OUR IDENTITY AS A FILIPINO

Question 1

The events at EDSA in __________________ not only ousted a dictator, but also demonstrated to the world and to ourselves our great strengths as a people.

Answer 1

February 1986

Question 2

STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

Answer 2

• Pakikipagkapwa-Tao (regard for others)
• Pakikipagkapwa-tao
• Family Orientation
• Joy and Humor
• Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity
• Hard work and Industry
• Faith and Religiosity
• Ability to Survive (?)

Question 3

regard for others

Answer 3

Pakikipagkapwa-Tao

Question 4

Filipinos are open to others and feel one with others. We regard others with dignity and respect, and deal with them as
fellow human beings

Answer 4

Pakikipagkapwa-Tao

Question 5

is manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness, and in concern for others.

Answer 5

Pakikipagkapwa-Tao

Question 6

It is demonstrated in the Filipino’s ability to empathize with others, in helpfulness and generosity in times of need (pakikiramay), in the practice of bayanihan or mutual assistance, and in the famous Filipino hospitality

Answer 6

Pakikipagkapwa-Tao

Question 7

Because of ________________________, Filipinos are very sensitive to the quality of interpersonal relationships and are very dependent on them: if our relationships are satisfactory, we are happy and secure.

Answer 7

pakikipagkapwa-tao

Question 8

Filipinos possess a sensitivity to people’s feelings or ___________________, __________________ or trust, and a sense of gratitude or ______________.

Answer 8

pakikiramdam; pagtitiwala, utang-na-loob

Question 9

results in camaraderie and a feeling of closeness one to
another. It helps promote unity as well a sense of social justice.

Answer 9

Pakikipagkapwa-tao

Question 10

Filipinos possess a genuine and deep love for the family, which
includes not simply the spouses and children, parents, and siblings, but also grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, and other ceremonial relatives. To the Filipino, one’s family is the source of personal identity, the source of
emotional and material support, and the person’s main commitment and responsibility

Answer 10

Family Orientation

Question 11

is manifested in the honor and respect given to parents and elders, in the care given to children, the generosity towards kin in need, and in the great sacrifices one endures for the welfare of the family. This sense of family results in a feeling of belonging or rootedness and in a basic sense of security

Answer 11

Concern for family

Question 12

Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving approach to life and its ups and downs. There is a pleasant disposition, a sense of humor, and a propensity for happiness that contribute not only to the Filipino charm, but to the indomitability of the filipino spirit. Laughing at ourselves and our trouble is an important coping mechanism. Often playful, sometimes cynical, sometimes disrespectful, we laugh at those we love and at those we hate, and make jokes about our fortune, good
and bad.

Answer 12

Joy and Humor

Question 13

is manifested in the Filipino love for socials and celebrations, in our capacity to laugh even in the most trying of times, and in the appeal of political satire. The result is a certain emotional balance and optimism, a healthy disrespect for power and office, and a capacity to survive.

Answer 13

Joy and Humor

Question 14

Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust, and to adapt to circumstances and to the surrounding environment, both physical and social. Unplanned or unanticipated events are never overly disturbing or disorienting as the flexible Filipino adjusts to whatever happens. We possess a tolerance for ambiguity that enables us to remain unfazed by uncertainty or lack of information. We are creative, resourceful, adept at learning, and able to improvise and make use of whatever is at hand in order to create and produce.

Answer 14

Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity

Question 15

is manifested in the ability to adapt to life in any part of the
world; in the ability to make new things out of scrap and to keep old machines running; and, of course, in the creative talent manifested in the cultural sphere. It is seen likewise in the ability to accept change.

Answer 15

Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity

Question 16

This sense of family results in a

Answer 16

feeling of belonging or rootedness and in a basic sense of security

Question 17

The result (Joy and Humor) is a

Answer 17

certain emotional balance and optimism, a healthy disrespect for power and office, and a capacity to survive.

Question 18

The result (of Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity) is

Answer 18

productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship, equanimity, and survival

Question 19

Filipinos have the capacity for hard work, given proper
conditions. The desire to raise one’s standard of living and to possess the essentials of a decent life for one’s family, combined with the right opportunities and incentives, stimulate
the Filipino to work very hard. This is manifested most noticeably in a willingness to take risks with jobs abroad, and to work there at two or three jobs.

Answer 19

Hard work and Industry

Question 20

The result (of Hard work and Industry) is

Answer 20

productivity and entrepreneurship for some, and survival despite poverty for others.

Question 21

Filipinos have a deep faith in God. Innate religiosity enables us
to comprehend and genuinely accept reality in the context of God’s will and plan. Thus, tragedy and bad fortune are accepted and some optimism characterizes even the poorest lives. Filipinos live very intimately with religion; this is tangible–a part of everyday life. We ascribe human traits to a supernatural God whom we alternately threaten and thank, call upon for mercy or forgiveness, and appease by pledges. Prayer is an important part of our lives.

