UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

Module # 3

CHAPTER 2
The Political Self and Being Filipino
Lesson # 4
Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. develop a Filipino identity;
2. identify different Filipino values and traits; and
3. reflect on your selfhood in relation to your national identity.

Abstraction:
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. To date, colonial mentality
remains an issue. 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? Or are we still living in
the shadow of our colonial friends?
You will learn in this lesson that an individual’s race, ethnicity, and physical characteristics are
not the only factors that make a person’s national identity. Values and traits are also important
indicators that set apart one nationality from the other. These values and traits may not always be a
positive thing, but being able to identify one’s self apart from other nationalities and point out
weaknesses and mistakes, paired with unity and commitment, make progress a possibility. Through
common goals, principles and values of its people a nation empowers itself.

FILIPINO VALUES AND TRAITS:

The Philippines is a lush island paradise famous for its grandiose mountain views, pristine
beaches, and rich and diverse culture changing from province to province. While the Philippines may
be well known for its awe-inspiring beauty perhaps the Filipino’s unique traits, reputable values, and
laudable talents make the country a place to be.
Tourists who have visited the Philippines can never forget the big and bright smiles that
greeted them, the colorful and loud jeepneys, the common Filipino phrases such as “Mabuhay!” and
“Salamat!” ahabits such as saying “po” and “opo” to the elders, leaving shoes or slippers at the front
door before entering a house, and the importunate asking of “Kumain ka na ba?”. Indeed, it is a
marvel to experience these unique traits of the Filipinos firsthand.
1. The Filipino Hospitality
Filipino welcome their guests and tourists as if they are their own brothers and sisters;
they always make their guests feel at home, offering them something to eat or even a
place to stay. They will bring out their best sets of plates and chinawares for their
honored guests and would even go as far as spending a lot of money and going into
debt just so they can satisfy them.
2. Respect for Elders
Filipinos greet their elders by kissing hand while saying “Mano po!” and constantly
using “po” and “opo” in conversations. Forgetting to address older people properly will
regard them as rude and impolite. There is also a wide array of references to elder
people such as ate or kuya; tito and tita; lolo and lola; manong and manang for older
people outside the family.
3. Close Family Ties
Filipino maintain a tight relationship with their families regardless if the children are
old enough and already have families of their own. They alr also fond of family
reunions during birthdays, holidays, fiestas year-round. Some Filipino families even opt
to live in a big house where everyone can stay together.
4. Cheerful Personality
Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot. They smile when they are happy or
sometimes even when they are sad or angry. Smiling has been a coping strategy for
many Filipinos especially during trying times and calamities.
5. Self-sacrifice
The self-sacrificing attitude of Filipinos can be seen as an extension of the Filipino
hospitality. Filipinos go out of their way to extend help to their friends, families and
loved ones. They wish comfort and better lives for their loved ones and would even go
to the extent of working abroad hundreds of miles away to earn more money and save
up for them.
6. Bayanihan
Bayanihan is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation of Filipinos. It is also about
giving without expecting something in return. Filipinos are always ready to share and
help their friends and loved ones who are in need.
7. “Bahala Na” Attitude
“Bahala na” is the Filipino version of the famous line “Hakuna Matta” meaning no
worries. The phrase is said to have originated from “Bathala na”, where Bathala means
God, and the phrase meaning leaving everything into God’s hands.
8. Colonial Mentality
Colonial mentality is regarded as the lack of patriotism and the attitude where Filipinos
favor foreign products more than their own.
9. “Mañana “ Habit
This is the Filipino term for procrastination. It was derived from a longer Filipino phrase
called “Mamaya na” meaning dawdling thins, which could have been done at an earlier
time. It is a poor habit of laziness that results in heavier workloads.
10. “Ningas Kugon”
“Ningas” is a Filipino term for flame and “kugon” is a Filipno term 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.
 11. Pride
Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if they are more precious than keeping a good
relationship with family and loved ones. When two parties are not in good terms, they
find it so hard to apologize and wait until the other party asks for an apology first.
12. Crab Mentality
This is a toxic trait among Filipinos where one resents the achievement of another,
instead of feeling happy for that person. just like a crabs in a container, they pull each
other down and ruin each other’s reputation rather than bringing them up, resulting to
no progress.
13. Filipino Time
Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at commitments, especially if they
are meeting someone close to them.

