you as if you were their pet. I've seen construction workers use electric drills and
saw wood right in the middle of a crowded restaurant, totally oblivious to the fact that
they are annoying the hell out of the customers! (Fortunately, they were ordered to stop
eventually) But boy I've never seen such clueless people. [Source:Winston,
happierabroad.com, December 22, 2011]

 "In the Philippines, you are constantly surrounded by people with a "give me, give me"
look on their faces. And that's because the key to their survival has been in finding ways
to GET things from others, taking advantage of them, and freeloading off them. They're
always looking for free things and generous people to get things from. But of course, they
never want to give anything for free, as nothing in their culture is free. It's obvious
hypocrisy of course, but I guess in their position, they can’t afford any ethics. This can
get annoying and infuriating, as it makes you feel like a constant target, but some expats
get used to it and just develop a firm stance against them, while others don't. >>>

 ""Hiya" is one value that regulates the Filipinos social behavior. Just as one is very
careful not to be subjected to embarrassment or "mapahiya" one must also make it a point
NOT to cause another person's embarrassment. For example, in asking favor, both parties
are careful not to offend the other. So if a favor cannot be granted, the person who cannot
oblige apologizes for his failure to do so with an explanation that it is not his intention to
refuse but that other factors beyond his control keep him from doing so. /

 In other words, a Filipino prefers to agree, especially with superiors, rather than take the
risk of being offended by rebuff; it drives him to do the 'right' thing in the eyes of others,
 even if this requires sacrifices on his part. It also helps maintain order within his own
group and serves as an unwritten code of conduct for the community.

Importance of Social Approval to Filipinos

 Jeff Harvie wrote in filipinawives.wordpress.com: "Filipinos are very aware of the
opinions of others and what people think of them. While this might seem bit silly to
westerners, it is how it is and you're not going to change it, even if change was a good
thing. Social approval, or acceptance by the group, is very important to Filipinos. If you,
as the fiance or husband of a Filipina, do something to cause her to feel hiya within her
social group, then you have offended her and hurt her in ways you might never be able to
appreciate. [Source: Jeff Harvie, filipinawives.wordpress.com, August 19, 2014]

 "In Philippine society, building up one's self-esteem is essential, and to this end amor
propio in all respect reinforces the Filipino trait "hiya". To damage another person's
amor-propio is to invite conflict, even violence; a Filipino is prevented by "hiya" from
placing a person's self-esteem in jeopardy For example, a bride who stoods up a groom in
the altar places the latter's "amor propio" at risk and could lead to a conflict between the
families of both. * /*

"Pakikisama"
 Pakikisama is involved in important idea in the Philippines. According to
language.berkeley.edu: In its most basic sense, 'pakikisama' means going along with
others. Its basic etymological source is 'sama' (to go with). A derived term is 'kasama'
(companion; together with). In the social interaction context, 'pakikisama' means 'getting
along with others', and ideally getting along 'well' with others. The first part of the term
'paki-' is also significant, since it also happens to be the Tagalog affix for 'please'. It's as if
the individual is being requested to 'please' get along well one's fellow human beings.