Learning Exercise 1.

Name Marvin Gaspar Course BS Psychology Time : _______

Trainer Margie Dela Cruz Date : __________ Score : _______

THE BILL OF RIGHTS OF FILIPINOS

A. Critical Thinking. Answer each question below in the space provided.
1. What rights are guaranteed (protected) to you as a Filipino citizen and which are more important
to you?

There are many rights that are guaranteed (protected) to us Filipino citizen. For example,
Economic Rights, these are rights to property, whether personal, real or intellectual. Some examples
of these rights include the following: right to use and dispose of his property, right to practice one’s
profession, and the right to make a living. We also have Constitutional Rights, this clause in our
fundamental charter means that no person shall be deprived of his life, liberty or property unless due
process is observed. In other words, a Filipino citizen can be deprived of his life, liberty or property
provided he is given the chance to defend himself. Nevertheless, what I think is the most important
right is Article 1, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed
with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit brotherhood. “
To begin with, one must separate “equal rights in all situations” from “equal rights in
judicial situations”. A trivial example of equal rights in all situations is a handicapped person in a
wheelchair needing help or to be carried onto public transportation, be it an aircraft, train, bus or
ship. Perhaps a healthy person has the opinion that it also deserves to be carried onto said public
transportation whereas the person in the wheelchair calls it compensation for the inability to walk
and that said compensation in no way fully replaces the lost ability to walk whereas the persons doing
the carrying often feel that they have done a good deed free of charge as per societal indoctrination.
Equal rights in judicial situations usually refer to the “equality before the law”, which means that
persons in a similar situation should be treated the same way by Governments and Courts. In most
jurisdictions this the written law of the land either by law, Constitutional law, judicial principles,
principles of international law, Human Rights or Natural law.
Of course “equality before the law” does not make everyone totally equal as one
person may have an excellent pen, bigger brain, best attorney, time of preparation whereas the other
person may be illiterate, uneducated, the worst attorney and not enough time for preparations.
Also in some jurisdictions, the Courts don’t apply the written law which usually is called “arbitrary
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rule”, and depending on how it is governed, usually “the rule of the Government”, “Anarchy” or
“Dictatorship”. To sum it up: Equality before the law is indeed a principle of the Rule of Law, and
everyone deserves to be under the rule of law, at least as a Natural or Human Right.

2. What responsibilities come with your rights?

A good citizen is one who works hard, helps and always willing to learn from mistakes. We may
not be aware, but in simple ways we do a thing that aids our country and our own well-being. Here is
some of the list to known if you are one of the many responsible citizens that helps protects and build
brighter future.

Firstly, Responsibility Begins at Home. Parents should raise their children well and teach them
with good habits, attitudes, and values so that when they grow, they’ll become great citizens of our
country. Also, honor sacred marriage and vow.

Then Education, to be a cool and responsible citizen, you must know what your responsibilities.
Helping your community is one, but first you must help yourself. Primarily you need to get a good
education; this is the best way you can contribute as a student. When you’re well educated you can get
a better job and a better job can contribute more to the community.

Another is Contribution to Society. Contributing to economy is also an important part of being a

responsible citizen, but you must work hard for it. When you work hard, you provide services to
others and also earn money. It’s time to give back something to your community; it’s also a duty to
pay taxes to the government.

Additional is Information. You should also know your right as a citizen; contact your
representative about issues that matter to you. A responsible citizen should also be fully informed
about what happening in his society. Read or watch the news and stay up to date. Sharing information
is also a duty, be a responsible netizen. Think twice before you click post or make a comment on
Facebook, Twitter or any other social media network. Lastly, stand up for what is right.

Another important thing is to follow the laws and ordinances. The laws and ordinances were
made for a good reason; following the rules is a must in order for a society to be peaceful and
productive. The law is something that the humans created to modulate the society through justice.
Help our law enforcers solve and reduce crimes like corruptions within the government.

Another thing is cast your Vote. The most important thing you can do as a citizen is to vote during
elections. Voting someone to run the country is a big responsibility for all citizens under it. When
elections do happen, additional help is often needed to make sure that everyone’s vote gets counted.
You can volunteer with the elections office or your preferred party and help count votes, and fill other
support roles.

Also, Protect the Future. Help build a good environment for better future. This is one of the main
factors to be a cool responsible citizen. An example is recycling, the more we recycle the less the
waste, so recycle as much as you can. Also, educating children about the importance of taking care of
our environment and ways they can preserve it is one way to protect the future. Planting a couple of
trees that can absorb carbon dioxide and help reduce heat. Walk more, drive less, the less time you
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spend driving, the less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Respect and love the
environment more to build a brighter future.

