1. CHAPTER 4. The Strengths and
Weaknesses of the Filipino Character: A
Socio-Cultural Issue.
2. Below is an excerpt of the Report “ A Moral Recovery
Program: Building a People, Building a Nation' submitted
on April 27, 1988, by the Task Force to President
Corazon Aquino, the Senate, and the members of the
press by then-Senator Leticia Shahani, the moving spirit
behind the program.
3. The weaknesses of the Filipino character as cited in the report
are as follows:
Extreme family centeredness
Excessive concern for political family means using one office
and power to promote family interests, thus factionalism
patronage, political dynasties, and the protection of erring
family members.
4. Extreme Personalism
Takes things personally and cannot separate objective tasks from
emotional involvement. Because of this, Filipinos are uncomfortable
with bureaucracy, rules, regulations, and standard procedures. He uses
personal contacts and prefers family and friends in hiring, services, and
voting. Extreme personalism leads to the graft and corruption evident in
Philippine society.
5. Lack of discipline
A casual attitude toward time and space, manifested in lack of
precision and compulsiveness, poor time management, and
procrastination. Aversion to following procedures strictly results in
a lack of standardization and equality control. Impatience results
in short cuts, palusot., ningas cogon. Lack of discipline often
results in inefficient work systems, the violation of rules, and a
casual work ethic lacking follow-through.
6.
7. Colonial mentality
Lack of patriotism, an active awareness, appreciation,
and love of the Philippines, and an actual preference
for foreign things.
8. Kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality
Done by tsismis, intriga, unconstructive criticism. It is evident in the
personal ambition that is entirely insensitive to 'the common good, e.g.,
the lack of a sense of service among people in the government
bureaucracy. It results in dampening cooperative and community spirit
and trampling upon others' rights.
9. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection
The tendency to be superficial and somewhat flighty. There is
a lack of analysis or reflection in the face of serious personal
and social problems and satisfaction with superficial
explanations and solutions.
10. Emphasis on porma rather than substance
This lack of analysis and emphasis on form is reinforced by
an educational more form than substance.
11. These weaknesses are rooted in many factors: home, social
and economic environment; culture and language; history;
religion; educational system, mass media, leadership, and role
models. Change is possible, however, and the following goals are
proposed to develop in Filipino; (1) a sense of patriotism and
national pride; (2) a sense of common good; (3) a sense of
integrity and accountability, (4) the values and habits of discipline
and hard work; (5) the value and habits of self-reflection and
analysis; the internalization of spiritual values and the emphasis
on essence rather than on form. (Shahani, Leticia, (1988). A
Moral Recovery Program: Building a People, Building a Nation.
12. In 1998 Senator Leticia Shahani submitted to the Senate this Re,
titled "A Mo. Recovery Program: Building a People, Building a
Nation." This report cites the strengths and weaknesses of the
Filipino character.
The strengths of the Filipino character are: 1) pakikipagkapwa-tao,
2) family orientation, 3) joy and humor, 4) flexibility, adaptability,
and creativity, 5) hard work and industry, 6) faith and religiosity,
and 7) ability to survive.
The Filipino character also has a weakness.: 1) extreme family
centeredness, 2) extreme personalism, 3) lack of discipline, 4)
passivity and lack of initiative, 5) colonial mentality, 6) kanya-kanya
syndrome, talang1ca mentality, 7) lack of self-analysis and self-
reflection, and emphasis on porma rather than substance.
13. Shahani's report ( 1988) explains that family orientation becomes
an in-group orientation that prevents us from reaching beyond the
family to the larger community and the nation. We are warm and
caring in our personalism, but this leads us to lack objectivity. We
are concerned with people we know but unfair to people we do not
know. In our flexibility, we compromise precision and discipline.
We are joyful people with a sense of humor. However, we cannot
always take things with humor, for serious problems need serious
analysis. Our faith in God is our source of strength, but this makes
us dependent on forces outside us and does nothing that makes
us submissive to God's will. We are good at pakikipagkapwa-tao
sad, so we can easily empathize. However, we can at the same
time be envious of others. We can be hard working yet lazy and
passive in the workplace.
14. Value Education in Schools
Senator Shahani's Report was given in 1988. However, its findings, as
reported, may still be true today. The Department of Education has as
its vision to help develop. Filipinos who passionately love their country
and whose values and competencies enable them to realize their full
potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation. It has as its
core values – maka-Diyos, maka- tao, makakalikasan and makabansa.
15. It can be an uphill battle for Philippine
schools to realize these considering the: 1)
extreme family centeredness, 2) extreme
personalism, 3) lack of discipline, 4) passivity
and lack of initiative, 5) colonial mentality,
6)kanya-kanya syndrome, talangka mentality,
7) lack of self-analysis and self-reflection, and
emphasis on porma rather than substance.
16. In 2002, the Basic Education Curriculum (Grade 1-6.
and First-Fourth Year High School) integrated values in
the major learning areas or subjects. Beginning with the
K to 12 Curriculum in 2013, Values Education was
renamed Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP) for
Grades 1-10. There is no course in the Senior High
Curriculum (Grades 11-12) with Values Education or
Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao. However, core courses
such as Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human
Person and Personal Development, are, in essence,
Values Education subjects themselves.
17. The Strengths of the Filipino character are:
• Pakikipagkapwa-tao
- basic sense of justice and fairness
- concern for others
-Ability to empathize with others
• Family orientation
- source of personal identity, emotional and material
support and
- one’s main commitment and responsibility.
• Joy and Humor
- Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving approach to life
and its ups and downs.
18. The Strengths of the Filipino character are:
• Flexibility, adaptability and creativity
- We can adjust and to adapt to circumstances and the sorrounding
environment, both physical and social; adjusts to whatever happens even in
unplanned or anticipated events.
• Hard word and industry
-We have the capacity for hard work given proper conditions;
- to raise one’s standard of living and to possess the essentials of a decent life
for one’s family.
• Faith and religiosity
-Filipinos have deep faith in God.
- Our innate religiosity enables us to comprehend and genuinely accept reality
in the context of God’s will and plan.
• Ability to survive – Filipinos make do with what is available in the
environment.
19. Many of our strengths as a people are also sources of our weakness:
• We can’t take things with humor at all times for serious problems
need serious analysis.
• Is our strength but this makes us dependent on forces outside us, do
nothing that makes us submissive to God’s will.
Joy and sense of humor
20. Many of our strengths as a people are also sources of our weakness:
• We can easily empathize but we can at the same time be envious of
others.
• Yet we can be lazy and passive at work.
Pakikipagkapwa-tao
