Republic of the Philippines

Pangasinan State University

OPEN UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS
Lingayen, Pangasinan

FDM 202
ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC SERVICE

Group I (Report on Topic 4: “Ethics and Culture”)

Hamilton Reyes
Brenald Cuison
Maria Veronica Bueno
Monaliza Sabado
Added: Floyd Constantino
Miguel Carlo Fetiza

ETHICS AND CULTURE

1. The Issue Relativism

"What anyone believes is true for that person. What you believe is true for
you, what I believe is true for me." The view expressed in such statements is
usually called "relativism". This view denies that there is any such thing as absolute
truth and claims that all truth is relative to the person who believes it.

Another main theory of morality is relativism. Relativism holds that values

depend on individual or collective attitude towards them. Values are often
classified into three types: epistemic values (true, false), aesthetic values
(beautiful, ugly) and ethical values (good, bad).

Three Types of Relativism:

a. Epistemic relativism – holds that the claim of truth value of statements depend
on individuals or group.
b. Aesthetic relativism – holds that what is beautiful or ugly depends on people
or cultures.
c. Moral Relativism – which is of interest to us here, supports that what is good
or badly depends on individuals or cultural groups.

Ethical Relativism:

Ethical relativism is the theory that holds that morality is relative to the
norms of one's culture. That is, whether an action is right or wrong depends on
the moral norms of the society in which it is practiced. The same action may be
morally right in one society but be morally wrong in another. For the ethical
relativist, there are no universal moral standards -- standards that can be
universally applied to all peoples at all times. The only moral standards against
which a society's practices can be judged are its own. If ethical relativism is correct,
there can be no common framework for resolving moral disputes or for reaching
agreement on ethical matters among members of different societies.

Admitting that most beliefs (especially scientific or purely factual beliefs)

are true or false absolutely, but holding that relativism is nevertheless correct for
some limited class of beliefs. Since relativists are often interested in applying their
view chiefly to ethical issues, for example, what I believe is right is right for me,
and what you believe is right is right for you. If I think abortion is wrong, then it
is true for me that abortion is wrong; if you think abortion is all right, then it is
true for you that abortion is all right.

2. Moral Education and Culture

A. Moral Education

Introduction:

It is almost axiomatic that value education, and more so, moral education
is at the heart of the very concept of education per se, without which no process
of education can be termed as educational. It will be rather a contradiction in terms
to say that a person is educated but does not recognise a value structure in ones
thoughts and actions. Unfortunately the education being imparted in our schools,
colleges, and universities today is in most cases an example of such contradictions.
If we have to realise the 'truth' that has remained the hallmark of our identity as
a nation, we will have to remove contradictions and inconsistencies of behaviour.
And education, rightly conceived and properly practised is the only answer to it. It
is through educating people that we can initiate them into worthwhile activities.
And no process or activity that is not rooted in or based on human values can be
termed as truly education. We need to define human growth not in relation to
others but in relation to our own self. It is the negative conception of human
growth that is probably the major source of man's anguish, anxiety and frustration.

Moral education influences the social thinking of the individual and makes
him/her distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. It is important as it
teaches diversity, tolerance, mutual respect and pluralistic values. Moral education
is a basic need for modern times where one is fast witnessing a degeneration of
moral values.

Moral Education is an umbrella term for two quite different tasks and
approaches. The first task, which might better be called “moral socialization or
training”, is the task of nurturing in children those virtues and values that make
them good people. The second task of moral education is to provide students with
the intellectual resources that enable them to make informed and responsible
judgments about difficult matters of moral importance.

Moral Education vis-a-vis Religion:

To attempt a distinction between moral education and religious education

we can, at the outset, say to ourselves that it is possible to live without a religion
but it is unthinkable to live without any set of moral values. Such and idea casts
greatest doubt on the validity of any linkage between morality and religion. Moral
education derived from or linked with religion must essentially be authoritarian,
whereas education, by its very nature, is anti-authoritarian, for education rightly
conceived, enables us to be autonomous, to think on our own and to make
independent choices. That is, to be educated, we must accept a particular code of
conduct not because it is recommended by some godhead but because it is good
in itself.

Again linking of morality with religion is unacceptable because religion

denies the individual the right to choose the principle of morality and behaviour
according to his/her own thinking. Such a proposition is unacceptable also because
it puts a dead end to any growth of moral knowledge or understanding. The fact
remains that moral action is, of necessity, context dependent. But since religious
morality is based on authority; it provides no room for changing our moral
principles in changing social circumstances or to meet new social and moral
problems.

