NSTP 1-Module 2

SELF-AWARENESS AND VALUES

DEVELOPMENT
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this module, learners would be able to:
1. Describe the different aspects of self to fully understand individual’s human behavior.
2. Evaluate one’s self using self-awareness theory.
3. Express commitment to uphold the Filipino core values in supporting NSTP activities and in
performing their roles as individuals.

Let’s Explore:
Create a two-three-minute television commercial or a video presentation. The topic is about
why someone should hire you. The commercial should depict your special qualities in relation to
your chosen career (e.g. tour guide, flight attendant, etc.).

Self-Awareness

What is the Self?

What does it actually mean to talk about the self? What the self is composed of? Is it physical,
social or spiritual or is it all of these? These questions have long occupied philosophers and
psychologists.

It can be seen that the notion of the self is very complex. It is not a thing as such but an
abstraction – a way of talking – a shorthand for the part of us that deals with thinking, feeling,
valuing and so forth.

One common way of dealing with the self is to consider its aspects. Whilst it should be
remembered that the self is more than the sum of its parts, it is easier to discuss its sections rather
than to discuss it as a whole.

Burnard (1992) provides the following aspects:

1. Physical self
2. Spiritual self
3. Darker self
4. Social self
5. Private self

Self and its Aspects

 1. PHYSICAL SELF – This is the felt sense of the self and includes our physical body.
It covers our perceptions of our body; the images we have our body – how fat, thin,
muscular and so forth.

2. SPIRITUAL SELF – This is the aspect involved in the investment of meaning into
what we do as humans. This meaning may be framed in religious terms or it may be
found in philosophy, psychology, politics and so forth. The meaning systems that people
may vary.
3. DARKER SELF – The notions of self-actualization (that were made popular by the
works of Maslow, 1972) suggest a growing into the full potential of ourselves. A part
of understanding and growing into the full potential of the self, however, in the darker
side are those aspects to ourselves that are not generally allowed full consciousness.

4. SOCIAL SELF – This is the part that is openly shared with others in various social
situations such as work, home, with friends and so forth.

5. PRIVATE SELF – This is an aspect that we are aware of but do not show to others.

Three Distinct Combinations of Aspects of the Self

To help understand the great complexity of the self, its development and the problems resulting
from the adoption of Negative Love, we use three distinct combinations of aspects of the self:
the Duality, the Trinity, and the Quadrinity.

I. THE DUALITY consists of the two negatively programmed mental aspects of self:
the emotional self and the intellectual self are combined as one entity, yet they can also
be visualized separately.

II. THE TRINITY refers to the three aspects of our minds: the emotional self, the
intellectual self, and the spiritual self. They can be visualized as one entity although
each aspect can be visualized separately.

III. THE QUADRINITY is a framework, a model for understanding ourselves and our
behavior that includes all four aspects of self: body, emotions, intellect and spiritual
self. The Quadrinity is our whole, integrated, balanced self, embodying all four
aspects. These four aspects are interrelated and form a complex interactive system.

Four Aspects of Self: The Quadrinity

 1. Physical Self

The body is a biological system. The body, including the brain is the physical dwelling place for
the three other aspects of the self. Through the body, we act out and manifest the feelings of the
emotional self, the thoughts of the intellect, and the presence of the spiritual self. The following
are the characteristics of the PHYSICAL SELF:

● Composed of the elements of the physical universe and subject to its physical
laws and conditions
● Carrier of genetic information (almost all information about a person's health and
physical well-being)
● Interconnected with the mind through neurological and biochemical feedback

● Functions in the domains of sensing, action, and communication

● Behaviorally expresses thoughts and feelings

● Manifests physical symptoms of unresolved conflict between intellect and

emotions

2. Emotional Self

The EMOTIONAL SELF expresses the full range of feelings and emotions through the
physical body. It is where Negative Love patterns first show up developmentally and, along with
the Intellect and Physical Body, where these patterns exist. The NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL
SELF is defined as “childish.” It has no sense of time or space. It regresses readily.

