Module 2 Lesson 5 Abstraction Part

“My Socio-Political Self”

I. Developing a Filipino identity

Baringer posited that Filipino culture is a mix of both eastern and western
cultures. The beliefs and traditions of pre-colonial were mainly an indigenous
Malay Heritage (as cited in Otig et al., 2018). The Malays made a large
contribution to the Philippines history.
Hispanic culture influenced indigenous peoples when Spain colonized
the Philippines islands. Christianity became the dominant religion, and Western
and social organizations were established.
The Philippines as we know it today has only emerged in the 1890s after
over three centuries of colonization of the Spaniards. Meanwhile, liberation
from the last colonizers, the Japanese, only occurred in 1946. Foreign culture,
beliefs, language, and religion have made a huge dent on our own by setting a
foundation to the contemporary Filipino identity and culture (Alata et al., 2018).
The Americans, for example, have shaped modern Filipino culture, and
this is evident mainly in the widespread use of English in the Philippines. It is
from these influences that shaped the Filipino character.
According to Licuanan (as cited in Otig et al., 2018) the strengths and
weakness of the Filipino character are rooted in factors, such as:
 Home environment  Religion
 Social environment  Economic environment
 Culture & language  Political environment
 History  Mass media; and
 Educational system  Leaders & role models.

II. Definition of Filipino

Technically, according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino
citizens are “those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines,
those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect
 Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority, and those who are
naturalized in accordance with law” (as cited in Alata et al.,2018).
However, citizenship is not just a marker of being Filipino. Culture and
history have a great influence on how Filipinos learn, live and behave today.
People who are born and raised in the same culture develop and share
common personality traits and values. Generations after generations have
passed, characteristics and common values that are still embodied in
Filipinos today.

III. Ethnic and racial identity

Ethnic and racial identities are important to many young people, especially
those who belong to minority groups. These ego dimensions can instill feelings
of belonging to one or more particular groups and identification with that group;
commitment and shared values.
Ethnic identity develops during adolescence and is passed down from
generation to generation through customs, traditions, language, religious
behavior and cultural values. Our ethnic and racial identity is also influenced by
popular media, literature, and current events.
Ethnic identity may play a more important role in minority youth as they
experience the opposite and dominant culture of the ethnic majority. Young
people belonging to the majority ethnic culture may not even recognize or
acknowledge their ethnic identity.
There are two main ethnic groups comprising several upland and lowland
indigenous tribes living within the Philippines – from the northern and southern
parts of the Philippines. The indigenous people living in the northern part of the
country are called the Igorots, whereas those non-Muslim indigenous tribes
living in the south are referred to as Lumad (Valdeavilla, 2018).
The Igorot tribe also includes the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Isneg, Kalinga, Kankanaey
and Tinguian groups. Other tribes living in the north are Isnag from Apayao,
Gaddang (found between Kalinga and Isabela provinces), and the Ilongots
living within the east mountains of Luzon called the Sierra Madre and the
 Caraballo Mountains. The Ilongots are known for their intense aggressiveness
and cultural conservatism.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the country, indigenous tribes are mostly
found in Mindanao and Western Visayas. In Mindanao, these existing non-
Muslim indigenous groups are collectively known as the Lumad – a Cebuano
term which means ‘native’ or ‘indigenous’. There Lumad tribes comprise about
13 ethnic groups which are the Blaan, Bukidnon, Higaonon, Mamanwa,
Mandaya, Manobo, Mansaka, Sangir, Subanen, Tagabawa, Tagakaulo,
Tasaday, and T’boli. Their tribe is generally known for tribal music produced by
musical instruments they’ve created.
Apart from the two main indigenous groups mentioned above, the following
tribes have also kept their customs and traditions.
 Badjaos
 Ati and Tumandok
 Palawan Tribes: Batak, Palaweño, Palawano, and the Tagbanwa
 Mangyan
 Aetas or Negritos
Today, indigenous groups in the country preserve their cultural practices
and traditions because they are on their native lands. When the Philippine
government passed the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997, issues such
as their right to compromise remained unresolved.

IV. Strengths of the Filipino Character

a. Pakikipagkapwa- tao;
b. Family orientation
c. Joy & humour
d. Flexibility, adaptability, and creativity;
e. Hard work and industry
f. Faith & religiosity and
g. Ability to survive
V. Weaknesses of Filipino character
a. Extreme personalism
b. Extreme family-centeredness
c. Lack of discipline
d. Passivity and lack of initiative
e. Colonial mentality
f. Kanya-kanya syndrome
g. Lack of self-analysis and self-reflection

VI. How to be a good Filipino

a. Be an active Filipino citizen

A good Filipino citizen is aware of current events and participates in
government programs aimed at the progress and development of the
country.

b. Study the Philippine History

If you research and fully understand the events of Filipino history,
you will learn a lot about why it is important to love your country with your
life, to help needy Filipinos and recognize the abuse of political power.

c. Support local products

When you buy local products, you not only support local producers
and industrialists, but you are also helping to strengthen the local economy.

d. Speak the Filipino Language

Jose Rizal stressed the importance of speaking the national
language as a way to show love for his country. Speaking Filipino also
serves as a unique identifier of being a Filipino.

e. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent

To be a good Filipino, you have to understand and verify what you
read on the internet, especially social media, before you believe it and
 spread it like wildfire. Every Filipino also has a responsibility to recognize
political disagreements, to be tolerant, and to argue reasonably without
resorting to name calling.

VII. Establishing a democratic culture

Democracy is government in which people exercise and use through
a system of direct or indirect representation, usually involving free elections
from time to time. Although democracy has many shortcomings, it is
characteristic of most people - regardless of their core political beliefs. For
example:
 Democracy helps prevent cruel and vicious autocrats from
ruling;
 It fosters human development (i.e., health, education,
personal income, & any other indicators) more fully than do
other forms of government;
 Democracy helps protect fundamental individual rights and
interests;
 Democratic societies provide people the maximum
opportunity to take moral responsibility for their choices and
decisions; and
 Democratic societies offer a relatively high chance of political
equality
The adjustment of individual awareness to the collective awareness
is achieved through formal and informal ways. The formal way refers to a
system of ideas and models that are officially established (i.e., policies and
laws) whereas the informal way refers to the acceptance of behaviors and
thoughts that are not established as the formal way of interpersonal
relations. Culture is an informal way of shaping collective awareness. Other
than culture, there are also religion, science, morality, and ideology that
shape and structure individual awareness (Otig et al., 2018).