POLITICAL SELF

WHO ARE WE AS FILIPINOS?"

THREE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE UP

the Filipino's sense of self-identity. NEGATIVE TRAITS

The Socio-political dimension

Section 1 of Article IV of the 1987 Constitution
Filipino is defined as:
· Born in the Philippines
· Having parents who are citizens of the
Philippines
· Born before January 17, 1973 of Filipina
mothers
· Naturalized in accordance to the law.
Cultural Roots
Two types of political involvements:
-Political engagement as proactive engagement in FILIPINO MARKERS
the public arena. This can be seen when one
Proverbs or Salawikain
campaigns for an elected position, joins political
Traditional sayings or maxims used by Filipinos
rallies or street demonstrations
based on local culture, wisdom, and philosophies
-Political participation in any organization to
from Filipino life.
address social problems, such as community
Examples:
organizing.
-Habang may buhay, may pag-asa.
Consciousness -Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay.
-It is the psychological factor of self-awareness as -Ang buhay ay parang gulong.
a Filipino that leads to pride in one's heritage.
Superstitions
-The colonists molded and created Filipino
beliefs or practice based upon one's trust in luck or
consciousness to suit their purposes.
other irrational, unscientific, or supernatural forces.
- It is necessary to combat this mindset by creating
Examples:
a sense of national pride, particularly among the
1. The number of steps of staircases at home should
youth.
not be divisible by three.
FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS 2. Don’t go straight home after attending a wake.
3. Siblings should not marry within the same year
POSITIVE TRAITS (sukob).
Myths and Legends Belief that majority of politicians are corrupt
Legends- the truth has been exaggerated to the -The term buwaya has been used to describe
point that real people or events have taken on a corrupt politicians in the Philippines signifying
romanticized, "larger than life" quality. their greed for money and power. Many
Myth- is a type of symbolic storytelling that was -Filipinos believe that politicians are corrupt and
never based on fact. are in government service only to promote their
Examples: vested interest and not the public interest
1. Mythical creatures such as duwende, diwata,
Lack of political maturity
engkanto, kapre, aswang, etc.
-People elect officials based on popularity and
2. The Legend of Makahiya
personality and not on performance and platform.
3. The Heartbreaking Story of Alitaptap (Bataan
-Politics is no longer limited to individuals with
Legend)
backgrounds in political science and law as even
Heroes and Icons celebrities are now able to hold positions in office
heroes serve as reminder of true patriotism and by sheer POPULARITY.
nationalism as they have sacrificed their lives for
DEMOCRATRIC CULTURE
the sake of their country`s freedom and progress
-defined as the desire and ability of individuals in a
Examples:
population to participate actively, individually and
• Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao
together, to the government of public affairs
• Lea Salonga
affecting them.
• Efren “Bata” Reyes
DEMOCRATRIC COUNTRY
"MAN IS A POLITICAL ANIMAL" -all eligible citizens have the right to participate,
-ARISTOTLE either directly or indirectly, in making the decisions
CHARACTERISTICS OF POLITICAL that affect them.
CULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES:
Dominance of family ties or kinship system
-In local government units such as municipality or
barangay, big clans dominate the political arena.
-Political dynasties usually control the
government. In the Philippines where
consanguinity is given utmost importance,
Euphemism
-Officials and employees in lower positions are not
frank or straightforward in criticizing officials of
higher rank instead, the parinig or patutsada are
used in confronting to address the problems or
issues
Utang na loob
-Filipinos feel obliged to pay immediately or in the
future any favor they receive from another person.
Sense of overdependency
-Some constituents rely on elected official or a
"patron" politician for their personal and economic
needs.
-This culture results in the re-election of
incompetent officials