3. Intellectual Self

The INTELLECTUAL SELF is our logical and problem-solving thought-processor. It

includes what and how we think, our world-views, values, and beliefs. Along with the
Emotional Self and Physical Body, the Intellectual Self is where negative love patterns exist.
Shoulds, shouldn’ts, do’s, dont’s, can’ts exist in the Intellect and can be either positive or
negative. They are negative when they are compulsive. The following are some qualities of the
Intellectual Self:

4. Spiritual Self

The SPIRITUAL SELF is the pure non-programmed, non-mediated aspect of self that is
positive, pure, open presence, yearning to embody our larger, true nature in this world. Our
SPIRITUAL SELF is resonating in harmony with the Universe.

● Wise, ever unfolding and growing, moving towards wholeness

● Intuitive, responsive and unconditioned, connected

● Intentional, courageous

● Creative

● All-loving, compassionate, and forgiving

● Peaceful, grounded and centered

● Aspires to goodness, truth and justice

● Mediator, Integrator

● Integrity, completely ethical (knows right from what wrong)

● Source of strength

The Self-Concept in Psychology

The self-concept is how we think about and evaluate ourselves. To be aware of oneself is to
have a concept of oneself. The term self-concept is a general term used to refer how someone
thinks about or perceives himself. It is an important term for both social psychology and
humanism.
Lewis (1990) suggests that development of a concept of self has two aspects: the Existential
Self and the Categorical Self.

1. The Existential Self

This is the most basic part of the self-scheme or self-concept – “the sense of being separate
and distinct from others and the awareness of the constancy of the self” (Bee 1992).
The child realizes that he exists as a separate entity from others and that he continues to exist
over time and space. According to Lewis, awareness of the existential self begins in as a young
as two to three months old and arises in part due to the relation the child has with the
world.

For example, then child smiles and the someone smiles back, or the child touches a mobile
and sees it move.

2. The Categorical Self

Having realized the he or she exists as a separate experiencing being, the child next becomes
aware that he or she is also an object in the world. Just as other objects including people have
properties that can be experienced (big, small, red, smooth and so on) so the child is becoming
aware of him or herself as an object which can be experienced and has properties. The self
too can be put into categories such as age, gender, size, or skill. Two of the first categories to
be applied as age (“I am 3 years old.”) and gender (“I am a boy.”)

In early childhood, the categories children apply to themselves are very concrete (e.g. hair
color, height, and favorite things). Later, self-description also begins to include reference to
internal
psychological traits, comparative evaluations and how others see them.

Carl Rogers (1959) believed that self-concept has three different components:

I. The view you have yourself (Self-Image)

II. How much value you place on yourself (Self-esteem or self-worth)
III. What you wish you were really like (Ideal Self)

I. Self-Image (What you see in yourself)

This does not necessarily have to reflect reality. Indeed, a person with anorexia who is thin
may have a self-image in which the person believes she is fat. A person’s self-image is affected
is affected by many factors, such as parental influences, friends, the media etc.

Kuhn (1960) investigated self-image by using the Twenty Statements Test. He asked people to
answer the question “Who Am I?” in 20 different ways. He found that the responses must be
divided into two major groups. These were social roles (external or affective aspects of oneself
such as son, teacher, friend) and personality traits (internal or affective aspects of
oneself such as gregarious/outgoing, impatient, humorous).
The list of answers to the question “Who Am I?” probably includes examples of each of the
following:
Four Types of Responses:
(1) Physical Description: I’m tall, have blue eyes…etc.

(2) Social roles: We are social beings whose behavior is shaped to some extent by the roles we
play. Such roles as students, or member of the football team not only help others to recognize us
but also help us to know what is expected of us in various situations.

(3) Personal Traits: These are a third dimension of our self-descriptions. “I’m a child of the
universe” to “I’m a human being” to “I’m a spiritual being ...

(4) Existential Statements (abstract ones): These can range from “I’m a child of the universe”
to “I’m a spiritual being” ...

Typically, young people describe themselves more in terms of such personal traits, whereas older
people feel defined to a greater extent by their social roles.

II. Self-Esteem and Self-Worth (The extent to which you value yourself)

Self-esteem refers to the extent to which we like, accept or approve of ourselves or how much we
value ourselves. Self-esteem always involves a degree of evaluation and we may have either a
positive or a negative view of ourselves.