FILIPINO MARKERS:
The following are constant reminders of our nationality.
1. Proverbs or Salawikain
Filipino proverbs, just like any other proverbs, are saying that convey lessons and
reflections on Filipino practices, beliefs, and traditions.
2. Superstitions
Filipinos also subscribe to their own set of superstitions passed down from generation to
generation. Some of these may be influenced by beliefs from other culture.
3. Myths and Legends
Due to the Philippine’s rich culture and history, numerous mythas and legends have sprung
about things that are beyond one’s imagination. These stories are aimed to explain the
origin of things at the same time, teach a valuable lesson.
4. Heroes and Icons
Heroes served as a reminder of true patriotism and nationalism as they have sacrificed
their lives for the sake of their country’s freedom and progress. Every year, we lend a
whole day celebrate our heroes, usually the last Monday of August, to remember their
greatness, bravery and resilience that has led to the freedom we know today.

HOW TO BE A GOOD FILIPINO:

1. Be an active Filipino citizen
A good Filipino citizen is aware of the current event participates in government programs
that aim for the country’s progression and development.
2. Study the Philippine history
The road of the Philippine history I a long and bloody and by learning and fully
understanding the events, you will learn so much as to why it is so important for you to
love your country with your life, extend help to your fellow Filipinos in need and recognize
abuse of political power.
3. Support local products
When you buy local products. You do not only support local manufacturers and
businessmen, but you also help strengthen the local economy.
 4. Speak the Filipino language
Jose Rizal highlighted the importance of speaking a national language as a way of
displaying the love for one’s country. Speaking Filipino also serves as a unique identifier of
being a Filipino.
5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent
This period in the history of the Philippines has seen how the Internet has spawned tons of
possibilities for people, both good and bad.

LESSON # 5
WHO AM I IN THE CYBERWORLD? (Digital Self)
Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. define online identity;
2. discuss the proper way of demonstrating values and attitudes online.

Introduction:
These days, more people are becoming active in using Internet for research, pleasure,
business, communication and other purposes. Indeed, the Internet is of great help for everyone. On
the other hand, people assume different identities while in the cyberspace. People act differently
when they are online and offline. We have our real identity and online identity.

Abstraction:
The number of people who are becoming more active online continues to increase worldwide.
More than half of the population now uses the internet. It has only been 25 years since Tim Berners-
Lee made the World Wide Web available to the public, but in that time, the Internet has already
become an integral part of everyday life for most of the world’s population. The Philippine is among
one of the countries with the most active Internet users.
 Almost 2/3 of the world’s population now has a mobile phone
 More than half of the world’s web traffic now comes from mobile phones
 More than half of all mobile connections around the world are now “broadband”
 More than one in five of the world’s population shopped online in the past 30 days.

Media users in the Philippines grew by 12 million or 25% while the number of mobile social
users increased by 13 million or 32%. Those growth figures are still higher compared to the
previous year. More than half of the world now uses a smartphone.

Online identity is actually the sum of all characteristics and our interactions while partial
identity is a subset of characteristics that make up our identity. Meanwhile, persona is the partial
identity we create that represents ourselves in a specific situation.
 SETTING BOUNDERIES TO YOUR ONLINE SELF: Smart Sharing
The following guidelines will help you share information online in a smart way that will
protect yourself and not harm others. Before posting or sharing anything online, consider the
following.

 Is this post / story necessary?