Moral Education and Moral Training:

Moral education is not a matter of giving instruction in certain moral tenets,

nor is it a matter of getting to know certain moral values (virtues) that are objective
fixed and unquestionable. It is rather a matter of learning to think for ourselves
on moral issues, of becoming morally autonomous. To describe the act of teaching
we use terms like instruction, training, conditioning, indoctrination and sometimes
education. Each of these terms has a definite and specific meaning and cannot be
used inter changeably.

In the process of education, however, the aim is the development of

knowledge and understanding, a kind of cognitive perspective, and also to develop
critical awareness. To be educated therefore means not only the acquisition of
autonomy but also the capacity to use that autonomy effectively. Mere acquisition
of freedom of thought does not qualify a person to be called educated unless one
is adequately informed of the subject. We very well recognize that we do not give
proper cognizance to individuals' opinions unless we are convinced that he has
given proper thought to the matter and he knows what he is talking about.

To clarify the terms morality and moral education first by showing that
moral consciousness is an essential condition of being educated; and second by
distinguishing moral education from moral training, moral instruction etc. On this
basis we shall not call a person morally educated if he has a traditional moral
upbringing - a man who has been taught what to believe and not, how or why to
believe. This is what Kohlberg calls the "bag of virtues" approach to moral
education, wherein values are conceived as fixed and unchangeable to be instilled
in children through the process of conditioning or of reward and punishment. But
the truth is that a person who is not capable of reaching his autonomous moral
decision or reaches them without giving consideration to the context or the
situation will not be termed as morally educated.

Characterisation of Morally Educated Person:

A morally educated person should have sufficient factual knowledge

relevant to the issue. Alfred Jules Ayer calls such knowledge as "non-moral" facts
of the case, which constitute the factual premises from which one can logically
derive the ultimate moral choices or decisions. Ifone lacks proper scientific
knowledge about the issue in question, one is bound to base hislher choices on
ignorance and hence is likely to reach wrong decisions. Then in order to make
proper moral choices the individual should also possess certain social skills; he
must of example, need to understand, how to relate to people, get on with them,
even communicate with them.

Further, a morally educated person needs to possess knowledge and

understanding of the feeling of others. He remains concerned with the needs of
other persons as he does feel for his own. That is, he should empathically
understand them. Our moral behaviour is influenced by our own feelings and
emotions, even more than by a consideration of those of others. Such emotions
provide a motivation to carry out the decision. One need to realise that taking
moral decisions purely at intellectual level is not sufficient due to such pressure as
taste which are often not linkea to morals. It is a fact that we do not always do
what we ought to. For Aristotle, moral education involves not nearly the teaching
of right rule; it also involves a kind of character training to enable them to act on
it.

Moral Learning to Moral Education:

To morally educate a child, teachers have a great responsibility. But there

is a feature of moral education that makes it very difficult for teacher to fulfil his
responsibility. The fact is that children do not wait until they come to school for
their moral development, nor is moral learning restricted to what they are offered
at school. They bring enough of moral learning with them when they start coming
to school. Moral learning is unlike learning a foreign language where the pupil is
supposed to know nothing before he/she is made to learn by the teacher. Moral
learning takes place both inside and outside the school. Moral decisions have to
be made at many occasions. As a result the pupils would have already acquired
many moral attitudes, beliefs and habits before they form a school.

Both inside and outside the school children will acquire moral attitudes,
beliefs and habits of behaviour. All moral learning so acquired, however, needs to
be converted into moral education. We must accept that every pupil will have
content to his/her moral learning, and teachers must contribute to such "content"
and provide it a "form" of moral education. Providing content is necessary because
children from the earliest age need rules, norms and criteria of choice, standards
of behaviour, for they have make choices. Though as children they are not faced
with a big moral problem, yet moral choices will have to be made. For example,
should I eat my friends' sweets while he/she is not looking. Second, the children
need to develop settled habits and dispositions, if they are to have self-discipline
to carry out rational moral choices in future. They can develop such dispositions if
they are helped to acquire some standards and norms of behaviour from earliest
times. Aristotle also said, "We become virtuous by working virtuously". It is
impossible to establish a universally acceptable or valid basis for any particular set
of moral precepts or values, yet as Dewey suggests, a good deal of common sense
can be offered to pupils in a largely uncontroversial manner. There are certain
broadly accepted social norms such as respect for human life, for truth, for honesty
etc. on the basis of which one can suggest that pupil should not bully, steal, lie,
cheat or harm other people. Should a child think for himself at a later stage about
any particular moral issue, the teachers or parents at an early stage must not be
too heavy handed or dogmatic. A light and easy touch is essential if autonomy is
ever to be possible. Any moral precept forced on the child in early childhood in an
aggressive manner, perhaps accompanied by severe punishment or to be dogmatic
suggest that whether they understand the reason or not, they must accept that
direction. This can never be conducive to the notion of autonomy that is central
element in morality. It will not encourage progress beyond the heterogeneous
stage.

