A Moral Recovery Program: Building a People --

Building a Nation
by Patricia Licuanan

The events at EDSA in February 1986 not only ousted a dictator, but also demonstrated to the
world and to ourselves our great strengths as a people. At EDSA we saw courage, determination
and strength of purpose; we saw unity and concern for one another; we saw deep faith in God;
and even in the grimmest moments, there was some laughter and humor.

We were proud of ourselves at EDSA and we expected great changes after our moment of glory.
Today, sometime after, we realize that most of our problems as a nation still remain. We may
have ousted a dictator, but that was the easy part. The task of building a nation is so much more
difficult. Now, with EDSA only an inspiring memory, we are faced with our weaknesses. Self-
interest and disregard for the common good rears its ugly head. We are confronted with our lack
of discipline and rigor, our colonial mentality, and our emphasis on porma (form). Despite our
great display of people's power, now we are passive once more, expecting our leaders to take all
responsibility for solving our many problems.

The task of building our nation is an awesome one. There is need for economic recovery. There
is need to re-establish democratic institutions and to achieve the goals of peace and genuine
social justice. Along with these goals, there is a need as well to build ourselves as a people. There
is need to change structures and to change people.

Building a people means eliminating our weaknesses and developing our strengths; this starts
with the analysis, understanding, and appreciation of these strengths and weaknesses. We must
take a good look at ourselves--objectively with scientific detachment, but also emotionally (i.e.,
lovingly) and, when appropriate, with disgust. We must view ourselves as might a lover viewing
a loved one but also as might a judge capable of a harsh verdict. We must not be self-flagellating,
but neither can we afford to be defensive.

We must change, and for this understanding ourselves is the first step.

STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

Pakikipagkapwa-Tao (regard for others). 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. Pakikipagkapwa-tao is manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness, and in
concern for others. 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.

Filipinos possess a sensitivity to people's feelings or pakikiramdam, pagtitiwala or trust, and a

sense of gratitude or utang-na-loob. Because of pakikipagkapwa-tao, 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.

Pakikipagkapwa-tao results in camaraderie and a feeling of closeness one to another. It helps

promote unity as well a sense of social justice.

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Family Orientation. 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.

Concern for family 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.

Joy and Humor. 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.

This sense of joy and humor 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.

Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity. 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.

This quality of the Filipino 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.

The result is productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship, equanimity, and survival.

Hard work and Industry. 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. The result is productivity and entrepreneurship for some, and
survival despite poverty for others.

Faith and Religiosity. 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.

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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.

The faith of the Filipino is related to bahala na, which, instead of being viewed as defeatist
resignation, may be considered positively as a reservoir of psychic energy, an important
psychological support on which we can lean during difficult times. This pampalakas ng
loob allows us to act despite uncertainty.

Our faith and daring was manifest at EDSA and at other times in our history when it was
difficult to be brave. 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.

The results of the Filipino's faith are courage, daring, optimism, inner peace, as well as the
capacity to genuinely accept tragedy and death.
Ability to Survive. 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.

WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

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

Because of this personalistic world view, Filipinos have difficulty dealing with all forms of
impersonal stimuli. For this reason one is uncomfortable with bureaucracy, with rules and
regulations, and with standard procedures--all of which tend to be impersonal. We ignore them
or we ask for exceptions.

Personal contacts are involved in any transaction and are difficult to turn down. Preference is
usually given to family and friends in hiring, delivery of services, and even in voting. Extreme
personalism thus leads to the graft and corruption evident in Philippine society.
Extreme Family-Centeredness. 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.

Excessive concern for family manifests itself in the use of one's office and power as a means of
promoting the interests of the family, in factionalism, patronage, and political dynasties, and in

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the protection of erring family members. It results in lack of concern for the common good and
acts as a block to national consciousness.

Lack of Discipline. The Filipino's lack of discipline encompasses several related characteristics.
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. We are guilty
of ningas cogon, starting out projects with full vigor and interest which abruptly die down,
leaving things unfinished.