 Is there a real benefit to this post? Is it funny, warm-hearted, teachable – or am I just
making noise online without purpose?
 Have we ( as a family or parent / child ) resolved this issue? An issue that is still being
worked out at home, or one that is either vulnerable or highly emotional, should not be
made public.
 Is it appropriate? Does it stay within the boundaries of our family values?
 Will this seem as funny in 5, 10, or 15 years? Or is this post better suited for sharing with a
small group of family members? Or maybe not at all?

RULES TO FOLLOW:
1. stick to safer cite
2. guard your passwords
3. limit what you share
4. remember anything you put online or post on a site is there forever, even if you try to
delete it
5. do not be mean or embarrass other people online
6. always tell if you see strange or bad behavior online
7. be choosy about your online friends
8. be patient
 CHAPTER 3

MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF

LESSON # 1
LEARNING TO BE A BETTER LEARNER

Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. explain how learning occurs;
2. enumerate various metacognition and studying techniques; and
3. identify the metacognitive techniques that you find most appropriate for yourself.

Introduction:
Knowing the “self” is not enough. Since “who you are” is partly made up of your choices, you
must also have the ability to choose especially to be better “you”. In the school setting, your
knowledge of yourself should at least enable you to become a better student.

Abstraction:
We are Homo sapiens or the “wise men”. We think in a more complex level than our ancestors
and most, if not all, of the other beings. But being called wise, not only do we think, but we are
capable to think about thinking, like how we think of things and why we think in a certain way about
things. It is like your brain thinks about itself, then thinks about how it thinks about itself.
In the context of learning, studies show that when you are able to think about how you think,
how you process information, and how you utilize techniques while you are studying, you have a
higher chance of improving your learning process than those who do not reflect on their methods.
This idea falls under the concept of metacognition. Metacognition I commonly defined as
“thinking about thinking” (Livingstone 1997 ). It is the awareness of the scope and limitations of your
current knowledge and skills. Due to this awareness, metacognition enables the person to adapt their
existing knowledge and skills to approach a learning task, seeking for the optimum result of the
learning experience.
Metacognition is also not limited to the thinking process of the individual. It also includes
keeping one’s emotions and motivations while learning in check. Some people learn better when they
like the subject, some when they change the topic, and others if they have a reward system each time
they finish a task. The emotional state for that person in order to further facilitate his or her learning.

The following are other skills that can help you in exercising metacognition:
1. Knowing your limits
Knowing your limits also looks at the scope and limitations of your resources so that you
can work with what you have at the moment and look for ways to cope with other
necessities.
2. Modifying your approach
It begins with the recognition that your strategy is not appropriate with the task and / or
that you do not comprehend the learning experience successfully.
 3. Skimming
This is basically browsing over a material and keeping an eye on keywords, phrases, or
sentences. It is also about knowing where to search for such key terms.
4. Rehearsing
This is not just about repeatedly talking, writing and / or doing what you have learned, but
also trying to make a personal interpretation or summary of the learning experience.
5. Self-test
This is trying to test your comprehension of your learning experience or the skills you have
acquired during learning.

Other strategies that you need to develop include asking questions about your methods, self-
reflection, finding a mentor or support group if necessary, thinking out loud, and welcoming errors as
learning experiences.

OTHER TIPS THAT YOU CAN USE IN STUDYING:

1. Make an outline of the things you want to learn, the things you are reading or doing, and /
or the things you remember.
2. Break down the task in smaller and more manageable details.
3. Integrate variation in your schedule and learning experience. Change reading material
every hour and do not put similar topics together.
4. Try to incubate your ideas:
a. Write your draft without doing much editing
b. Let the ideas flow
c. Then leave your draft at least overnight or around 24 hours.
d. Then go back to your draft or prototype and you might find a fresh perspective about
it.
e. Write them down in notebook first and do not integrate them into the draft yet
f. Review what you have written when the incubation period is done.
5. Revise, summarize, and take down notes, then reread them to help you minimize
cramming in the last minute, especially when you have a weakness in memorizing afacs
and data.
6. Engage what you have learned. Do something about it. On a reading material for example,
highlight keywords and phrases, write your opinions about the matter on a separate
notebook, or create a diagram or concept map.
 LESSON 2

LESS STRESS, MORE CARE

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
1. explain the effects of stress to one’s health;
2. design a self-care plan.