B. Culture

Defining Culture:

Culture is defined as the learned common way of life of a society which is

reflected in its customs, traditions, folkways, mores and beliefs as well as in the
totality of tools, techniques, artifacts, etc. that are used or practiced by the people
in it. Values, attitudes and norms are also part of culture. Values are the things
considered good, important and desirable in life. The family, the school, and other
social agents are the channels or conveyors of values and ideals which an
individual learns to accept through cultural conditioning.

Human existence is impracticable without ideas, rules, ideals, symbols and

patterns of thinking. Symbols, ideas, rules, ideals, and patterns of thinking,
network of social relations and material objects together comprise the mental,
rational, and material, technological processes and products. They are integrated
into a whole, the design of living. This design of living is called culture. It is the
total way of life of the human being. Culture serves as a potential guide for human
living. As a guide, it aids the human being to know what is good and
bad, desirable, important and unimportant, rational and irrational.

Culture is an integral part of ethics and vice versa. The culture of a

community impacts it progress, development, laws, principles and to some extent,
its policies. It usually differs from culture to culture. In spite of that, certain values
remain the same simply because they are ethically and morally justifiable. Cultural
ethics, as the name suggests deals with the morality, integrity, principles and
values of a culture and in some case, even religion. Cultural ethics reflect the
values and morals of a society and therefore, it plays a vital role in the governance
of that society.

As a Filipino, our values spring from particular way of viewing life, its origin,
its meaning and its purpose. For example, the value of pananalig sa Maykapal
comes from the belief that God is the Supreme Creator. The values of pag-ibig,
pakikipagkapwa, pagpapahalaga sa pamilya, hiya and utang na loob take roots in
the awareness of social relatedness, and from the awareness of his worth as a
person, dignified and responsible, come dangal, amor propio, delicadeza and
palabra de honor.

Elements of Culture:

a. Values

What is considered as good, proper and desirable, or bad, improper or

undesirable, in a culture can be called as values. It influence people’s behaviour
and serve as a benchmark for evaluating the actions of others.

b. Norms

Norms refers to a standard pattern of behaviour that is accepted by a society.

Norms may differ from society to society. Generally there are two types of
norms formal norms and informal norms. Norms that are written down and
violation of which can lead to punishment is referred to as formal norms. By
contrast, informal norms are generally understood and followed by a society
though not recorded in black and white.

c. Sanctions

Sanctions consist of both rewards and penalties. It includes rewards for

conducting the norms of the society as prescribed or penalties for defying the
concerned social norms. Adherence to a norm can lead to positive sanctions
such as a medal, a word of gratitude, or a pat on the back. Negative sanctions
include fines, threats, imprisonment, and even unpleasant stares for contempt.

Effects of Culture:

• Determines how people communicate

• Determines how people interact
• Determine how people relate to one another
• Determines what is appropriate behavior
• Determines how power and status are allocated
• Guides day-to-day working relationships

3. Filipino Culture:

a. Knowledge
Philippines is the world’s second-largest archipelago which consists of more
than 7,000 islands. It is the only English-speaking archipelago in Southeast Asia
with a majority of people following the Catholic religion. The national language of
Philippine is English next to Filipino and its uniqueness has a great impact on its
education system. The Philippine education system is based on the American
system where English is the medium of instruction. Along with academics social
and cultural aspects are also cherished by the Philippine schools.
Culture is the foundation of education, sustainable development, and
governance in culture-based education. Culture provides perspective,
methodology, principle, assessment, framework, and evaluation upon which
abilities, skills, and knowledge regarding a person and the world are disseminated.
It is a teaching strategy and a philosophy of education where student learning is
grounded on the unique values, norms, cultural beliefs, knowledge, practices,
heritage, language, experiences of the community. The Filipinos develop a great
understanding, awareness, and appreciation of their history, arts, heritage, and
geography towards the perception that will enhance the quality of life. With the
implementation of culture-based education the Philippines visualizes to progress
as a nation of culturally empowered and literate Filipinos who are committed global
citizens as well as ardent nationalists and patriotic people.
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b. Social Norms-folkways, mores, laws etc.