Our lack of discipline often results in inefficient and wasteful work systems, the violation of
rules leading to more serious transgressions, and a casual work ethic leading to carelessness and
lack of follow-through.

Passivity and Lack of Initiative. Filipinos are generally passive and lacking in initiative. 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.

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.

Colonial Mentality. Filipinos have a colonial mentality which 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.

Filipino culture is characterized by an openness to the outside--adapting and incorporating the

foreign elements into our image of ourselves. Yet this image is not built around a deep core of
Philippine history and language. The result is a cultural vagueness or weakness that makes
Filipinos extraordinarily susceptible to the wholesome acceptance of modern mass culture
which is often Western. Thus, there is preference for foreign fashion, entertainment, lifestyles,
technology, consumer items, etc.

The Filipino colonial mentality 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.

Kanya-Kanya Syndrome. 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. Towards them, the Filipino demonstrated the so-called "crab mentality",
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.
The kanya-kanya syndrome 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

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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.

The kanya-kanya syndrome results in the dampening of cooperative and community spirit and
in the denial of the rights of others.

Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection. 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.

Related to this is the Filipino emphasis on form (maporma) rather than upon substance. There
is a tendency to be satisfied with rhetoric and to substitute this for reality. Empty rhetoric and
endless words are very much part of public life. As long as the right things are said, as long as
the proper documents and reports exist, and as long as the proper committees, task forces, or
offices are formed, Filipinos are deluded into believing that what ought to be actually exists.

The Filipino lack of self-analysis and our emphasis upon form is reinforced by an educational
system that is often more form than substance and a legal system that tends to substitute law for
reality.

THE MANY FACES OF THE FILIPINO

From this discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino, it is clear that there is
much that is good here, but there is also much that needs to be changed. Many of our strong
points are also the sources of our weakness.

As a people, we are person-oriented, and relationships with others are a very important part of
our lives. Thus, we are capable of much caring and concern for others. On the other hand, in the
extreme our person orientation leads to lack of objectivity and a disregard for universal rules
and procedures so that everyone, regardless of our relationship with them, is treated equally.
Our person orientation leads us to be concerned for people, and yet unfair to some.

Our family orientation is both a strength and a weakness, giving us a sense of rootedness and
security, both very essential to any form of reaching out to others. At the same time, it develops
in us an in-group orientation that prevents us from reaching out beyond the family to the larger
community and the nation.

Our flexibility, adaptability and creativity is a strength that allows us to adjust to any set of
circumstances and to make the best of the situation. But this ability to "play things by ear" leads
us to compromise on the precision and discipline necessary to accomplish many work-oriented
goals.

Our sense of joy and humor serves us well in difficult times. it makes life more pleasant, but
serious problems do need serious analysis, and humor can also be destructive.

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Our faith in God and our religiosity are sources of strength and courage, but they also lead to an
external orientation that keeps us passive and dependent on forces outside ourselves.

There are other contradictions in the many faces of the Filipino. We find pakikipagkapwa-
tao and the kanya-kanya mentality living comfortably together in us. We are other-oriented
and capable of great empathy; and yet we are self-serving, envious of others, and
unconstructively critical of one another.

We also find the Filipino described alternately as hardworking and lazy. Indeed we see that we
are capable of working long and hard at any job. However, our casual work ethic as well as our
basic passivity in the work setting also is apparent as we wait for orders and instructions rather
than taking the initiative.

ROOTS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER

The strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino have their roots in many factors such as: (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, and (10) leadership and role models.

The Family and Home Environment. 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."
In a large family where we are encouraged to get along with our siblings and other relatives, we
learn pakikipagkapwa-tao. In an authoritarian setting we learn respect for age and authority; at
the same time we become passive and dependent on authority.
In the family, children are taught to value family and to give it primary importance.

The Social Environment. The main components of the social environment are social structures
and social systems such as interpersonal religious and community interaction. The social
environment of the Filipino 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.