HIGH SELF-ESTEEM - we have a positive view of ourselves. This tends to lead to:

∙ Confidence in our own abilities

∙ Self-acceptance
∙ Not worrying about what others think
∙ Optimism

LOW SELF-ESTEEM - we have a negative view of ourselves. This tends to lead to:

∙ Lack of confidence
∙ Want to be/look like someone else
∙ Always worrying what others might think
∙ Pessimism
Argyle believes that following are four major factors that influence self-esteem:

1. THE REACTION OF OTHERS. If people admire us, flatter us, seek out our company, listen
attentively and agree with us, we tend to develop a positive self-image. If they avoid us, neglect
us, tell us things about ourselves that we don’t want to hear, we develop a negative self-image.

2. COMPARISON WITH OTHERS. If the people we compare ourselves with (our reference
group) appear to be more successful, happier, richer, better looking than ourselves, we tend to
develop a negative self-image BUT if they are less successful than us, our image will be positive.
3. SOCIAL ROLES. Some social roles carry prestige like doctor, airline pilot, TV presenter,
premiership footballer, promotes self-esteem. Other roles carry stigma (e. g. prisoner, mental
hospital patient, refuse collector or unemployed person)

4. IDENTIFICATION. Roles aren’t just “out there”. They also become part of our personality,
we are identified with the positions we occupy, the roles we play and the groups we belong to.

III. Ideal Self (What you’d like to be)

If there is a mismatch between how you see yourself (your self-image) and what you’d like to be
(your ideal self), then this is likely to affect how much you value yourself. Therefore, there is an
intimate relationship between self-image, ego-ideal and self-esteem. Humanistic psychologists
study this using the Q-Sort Method.

A person’s ideal self may not be consistent with what actually happens in life and experiences of
the person. Hence, a difference may exist between a person’s ideal self and actual
experience. This is called incongruence.

When a person’s ideal self and actual experience are consistent or very similar, a state of
congruence exist; all people experience a certain amount of incongruence. The development of
congruence is dependent on unconditional positive regard. Rogers believed that for a person to
achieve self- actualization, he must be in a state of congruence.

According to Michael Argyle (2008), there are four major factors which influence its
development. These are the following:

● The ways in which others (particularly significant others) react to us

● How we think we compare to others

● Our social roles

● The extent to which we identify with other people

Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is having a clear perception of our personality including strengths, weaknesses,
thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Self-awareness allows you to understand other
people, how they perceive you, your attitude and your responses to them in the moment. We
might quickly assume that we are self-aware, but it is helpful to have a relative scale for
awareness. If you have ever been in an auto accident, you may have experienced everything
happening in sl0ow motion and noticing details of your thought process and the event. This is a
state of heightened awareness. With practice, we can learn to engage these types of heightened
states and see new opportunities for interpretation in our thoughts, emotions, and conversations.

Self-Awareness Theory

Self-Awareness Theory states that when we focus our attention to ourselves, we evaluate and
compare our current behavior to our internal standards and values. We become self-conscious as
objective evaluators of ourselves. However, self-awareness is not to be confused with self-
consciousness. Various emotional states are intensified by self-awareness. However, some
people may seek to increase their self-awareness through these outlets. People are more likely to
align their behavior with their standards when made self-aware. People will be negatively
affected if they don’t live up to their personal standards. Various environmental cues and
situations induce awareness of the self, such as a mirrors, audience, or being videotaped or
recorded. these cues also increase accuracy of personal memory.

Why develop Self-awareness?

As you develop self-awareness, you are able to make changes in the thoughts and interpretations
you make in your mind. Changing the interpretations in your mind allows you to change your
emotions. Self-awareness is one of the attributes of emotional intelligence and an important
factor in achieving success. Self-awareness is the first step in creating what you want and
mastering your abilities. When you focus your attention, your emotions, reactions, personality
and behavior determine where you go in life.

Having self-awareness allows you to see where your thoughts and emotions are taking you. It
also allows you to see the controls of your emotions, behavior, and personality so you can make
the changes you want. Until you are aware in the moment of the controls to your thoughts,
emotions, words, and behavior, you will have difficulty making changes in the direction of your
life.