Social norms guide our behavior and interaction with other people. Every
day, our actions and interactions are guided by a set of shared, often tacit,
understandings of how to behave in the world. These are called social norms and
they refer to the ways that different cultures expect people to behave.
Folkways, which are norms that really aren't all that strict. Think of folkways
as more like the norms that govern casual or informal social interaction. Folkways
are learned through socialization into a particular culture. In other words, as we
grow up in a particular place, we come to understand how we're expected to
behave in public settings.
Mores refer to things that we, as a culture, consider to be deeply held values
that we do not want to break. These are much stricter than folkways. Mores are
things like the famous expression thou shall not kill. In other words, we agree that
things like murder or stealing are bad. Mores are a society's most important values.
Laws are written and enforced rules that guide behavior. They are more
like a system of rules that are enforced by some institution, like the police or the
government. Laws are different from mores in that they are guided by an authority
as opposed to a society's moral beliefs.
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c. Ideas-beliefs and values

Beliefs come from real experiences but often we forget that the original
experience is not the same as what is happening in life now. Our values and beliefs
affect the quality of our work and all our relationships because what you believe
is what you experience. We tend to think that our beliefs are based on reality, but
it is our beliefs that govern our experiences.
The beliefs that we hold are an important part of our identity. They may be
religious, cultural or moral. Beliefs are precious because they reflect who we are
and how we live our lives.
Values are principles, standards or qualities that an individual or group of
people hold in high regard. These values guide the way we live our lives and the
decisions we make. A value may be defined as something that we hold dear, those
things/qualities which we consider to be of worth.
Values can influence many of the judgments we make as well as have an
impact on the support we give clients. It is important that we do not influence
client’s decisions based on our values. We should always work from the basis of
supporting the client’s values.
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d. Material Culture
Material culture refers to the physical stuff that human beings surround
themselves with and which has meaning for the members of a cultural group.
Mostly this ‘‘stuff’’ is things that are made within a society, but sometimes it is
gathered directly from the natural world or recovered from past or distant cultures.
It can be contrasted with other cultural forms such as ideas, images, practices,
beliefs, and language that can be treated as independent from any specific
material substance. The clothes, tools, utensils, gadgets, ornaments, pictures,
furniture, buildings, and equipment of a group of people are its material culture
and for disciplines such as archaeology and anthropology provide the raw data for
understanding other societies. In recent years sociologists have begun to
recognize that the ways that material things are incorporated into the culture
shape the way that society works and communicates many of its features to
individual members.
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4. Filipino values:

Values are integral part of every culture. With world view and personality,
they generate behavior. Being part of a culture that shares a common core set of
values creates expectations and predictability without which a culture would
disintegrate and its member would lose their personal identity and sense of worth.

Values tell people what is good, beneficial important, useful, beautiful,

desirable, constructive, etc. They answer the question of why people do what they
do. Values help people solve common problems for survival. Over time, they
become the roots of traditions that groups of people find important in their day-
to-day lives.

Filipino values may be attributed into many influences. These can be from
its ancestors or influenced from its colonizers. Some values are bipolar, meaning
it can be positive or negative.
The Filipino value system or Filipino values refers to the set
of values 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 hold 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

a. Beliefs and traditions

Beliefs and traditions are part of every culture. For Filipinos like us, it also
serves as evidence that in some way or another, we still have similar points of
views. Our culture is a big reflection of our great and complex history. It is
influenced by most of the people we have interacted with. A blend of the Malayo-
Polynesian and Hispanic culture with the influence from Chinese, Indians Arabs,
and other Asian cultures really contribute to the customs and traditions of the
Filipinos.

Filipino culture is unique compared to other Asian countries, and beliefs

apply every day in the life of the Filipinos and reveal how rich and blessed the
culture the people have.

Some of the popular Filipino traditions and find the similarities that bind
Filipinos to each other.

Mano Po. When children or young people greet or say goodbye to their
elders, they typically do so by taking the right hand of the elder with their right
hand and touch the back the elder's hand lightly on their forehead. It is a way of
giving respect to the elders and I believe that is also a way of receiving blessing
to the elders. Mano is a Spanish word for “hand” while Po is used in the end of
the sentence when addressing elders or superiors.

Hospitable. Foreign visitors in the country are treated with the utmost
respect. This trait is usually seen during fiestas and holidays where many Filipinos
are giving their best to entertain their visitors well. It is amazing to see that even
the simplest home along the road opens their home to a stranger. For Filipinos,
to be able to serve others gives them honor of showing true friendship. Filipino
Hospitality is a trait you can't take away from them.

Having Close Family Ties is also one of their unique traits. It is one of
the outstanding cultural values that Filipinos have. The families take care of each
other and are taught to be loyal to family and elders by simply obeying their
authorities. This is one of the unique characteristics of Filipinos. Having fondness
for family reunions during secular and religious holidays such as Christmas, New
Year’s Eve, All Saints’ Day, Holy Week, Fiestas, homecomings, birthdays,
weddings, graduations, baptisms, funerals etc. is evidence that Filipino people
valued not only our cultural tradition but the spirit of our family. As Filipinos, we
are blessed to have been brought up with strong family ties.
Bayanihan. It is the spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a
particular objective. A famous example of this is the neighbors carrying a hut or
house to a new location. People nowadays use it to describe an outpouring of
community spirit-as people give their all to the common good, without expecting
recognition or personal gain.