The Filipino is raised in an environment where one must depend on relationships with others in
order to survive. In a poor country where resources are scarce and where the systems meant to
respond to people's needs can be insensitive, inefficient, or non-existent, the Filipino becomes
very dependent on kinship and interpersonal relationships.

Sensitivity about hurting established relationships controls our behavior. We are restrained
from making criticisms no matter how constructive, so standards of quality are not imposed. We
have difficulty saying no to requests and are pressured to favor our family and friends. That
trying to get ahead of others is not considered acceptable exerts a strong brake upon efforts to

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improve our individual performance. The struggle for survival and our dependence on
relationships make us in-group oriented.

Culture and Language. 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.

Filipino culture rewards such traits and corresponding behavioral patterns develop because they
make one more likable and enable life to proceed more easily.

Aside from emphasizing interpersonal values, Filipino culture is also characterized by an

openness to the outside which easily incorporates foreign elements without a basic
consciousness of our cultural core. This is related to our colonial mentality and to the use of
English as the medium of instruction in schools.

The introduction of English as the medium of education de-Filipinized the youth and taught
them to regard American culture as superior. The use of English contributes also to a lack of
self-confidence on the part of the Filipino. The fact that doing well means using a foreign
language, which foreigners inevitably can handle better, leads to an inferiority complex. At a
very early age, we find that our self-esteem depends on the mastery of something foreign.
The use of a foreign language may also explain the Filipino's unreflectiveness and mental
laziness. Thinking in our native language, but expressing ourselves in English, results not only in
a lack of confidence, but also in a lack in our power of expression, imprecision, and a stunted
development of one's intellectual powers.
History. 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
fate.

The American influence is more ingrained in the Philippines because the Americans set up a
public school system where we learned English and the American way of life. Present-day media
reinforce these colonial influences, and the Filipino elite sets the example by their western ways.

Another vestige of our colonial past is our basic attitude towards the government, which we have
learned to identify as foreign and apart from us. Thus, we do not identify with government and
are distrustful and uncooperative towards it. Much time and energy is spent trying to outsmart
the government, which we have learned from our colonial past to regard as an enemy.

The Educational System. Aside from the problems inherent in the use of a foreign language in
our educational system, the educational system leads to other problems for us as a people. 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.

Aside from the influences of the formal curriculum, there are the influences of the "hidden
curriculum" i.e., the values taught informally by the Philippine school system. Schools are highly
authoritarian, with the teacher as the central focus. The Filipino student is taught to be

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dependent on the teacher as we attempt to record verbatim what the teacher says and to give
this back during examinations in its original form and with little processing. Teachers reward
well-behaved and obedient students and are uncomfortable with those who ask questions and
express a different viewpoint. The Filipino student learns passivity and conformity. Critical
thinking is not learned in the school.

Religion. 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 pre-occupation with
the afterlife. We become vulnerable also to being victimized by opportunism, oppression,
exploitation, and superstition.

The Economic Environment. 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.

The Political Environment. The Philippine political environment 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.
Similarly, basic services from the government are concentrated in Manila and its outlying towns
and provinces. A great majority of Filipinos are not reached by such basic services as water,
electricity, roads, and health services. Government structures and systems--e.g., justice and
education--are often ineffective or inefficient.

Since the government often is not there to offer basic services, we depend on our family, kin, and
neighbors for our everyday needs. The absence of government enhances our extreme family-and
even community-centeredness. We find it difficult to identify with a nation-family, since the
government is not there to symbolize or represent the state.

The fact that political power is still very much concentrated in the hands of a few may lead to
passivity. The inefficiency of government structures and systems also leads to a lack of integrity
and accountability in our public servants.

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

The tendency of media to produce escapist movies, soap operas, comics, etc., feed th Filipino's
passivity. Rather than confront our poverty and oppression, we fantasize instead. The
propensity to use flashy sets, designer clothes, superstars, and other bongga features
reinforce porma.

Leadership and Role Models. 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.