SIKOLOHIYANG

PILIPINO
Alyssa Mari A. Reyes, RPm
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The psychological knowledge of the native Filipino is traditionally held by
– Babaylan in Visayas
■ First Filipino Psychologist. She was known as the guardian of Filipino sacred knowledge
– Catalonan in Central Luzon
■ Uses dalangin (prayer) and bulong (whisper)
– Baglan in Nothern Philippines

– anting-anting (amulets)
– Pulajanes (also known as Dios-Dios)
■ Involves indigenous fighting techniques (eskrima or arnis)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
■ early 1970s - Virgilio Gaspar Enriquez Together with then-chairman of the
Department of Psychology at the University of the Philippines (U.P.), Dr. Alfredo
V. Lagmay introduce the concept of Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino Psychology).
■ Enriquez embarked on a research into the historical and cultural roots of Philippine
Psychology. Subsequently, the research included identifying indigenous concepts
and approaches in Philippine psychology and developing creativity and
inventiveness among Filipinos.
■ Panukat ng Ugali at Pagkatao (Measure of Character and Personality), were
produced.
■ In 1975, Enriquez chaired the Unang Pambansang Kumperensya sa Sikolohiyang
Pilipino (First National Conference on Filipino Psychology) where the ideas,
concepts, and formulations of Sikolohiyang Pilipino were formally articulated.
EARLY PHILIPPINE LITERATURE
■ It may be oral or scribbled on bamboo
– Salawikain (proverb)
– Bugtong (riddle)
– Kuwentong bayan (folk tales)
– Alamat (Myth)
– Epiko (epic)
What is Sikolohiyang Pilipino?
■ It is the attachment of importance to the Filipino and his
consciousness.
■ The totality of the Filipino – both his material and spiritual
aspects
■ It is ‘‘the study of diwa (‘psyche’), which in Filipino directly
refers to the wealth of ideas referred to by the philosophical
concept of ‘essence’ and an entire range of psychological
concepts from awareness to motives to behavior’’ (Enriquez,
1985)
Sikolohiya sa Kontekstong Pilipino (anyo)
■ Sikolohiya sa Pilipinas (Psychology in the Philippines)
– the general form of psychology in the Philippine context
■ Sikolohiya ng mga Pilipino (Psychology of the Filipinos)
– theorizing about the psychological nature of the Filipinos, whether from a
local or a foreign perspective
■ Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino Psychology)
– It refers to the psychology born out of the experience (karanasan),
thought (kaisipan) and orientation (oryentasyon) of the Filipinos, based
on the full use of Filipino culture and language.
Analogy sa Kontekstong Pilipino (anyo)
■ Taong-bahay
– Sikolohiya ng mga Pilipino; kahit ang mga bisita ay maituturing na taong-bahay
kung kanilang nanaising mamalagi sa bahay
■ Tao sa bahay
– Sikolohiya sa Pilipinas; madalas na ating ginagawa dahil ito ay hindi na
kailangan kusain, pag-isipan o sadyain.
– Ang mga taong napapadaan o bisita ay maari rin nating matawag na tao sa
bahay.
■ Taumbahay
– Sikolohiyang Pilipino; amg mga taong talagang nakatira sa loob ng bahay.
Psychology, defined (Enriquez)
■ It takes into account the study of
– emotions and experienced knowledge (kalooban and kamalayan),
– awareness of one’s surroundings (ulirat),
– information and understanding (isip),
– habits and behavior (another meaning of diwa),
– soul (kaluluwa) which is the way to learning about people’s
conscience.
■ Filipino Psychology principal emphasis in psychology is on identity and
national consciousness, social awareness and involvement, psychology of
language and culture, and applications and bases of Filipino psychology in
health practices, agriculture, art, mass media, religion, etc.
Four Filiations of Philippine Psychology by
Zeus Salazar
■ Sikolohiyang Akadamiko- Pilosopikal (Academic-philosophical
Psychology)
– UST begins through education by individual monks and preachers:
the Jesuits:Thomistic Philosophy and Psychology. A continuing study
of psychology as an aspect of philosophy
■ Sikolohiyang Akadamiko-siyentipiko: Kanluraning Tradisyon
(Western Tradition Of Academic-scientific Psychology)
– 1876, birth of Scientific Psychology (German tradition)
– Entry of Western Psychology in UP and other universities (American
tradition)
■ Sikolohiyang Etniko (Ethnic Psychology)
It is a major basis of Sikolohiyang Pilipino for integrating into a national tradition of
Psychology and Philosophy as universal disciplines.
– Indigenous Psychology (katutubong sikolohiya)
 It is common to the Filipinos who oftentimes are unaware of it: this frame of
psychological reason or theory can be called principally from language, literature,
etc (kinagisnang sikolohiya)
 Psychologies or psychological systems worked out by Filipinos with indigenous
elements as basis. Mainly reactive, resulting from contact with other cultures and
from acculturative experience. (Hermano Pule, Rizal, Isabelo de los Reyes)
– Psychology of Filipinos
 Based mainly on Western System of thought: Chinese, Spaniards and other
foreigners
 Expression of own ideas through Filipino language, literature (works of Rizal)
– Practice of Psychology
 Enculturation/Socialization as affected by Christianity or Islam
 Ancient Techniques of group therapy ( tagapayo, manghuhula, use of dreams)
■ Sikomedikal Na Relihiyon Ang Ginagamit Bilang Elementong
Nag-uugnay At Nagpapaliwanag (Medico-religious Psychology)
– It considered religion as the cohesive element and considered as
the core of native Filipino Psychology
– It is manifested through
■ Faith healing
■ Espiritista
■ Herbolaryo
■ Other indigenous methods

Livelihood Psychology (Sikolohiyang pangkabuhayan)

