FILIPINO VALUES

What are the 5 Filipino values?

5 unique Pinoy values children should learn-- and never forget

 Respect for elders (Paggalang sa nakatatanda) ...

 Empathy (Pag-intindi sa nararamdaman ng iba) ...
 Deep regard for fellow humans (Pakikipagkapwa-tao) ...
 Patriotism (Pagiging makabayan) ...
 Cultural continuity (Pagpapatuloy sa kultura)
 The Filipino value system or Filipino values refers to the set of values or the value system that a
majority of the Filipino have historically held important in their lives. This Philippine values system
includes their own unique assemblage of consistent ideologies, moral codes, ethical practices, etiquette
and cultural and personal values that are promoted by their society. As with any society though, the
values that an individual holds sacred can differ on the basis of religion, upbringing and other factors.
 As a general description, the distinct value system of Filipinos is rooted primarily in personal alliance
systems, especially those based in kinship, obligation, friendship, religion (particularly Christianity) and
commercial relationships.[1]
 n ethics, value denotes the degree of importance of some thing or action, with the aim of determining
what actions are best to do or what way is best to live (normative ethics), or to describe the significance
of different actions. Value systems are proscriptive and prescriptive beliefs; they affect ethical behavior
of a person or are the basis of their intentional activities. Often primary values are strong and secondary
values are suitable for changes, What makes an action valuable may in turn depend on the ethical values
of the objects it increases, decreases or alters. An object with "ethic value" may be termed an "ethic or
philosophic good" (noun sense).[citation needed]
 Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of actions or outcomes. As
such, values reflect a person's sense of right and wrong or what "ought" to be. "Equal rights for all",
"Excellence deserves admiration", and "People should be treated with respect and dignity" are
representatives of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior and these types include
ethical/moral values, doctrinal/ideological (religious, political) values, social values, and aesthetic
values. It is debated whether some values that are not clearly physiologically determined, such as
altruism, are intrinsic, and whether some, such as acquisitiveness, should be classified as vices or
virtues.

10 filipinos values
1. Compassionate-A Filipino trait of being sympathetic to others even if the person is a stranger.
An example of this is giving alms to beggar. This is observed when we hear Filipinos saying
“kawawa naman or nakakaawa naman”.

2. Hard Work and Industry

This is also present in the country’s workforce particularly the farmers. Even with little support, technological
weaknesses and the country’s seasonal typhoons, the Filipino farmer still strives to earn their daily meal.

3. Spirit of Kinship and Camaraderie

A Filipino community spirit and cooperation wherein a group of individuals extends a helping hand without
expecting any remuneration. It is characterized by communal work towards one goal exmplified in carrying a
nipa house or pushing a passenger jeepney.

4. Ability to Survive

The Filipinos as a people who have been constantly under the rule of numerous powerful countries has over
time, developed a sense of resourcefulness or the ability to survive with whatever they have. They have the
extraordinary ability to make something out of almost nothing. If a Filipino was given just a screwdriver, plastic
bags, and some tape, he would still be able to build a bird tree, especially for the sake of survival, and provided
that he be allowed to hunt for some needed surrounding material.

5.Faith and Religiosity

The Philippines is approximately 85 percent Christians (mostly Roman Catholic Christians), 10 percent
Muslim, and 5 percent ‘other’ religions, including the Taoist-Buddhist religious beliefs of Chinese and the
‘indigenous’ animistic beliefs of some peoples in upland areas that resisted 300 years of Spanish colonial
rule. This is a reflection of the Filipinos’ strong faith in God as seen in their various practices. This includes the
numerous Church Holidays they observe, the customary (and obligatory) Sunday Mass, the individual’s basis of
their moral standpoints, the influence of the Church on the minds, actions, and opinions of the majority,
importance of the Sacraments, Praying at almost any possible time of the day, the extreme practices during
Holy Week.

6. Pakikipagkapwa-tao

This is the shared sense of identity and consciousness of the ‘other’. It means treating others with respect and
dignity as an equal, not someone below the individual.

7. Flexibility, Adaptability, Creativity

Studies show that Filipinos often have an aversion to a set of standardised rules or procedures; They are known
to follow a Natural Clock or Organic sense of time- doing things in the time they feel is right. They are present-
oriented: which means that one attends to a task or requirement at the time it is needed and does not worry
much about future engagements. This allows the Filipino to adapt and be flexible in doing the tasks at times not
bound to a particular schedule or timeframe. This allows them think on their feet and be creative in facing
whatever challenge or task they have even when it is already right in front of them.

