Lesson Filipino Values that Influence

1 Business Practices

What Is It?

Most Filipinos are connected together with their beliefs, culture, tradition,
characters, traits and common values. Values are first taught at home and are adapt,
implement in the society. It plays a vital role on the way we live, decide, choose and
interprets our daily activities in life. In ethics, values denote the degree of importance
of something or action, with the aim in determining what actions are best to do or
what way is best to live, or to describe the significance of different action.

Filipino values refers to the set of values that significant and inclined with
one’s culture by the influenced of people connected with like family, relatives,
ancestors or friends. It preserves social harmony that promotes connection, unity
and may understand set of people. It includes the inimitable collection of dependable
philosophies, moral codes, ethical practices, etiquette, cultural and personal values
encourage by the family or the society they belong.

The management and sustainability of the business depends on the values

and beliefs of the proprietor. In the Philippines, Filipino entrepreneurs may
implement rules, practices and principle based on their values they had grown up
with their family, learnt and adapt.

The most popular Filipino values that influence business practices are the
following:

Pakikisama (Fellowship)
The word “pakikisama” (fellowship) comes from the word “sama” and prefix “paki”,
and literally means to accompany someone. Fellowship is used to maintain good
relations with others, and the fellowship is associated with adaptation, dealings and
harmony. In business practices, the proprietor must establish “pakikisama” to their
employees, suppliers and customers because it implies closeness to the others that
would create a sustainable growth relationship.

Hospitality

2
Is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest
with goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or
strangers. Entrepreneurs should master on how to treat and provide excellent
services on welcoming their suppliers and customers to create a good reputation and
relationship since hospitality plays the fundamental role to increase or decrease the
volume of sales, popularity and production growth in a business.

Family Orientation
It refers to the family in which a person is raised. It includes one’s parents and
siblings. It may also include grandparents or other relatives. It is a primary platform
for which one encounters early socialization experiences. Values and beliefs can be
learned from the family that will inculcate to a child as he/she matures into an adult.
The Filipino valued their family and being closed to one another until the last of their
generation. Most of the successful entrepreneurs acquired and gained this ample
knowledge in dealing with their business from their family. Consequently, they
became well trained to manage their family business. Others inherit the skills not
only from their family business but also the values and beliefs in managing and
operating their business.

Joy and Humor

Business operates and growth not only by means of profit and management. An
entrepreneur operates business to find joy and happiness in his life. Helping people
by promoting employment and providing quality product and services to their clients
create a joyful feeling. Filipino values always find reason to feel joy and has a sense
of humor to established camaraderie to others. It sheds light on the optimism and
positivity of Filipinos in whatever situation they are in. It serves as a coping technique
to remain determined in every struggles or challenges in life and in business.

Ability to Survive
A Filipino has a sense of resourcefulness or the ability to survive with whatever
situation or challenges they have. They have an extraordinary ability to create
something out of almost nothing. If a Filipino is trap in an uninhabited island, he
would still be able to find a safe area to stay, provide materials to build a house, find
foods to eat and create different tools to survive. In business, if it is needed to
promote and increase the volume of sales, a Filipino has always the ability to find
different techniques, marketing strategy and idea to perform and create a productive
in order the business to survive.

Hard work and Industriousness

Filipinos are determined and persistence to accomplish whatever they have set in
their minds. In business, hard work and industriousness play a vital role to establish
and develop business progress. They need employees who are willing to work
overtime, with minimal supervision and resourcefulness comes with a hard work to
serve the business.

3
Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity
Filipino has an ability to adapt, adopt and adept in any changes and challenges in life
either in spiritual, social, emotional and physical aspect. In business, unplanned and
anticipated events in market would not disturb the flexibility and adaptability values of
Filipino entrepreneurs. They could easily produce creative strategy, technique and
style to adjust challenges and compete with others.

Utang na Loob (Debt of Gratitude)

It shows duties and responsibility to pay the debts (utang) and return it with inner-
self-free will (na-loob) the unsolicited gift or good treatment received from other
people. An obligation to appropriately repay the good deeds which value is
impossible to quantify or if there is a quantifiable value it may involve deeply
personal internal dimension that will usually starts from one generation and continue
to another generation. In business, plenty of reasons that it may influence the
business practices either positive or negative outcome that may vary with ethical
issues.

Filial Piety
To show respect, love, care and support to their elders, parents, relatives and
ancestors. It upholds the affection and display courtesy to the family that most cases
are likely working together in one company; living together in one house; paying the
house bills of their parents. It also to take good care to one’s parents and engage in
good conduct not just towards parents but also outside the home so as to bring a
good name to one’s parents and ancestors.

Padrino (Whom you know system)

It supports with the strong relationship of people. Most of the job seekers
automatically hired regardless with their qualifications and educational background
through endorsements, political connections, family affiliations (nepotism) or
friendships (cronyism).

Suki
It shows loyalty and trust relationship between a customer and supplier. It usually
establishes at the market or business. If a buyer finds a trusted seller that offers a
quality product they need, the loyalty and commercial connection of a buyer will be
established to the seller and made several business transactions with their so called
“suki”.

Bahala Na
The Bahala Na Filipino value shows letting things happen beyond their control. It
shows an attitude of a person that is willing to submit everything to God or leaving
things to happen by fate. Some of investors operate business beyond their control,

4
they will only believe that the market will accept it if they will “do their best and let
God do the rest.”

Mañana
It comes from the Spanish word “Mañana” which literally means “tomorrow” or
“unspecified future time”. In business, the attitude that tends to delay the task,
putting off tomorrow what they can do for today or postpone on the things that should
be done right now may reduce volume of sales, loss customer trust and satisfaction,
waste opportunities and interrupt the work flow.

Amor Propio
Is a Spanish word which means “self – love”, a sense of self-esteem or self-respect
that prevents a person from swallowing his pride and concerned for one’s reputation.
It includes sensitivity to personal insult or affront.

Activity 2: Complete the crossword puzzle below by identifying what Filipino value is
being described in the statement.

1. A mother offers her daughter’s friend food to eat and a room to spend the
night.

2. Mario’s driver’s license process immediately by his godfather, an LTO

personnel.

3. A farmer works to his farm rain or shine just to earn a living and to support the
needs of his family.

4. Pedro decided to play online games first and postponed answering his
activities on Business Ethics modules.

5. Anna is a new investor on an online business, she has no knowledge and

idea how to deal with different clients, but she is able to cope the challenges
and established marketing techniques and strategy on it.

Reflective Question
2
4 1

5
5
Draw inside the box what you have learned on Filipino value system that influence
business practices.

Remember these key points:

 Filipino value system that influence business practices:

 Pakikisama
 Hospitality
 Family orientation
 Joy and humor
 Ability to survive
 Had work and industrious
 Flexibility, adaptability and creativity
 Utang na loob
 Felial Piety
 Padrino
 Suki
 Bahala na
 Mañana
 Amor Propio

Activity 3. It’s Your Turn

On your own understanding, what are the ways that you can do to improve business
practices guided by the philosophies, beliefs and Filipino values system?

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
6
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________