Human beings are complex and diverse. To become more self-aware, we should develop an
understanding of ourselves in many areas. Key areas for self-awareness include our personality
traits, personal values, habits, emotions, and the psychological needs that drive our behaviors.

∙ Personality. We don’t normally change our personalities, values and needs based on the what
we learn about ourselves but an understanding of our personalities can help us find situations in
which we will thrive, and help us avoid situations in which we will experience too much stress.

∙ Values. It’s important that we know each other and focus on our personal values. When we
focus on our values, we are more likely to accomplish what we consider most important.
∙ Habits. Our habits are the behaviors that we repeat routinely and often automatically. Although
we would like possess the habits that help us interact effectively with and manage others, we can
probably all identify at least one of our habits that decrease our effectiveness.

∙ Emotions. Emotional self-awareness has become a hot topic for topic for discussion recently
because it’s one of the five facets of emotional intelligence. Understanding your own feelings,
what causes them, and how they impact your thoughts and actions is emotional self- awareness.

∙ Needs. Maslow and other scholars have identified a variety of psychological needs that drive
our behaviors such as needs for esteem, affection, belongingness, achievement, self-
actualization, power and control. One of the advantages of knowing which needs exert the
strongest influence on our own behaviors is the ability to understand how they affect our
interpersonal relationships.

How Do We Develop Self-Awareness?

Basically, developing self-awareness is about being engaged in what is going on around us,
being conscious of our feelings, and understanding the impact of those emotions on our ability to
perform. Tips on becoming more self-aware include:

1. Be in touch with your own feelings. Find time to be alone, know yourself and write down
your thoughts.
2. Practice reflective thinking. Journaling is an excellent way of doing this in a way that
promotes reflection. Jot down key events, interactions that failed to meet expectations
and cues (verbal, visual, physical) that suggest that your intentions were not achieved.
Review these notes and seek clarification.
3. Do not deny your feelings. Recognize that feelings are not sins. When needed, share your
feelings with others. However, sharing with others does not mean total honesty in sharing
all your thoughts and feelings on any subject or person, e., know the maturity of your
potential confidant. Can he or she handle what you will be sharing? Exercise caution in
revealing feelings or facts that may hurt others.
4. Do not allow your feelings to dictate your behavior. Set your own criteria on what you
should and should not do. It is important to establish principles beforehand as to what to
do when caught in such situations because emotions may dominate your being and
rational thoughts go out the window.
5. It has been said that one will never see a clearer reflection of themselves than they see in
the eye of a friend. Seek feedback from those that you are close to and trust. Encourage
them to be open and candid.
6. When possible, make use of different assessments that are available in the marketplace.
Many of these can be obtained at little cost. Take advantage of 360 degree assessments
conducted at your workplace.
7. Get the most out of performance reviews. Seek specific information that is relevant to
building greater self-awareness.

Human Behaviors Essential for Obtaining Self-Success

1. An Independent Nature If we rely too much on those around us for assistance and/or
support, we will be setting ourselves up for disappointment in the future. This is not to say that
we shouldn’t look to others for help when the time is right, but crafting our pursuits in such a
way that requires the intervention of another is like handing over the keys and getting in the back
seat. Our friends and colleagues may help open the doors of opportunity, but it is our own
responsibility to take the wheel.

2. Self-Confidence Every decision we make in life will have some kind of effect on future
outcomes. If our choices are filtered through fear and doubt, we can be assured of the life we are
trying to avoid. Trust your instincts and listen to your heart. When you make a mistake, don’t
look at it as reason for doubt, but instead, realize the opportunity for wisdom as you continue to
push ahead.

3. Persistence Long hours and hard work sometimes could drain you to death. How many times
did you consider throwing in the towel when things didn’t go your way? But every year that is
gone by, every road block you have pushed through, without you knowing your problems are
resolved and your aim to make it a success has strengthened. Persistence is not an optional
trait for those who desire success, but an essential attitude that must be embraced.