Answer 21

Faith and Religiosity

Question 22

The faith of the Filipino is related to ________________, which, instead of being viewed asdefeatist resignation, may be considered positively as a reservoir of psychic energy, an important psychological support on which we can lean during difficult times.

Answer 22

bahala na

Question 23

This ____________________ allows us to act despite uncertainty.

Answer 23

pampalakas ng loob

Question 24

It is seen also in the capacity to accept failure and defeat without our self-concept being devastated since we recognize forces external to ourselves as contributing to the unfolding of events in our lives.

Answer 24

bahala na

Question 25

The results of the Filipino’s faith are

Answer 25

courage, daring, optimism, inner peace, as well as the capacity to genuinely accept tragedy and death

Question 26

Filipinos have an ability to survive which is manifested in our capacity for endurance despite difficult times, and in our ability to get by on so little. Filipinos make do with what is available in the environment, even, e.g., by eking out a living from a garbage dump. This survival instinct is related to the Filipinos who bravely carry on through the harshest economic and social circumstances. Regretfully, one wonders what we might be able to do under better circumstances.

Answer 26

Ability to Survive

Question 27

WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

Answer 27

• Extreme Personalism
• Extreme Family-Centeredness
• Lack of Discipline
• Passivity and Lack of Initiative
• Colonial Mentality
• Kanya-Kanya Syndrome
• Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection

Question 28

Filipinos view the world in terms of personal relationships and
the extent to which one is able personally to relate to things and people determines our recognition of their existence and the value. There is no separation between an objective task
and emotional involvement.

Answer 28

Extreme Personalism

Question 29

is manifested in the tendency to give personal interpretations to actions, i.e., to “take things personally.” Thus, a sincere question may be viewed as a challenge to one’s competence or positive feedback may be interpreted as a sign of special affection. There is, in fact, some basis for such interpretations as Filipinos become personal in their criticism and praise

Answer 29

Personalism

Question 30

is also manifested in the need to establish personal relationships before any business or work relationship can be successful.

Answer 30

Personalism

Question 31

While concern for the family is one of the Filipino’s greatest
strengths, in the extreme it becomes a serious flaw. Excessive concern for the family creates an in-group to which the Filipino is fiercely loyal, to the detriment of concern for the larger
community or the common good.

Answer 31

Extreme Family-Centeredness

Question 32

We have a casual and relaxed attitude towards time and space which manifests itself in lack of precision and compulsiveness, in poor time management and in procrastination. We have an aversion to following strictly a set of procedures, which results
in lack of standardization and quality control. We are impatient and unable to delay gratification or reward, resulting in the use of short cuts, skirting the rules (the palusot syndrome) and in foolhardiness.

Answer 32

Lack of Discipline

Question 33

skirting the rules

Answer 33

palusot

Question 34

starting out projects with full vigor and interest which abruptly die down, leaving things unfinished

Answer 34

ningas cogon

Question 35

One waits to be told what has to be done. There is a strong reliance on others, e.g., leaders and government, to do things for us. This is related to the attitude towards authority. Filipinos
have a need for a strong authority figure and feel safer and more secure in the presence of such an authority. One is generally submissive to those in authority, and is not likely to raise issues or to question decisions.

Answer 35

Passivity and Lack of Initiative

Question 36

Filipinos tend to be complacent and there rarely is a sense of urgency about any problem. There is a high tolerance for inefficiency, poor service, and even violations of one’s basic rights. In many ways, it can be said that the Filipino is too patient and long-suffering (matiisin), too easily resigned to one’s fate. Filipinos are thus easily oppressed and exploited.

Answer 36

Passivity and Lack of Initiative

Question 37

is made up of two dimensions: the first is a lack of patriotism or an active awareness, appreciation, and love of the Philippines; the second is an actual preference for things foreign.

Answer 37

Colonial Mentality

Question 38

Filiipinos have a colonial mentality which is made up of two
dimensions:

Answer 38

the first is a lack of patriotism or an active awareness, appreciation, and love of the Philippines; the second is an actual preference for things foreign.

Question 39

is manifested in the alienation of the elite from their roots and from the masses, as well as in the basic feeling of national inferiority that makes it difficult for Filipinos to relate as equals to Westerners.

Answer 39

Filipino colonial mentality

Question 40

Filipinos have a selfish, self-serving attitude that generates a
feeling of envy and competitiveness towards others, particularly one’s peers, who seem to have gained some status or prestige.