8. Joy and Humor

This famous trait is the ability of Filipinos to find humour in everything. It sheds light on the optimism and
positivity of Filipinos in whatever situation they are in so as to remain determined in going through struggles or
challenges. It serves as a coping technique, the same way a child who has fallen laughs at himself/herself to
hide his/her emba.rrassment.

9. Family Orientation
The basic and most important unit of a Filipino’s life is the family. Unlike in Western countries, young Filipinos
who turn 18 are not expected to move out of their parents’ home. When a Filipino’s parents are old and cannot
take care of themselves, they are cared for in their children’s homes and are very rarely brought by their
children to Homes for the Aged. The practice of separating the elderly from the rest of the family, while
common in Western countries, is often looked down upon in Filipino society. Family lunches with the whole
clan with up to 50 people, extending until the line of second cousins, are not unusual. The Filipino puts a great
emphasis on the value of family and being close to one’s family members.

10. Hospitality

Foreigners who come to visit the Philippines speak of Filipinos going out of their way to help them when lost,
or the heartwarming generosity of a Filipino family hosting a visitor in their poverty-stricken home. Meanwhile,
most foreigners who attend Filipino gatherings abroad (which are frequently organized for hundreds of reasons)
testify to the warmth and friendliness of Filipinos as they experience that feeling of “belongingness.” Indeed,
the legendary Filipino hospitality is not limited to the Philippines. It is everywhere wherever there are Filipinos.
Filipinos can be found in almost all parts of the world. When we’re in a foreign country or outside Canada, we
rejoice at the sight of other co-Filipinos as if there’s something that binds us. Sometimes, if we’re not sure about
the nationality of a person, but he/she looks like a Filipino, we often ask,” Filipino ka ba?” Then if he /she”
yes”, we’re happy. If someone doesn’t meet our expectations in the way he/she answers questions or the way
he/she behaves, we say in frustration, ‘kapwa Filipino pa naman siya?”

What makes us think that our co-Filipinos can be trusted to give help or answer questions if we’re lost in a
foreign country? Why do we have so much expectation from our co-Filipinos? What binds us together?

The reason lies in the fact that we grew up being socialized or trained to practices and preserve our Filipino
cultural values, norms, customs, and traditions which are inculcated to us since birth and passed from one
generation to generations. Landa Jocano, a famous sociologist says that” there are no negative Filipino values,
only the wrong use of values”.Values change slowly, but it depends on how strong families are in preserving,
promoting, and passing on our cultural values from one generation to another. There are ways to preserve and
promote culture, particularly through the language, religion, literature, music, arts, of a particular groups of
people.

Language and culture are interrelated because embedded in the language are words that reflect cultural ways or
life styles of the people that live in a common environment. Filipino or Pilipino carries words which cannot be
translated exactly in English that show our cultural values of respect, regard for others, family solidarity, and
other beautiful Filipino values . If parents want their children to address their elders with respect, they have to
teach them how to speak Pilipino, the national language or their regional dialect.

Living in Canada allows us to preserve our cultural heritage, language, religious practices customs, and
traditions as long as we stay within the parameters of the law, and we don’t infringe on others’ rights and safety.
The government supports this preservation of our cultural heritage through different grants mostly through the
Provincial Department of Culture, Heritage, Tourism and the Office of the Multiculturalism and federally
through the Canadian Heritage Department.

There are many families who have become successful in having their children integrate to Canadian ways of life
by guiding their children to strike a balance or a blend of what is useful in both Filipino and the Canadian
cultures. Indeed, we have beautiful cultural values, such as those listed below. But sometimes these values
should be occasionally re-visited , re-examined,to find out whether they facilitate or impede us from being
successful in a new environment.

This re-examination of our traditional values and customs will be the aim of a workshop participated only by
Filipino seniors on August 21 at PCCM. The seniors led by facilitators will analyze what are the cultural
barriers that prevent them from living a safe life here in Canada free from abuse. Filipino Core Values that are
to be discussed are: 1. Family solidarity 2. Respect for elders 3. Utang na loob or debt of gratitude.4. Hiya is a
Filipino value that is difficult to translate in any Western language. Literally it connotes several meanings such
as shy, timid, sensitive rather than ashamed. 5. Amor propio- self-esteem 6. Pakikisama or pakikikapwa. Other
topics that will protect the safety and well-being of the seniors will also be discussed. The workshop will be
carried out in Pilipino or Filipino.

