The Political Self and Being Filipino (Lecture)

# The Political Self and being Filipino ## Class Objectives: At the end of this lesson, students should be able to: 1. Develop a Filipino identity. 2. Identify different Filipino values and traits. 3. Reflect on your selfhood in relation to your national identity. ## Politics - Defines Politics...

# The Political Self and being Filipino ## Class Objectives: At the end of this lesson, students should be able to: 1. Develop a Filipino identity. 2. Identify different Filipino values and traits. 3. Reflect on your selfhood in relation to your national identity. ## Politics - Defines Politics as a social institution through which power is acquired and exercised by people in the groups. - It serves as a mechanism by which individuals develop power and understand the proper functioning of a democratic institution. ## The Political Self - Refers to a representation of oneself about him/herself. - One's political stance based on their interest and perspective. - Politics is a central component of one's identity. ## Political Self and Identity - Are developed through socialization, through the ways of people learn the knowledge, norms, values, motives, and roles appropriate to their position on a group or community. (Ma. Serena Diokno, 1997) ## Political Self Theories - **Social Learning Theory (Albert Bandura)** - A person can acquire learning through observation and imitation. - **Cognitive Theory** - Suggests that mental activities of individuals are important determinants of political behavior. - **Theory of Symbolic Interaction** - Suggests that political behaviors are products of communications, meaning and symbols. - **Theory of Political Participation** - Defined as the citizen's action or activities anchored in politics. ## Origin of Political Self - **Family** - Suggests that authority is necessary in the development of political self and identity. - **School** - The school teaches moral, spiritual, and political values that helps the students become patriotic and morally upright citizens. - **Church** - Helps to shape the ideals of citizenship and democracy through religious teachings, values, and traditions. - **Peers** - Interaction with peers encompasses and emphasizes the equal distribution of power, rights, and privileges among members of the group. - **Mass Media** - Serves as the key source of information on politics and moral behaviors that influence political behavior and political self. - **Democracy** - A government where the supreme power is vested in and exercised by the people directly or indirectly through a system of representation, usually involving politically held free elections. ## Being a Filipino The Philippines as we know it today has only emerged in the 1890's, after over centuries of colonization. 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. Given the wide discrepancy between the liberation period and today's time, would it be safe to say that Filipinos have truly developed an identity of their own? ## Who is a Filipino? According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino citizens are "those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines, those born upon 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." However, citizenship is not the only marker of being a Filipino. Culture and history have greatly influenced the manner Filipinos learn, live, and behave to date. ## Filipino Values and Traits - **The Filipino Hospitality** - A Filipino trait that is known everywhere is the Filipino brand of hospitality. Filipinos welcome their guests and tourists as if they are their own brothers and sisters, making them feel at home. When there are visitors, Filipinos will bring out their best set of plates and kitchen wares. - **Respect for Elders** - Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hands while saying "Mano Po,". There is also a wide array of references to elder people such as Ate and Kuya. Forgetting to address other people properly will regard them as rude and impolite. - **Close Family Trees** - Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their families regardless if their children are already old enough and already have families of their own. They are also fond of family reunions. - **Cheerful Personality** - Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot. They smile when they are happy, or sometimes when they are sad and angry. Smiling has been a coping strategy for many Filipinos, especially during times and calamities. - **Self-sacrifice** - The self-sacrificing attitude of Filipinos can be seen as an extension of Filipino hospitality. Filipinos go out of their way to extend friends, families, and loved ones. For instance, the OFWs sacrifice being with their family just to provide comfort and better lives for them. - **Bayanihan** - Bayanihan is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation of Filipinos. It is also about giving something without expecting something in return. - **"Bahala Na" Attitude** - "Bahala na" is the Filipino version of the famous line "Hakuna Matata" meaning no worries. It can also be viewed as something similar to a cheerful and positive attitude of Filipinos and allowing situations to take care of themselves instead of worrying about them. - **Colonial Mentality** - Colonial mentality is regarded as the lack of patriotism and the attitude where Filipinos favor foreign products more than their own. - **"Mañana" Habit** - A Filipino term for procrastination. It was derived from a longer Filipino phrase called "Mamaya na" meaning dawdling things, which could have been done at an order at an earlier time. - **"Ningas Kugon"** - Ningas is a Filipino term for flame and kugon for Cogon grass that easily burns out after it is put into flames. Ningas kugon refers to the attitude of eagerly starting things but quickly losing eagerness soon after experiencing difficulty. - **Pride** - Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as more precious than keeping a good relationship with family and loved ones. When two parties are not in good terms, they find it hard to apologize and wait until the other party asks for an apology first. - **Crab Mentality** - A toxic trait among Filipinos where one resents the achievement of another, instead of feeling happy for that person. Just like crabs in a container, they pull each other down and ruin each other's reputation rather than bringing them up, resulting in no progress. - **Filipino Time** - Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at commitments, dinners, or parties, especially if they are meeting someone close to them. They tend not to observe punctuality altogether. ## Filipino Makers - **Proverbs or Salawikain** - Filipino proverbs, just like any other proverbs, are sayings that convey lessons and reflection on Filipino practices, beliefs, and traditions. - Damiana Eugenio, regarded as the Mother of Philippine Folklore, classified proverbs into six categories (Eugenio, 2000). **6 classification of Filipino Proverbs:** a. Proverbs expressing a general attitude toward life and the laws that govern life; b. Ethical proverbs recommending certain virtues and condemning certain vices; c. Proverbs expressing a system of values; d. Proverbs expressing general truths and observations about life and human nature; e. Humorous proverbs; and f. Miscellaneous proverbs. - **Superstitions** - Set of superstitions that may be influenced by beliefs from other cultures that have been retold from generation to generation. - **Myths and Legends** - These are stories aimed to explain the origin of things and, at the same time teach valuable lessons. - **Heroes and Icons** - Heroes serve as a reminder of true patriotism and nationalism as they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country's freedom. Icons are considered Filipino markers as they have made the Filipino name more pronounced worldwide through their expertise. ## How to be a good Filipino? 1. Be an active Filipino citizen. 2. Study the Philippine history. 3. Support local products. 4. Speak Filipino language. 5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent. # Thank You!