REVIEWER Filipinos maintain a tight relationship
with their families regardless if the
Lesson 2: Unpacking the
Self: The Political Self of
Being Filipino
Who is Filipino?
According to the 1987 Philippine
Constitution, Filipino citizens are
"...those whose fathers or mothers are
citizens of the Philippines, those born
before January 17, 1973, of Filipino
mothers, who elect Philippine
citizenship upon the age of majority,
and those who are naturalized in
accordance with law." However,
citizenship is not the only marker of
being a Filipino. Culture and history
have greatly influenced the manner
Filipinos learn, live, and behave to date.
People who were born and grew up in
the same culture develop and share
common personality traits and values.
Generations after generations, common
traits and values have been passed on
that the Filipinos of today still embody.
Filipino Values and Traits
 The Filipino Hospitality
Filipinos welcome their guests and
tourists as if they are their own brothers
and sisters; they always make their
guests feel at home, offering them
something to eat. or even a place to
stay.
 Respect for Elders
Filipinos greet their elders by kissing
their hand while saying "Mano po!" and
constantly using "po" and "opo in
conversations.
 Close Family Ties
children are old enough and already
have families of their own.
 Cheerful Personality
Filipinos have a habit of smiling and
laughing a lot.
 Self-sacrifice
The self-sacrificing attitude of Filipinos
can be seen as an extension of the
Filipino hospitality Filipinos go out of
their way to extend help to their friends,
families, and loved ones. They wish
comfort and better lives for their loved
ones and would even go to the extent of
working abroad hundreds of miles away
to earn more money and save up for
them.
 Bayanihan
is the spirit of communal unity
cooperation of Filipinos. It is also about
giving without expecting something in
return.
 "Bahala Na" Attitude
is the Filipino version of the
famous line "Hakuna Matata, meaning
no worries. It can also be viewed as
something similar to the cheerful and
positive attitude of Filipinos and allowing
situations take care of themselves
instead of worrying about them.
 Colonial Mentality
is regarded as the lack of patriotism and
the attitude where Filipinos favor foreign
products more than their own.
 "Mañana" Habit
This is the Filipino term for
procrastination. It was derived from a
longer Filipino phrase called "Mamaya
na" meaning dawdling things, which
could have been done at an earlier time.
It is a poor habit of laziness that results
in heavier workloads.
 "Ningas Kugon"
refers to the attitude of eagerly starting
things but quickly losing eagerness
soon after experiencing difficult just like
how fast fire of a Cogon grass burns out
moments after being ignited. Laziness is
a common problem among Filipinos;
that is why Filipinos are regarded as
"Juan Tamad" or Lazy Juan.
 Pride
Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if
they are more precious than keeping a
good relationship with family and loved
ones. When two parties are not in good
terms, they find it so hard to apologize
and wait until the other party asks for an
apology first.
 Crab Mentality
This is a toxic trait among Filipinos
where one resents the achievement of
another, instead of feeling happy for
that person.
 Filipino Time
this common attitude of arriving late at
commitments, dinner, or parties
especially if they are meeting someone
close to them. They tend to not observe
punctuality altogether. The 7:00 PM call
time becomes adjusted to 7:30 PM.
 Filipino Markers
What then are the hallmarks of our
being a Filipino? What makes us truly
relish in our being a Filipino? The
following are constant reminders of our
nationality.
 Proverbs or Salawikain
 Filipino proverbs, just like any
other proverbs, are sayings that
convey lessons and reflections
on Filipino practices, beliefs, and
traditions Damiana Eugenio,
regarded as the mother of
Philippine Folklore, classified
proverbs into six categories
(Eugenio, 2000);
 proverbs expressing a general
attitude toward life and the laws
that govern life;
 ethical proverbs recommending
certain virtues and condemning
certain vices;
 proverbs expressing a system of
values;
 proverbs expressing general
truths and observations about life
and human nature;
 humorous proverbs; and
 miscellaneous proverbs.
 Superstitions
Filipinos also subscribe to their
own set of superstitions passed down
from generation to generation. Some of
these may be influenced by beliefs from
other cultures, but Filipinos have retold
these superstitions according to their
own experiences and they sometimes
end up even more interesting.
 Myths and Legends
Due to the Philippines's rich
culture and history. numerous myths
and legends have sprung about
things that are beyond one's
imagination. These stories are
aimed to explain the origin of things,
at the same time, teach a valuable
lesson.
 Heroes and Icons
 Heroes serve as a reminder of true
patriotism and nationalism as they have
sacrificed their lives for the sake of their
country's freedom and progress. Every
year, we whole day to celebrate our
heroes, usually the last Monday of
August, to remember their greatness,
bravery, and resilience that has led to
the freedom we know today.

How To Be a Good Filipino

 Be an active Filipino citizen.
 Study the Philippine history.
 Support local products.
 Speak the Filipino language.
 Do not spread fake news and be
democratic in engaging with
dissent.