Unit 2 Topic 5 POLITICAL SELF

TOPIC 5: THE POLITICAL SELF
Dr. Kathlyn A. Mata, RGC
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self- preservation, and that is an act of political
warfare.” – Audre Lorde
You have explored your spiritual self in the previous lesson, now it is time to take a chance to
look at your political self. In this lesson (for 3 hours) you will
be able to explore theoretical considerations of understanding
yourself as a Filipino.
To know more about the Filipinos, digging the culture is of great

importance. As Claro M. Recto said, “Nationalism is nourished
by a sense of history. It is of its essence to know profoundly the
past, so that we may be in complete openness with the men who
made that history and in intimate communion with their
thoughts, their deeds and their noble lives.”
www.caylacabagnot.com/home.blog
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. cite Filipino values and ways

2. identify ways on how Filipino identity is developed.
3. manifest behavior of Filipino sense of nationalism
WHO IS A FILIPINO?
Article IV Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution (Official Gazette Republic of the

Philippines) states that you are a Filipino citizen if:
a. You were born in the Philippines;

b. Your parents are citizens of the Philippines;
c. You were born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect
Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
d. You are naturalized in accordance with law.
Being a Filipino is not reflected by citizenship alone. The values and traits must also be
manifested.
VALUES AND TRAITS OF A FILIPINO
Filipinos have their own trademark. When asked to describe who is a Filipino, there are
adjectives or unique descriptions that are automatically attached to them. Some of the
cultural values are:
1. Utang na Loob – This is a way of showing gratitude for a favour or assistance extended
to a person, such debt can never be fully paid and the obligation can last for generations.
It is expected that when the grantor asks for help, the debtor needs to return the favour
with no excuses.
2. Hiya – Filipinos are generally dependent on what other people will think or say about
them. Social approval, acceptance by a group and belonging to a group play a vital role
in their life. Expressions such as “nakakahiya,” “ano na lang ang sasabihin nila” are
oftentimes heard from them:
3. Bahala Na – Filipinos have the tendency to utter this expression especially if they are
about to perform a difficult task or if they have exhausted all possible efforts in
performing a task. This shows their belief that someone up there will take care of the rest
for things that they are in little or no control at all.
4. Bayanihan – This term comes from the word “bayan” which means nation, town or
community. This is a Filipino trait of helping others without remuneration. This is a
communal trait which shows favourable deed towards one another in the community
5. Compadre System – It is expected that friends over non-acquaintance are given priority
to be given a favour such as job placement, promotion and the like.(Panopio, Corder-
McDonald, & Raymundo, 1995); (David & Macaraeg, 2010)
ROLE OF FAMILY, SCHOOL, CHURCH, PEER GROUP AND MEDIA IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF A FILIPINO IDENTITY?
1. Family – The family which is the most basic unit of society is the first world of a
child. Here, the child develops the initial sense of self, his/her first place of
indoctrination.
2. School – The school which is the first formal education of a child continues whatever
was instilled by the family during preschool age. Since most of the waking time of the
child is spent in the school, values instilled at home are then further crystallized. In
the Philippines, for a person finishing a degree, at least seventeen years are spent in
the school, hence educational institution significantly play in molding a person’s
identity.
3. Church – The child is spiritually influenced by the church teachings. The learnings
one gets from the church manifest on one’s views and actions to circumstances in life.
4. Peer group – The cliché “tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you
are” explains how peer influence each other. Generally, the opinion of one becomes
the stand of the whole group and vice versa, hence the statement, “one for all, all for
one.”
5. Media – Filipinos are well-versed on media information. Findings of Adel (2019)
reveal that an average of four hours and 12 minutes is spent on social media
platforms. This record doubles the global average of two hours and 16 minutes.
Filipinos are also regarded as world’s heaviest internet users.
HOW IS NATIONALISM DEPICTED BY A TRUE FILIPINO?
Nationalism is defined as identification with one’s own nation and support for its interest.
Do Filipinos consciously put an effort to be nationalistic? Every Monday, you hear
Filipinos in all government and private agencies including educational institutions
singing the national anthem. Is singing the national anthem and putting your right hand
over your chest reflects your being a nationalistic? What describes a true Nationalistic
Filipino?

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TOPIC 5: THE POLITICAL SELF

Dr. Kathlyn A. Mata, RGC

To know more about the Filipinos, digging the culture is of great

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

1. cite Filipino values and ways

Article IV Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution (Official Gazette Republic of the

a. You were born in the Philippines;

VALUES AND TRAITS OF A FILIPINO

ROLE OF FAMILY, SCHOOL, CHURCH, PEER GROUP AND MEDIA IN THE

HOW IS NATIONALISM DEPICTED BY A TRUE FILIPINO?

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