TOPIC 2: FILIPINO CULTURE

Given the diversity of the Philippines, the unifying element of Filipino culture is a complex
matter. It comprises a diverse set of landscapes, languages, and cultures. As Evason (2016)
discussed, "the long history of contact with Spain and the United States continues to have a
significant impact on the Filipino identity. One example is the influence of American standards of
beauty, which are often measured in the Philippines by the possession of Western physical
traits such as fair skin and curly hair. Another example is the prominence of Christian ideology
since the introduction of Christianity by the Spanish. Indeed, when compared to other countries
on the Asian continent, the Philippines has one of the highest Christian populations."
Nonetheless, a sense of national identity emerged out of the long-standing struggle for
independence. In the contemporary Philippines, many Filipinos are very aware of the colonial
history of their country. For example, Jose Rizal who is a national hero who fought for Philippine
independence is being looked up by many of as an exemplar of a virtuous person. The sense of
national identity is however fragile, with loyalty resides first to their kin, group, or community.
That is why the Philippines is a collectivist society thus Filipinos see themselves as part of a
collective group where the interest of the collectives overrides the interest of the individual
(Evason 2016). With this regard, let us survey the core concepts of Filipino culture which
contributes not only to their national identity but also their moral identity.

Social Hierarchy and "Hiya"

Social hierarchy in the Philippines is very vital. All Filipinos at a very early age are being taught
of the importance of social hierarchy. One obvious example of this is the gestures, terms of
address, and communication styles which depend on the person they interact with as well as
the position in the social hierarchy. To give a more specific example, it is expected if you are
referring to someone who is older than you but within the same generation, we use the terms
Kuya for males and Ate for females, while for family members or even to close family friend, not
within the same generation, we use the terms tito or fifa. Failing to do so is considered highly
disrespectful and a lack of acknowledgment of the established hierarchy.

The term Kapwa, on the other hand, refers to "shared self", "shared identity", or "self-in-the-
other" (Reyes 2015). Thus, it generally refers to an identity that is shared and whereby people
connect despite differences in social status or wealth. Moreover, kapwa is related to the
collectivistic nature of Filipino society. It is believed that what is good for one person will be
good for the collective and ought to be is shared with fellow people. Being branded as not
having any kapwa is an insult as it implies that the person does not belong to a community
(Evason 2016)

The concept of 'hiya' is also one of the important factors influencing how Filipinos behave and
interact with others. According to Evason (2016) hiya translates roughly into English as 'shame'
or 'embarrassment, on a deeper level it refers to one's sense of self, propriety, and respect.
Filipinos may be more motivated to succeed by a fear of shame rather than fear of failing the
task at hand. To avoid experiencing shame, they may try to give face to those around them
through complimenting them and avoiding direct criticism. Individuals will often try to be
generous and hospitable to avoid hiya and to maintain kapwa.

Warmth and Acceptance

It is an undeniable fact that Filipinos are very welcoming and frendly. They love the presence of
other individuals around them, and it is common to find strangers engaging in conversation or
sharing stories to family, friends or foreigners. Also, are often expressive and sentimental while
maintaining a light-hearted character. For example, the word 'hugof (to pull out') is often used to
describe someone drawing out deep sentimental memories or experiences Evason (2016).
They are often willing to share stories of their past that may be considered personal.

Moreover, Filipinos have the general approach to life is of acceptance, 'Bafiala na' (come what
may) captures the strong belief among many Filipinos that whatever may happen is a part of
God's will. Evason (2016) explains that any individual or group's success is often attributed to
fate or God rather than efforts. This indicates. a fatalistic attitude throughout society whereby
Filipinos are generally accepting of theirs and other circumstances. However, this does not
mean Filipinos are passive Rather, they are hardworking and will often do their best to help
themselves and their family.

Loób and Kapwa: An Introduction to a Filipino Virtue Ethics by Jeremiah Reyes (2015)

In contrast with the popular scheme of Filipino 'values' inherited from twentieth century
American scholarship, this introduction presents a revised interpretation of those 'values'
through a dialogue with Aristotelian-Thomistic virtue ethics. Filipino virtue ethics is the result of
the mixing of two traditions-the Southeast Asian tribal and animist tradition and the Spanish
Catholic tradition for over 300 years. It has two main concepts: loob and kapwa, which serve as
pillars that support a special collection of virtues dedicated to strengthening and preserving
human relationships. The glossary below is a survey of Filipino virtue ethics.

1. Kagandahang-Loob - this word is literally translated as "beauty-of-will". The beauty of the will
in this context is determined by one's relationship towards the kapwa. Someone who has an
affective concern for others and the willingness to help them in times of need is a person with
kagandahang-loob. It is best understood through the paradigmatic example of a mother's love
and concern for her child, most especially during the child's weakness in infancy

2. Utang-na-Loob-This word is literally translated as 'debt-of-will'. It is the natural response to

kagandahang-loob. It is the self-imposed obligation to give back the same kind of kagandahang-
loob to the person who has shown it to you. When utang-na-loob is returned with interest, that is
more than what is due, it can bring about a circular dynamic between two persons where the
one who previously showed kagandahang-loob is now the one with utang-na-loob, and then
vice versa, it continues to alternate and strengthen the relationship in the process.
3. Pakikiramdam-The closest translation might be relational sensitivity or empath'. It is about
being skilled in reading the other person's feelings and correctly guessing his inner state. It
requires receptivity to many non-verbal cues, such as subtle facial expressions, tones of voice
and bodily gestures. This indirect communication, though it might seem tedious or frustrating to
the foreigner, is a way of practicing a kind of emotional intelligence, a way of evaluating and
deepening the relationship with the other person.