A distinct and important line of filiation showing the roots and development of
the economic, livelihood, agricultural, business, management, and industrial
psychology.
Major characteristics of Sikolohiyang Pilipino
as an indigenous Asian Psychology
A. empirical philosophy, academic-scientific psychology, the
ideas and teachings of Ricardo Pascual, logical analysis of
language;
B. rational philosophy, the clerical tradition, phenomenology,
Thomistic philosophy and psychology; and
C. liberalism, the Philippine propaganda movement, the writings
of Philippine heroes Jacinto, Mabini and del Pilar, ethnic
psychology.
Indigenization From Within or Cultural
revalidation
■ It is looking for the indigenous psychology from within the culture itself
and not just clothing a foreign body with a local dress.
■ Discovering Sikolohiyang Pilipino is based on assessing historical and
socio-cultural realities, understanding the local language, unraveling
Filipino characteristics and explaining them through the eyes of the
native Filipino.
■ These resulted in a body of knowledge which includes indigenous
concepts and methods, in short, a psychology which is appropriate and
significant to Filipinos.
Indigenizing Psychological Tests
■ Philippine Mental Abilities Test
– the first attempt at psychological test development by Sinfroso Padilla
■ Philippine Studies in Mental Measurement
– Dissertation of Manuel Carreon published in New York
■ Pagpapatawas
– A traditional projective technique
■ “Apples to Papayas”
– An approach to improving test validity modifying test items to fit
Philippine conditions
 Concepts of Sikolohiyang Pilipino
1. Mga katutubong konsepto;
– Saling-pusa, pamasakbutas, pagkapikon, balikbayan
2. Konseptong bunga ng pagtatakda ng kahulugan;
– Memory (alaala o gunita)
3. Ang pag-aandukha o pagbibugay ng katutubong kahulugan
– Giving own Filipino definition (taking advantage – kagarapalan)
4. Ang pagbibinyag o paggamit ng katutubong salita para sa banyagang konsepto
– Hiya, utang na loob, pakikisama
5. Paimbabaw na asimilasyon at konseptong hiram
– Standard of excellence (oo, alam na alam ko yan)
6. Mga Ligaw at banyagang konsepto
– Home for the aged
 Filipino Values
■ Bahala Na
– ‘‘the Filipino attitude that makes him accept sufferings and problems,
leaving everything to God” (Andres)
– “determination and risk-taking’’ (Enriquez)
■ Hiya
– Shame; the uncomfortable feeling that accompanies awareness of
being in a socially unacceptable position, or performing a socially
unacceptable action (Lynch)
– nakakahiya (embarrassing), napahiya (placed in an awkward
position), ikinahiya (be embarrassed with someone, mahiyain (shy);
and in still other forms, (sense of propriety, or embarrassment).
– Propriety/dignity (Enriquez)
 Filipino Values
■ Utang na Loob
– debt of gratitude (Andres)
– ‘‘the principle of reciprocity incurred when an individual helps
another. (Kaut)
– ‘gratitude/solidarity’’ (Enriquez
– ‘‘Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa
paroroonan. (Those who do not look back to where they came from
will not reach their destination)’’.
Filipino Values
■ Pakikisama vs Pakikipagkapwa
– Pakikisama was identified by Lynch (1961, 1973) as a Filipino value, giving it the English
translation of maintaining ‘‘smooth interpersonal elations’’ by going along with the group or
the majority decision, i.e., conformity.
– Pakikipagkapwa means treating the other person as kapwa or fellow human being. (Enriquez)
– There are two categories of kapwa:
■ the Ibang-Tao (outsider) and
– pakikitungo (transaction/civility with),
– pakikisalamuha (interaction with),
– pakikilahok (joining/participating),
– pakikibagay (in-conformity with/inaccord with),
– pakikisama (being along with)
■ the Hindi-Ibang-Tao (‘‘one-of-us’’).
– pakikipagpalagayang-loob (being in-rapport/understanding/ acceptance with), or
– pakikisangkot (getting involved), or the
– highest level of pakikiisa (being one with).
Filipino Values
■ Sama/lakas ng loob(‘‘resentment/guts’’)
■ pakikibaka (‘‘resistance’’)
■ Pakikiramdam (‘‘shared inner perception’’)
■ kagandahang-loob (‘‘shared humanity’’)
■ karangalan (‘‘dignity’’)
■ katarungan (‘‘justice’’)
■ kalayaan (‘‘freedom’’).
Protest of Sikolohiyang Pilipino
1. Sikolohiyang Malaya
– It is against colonial mentality
2. Sikolohiyang Mapagpalaya
– It is against oppression and exploitation
3. Sikolohiya ng pagbabagong-isip
– It is against industrialized countries comparing Third World
Countries with Philippines
Debates within Sikolohiyang Pilipino
Zeus Salazar
• He criticized including the study of Filipino-
Americans.
• Psychology is necessarily part of culture. It
should be given a new meaning and
reinterpreted in a context relevant to
Philippine life and culture.
• The history and traditions of a particular
culture is sufficient to contribute to universal
psychology. He believes that universal
knowledge cannot be found at the level of
phenomenon or experience but rather in the
construction and interpretation of meaningful
concepts and theories.
Virgilio Enriquez
• He maintained that Filipino-Americans are
Filipinos because some aspects of their
identity and cultural experiences are still
Filipino
• Sikolohiyang Pilipino exists as long as there
are Filipinos. This type of psychology is
already found in Philippine life and culture.
• Psychology in the Philippines is both foreign
and indigenous to the culture.
• He considers the similarity of observations of
phenomena and diverse cultural experiences as
indicators of universal knowledge in
psychology
 ANO ANG
PAGKATAO NG
ISANG PILIPINO?