Courtship. We Filipinos are very romantic when it comes to heart affairs.

Serenading or Harana in Tagalog is one of the most popular forms of courtship to
show that a man is very serious with his intentions to a woman. A serenade would
require the young man to sing a love song in front of the young lady's house.

Religion. The Philippines is one of two predominantly Roman Catholic

nations in Asia-Pacific. Their habit of going to church and often praying reflects
that Filipinos have a deep faith and belief when it comes to religion. They are very
devoted to religions that sometimes many take the risk of their lives just to touch
the Black Nazarene (in Quiapo Manila). For many, it is just a choice between their
faith and fears. Filipinos believe that having a strong devotion may lead to a better
life and their guidance to face everyday life.

Superstition in the Philippines, superstitious beliefs have grown

throughout the country. These beliefs have come from the different sayings and
beliefs of our ancestors that aim to prevent danger from happening or to make a
person refrain from doing something in particular. These beliefs are part of our
culture, for one derives their beliefs from the influences of what their customs,
traditions and culture have dictated to explain certain phenomena or to scare
people. Some are practiced primarily because Filipinos believe that there is nothing
to lose if they will comply with these beliefs.

Cuisine. The Philippines is considered the melting pot of Asia. The rich
medley of Chinese, Malay, Spanish, Mexican, American, and Indian cooking are
noticed in Philippine cuisine. Eating out is one of the favorite Filipino past times.
A typical Pinoy diet consists at most of six meals a day; breakfast, snacks, lunch,
snacks, dinner, and again a midnight snack before going to sleep. Rice is a staple
in the Filipino diet, and is usually eaten together with other dishes. Filipinos
regularly use spoons together with forks and knives. Some also eat with their
hands, especially in informal settings, and when eating seafood.
Other popular dishes brought from Spanish and Southeast Asian influences include
afritada, asado, chorizo, empanadas, mani (roasted peanuts), paksiw (fishor pork,
cooked in vinegar and water with some spices like garlic and pepper), pan de sal
(bread rolls), pescado frito (fried or grilled fish), sisig, torta(omelette), kare-kare
(ox-tail stew), kilawen, pinakbet (vegetable stew), pinapaitan, and sinigang
(tamarind soup with a variety of pork, fish, or prawns). Some delicacies eaten by
some Filipinos may seem unappetizing to the Western palate include balut (boiled
egg with a fertilized duckling inside), longanisa (sweet sausage), and dinuguan
(soup made from pork blood).
Popular snacks and desserts such as chicharon (deep fried pork or chicken
skin), halo-halo (crushed ice with evaporated milk, flan, and sliced tropical
fruit),puto (white rice cakes), bibingka (rice cake with butter or margarine and
salted eggs), ensaymada (sweet roll with grated cheese on top), polvoron (powder
candy), and tsokolate (chocolate) are usually eaten outside the three main meals.
Popular Philippine beverages include San Miguel Beer, Tanduay Rhum,coconut
arrack, and tuba.

Every province has its own specialty and tastes vary in each region. In
Bicol, for example, foods are generally spicier than elsewhere in the Philippines.
Patis, suka, toyo, bagoong, and banana catsup are the most common condiments
found in Filipino homes and restaurants. A roasted pig known as the Lechón, is
one of the Philippines most popular dishes.

Marriage and Wedding Customs. In the country, marriage is a sacred

union of man and women after a period of courtship and engagement. It is a
sacrament between two people who love each other’s. For many Filipinos, the
eternal quality of dedication to God pervades a truly sacred marriage. A sacred
marriage is a covenant between two who love each other in God and with God,
whose joining becomes an expression of the desire of each to love and serve God
together.

Death in the Philippines is one of the most important occasions in family

life. For many Filipinos, a death of relatives is an opportunity to strengthen ties in
the Family. To pay respect and honor the relationship to the deceased, long lost
relatives, friends, and even relatives working abroad are reunited. The Philippines
is the home of some unique death rituals that are partly religious and mostly
superstitious. The mourning and the weeping are still present, but a happy and
welcoming atmosphere would usually envelop the place to help the deceased on
his journey to the afterlife. After the death of a person, a nine-day period of having
a novena of prayers and Masses offered up to the deceased is held, although the
beginning of the "Siyam na araw" varies, but usually ends the week after the
death. Another period follows after death, the 40-day mourning period. Family
members indicate their state of bereavement by wearing a small, black rectangular
plastic pin on their left breast or breast pocket area. A ceremonial mass is held at
the end of this 40-day period. Common belief states that the soul goes to Heaven
after these 40 days, following the belief that Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven
after the said period of days.

