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1.3 The Filipino Value System

1. Philippine society is characterized by strong religious faith, respect for authority, high self-esteem, and smooth interpersonal relationships. Social organization revolves around personal alliance systems including kinship, sponsors, friends, and business partners. 2. Personal alliance systems extend beyond local communities in pyramid structures with wealthy and powerful people at the top providing support and favors to those below. 3. A middle class exists in cities comprising professionals, small business owners, and clerks, while an informal sector lacks protections and benefits.

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211 views

1.3 The Filipino Value System

1. Philippine society is characterized by strong religious faith, respect for authority, high self-esteem, and smooth interpersonal relationships. Social organization revolves around personal alliance systems including kinship, sponsors, friends, and business partners. 2. Personal alliance systems extend beyond local communities in pyramid structures with wealthy and powerful people at the top providing support and favors to those below. 3. A middle class exists in cities comprising professionals, small business owners, and clerks, while an informal sector lacks protections and benefits.

Uploaded by

kt
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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1.

3 THE FILIPINO
VALUE SYSTEM
➤ The value system of a given country is a combination of ethical
principles, classical philosophies and belief systems. The unique
value system of a given country is also a product of its history and
local customs and traditions. The Philippines and its value system is
a create of all these influences.
The US Library of Congress has selected readings on the Filipino
Value System (1990), summarized as follows:
1. Philippine society is characterized by many positive traits. Among
these are:
➤ strong religious faith,
➤ respect for authority,
➤ high regard for amor proprio (self-esteem, and
➤ smooth interpersonal relationship
2. Social organization is marked primarily by personal alliance
systems, that is, groupings composed of:
kin (real and ritual),
grantors and recipients of favor,
friends, and
partners in commercial exchanges
3. Personal alliance system extends far beyond the local arena, looking
pyramidal structures. It is stated that at the top of these pyramidal
structures are the members of national political elite;
4. A significant middle class exist in the cities. These groups share a
common sense of identity derived from similar educational
backgrounds and economic standing, with the facility in the English
language, and
5. The informal sector of the economy, which do not have labor
legislation protection and have no claim of social insurance.
The 2015 visit to the Philippines of Pope Francis, coming closely at
the heels of natural and man-made disasters - earthquake damage in
Bohol, Cebu and other provinces in the Visayas region, typhoon and
storm surge damage in the Bicol and Visayas region, and the
Zamboanga siege attest to the strong personal faith of Filipinos.
Philippine respect for authority is based on a particular honor paid to
elder members of the family, and for extension to anyone in a position
of power. Respect for authority contributes to the smooth running of
society.
Filipinos are sensitive to attacks on their own self-esteem and develop
understanding to the self-esteem of others as well. Anything that might hurt
another’s self-esteem is avoided or else relationship may come to an end.
Unity indeed exists in the Philippines, but this often takes more work
outside regions and circles There is, for instance the so-called religious
sector vote, the provincial vote, or the entertainment personality vote that
remains to be significant factor in the conduct of elections. Man-made and
natural calamities in recent years have however attested to the care across
regions, income levels and professions. Technology and the evolving
population may well assist in steady journey towards a Philippine society in
agreement across perceived boundaries.
The personal alliance systems aries from real and ritual bonds,
sponsors, friends and market exchange partners.
The mutual kinship system, known as “compadrazgo” means god
parenthood or sponsorship. Ritual kinship is a primary method of
extending the group which one can expect help in the way of favors,
such as jobs, loans, or just simple gifts on special occasions. The ritual
bonds are often sealed in ceremonial occasions, e.g. baptism,
confirmation, and marriage. It is common to ask acquaintances who are
of a higher economic or social status than oneself to be sponsors.
Under the concept of ‘utang na loob’ (obligation) it is expected that
the debtor will attempt repayment . Saving another’s life, providing
employment, or making it possible for another to become educated are
“gifts” that incur utang na loob.
Filipinos also extend the circle of social alliances with friendship.
Friendship is often placed at the same level with kinship as the most
central of Filipino relationships. Certainly ties among those within
ones’s group of friends are in important factor in the development of
personal alliances systems. Here, as in other categories, readiness to
help one another provides the prime motivation for relationship.
In the commercial context, ‘suki’ relationships (market-exchange
partners) may develop between two people who agree to become regular
customer and supplier. In the marketplace, Filipinos will regularly buy
from certain specific suppliers who will give them, in return, reduced
prices, good quality, and often, credit.
The pyramidal structures with the wealthy Filipino on top, is
composed of wealthy landlords, financiers, businesspeople, high military
officers, and national political figures.
The middle class group is composed of small entrepreneurs, civil
servants, teachers, merchants small property owners, and clerks whose
employment is relatively secured.
The informal sector of the Philippine economy subsist in
‘contractual” labor or occasional paid labor, and peddling.

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