Lastly, Taking care of your Health. You must be healthy; taking caring of your body is also an
important duty to be a good citizen. Why? When you get sick, you put others at risk. A responsible
citizen doesn’t risk others.

As a citizen, you need to know how to be a part of it, how to express yourself. There is much more
to being a citizen of a country than reciting the pledge or raising a flag. Being a responsible citizen
doesn’t take much, it needs some common sense and a little bit of understanding.

3. At what point does the common good of society limit your rights?
”Your right to swing your fists ends at my nose.”
We all have to live on this planet together. In order to live in harmony and for all and each of
us to live to our full potential, we must respect that my rights are equal to your rights. ..And your
rights end where my rights begin. Perhaps one individual decides that it’s his right to put up a fence
so nobody but he can fish in “his” stream. Perhaps a company feels it’s their right to dump toxic
chemicals into the water supply that the rest of us draw our drinking water from. Perhaps a driver
decides he wants to drive his sports car down the middle of the road instead of on one side.
This is why we have laws where we all have to decide what’s the most safe, the most fair, for
all of us. These are cases where the rights of the community take precedence over the rights of the
individual. For anyone to say that his individual rights are all powerful and the rights of nobody else
matters is patently ridiculous. We all must live together. We must respect each other’s existence. We
all have rights and limitations
If it’s a common good (or a common evil), the rights of all of us must take precedence over the
rights of the individual. The rights of the individual are extensive and end where the community rights
begin.

4. Do you think you are a responsible citizen? If so, why? If not, why not?
I think I am a responsible citizen because I pay at least some attention to politics, on all levels, for
a bit each day. This allows me to have a field for the issues that come up, and tend to come up again, and
again, such as taxes, spending, bond issues, and foreign affairs. Over time, years, this builds up to a solid
base of understanding and an informed voter.

I also help out others, I am courteous, kind, and respectful to all. I also once volunteered with my
some time and be given to a charity or some activity that can benefit others beside one’s self, such as
coaching, being a teacher’s aide, working in a soup kitchen, to name just a few.

The above help me to stay balanced, be aware of the differences in people’s possibilities, and
develop some empathy, as well as being able to enter the political conversation of the nation or local
area with some knowledge that may benefit others.

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B. List three possible criteria you would use to describe a responsible citizen. Explain on reason why
being a responsible citizen is necessary to live in a free society.
The following shall serve as a rubric in the evaluation of the student input:

Score Indicators
Student lists three criteria for a responsible citizen and explains each accurately and clearly. The
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student clearly explains on reason why being a responsible citizen is necessary to live in a free
pts.
society.
7-9 Student lists three criteria but does not explain accurately and/or clearly or the student lists thee
pts. criteria but explains two clearly.
Student lists two or three criteria but does not explain accurately and/or clearly and lists one reason
4-6
why being responsible citizen is necessary to live in a free society but the student does not explain at
pts.
all.
1-3 Student lists only on or two criteria for a responsible citizen and does not explain at all the
pts. importance of responsible citizenship to a free society.

Criteria 1: Be Informed

Reason: A responsible citizen has an obligation to understand what is going on and how it affects
her/his fellow citizens. This isn't an easy task. In our age of abundant information and
even more abundant opinion, it can be difficult to wade through it all and figure out
what is true and what is relevant. Sources like TV and twitter are good for up-to-the-
minute facts, but twitter is also loaded with opinion and misinformation. Television,
even when it isn't attempting to project a particular partisan spin, is inherently prone to
emotional manipulation because it pairs information with evocative imagery. To really
be informed, read books. Read long form journalism. Read newspapers from other
countries to see how we can sometimes be blinded by cultural assumptions. Talk with
people who have different perspectives on issues. This part of good citizenship is hard,
but it's very important.
Criteria 2: Care for others

Reason: Citizens should be concerned about the good of their fellow citizens. "Empathy" is a bad
word in some political circles because it's associated with advocating for big
government solutions to social problems, but caring can manifest in a lot of different
ways. It could be private acts of caring, collaborative work through religious
institutions, civic groups, or labour unions, actions by private companies, or government
activity. Regardless of the mechanism, good citizens care for one another.
Criteria 3: Gives back

Reason: No one enjoys paying taxes, but it's far more bearable when you remember that you are
investing in roads, in libraries, in the fire-fighters and police officers who protect your
home and loved ones, in the research that invented the internet I'm using to send this
right now, and in the research that will one day produce the medicine that may save
your life. Of course, some of those taxes (maybe even most of them) might go to things
you don't agree with. Pay them anyway, and get involved to change where your taxes
go. But don't stop investing your money, your time, and your energy into making this
country a better place or you can't call yourself a good citizen.
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