INTRODUCTION:
The American Psychological Association (2017) has these statements about stress: “Stress can
affect people of all ages, genders and circumstances and can lead to both physical and psychological
health issues. By definition, stress is any uncomfortable emotional experience accompanied by
predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes. Some stress can be beneficial at times,
producing a boost that provides the drive and energy to help people get through situations like
exams, or work deadlines. However, an extreme amount of stress can have health consequences and
adversely affect the immune, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and central nervous system.”
Since stress is inevitable to life, we have to learn how to handle and cope up with it. More so,
we have to be familiar with other approach to a healthy lifestyle which is self-care.

ABSTRACTION:
The American Institute of Stress (AIS) has distinguished different types of stress and the
human response to it.
Hans Selye, defined stress as the body’s nonspecific response to any demand, whether it is
caused by or results in pleasant or unpleasant stimuli. It is essential to differentiate between the
unpleasant or harmful variety of stress termed distress. Eustress is stress in daily life that has positive
connotations, such as marriage, promotion, baby, winning money, new friends and graduation. On
the hand, distress is stress in daily life that has negative connotations such as divorce, punishment,
injury, negative feelings, financial problems and work difficulties (AIS 2017).
Selye hypothesized a general adaptation or stress syndrome. This general stress syndrome
affects the whole body. Stress always manifest itself by a syndrome, a sum of changes and not by
simply one change (AIS 2017).

THE GENERAL STRESS SYDROME:

1. the alarm stage – represents a mobilization of the body’s defensive forces. The body is
preparing for the “fight or flight” syndrome. This involves a number of hormones and
chemicals excreted at high levels, as well as an increase in heart rate, blood pressure,
perspiration and respiration rate, among others.
2. The stage resistance – the body is adaptive to the challenge and even begins to resist it.
The length of this stage of resistance is dependent upon the body’s innate and stored
adaptation energy reserves and upon the intensity of the stressor.
3. The exhaustion stage – the body dies because it has used up its resources of adaptation
energy. Thankfully, few people ever experience this last stage.
 Stress diseases are maladies caused by principally by errors in the body’s general
adaptation process. They will not occur when all the body’s regulatory processes are properly
checked and balance. They will not develop when adaptation is facilitated by improved
perception and interpretation. The biggest problems with derailing the general syndrome and
causing disease is an absolute excess, deficiency or disequilibrium in the amount of adaptive
hormones.
“Chronic stress is unpleasant, even when it is transient. A stress situation – whether
something environmental, such as a looming work deadline or psychological, such as
persistent worry about losing a job – can trigger a cascade of stress hormones that produce
well-orchestrated physiological changes. A stressful incident can make the heart pound and
breathing quicken. Muscles tense and beads of sweat appear.”
This combination of reactions to stress is also known as the “fight-or-flight” response
because it evolved as a survival mechanism, enabling people and other mammals to react
quickly to life-threatening situations.
The stress response begins in the brain. When someone confronts an oncoming car or
other danger, the eyes or ears (or both) send the information to amygdala ( an area of the
brain that contributes to emotional processing). The amygdala interprets the images and
sounds. When it perceives danger, it instantly sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus (this
area of the brain functions like a command center, communicating with the rest of the body
through the nervous system so that the person has the energy to fight or flee.

TECHNIQUES TO COUNTER CHRONIC STRESS

1. relaxation response – this include deep abdominal breathing, focus on a soothing word
( such as peace or calm), visualization of tranquil scenes, repetitive prayer, yoga and tai
chi.
2. Physical activity – exercise, such as taking a brisk walk shortly after feeling stressed, not
only deepens breathing but also helps relieve muscle tensions.
3. Social support – confidants, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, relatives, spouses and
companions all provide a life-enhancing social net, and many increase longevity.