4. Hiya-Hiya has been variously translated as embarrassment or shame. It has often been
negatively criticized when studied in isolation, especially for the Filipino tendency to be
roundabout and not direct to the point. But it is a virtue when it controls and restrains selfish
desires for the welfare of the other. One of the most common manifestations is withholding a
direct verbal confrontation that could embarrass the other, especially in public.

5. Lakas-ng-Loob/Bahala na-Lakas-ng-loob is literally translated as courage, bahala na is

sometimes translated as 'fatalism' or 'resignation', but it is translated more positively as courage
to face uncertainty'. The unique history of the Philippines must also be taken into account in
order to see that this is not just any kind of courage, but a courage for self-sacrifice for the
kinship group.

Topic 3: Generational Values

Moral behavior doesn't just vary by culture but also by generations. We commonly hear the
terms silent generations, baby boomers, generation x, generation y or millennials, and
generation z, which most of the times differentiated by social behaviors and values. But what do
these different labels mean, and do any of the stereotypes attached to them contain any grains
of truth? Dr. Alexis Abramson, an expert in what is known as "generational cohorts", says we
define generations because "when you are born affects your attitudes, your perceptions, your
values, your behaviors." This means that each of them has its characteristics (BBC 2020).
Below is a survey from the BBC regarding each generation's characteristics and their values.

The Silent Generation

This is the first defined generational group. It refers to those bom between 1926 and 1945, so
these are people who lived through World War Two. The name comes from an article in Time
magazine from the 1950s and alludes to the fact that the children of this generation were taught
to be seen and not heard. According to Dr Abramson, this group is:

Disciplined

value-oriented and loyal

interested in direct communication, so enjoy speaking in person as opposed to via technology

Baby Boomers

This is the only generation that's been defined by an official government body. The US Census
Bureau (which is part of the country's Department for Commerce and is responsible for
collecting data from across the US). They're so named because of the huge surge of births after
World War Two. The group starts in 1946 and ends with those born around 1964 when the
birthrate began to decline again. Dr. Abramson says boomers are:

committed

self-sufficient

competitive (she thinks this may have something to do with how many of them there were)

Generation X

The Resolution Foundation think tank defines Gen X as those born between 1966 and 1980.
They grew up in a time when technology was advancing fast, but it wasn't nearly as readily
available as it is today. Because of this, this generation straddles both the digital and non-digital
world and understands the importance of both Dr. Abramson says these people are:

resourceful

logical

good problem-solvers

Millennials (Generation Y)

This is the cohort you've probably heard the most about. It's not entirely certain where the
generation starts and ends, but it's approximately those born from 1980 to 1995. They're often
described as "lazy' in the media and that they spend all the money they should be saving for a
house on avocado toast, but they're also the first generation to be "digital natives", as Dr.
Abramson describes them. She thinks this makes them extremely self-sufficient, as they no
longer have to rely on others to solve their problems or teach them things they have the internet
for that. Other defining characteristics include:

confident

curious

questioning authority - Dr Abramson thinks that this can be perceived quite badly by some of the
older generations, who would be less likely to do so
Generation Z

There are a few conflicting ideas about where this generation starts. Pew Statistics says 1997,
Statistics Canada says 1993, and the Resolution Foundation says 2000. Wherever it begins
though, we can safely say this group is young and has never known a life without tech. That
might be why their alternative name (coined by American psychologist Dr. Jean Twenge) is
iGen. Some of their characteristics include:

ambitious

digital-natives

confident

Bridging the Generation Gap

The important thing to note according to Dr. Abramson is that while these separations can be
useful, at the end of the day we are individuals. It's like with horoscopes: you may identify with
one or two characteristics of being a Sagittarius or a Leo, but you won't ever fit your star sign's
description exactly. The same goes for cohorts, although as the stereotypes are given more
prominence in the media, she notes that people in the different groups can "pigeon hole
themselves into aligning themselves with those characteristics". What they can help us with, as
Dr. Abramson explains: is "so that we know how and when to work differently with a group " In
other words, you wouldn't treat a 60-year-old the same way would a teenager, so having these
cohorts gives us a rough idea of what different age groups might want and need (BBC 2020).
Moreover, in terms of communication, Dr. Abramson says the key difference between all of
these cohorts are the different methods of communication they use. Where the silent generation
and baby boomers had to rely on face-to-face relationships and are as a result more "engaged
in their real-life communities, the younger generations have social media for that and create
their communities online instead. Nonetheless, the key to overcoming these differences,
according to Dr. Abramson, is that "the younger folks can teach the older folks something and
the older folks can teach the younger folks something". Thus, she suggests "mentor-mentee
relationships, downward and upward". Historically it's usually the older person holding the
position of being a mentor. So for example, in a workplace, an older person might take a young
newbie under their wing to teach them what they know and give them a leg up in the
organization (BBC 2020).