Society. The primary ancestors of Filipinos are Malays who came from the
southeastern Asian country which is now called Indonesia. The Philippines is a
combined society, both singular and plural in form. It is singular as one nation,
but plural in that it is fragmented geographically and culturally. The nation is
divided between Christians, Muslims, and other religious-ethno-linguistic groups;
between urban and rural people; between upland and lowland people; and
between the rich and the poor. Although different in numerous ways, the Filipinos
are very hospitable and give appropriate respect to everybody regardless of race,
culture and belief.

Christmas in the Philippines is considered as one of the biggest holidays

in the archipelago. We earned the distinction of celebrating the world’s longest
Christmas season with Christmas carols heard as early as September and lasting
until Epiphany, the feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9 or the Feast of the
Santo Niño de Cebu on the third Sunday of January. In one’s article, Archbishop
Cruz told in his Christmas message that "the essence of Christmas is God made
flesh, God who has come among us" in an act of love "that joins humankind to
the Living God through our Lord Jesus Christ". For many Filipinos, the true essence
of Christmas for is not gift giving but sharing this special holy day with family.

Fiestas. Every town and city in the Philippines has a fiesta of its own;
whatever time of the year it is, there's sure to be a fiesta going on somewhere.
Fiestas in the Philippines are held to celebrate a patron saint. It is part and parcel
of Filipino culture through good times and bad times, it must go on. The biggest
and most elaborate festival of all is Christmas, a season celebrated with all the
pomp and pageantry where the whole country breaks out in celebrations that can
begin long before December. For individual Filipinos, fiestas can be a way of
supplicating the heavens or to make amends for past wrongs. It is a way to
celebrate their blessings, commemorate their past and observe solemn religious
rituals. Celebrations may take the form of music, dancing, feasting, beauty
contests, balls, processions, sports challenges or a host of other events.

Spanish influence is evident in the elaborate masks, makeup, headdresses

and costumes worn by the revelers; outfits which often take months of
preparation.

Living with Parents. Filipinos highly value the presence of family more
than anything. Adult children living with their parents are another Filipino
traditional that make them exceptional. Unlike in the United States where children
leave the home after finishing high school or college, many Filipinos continue living
with parents until they get married.

Eating with a Fork and Spoon. One of the Filipinos’ identity is that they
are eating using a fork and a spoon. The fork is place in the left hand while the
spoon is in the right hand. Fork is used to place or push the food into the spoon
which is held by the right hand. Since rice is the main staple of the Filipinos at
almost every meal, the fork and spoon method are ideal. It is believed that the
use of a spoon and a fork is perfect for the way Southeast Asians prepare and
cook their food. Unlike the Americans who like their meats and other food items
in big slabs and humongous chunks, Southeast Asians generally prepare their
dishes in bite-sized pieces -- chopped, minced or ground -- thus leaving no real
need for a knife.
Eating with Hands (Kamayan). In addition to the use of the fork and
spoon, eating with your hands or kamayan is another common Filipino tradition.
For many Filipinos, kamayan gives full taste to the food instead of using utensils.
Gather a small portion of meat or fish and a bite-sized portion of rice on your
plate. Then use all your fingers to gather the food into a small mountain or mound.
Pick up the little mound and put it in your mouth using your thumb to gently push
the food in. Filipinos usually eat rice that has a slightly sticky consistency so
making the little mounds is easier than if you were to use a jasmine or basmati
rice. Of course, this method of eating doesn't work with soup/stew or noodles and
other kinds of food but for your basic plate of rice, meat/fish and vegetables it
works quite well! Next time you make dinner try eating kamayan.

Balikbayan Boxes. Some Filipinos leave the Philippines to live and work
abroad. A balikbayan box is a box of items sent by the balikbayan to their family
in the Philippines. The box can be sent or it can be brought by the sender when
they themselves return to the Philippines. Balikbayan boxes come in all different
sizes and dimensions from bulilit (small) to extra-large. It can be filled with almost
anything but it is usually filled with items that cannot be found in the Philippines
or items that may be too expensive for the average person to buy in the
Philippines. Common items found in balikbayan boxes include: clothes, shoes,
chocolate, nuts, vitamins, basketballs, coffee and tea, magazines,
shampoo/conditioner, soap, body lotion, etc.

b. Cultural Awareness and traits

• Cultural awareness is the understanding of the differences between

themselves and people from other countries or
other backgrounds, especially differences in attitudes and values. Cultural
awareness is the understanding of how a person’s culture may inform their
values, behavior, beliefs and basic assumptions.
• Think back to the last time you had a large gathering of people dining
together. Perhaps it was to celebrate a wedding, graduation, or something
similarly important. It's probable that someone at the table or dinner
ceremony got up, said a few words, and everyone said ''Cheers!'' before
they lightly touched their glasses with the others.