SELF-CARE THERAPY
1. Stop, breathe, and tell yourself: “ this is hard and I will get through this one step at
a time”
2. Acknowledge to yourself what you are feeling.
– once you recognize, name and accept your feelings, you feel out of control. You
can then find a comfortable place to express your feelings.
3. Find someone who listens and is accepting
– you do not advice. You need to be heard. Sharing our story is how we begin to
accept whatever happened and integrate it into our new reality.
4. Maintain your normal routine as much as possible
– making everyday decisions – deciding to get dressed, doing the dishes or going to
work – gives you a sense of control and feels comforting as it is a familiar activity.
Be realistic with what you can do and remember everything right now will take you
longer to do. Avoid making major decisions based on the stress you feel right now.
 5. Allow plenty of time for a task – you will not be a productive as you normally are.
Accept how much you are able to do right now and recognize it will not be this way
forever. During periods of extreme stress, prolonged stress or after a crisis, your
ability to concentrate and focus on tasks is diminished and it will take time for your
concentration to return so give yourself extra time and be gentle and accepting of
yourself and what you can do.
6. Take good care of yourself. Remember to:
a. Get enough sleep
b. Eat regularly and make healthy choices
c. Know your limits and when you need to let go
d. Identify or create a nurturing place in your home
e. Practice relaxation or meditation
f. Escape for a while through meditation, reading a book, watching a movie or
taking a short trip

SELF-COMPASSION THERAPY
- Is another way to counter stress (Kristin Neff 2012)
- “self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we
suffer, fail or feel inadequate, rather than flagellating ourselves with self-criticism.
It recognizes that being imperfect and experiencing life difficulties is inevitable, so
we soothe and nurture ourselves when confronting our pain rather than getting
angry when life falls short of our ideals. We clearly acknowledge our problems and
shortcomings without judgment, so we can do what is necessary to help ourselves.
We cannot always get what we want. We cannot always be who we want to be.
When this reality is denied or resisted, suffering arises in the form of stress,
frustration and self- criticism. When this reality is accepted with benevolence,
however, we generate positive emotions of kindness and care that help us cope.
Self-compassion recognizes that life challenges and personal failures are part of
being human, an experience we all share. In this way, it helps us to feel less
desolate and isolated when we are in pain”.

SELF-COMPASSION PHRASES
Neff provided self-compassion phrases when feeling stress or emotional pain, perhaps
when you are caught in a traffic jam, arguing with a loved one, or feeling inadequate in some
way. It is helpful to have a set of phrases memorized to help you remember to be more
compassionate to yourself in the moment. You can take a deep breath, put your hand over
your heart, or gently hug yourself, and repeat the following phrases:
 This is a moment of suffering
 Suffering is a part of life
 May I be kind to myself
 May I give myself the compassion I need
SELF-COMPASSION LETTER
1. Candidly describe a problem that tends to make you feel bad about yourself, such
as a physical flaw, a relationship problem, or failure at work or school.
2. Next, think of an imaginary friend who is unconditionally accepting and
compassionate; someone who know all your strengths and weaknesses,
understand your life history, your current circumstances, and understands the
limits of human nature.
3. Finally, write a letter from that perspective. What would your friend say about your
perceived problem? What words would he or she use to convey deep compassion?
How would your friend remind you that you are only human? If your friend were to
make any suggestions, how would they reflect unconditional understanding?
4. When you are done, put the letter down for a while and come back to it later. Then
read the letter again, letting the words sink in, allowing yourself to be soothed and
comforted.

LESS STRESS, CARE MORE

We should be in control of the stress that confronts us every day. Otherwise, when we
are overwhelmed by stress, it can be detrimental to our health. Self-care and self-compassion
are two ways to positively confront stress. We should love and care for our self more and
more each day.