An extensive and critical analysis of the Filipino core values is presented in a book soon to be published by the
Knights of Rizal, Original Filipino Seniors’ Association ( OFSAM),Filipino Seniors Association of Manitoba (
FILCASA),and the Filipino Veterans Association entitled,

”Understanding Filipino Seniors in Manitoba: Their Immigration, Settlement, and Adaptation Process”

What do Filipinos value?

The term kapwa, or a shared inner self, lies at the core of Filipino values and psychology. A person who treats
another as a kapwa has a shared a sense of identity and consciousness with that ‘other’ person. Both in the
individual and community level, strong emphasis is placed on social acceptance and maintaining social
harmony. As such, social approval and caring about what others will think, say, or do strongly influence social
behavior.
Here are some of the values that Filipinos have historically held important:

The family

The family is at the center of the Filipino community. Children are not expected to leave their parents’ house
until they themselves get married; and even after then, many couples opt to stay with or close to their or their
spouse’s parents. Also, they’re expected to care for their ageing parents instead of sending them to a retirement
home. This is why it’s common to see different generations or multiple families living in a single residence. The
value that Filipinos put into caring for one’s family can also be seen as one of the reasons why nurses and
caregivers from the country provide their patients and clients with a high level of care.

Humor and positivity

Optimism, humor, and positivity are valued traits in the Philippines. The country has a long list of national
holidays, and many provinces and cities have their own sets of local holidays. At the same time, in the face of
difficult or challenging situations, members of the community are encouraged to look at the brighter side of
things. The inclination for finding the good in the bad can be traced to the country’s location, which lies in the
path of typhoons and sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire. In a place where natural calamities are commonplace,
humor and positivity work as a coping mechanism, much like how some children laugh to hide their
embarrassment after slipping or falling.

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Flexibility and adaptability

The term bahala na, which can be translated to whatever happens, happens, is one of the more familiar phrases
used in the country and is perhaps the most representative of how Filipinos value adaptability and quick
thinking. It exemplifies one’s belief in a higher power and submitting one’s fate to elements that cannot be
controlled. People who use the term bahala na do not see anything wrong with it, as it serves as a sort of
positive affirmation that allows them to deal with a problem right then and there. However, those who do see it
negatively often view it as a form of fatalistic submission or a way to absolve one from the responsibility of
their actions.

Faith and religion

Spirituality is deeply ingrained in Filipinos. A form of animism was already being practiced in many pre-
colonial societies and Islam has been firmly established in the southern islands even before the Spanish brought
Catholicism to the country. These days, religion still plays a big part in society and in the everyday lives of
Filipinos. The Catholic Church’s views still affect the passing of some laws, most towns still hold fiestas to
honor their patron saints, and many regular non-working national holidays are dedicated to celebrating various
religious activities and events. To many Filipinos, religion helps shape their values and principles.

Filipino hospitality

Filipinos in the country and around the globe can be expected to extend a warm welcome to their guests
regardless of where they come from, how well they know their host, and why they’re visiting someone’s home.
Hosts typically provide their guest with food and entertainment and, if there’s time, a tour around the local
destinations. Before they leave, guests are entreated to take home pasalubong or souvenirs, which often come in
the form of delicacies and local sweets.

Culture and Tradition

Brief Philippine history

Long before the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, the communities in the archipelago have been trading with
what is now China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its location beside continental Asia and along the
border of the Pacific Ocean provided the archipelago’s inhabitants a lot of opportunities to interact and
communicate with different groups of people. Some of the major influences that affected the communities in the
islands are Hindu religion, language, literature, and culture from India, and Islam from Arabia.

The Spanish Colonial Period began with the arrival of the Spaniards in 1521 and ended in 1898—lasting a total
of 333 years. The islands were named The Republic of the Philippines in 1543, in honor of King Philip II of
Spain. Christianity was also given heavy emphasis during this time. After Spain was defeated in the Spanish-
American War, the Philippines was occupied by America, Japan, and again, America after World War II. By
1946, the United States has ceded its sovereignty over the country and elections were held to elect the first
president of the independent republic.