That is one example of a cultural trait, a characteristic of human

action that is acquired by people socially and transmitted to one another
via various modes of communication. The term 'cultural trait' can also be
applied to an object created from human behavior. Culture a shared system
of meanings, beliefs, values, behaviors, through which Nature and context
of Filipino values experience is interpreted and carried out.
c. Nature and context of Filipino Values

Filipino value system arises from our culture or way of life, our distinctive
way of becoming human in this particular place and time.
When we speak of Filipino values, we do not mean that elements of these
Filipino values are absent in the systems of other people and cultures. All people
eat, talk and sing, but they eat different foods, speak various languages and sing
different songs. Thus, we easily recognize Filipino, American, Japanese or any
other foreign food, language or music. The difference lies in the way these
elements are ranked, combined, or emphasized so that they on a distinctively
Filipino slant or cast. For instance, in china, honestly and hard work may rank
highest; Chinese and Japanese cultures give great value to politeness and beauty;
American culture, to promptness and efficiency; and Filipino culture to trust in God
and family centeredness. In this sense of value ranking and priority of values, we
can speak of dominant Filipino values.
Universal human values in a Filipino context (historical, cultural,
socioeconomic, political, moral and religious) take on distinctive set of Filipino
meanings and motivations. This is true not only of the aims and goals, beliefs,
convictions, and social principles of the traditional value system of the low land
rural family but also of what Fr. Horacio de la Costa, S.J., call the Filipino
“nationalistic” tradition (pagsasarili, pagkakaisa, pakikisama, pakikipagkapwa-tao
and pagkabayani).
A filipino value or disvalue does not exist alone, in isolation or in a vacuum.
Filipino values like bahala na, utang n loob, hiya, pakikisama, pakiusap are
clustered around core values like social acceptance, economic security, social
mobility, and are always found in a definite context or set of circumtances. Both
positive values and negative disvalues together form a characteristics constellation
in school: (aralan at dasalan (studying and praying), kuwentuhan at laruan
(storytelling and game), inggitan at tsismisan (envying and gossiping)). These
differ from the configuration found in government offices: (pagkakaisa (unity),
pagkabayani (heroism), intriga (intrigue), palakasan (show of power), sipsipan
(bribery), palusot (cutting corners) in business firms ( palabra de honor (word of
honor), delicadeza (finesse), komisyon, kickback, padulas (grease money), lagay
(bribe) or in the barrio barangays (paggalang (honoring), pagdadamayan
(comforting), bayanihan (cooperation), bahala na (come what may), utang na loob
(gratefulness), hiya (shame) / pakiusap (appeal), palakasan (show of power). To
change a framework of values, it may be necessary to change the constellation
and context of those negative values that hinder Filipino and Christian
development.
We can speak of Filipino values in the sense that the historical
consciousness of values has evolved among our people. The Filipino concept of
justice has evolved from inequality to equality and human dignity; from the tribe
to the family and to the nation. Filipino consciousness of these different values
varies at different periods of our history. It is only in the last two decades that the
Filipino people have become more conscious of overpopulation and family
planning, environmental pollution (Kawasaki sintering plant), wildlife conservation
(calauit island), the violation of human rights (martial law), and active nonviolence
and People power (1986 nonviolent revolution).

d. Development values job related

The Philippines workforces are some of the hardest working and loyal people
on the planet. They are very strongly community and family oriented, which should
be reflected in the workplace and management styles.

It is hard to make generalizations, but Filipinos are very strong in more

creative and communication-based roles – examples of this are design, content
production, arts, and many of the customer service-oriented activities. They are
also very strong in English (spoken and written) – especially considering it is
technically (historically) a second language for them.