4. A Big Imagination When you think of some of the greatest ‘achievers’ in American history,
you will see great innovators and people of purpose. Names like Henry Ford, Walt Disney and
Bill Gates come to mind. From cars to cartoons to computers, their personalities were as diverse
as their pursuits. But one thing they share is the wonderful ability to see what is not yet visible to
the naked eye. It was the imagination of Henry Ford that first painted the picture of a car in every
garage, and Bill Gates, a computer in every home. And it was Walt Disney who continues to
inspire millions with the idea that ‘anything is possible’. Those with inevitable success can see
the unseen. They have become successful in their minds before they laid they first brick.

5. A Thick Skin You may be a people-pleaser at heart and can be devastated by disappointment.
But as a necessity in life’s struggles, you should have grown a thick skin that would allow you to
deflect defeat while maintaining your focus. Whether in corporate conflict or the liabilities of
life, it is those with a strong armor who will maintain their momentum.

6. Clarity of Self-Understanding If you don’t know who you are, you will never truly know
what you are capable of. It is in our daily pursuits that we need accurate information on our
strengths and weaknesses to succeed. Because being blindsided by your own inability or missing
out on your true talents will bring nothing more than failure and frustration.

7. Clarity of Intent Continuing with the analogy of Ford, Disney and Gates, we can see the three
individuals with very clear intentions. No one ever questioned Ford’s intentions of filling the
roads with his Model T’s. Disney was never far from his pursuits of capturing our imaginations.
And even no one believed in his dream of populating every home with a PC, there was never a
question of Gates’ greatest goal.

8. Focus There is a lot of talk about multi-tasking and single-tasking when it comes to getting
things done. But however you go about accomplishing your goals, focus must be at the core of
your character. Successful people have the knack for deflecting distraction and keeping their
nose to the grindstone. It is our drive that pushes us forward and keeps our momentum, but
without focus we will just be moving for the sake of motion.

9. Optimism

Most of the traits mentioned thus far would not be possible without this key ingredient. Without
being able to constantly see the cup as hall full, we would never be able to stay focused. Being
blind to that silver lining would paralyze our persistence. So it is absolutely crucial that our
minds maintain a positive outlook on life and never give in to the destruction of defeat.
Optimism is at the heart of a successful human being.

10. Passion
Success can be obtained by many, but maintaining the drive to reach our goals requires a
passion for pursuit and a lust for life. We can create a to-do list and set our goals with the best
of them, but without this necessary habitual hunger, we will most certainly fail to bring to the
table the results we imagined.

Characteristics of self-actualizing people:

∙They have better perceptions of reality and are comfortable with it
∙They accept themselves and their own natures
∙They lack artificiality
∙They focus on problems outside themselves and are concerned with basic issues and eternal
questions
∙They like privacy and tend to be detached
∙They rely on their development and continued growth
∙They appreciate the basic pleasures of life (e.g. do not take blessings for granted)
∙They have a deep feeling of kinship with others
∙They are deeply democratic and are not really aware of differences
∙They have strong ethical and moral standards
∙They are original, inventive, less constricted and fresher than others

Johari Window
The Johari Window, named after the first names of its inventors, Joseph Luft and Harry
Ingham, is one of the most useful models describing the process of human interaction. A four
paned “window”, divides personal awareness into four different types, as represented by its four
quadrants: open, hidden, blind and unknown. The lines dividing the four panes are like
window shades, which can move as an interaction progresses.

Johari Window Four Regions

1. The Open Area, The Open Self, The Free Area, The Free Self, or ‘The Arena’. This
represents all the information, behaviors, attitudes, feelings, desires, motivations, ideas and so
on, that you know about yourself and that others know about you.
2. The Blind Area, The Blind Self or ‘The Blind Spot’. This represents information about
yourself that others know but you do not.
3. The Hidden Area, The Hidden Self, The Avoided Area, The Avoided Self or ‘The
Facade’.
This contains all that you know of yourself but keep hidden from others.
4. The Unknown Area or The Unknown Self. This represents those parts of yourself about
which neither you nor others know.