Answer 40

Kanya-Kanya Syndrome

Question 41

using the levelling instruments of tsismis, intriga and unconstructive criticism to bring others down. There seems to be a basic assumption that another’s gain is our loss

Answer 41

crab mentality

Question 42

is also evident in personal ambition and drive for power
and status that is completely insensitive to the common good. Personal and in-group interests reign supreme. This characteristic is also evident in the lack of a sense of service among people in the government bureaucracy. The public is made to feel that service from these offices and from these civil servants is an extra perk that has to be paid for.

Answer 42

kanya-kanya syndrome

Question 43

results in the dampening of cooperative and community
spirit and in the denial of the rights of others.

Answer 43

kanya-kanya syndrome

Question 44

There is a tendency in the Filipino to be superficial and even somewhat flighty. In the face of serious problems both personal and social, there is lack of analysis or reflection. Joking about the most serious matters prevents us from looking deeply into the problem. There is no felt need to validate our hypotheses or
explanations of things. Thus we are satisfied with superficial explanations for, and superficial solutions to, problems.

Answer 44

Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection

Question 45

The strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino have their roots in many factors such as:

Answer 45

(1) the home environment
(2) the social environment
(3) culture and language
(4) history
(5) the educational system
(6) religion
(7) the economic environment
(8) the political environment
(9) mass media
(10) leadership and role models

Question 46

are the main components of the home environment

Answer 46

Childbearing practices, family relations, and family attitudes and orientation

Question 47

Childbearing practices, family relations, and family attitudes and orientation are the main components of the home environment. Childbearing in the Filipino family is characterized by high nurturance, low independence training, and low discipline. The Filipino child grows up in an atmosphere of affection and over protection, where one learns security and trust, on the one hand, and dependence, on the other. In the
indulgent atmosphere of the Filipino home, rigid standards of behavior or performance are not imposed, leading to a lack of discipline. Attempts to maintain discipline come in the form
of many “no’s” and “don’ts” and a system of criticism to keep children in line. Subtle comparisons among siblings also are used by mothers to control their children. These may contribute to the “crab mentality.”

Answer 47

The Family and Home Environment

Question 48

The main components of the social environment are

Answer 48

social structures and social systems such as interpersonal religious and community interaction.

Question 49

is characterized by a feudal structure with great gaps between the rich minority and the poor majority. These gaps are not merely economic but cultural as well, with the elite being highly westernized and alienated from the masses. This feudal structure develops dependence and passivity.

Answer 49

The Social Environment

Question 50

We are the product of our colonial history, which is regarded by many as the culprit behind our lack of nationalism and our colonial mentality. Colonialism developed a mind-set in the Filipino which encouraged us to think of the colonial power as superior and more powerful. As a second-class citizen beneath the Spanish and then the Americans, we developed a dependence on foreign powers that makes us believe we are not responsible for our country’s fat

Answer 50

History

Question 51

Much has been written about Filipino cultural values. Such
characteristics such as warmth and person orientation, devotion to family, and sense of joy and humor are part of our culture and are reinforced by all socializing forces such as the family, school, and peer group.

Answer 51

Culture and Language

Question 52

The lack of suitable local textbooks and dependence on foreign textbooks, particularly in the higher school levels, force Filipino students as well as their teachers to use school materials that are irrelevant to the Philippine setting. From this comes a mind-set that things learned in school are not related to real life.

Answer 52

The Educational System

Question 53

is the root of Filipino optimism and its capacity to accept life’s
hardships

Answer 53

Religion

Question 54

Religion is the root of Filipino optimism and its capacity to accept life’s hardships. However, religion also instills in the Filipino attitudes of resignation and a preoccupation with the afterlife. We become vulnerable also to being victimized by opportunism, oppression, exploitation, and superstition

Answer 54

Religion

Question 55

Many Filipino traits are rooted in the poverty and hard life
that is the lot of most Filipinos. Our difficulties drive us to take risks, impel us to work very hard, and develop in us the ability to survive. Poverty, however, has also become an excuse for graft and corruption, particularly among the lower rungs of the bureaucracy. Unless things get too difficult, passivity sets in.

Answer 55

The Economic Environment

Question 56

is characterized by a centralization of power. Political power and authority is concentrated in the hands of the elite and the participation of most Filipinos often is limited to voting in elections.

Answer 56

The Political Environment

Question 57

reinforces our colonial mentality. Advertisements using
Caucasian models and emphasizing a product’s similarity with imported brands are part of our daily lives.

Answer 57

Mass Media

Question 58

Filipinos look up to their leaders as role models. Political leaders are the main models, but all other leaders serve as role models as well. Thus, when our leaders violate the law or show themselves to be self-serving and driven by personal interest–when there is lack of public accountability–there is a negative impact on the Filipino.

Answer 58

Leadership and Role Models