Values are qualities considered to be the most important guiding principles

that help set priorities in your career and life. They are highly personal and define
what is purposeful and meaningful to you. Though values may change in response
to life circumstances, they are generally thought to be enduring and provide a
compass for setting goals and making decisions.
In a career context, where changes occur rapidly and decisions about
opportunities in a current work role or new job possibilities can present themselves
unexpectedly, it is critical to pause and reflect on the values that are most essential
to you.
Knowing how values are aligned with your job and the organization in which
you work is often critical to understanding career-related satisfaction and
motivation. In Values Driven Work assessment exercise, career values are
clustered in four domains: Intrinsic Values, Work Environment Values, Work
Content Values, and Work Relationship Values.
• Intrinsic Values: What motivates me to truly love my work day after day?
Among a list of these values are Achievement, Giving to Community, Status,
Independence, and Power.
• Work Environment Values: What working conditions provide an optimum
environment in which I can do my best work? Work Environment Values
include Learning, Benefits, Fast-Paced, Comfortable Income, Structure and
many more.
• Work Content Values: What makes my work activities most satisfying and
engaging to me? Among the 18 values in this area are values such as
Problem Solving, Organizing, Public Contact, Detailed, and Creative.
• Work Relationship Values: What characteristics of interaction with others in
my workplace are the most important to me? Work Relationship Values
include Open Communication, Diversity, Leadership, Teamwork,
Competition, and Trust.

e. Strengths and weaknesses of the Filipinos

Positive Filipino Values

1. Bayanihan system or 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 exemplified in carrying a nipa house or pushing a passenger
jeepney.

2. Damayan system - sympathy for people who lost their love ones. In case of
death of a certain member of the community, the whole community sympathizes
with the bereaved family. Neighbors, friends, and relatives of the deceased usually
give certain amount of money as their way of showing sympathy.

3. Familism or close family relations - a Filipino trait of giving highest

importance to family above other thing. A trait wherein family members should be
taken care and supported regardless of whether he/she did something wrong, a
family member must give attention and should not be abandoned.

4. Fun-loving trait - a trait found in most Filipinos, a trait that makes them
unique that even in time of calamities and other challenges in life, they always
have something to be happy about, areas on to celebrate.

5. Hospitality - a Filipino trait of being receptive and generous to guests.

6. 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.

7. Regionalism - a Filipino trait of giving more priority or preference in giving

favors to his province mate before others.

8. Friendly - a trait found in most Filipinos. They are sincere, loyal, kind and
sociable person.
9. Flexible or magaling makabagay - the ability of Filipinos to ride on or adjust
to the norms of other group jut to attain smooth and harmonious relationship.
Example: OFW

10. Religious - most Filipinos possess strong conformance of their religious belief
in action and in words.

11. Respect to elders - a Filipino trait of being courteous both in words and in
actions to the people of older people.

12. Remedyo attitude - a Filipino trait of being creative and resourceful. The
ability to do things that are next to impossible. Example in fixing appliances that
look impossible to repair.

13. Matiyaga - Filipinos re known for their tenacity and strong determination in
every undertaking.

14. Utang na loob - a feeling of obligation to repay someone who extended

assistance to another which may take place in undetermined time and in whatever
way.

Negative Filipino Values

1. Bahala na attitude - a Filipino trait characterized by retreating or withdrawal

from certain undertaking and leaving everything to God to interfere and determine
the outcome of his deeds.

2. Colonial complex or blue-seal mentality - a Filipino value of showing high

admiration and preference to foreign produced goods over local ones.

3. Crab mentality - a Filipino attitude characterized by an attempt to “pull down”

someone who has achieved success beyond the others. This is done out of jealousy
and insecurity.

4. Euphemism - a Filipino way of substituting a word or phrase that is thought

to be offensive or harsh with a mild and acceptable one in order to not offend or
hurt another person.

5. Filipino time - in reality, it means “always late”, a Filipino attitude of

impreciseness towards time.
6. Gaya-gaya attitude - a Filipino attitude of imitating or copying other culture
specifically in mode of dressing, language, fashion or even haircut.

7. Jackpot mentality - a “get rich quick” mentality of some Filipinos who would
rather engage in fast ways of acquiring money than through hard work and
sacrifice by getting in lottery, joining raffle draws and other.

8. Kapalaran values - a Filipino trait of accepting his fate by believing that

everything is written in his palm. Such trait contributes to lack initiative and
perseverance among Filipinos.

9. Mañana habit - delaying or setting aside a certain task assigned on the next
day although it can be done today.

10. Ningas-cogon - being enthusiastic only during the start of new undertaking
but ends dismally in accomplishing nothing. A common practice observed in some
politicians who are visible only during the start of certain endeavor.

11. Oversensitive- Filipinos have the tendency to be irritated easily or hurt

upon hearing some criticisms or comment.

12. Lack of sportsmanship - not accepting defeat in competitions but rather

putting the blame either to their opponents or to the sport officials.

13. Pakikisama- submitting oneself to the will of the group for the sake of
camaraderie and unity. Failure to comply with the group demand, the person will
be called “walang pakikisama or selfish”. The adherence to group demand shave
taught our young to engage in bad habits like smoking, alcoholism and even drug
addiction.

14. Tsamba lang attitude - simplicity by declaring that his/her accomplishments

are results of luck and not from perseverance and ability.