The Seven Dimensions of Wellness

What is “wellness” per se? There are many definitions, and twenty years ago, wellness didn’t
exist. But today, the industry is growing fast, and the term “wellness” is being overused, abused
and it is not being used in its appropriate context. Wellness is achieving one’s full potential; it is
self-directed and an ever-evolving process. Wellness has seven dimensions: social, occupational,
spiritual, intellectual, emotional, environmental and physical. When all these dimensions are met,
then we are considered whole or complete. Wellness is more than just products to make us feel
good or be physically fit.

1. Social Wellness. This is how a person contributes to his/her environment and community
and how he or she builds better living spaces and social networks. The social dimension
encourages contributing to one’s environment and community.
2. Occupational Wellness. Occupational development is related to one’s attitude about
one’s work and recognizes personal satisfaction and enrichment in one’s life through
work. The choice of profession, job satisfaction, career ambitions and personal
performance are all important components of this dimension. To be occupationally-well,
a person is ultimately doing exactly what they want to do in life and are comfortable with
their future plans.
3. Spiritual Wellness. The spiritual dimension recognizes our search for meaning and
purpose in human existence. It doesn’t mean one is religious, but that it is better to
ponder on the meaning of life and be tolerant of the beliefs of others than to close our
minds and become intolerant. Spiritually-well people take time of their day for spiritual
growth and learning. They have a clear sense of right and wrong, and they act
accordingly.
4. Intellectual Wellness. This dimension recognizes one’s creative and stimulating mental
activities as well as expands knowledge and skills while sharing his or her gifts with
others. The intellectually-well person is open to new ideas, thinks critically and seeks out
 new challenges. These people will stretch and challenge their minds with intellectual and
creative pursuits instead of becoming self-satisfied and unproductive.
5. Emotional Wellness. This dimension includes the capacity to manage one’s feelings and
related behaviors, including the realistic assessment of one’s limitations, development of
autonomy and the ability to cope effectively with stress. Emotionally-well people have
the ability to express feelings freely and manages feelings effectively. They are also
aware of and accept a wide range of feelings in themselves and others.
6. Environmental Wellness. This includes the ability to promote health measures that
improve the standard of living and the quality of life in the community, including laws
and agencies that safeguard the physical environment. The environmentally-well person
is aware of the earth’s natural resources, conserves energy, buys organic foods and
products, and enjoys and appreciates spending time in natural settings.
7. Physical Wellness. This is what we all do well in our health clubs. It is met through the
combination of good exercise and eating habits, taking precautions for self-care and
receiving appropriate health screenings throughout our lives. It also means taking
personal responsibility and care for minor illnesses and knowing when professional
medical attention is needed. Physically-well people understand and appreciate the
relationship between sound nutrition and how their body performs. The physical benefits
of looking good and feeling terrific most often lead to the psychological benefits of
enhanced self-esteem, self-control, determination and a sense of direction.

VALUES DEVELOPMENT

Values are deeply held beliefs that path our daily decisions. They are found within the
subconscious and are tightly woven into the fabric of everyday life. We make decisions and
choose our behaviors, close friends, professional employment, and entertainment based on our
values. We follow this code to live our lives and we raise our children with these values hoping
that they will follow in our footsteps. “Your personal codes of values are what are important to
you; not something you want or would like to have, but something you literally need in your life
to be happy. A value is a principle or quality intrinsically valuable or desirable to you. Values are
personal. They are your convictions, your beliefs, and your ethics rolled into one. Your personal
code of values may be identical to your family’s values. Or they may be dramatically different.”
(Lopper, 2007).

The Basic Values of the Filipinos

NSTP as a citizenship training scheme focuses on translating the good citizenship values as
reflected in the Preamble of the Constitution into concrete action in building a better Philippines.
There are sixteen (16) basic Filipino values based on the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Preamble

We, the sovereign Filipino people,

imploring the aid of Almighty God,
in order to build a just and humane society
and establish a Government
 that shall embody our ideals and aspirations,
promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony,
and secure to ourselves our posterity the blessings of independence
and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth,
justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

Meaning of Preamble

The term preamble is derived from the Latin word “preambulare” which means “to walk before”.
It is the prologue of the Constitution. Clustered below are the good citizenship values that are
reflected in the Preamble of the 1987 Philippine Constitution:

The Maka-Diyos Cluster

1. Faith in the Almighty God

2. Respect for Life
3. Order
4. Work
5. Concern for the Family and Future Generations

The Maka-Tao Cluster

6. Love
7. Freedom
8. Peace
9. Truth
10. Justice

The Maka-Bayan Cluster

11. Unity
12. Equality
13. Respect for the Law and Government
14. Patriotism
15. Promotion of Common Good

The Maka-Kalikasan Cluster

16. Concern for the Environment

The Filipino Value System

The Filipino value system refers to the set of values or the value system that majority of people
have historically held important in their lives. This Philippine value system includes their own
unique assemblage of consistent ideologies, moral codes, ethical practice, 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. Filipino values are, for the most part, centered at
maintaining social harmony, motivated primarily by
the desire to be accepted within a group. The main sanction against diverging from these values
are the concepts of “hiya”, roughly translated as ‘a sense of shame’, and “” amor propio”” or
‘self-esteem’.Social approval, acceptance by a group, and belonging to a group are major
concerns. Caring about what others will think, say or do, are strong influences on social behavior
among Filipinos.

According to the anthropologist Leonardo Mercado, the Filipino worldview is basically ‘non-
dualistic’.

Based on linguistic analyses of Filipino value terms like “loob” (Cebuano “buot”), he concludes
that Filipino desire harmony, not only interpersonal relationships, but also with nature and
religion, while still remaining non-dichotomous.

“The Filipino wants to harmonize the object and the subject, while at the same time holding both
asdistinct.” (Elements of Filipino Philosophy (1974), Leonardo Mercado, SVD

Models of the Filipino Values

F. Landa Jocano identified two models of the Filipino value system. The first is the
exogenous model or foreign model, while the second is the indigenous model or the
traditional model.

The foreign model is described to be a “legal and formal” model, while the indigenous
model is describedas a “traditional and non-formal” model or guide but is deeply
embedded in the subconscious of the Filipinos.

The foreign model was inherited by Filipinos from Western cultures, particularly from the
Spaniards and the Americans. An example of a foreign or exogenous influences is bureaucracy
exhibited in the government of the Philippines.

Elements and Composition

Based on studies, surveys, opinions, anecdotes, and other literatures made by experts and
researchers in relation to Filipino social values of Filipino core values, along with the Filipino
character of Filipino identity of a person or an individual known as the Filipino, the Filipino
value system is found to possess inherent key elements. Among them are optimism about the
future, pessimism with regards to present situations and events, the concern and care for other
people, the existence of friendship and friendliness, the habit of being hospitable, religious
nature, respectfulness to self and others, respect for the female members of the society, the fear
of God, and abhorrence of acts of cheating and thievery.
The core values of Filipinos specifically uphold the following items: solidarity of the family unit,
security of the Philippine economy, orientation to small-groups, personalism, the concepts of
“loob” or “kalooban” (meaning “what is inside the self”, “the inner-self, or the “actual personal
feelings of theself”), existence and maintenance of smooth interpersonal relationships, and the
sensing of the feelings or needs of others (known as pakikiramdam). In a larger picture, these
values are grouped into into general clusters or “macroclusters” namely the relationship cluster,
the social cluster, the livelihood cluster, the inwardness cluster, and the optimism cluster.

Philippine Core Values

Philippine Values is defined by the way people live their lives as an influence of one’s culture.
The Philippines being an archipelago – has not become a hindrance towards having a single
values system throughout the country. In whatever part of the country may be, one will find the
same hospitality that the Filipinos are known for as well as many other values that have
originated from the Filipino forefathers. The values of Filipinos have been looked upon by
foreigners as a weakness instead of strength due to the nature of how they may be abused and
manipulated due to these values. But values are what make up a certain nation both in growth
and unity. Some may see that Filipino values as a hindrance to the growth of the country and yet
other may say that these are what make our country powerful. In order to understand these
concepts, let us look into the different values of the Filipinos and how they may be of influence
to a person’s growth.

Family

The Philippines is known to be a family-centered nation. The Filipinos recognize their family as
an important social structure that one must take care of. They give importance to the safety and
unity of one’s family. The Filipino family is so intact that it is common for members of the same
family to work for the same company. It is also common to find the whole clan living in the
same area as Filipinos are afraid to be too far from their own family. People get strength from
their family, thus a child may have several godparents to ensure his future in case his parents will
not be there for him. They also do not let their elders live too far away from them. The Filipinos
take care of their elders by taking them into their homes. Unlike the Westerners, the Filipinos do
not send their elders to nursing homes to be taken care of. They believe that when their elders are
unable to live alone, the time has come for them to pay respects and to be able to serve their
parents just as they were cared for when they were younger.

Politeness

Filipinos are taught to become respectful individuals. This is mainly due to the influence of
Christianity that tell us to honor both our parents and our elders. The use of “po” and “opo”
when in conversation with an elder or someone who is older is a manifestation of how Filipinos
respect their elders.

Hospitality
The Filipinos are very hospitable when it comes to their fellowmen. They will invite their
visitors to come into their homes and offer them treats such as snacks and drinks after a long
journey. There are also instances when the Filipinos will serve only the best to their visitors even
if at times they may not be able to afford it. They also go to the extreme as to give up the comfort
of their own bedrooms for their guests and to the point of sleeping on the floor just to ensure that
their guests are comfortable.

Gratitude

Gratitude or “utang na loob” is a very popular Filipino characteristic. One does not forget the
good deeds that others may have done to him or her especially at times of great need. This sense
of gratitude is sometimes abused by those who have done well to others as they may ask favors
or things that may either be unreasonable or beyond the means of the one in debt.

Shame

Shame or “hiya” is a very common Filipino value. It is said that Filipinos would go to great
lengths in order for one not to be ashamed. Hiya has a great influence on one’s behavior for one
will do everything, if it is beyond his means just to save his reputation as well as the reputation
of his family. When it comes to economic standing, Filipinos feel pressured to meet the status
quo of the society. One indication of this might be a willingness to spend more than they can
afford on a party rather than be shamed by their economic circumstances.

Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity

Filipinos’ sense of joy and humor is evident in their optimistic approach to life and its travails.
The ability to laugh at themselves and their predicament is an important coping mechanism that
contributes to emotional balance and a capacity to survive. These are manifested in the ability to
adjust to often difficult circumstances and prevailing physical and social environments. Filipinos
have a high tolerance for ambiguity that enables them to respond calmly to uncertainty or lack of
information. Filipinos often improvise and make productive and innovative use whatever is
available. These qualities have been repeatedly demonstrated in their capacity to adapt to living
in any part of the world and in their ability to accept change.

Loyalty

Loyalty or “pakikisama” is another Filipino value. Filipinos are said to be loyal to their friends
and fellowmen in order to ensure the peace in the group. This is manifested in their basic sense
of justice and fairness and concern for other’s well-being. Filipinos recognize the essential
humanity of all people and regard others with respect and empathy. With this orientation,
Filipinos develop a sensitivity to the nature and quality of interpersonal relationships which are
their principal source of security and happiness.

Hard Work and Industry

The related capacity for hard work and industry among the Filipinos is widely recognized.
Filipinos are universally regarded as excellent workers who perform well whether the job
involves physical labor and tasks or highly sophisticated technical functions. This propensity for
hard work, which often includes a highly competitive spirit is driven by the desire for economic
security and advancement for oneself and one’s family. This achievement orientation is further
accompanied by typically high aspirations and great personal sacrifices.

Resignation

Trust in God or the concept of “Bahala na” has been over-used time and again. This ideal is used
when a person does not know what to do or too last to do anything at all. This belief to put fate in
God’s hands may be a sign of how religious Filipinos may be and, at the same time, may show
that the Filipinos are free-spirited and that they put their life in fate’s hands.

Significance of Studying Filipino Values

The shaping of the Philippine society into a successful and progressive nation would depend
on understanding and appreciating the positive side of Filipino values and how they are applied
to attain such goal. Thus, it is imperative that a full understanding and appreciation of the
positive side of our very own principles be made and used for our personal and national success.

References:

∙ Labuguen, F., Ramos, A., Placer, R., Vidal, C.J., Moralde, R.P., & Rendorio, E. (2012).
Understanding the National Service Training Program. Malabon City, Philippines: Mutya
Publishing House.