Binalonan, Pangasinan

MODULE 10: Political Aspect of Self

Course Title: Understanding the Self
Course Code: GE 1

Name: __________________________________________________________
Course and Year: _________________________________________________
Contact Number/E-mail Address: _____________________________________
Date and Time Allotment: ___________________________________________

Introduction
In the Philippines, Filipinos possess common values such as religiosity, hospitality, friendliness, and
compassion, among others. These values contribute to the formation of a unique identity and provide answers
to the question, “Who are the Filipinos?” The Constitution enumerates some ideal values that a Filipino should
possess and live for a as a member of the body politic. This set of values such as nationalism and respect for
the law and human rights, serves as a guide and norms of every individual to become ideal citizens. The
Political self is the self that the Constitution aims to foster. This is a self that rejects the individualistic view
and focuses on collective welfare – for the people and the country.

I. Objectives
At the end of the end of this module, students should be able to:
1. Define what constitutes the political aspect of self.
2. Identify positive and negative Filipino values ad their implications to economic development, and
3.) Demonstrate critical thoughts about democracy and politicians in the Philippines.
.
II. Lectures

Man as a Political Animal

According to Aristotle, man is a "Political animal". Other people might easily interpret this as something
that refers to the intrinsic desire of every human being to live or govern. Similar to being a social animal,
humans come together and form a political body. The creation of a political body is intended for the attainment
of a good life. For instance, the city-state which originates from the Greek word polis, is understood as the
highest and the most desirable form of organized society. Aristotle believed that humans like animals
intrinsically work together to achieve a common goal. Like the saying "No man is an island" humans
are interconnected and must work together.

Political Culture

 Political culture is the pattern of individual attitudes and orientation towards politics among members of a
political system (Almond & Verba, 1956)

 Characteristics of Philippine Political Culture

 Filipino political culture includes beliefs, feelings, group-accepted practices, language, and paraphernalia
shared by groups of Filipinos in their production, allocation, and usage of political powers alongside the
interaction with the state (Montiel, 2000).

1.) Dominance of family ties or kinship system - in Local Government Units such as the municipality or
barangay, big clans dominate the political arena. Political dynasties usually controlled the government. In the
Philippines where consanguinity or (blood relations) is given utmost importance, it does not matter even if a
political candidate is inefficient, immoral, or corrupt. As long as he or she is part of a political dynasty found
trustworthy by a community, he or she would also be considered trustworthy. This is because the family is
seen to function collectively, having shared values and beliefs. Ritual kinship or the compadre system where
the sacredness of baptism or marriage is used to get favors is evident in politics.

2.) Euphemism - officials and employees in lower positions are not straightforward in criticizing officials of
higher rank. They use "parinig" or "patutsada" instead of confronting the officials to immediately address the
problems or issues in their area. They put more importance to their relationship with the officials for they are
afraid that their negative comments or criticisms might offend them. Thus, in the end, problems and issues are
not given immediate attention.
 3.) Utang Na Loob - Filipinos feel obliged to retain immediately or in the future any favor they receive from
another person. They always look for an opportunity to return any favor given to them. In politics, Utang na
Loob is instrumental in becoming a popular politician.  Citizens often disregard the impact of their votes to
public interest when they elect corrupt and incompetent officials just because they feel indebted to them. They
disregard the impact of their vote to public interest when they elect corrupt and incompetent officials as
payment for utang na loob.

4.) Sense of over-dependency - some constituents rely on elected officials for a "patron" politician for their
personal and economic needs. This culture results in the election of incompetent officials whose means to stay
in power are to provide temporary relief to impoverished Filipino families.  The attitude of over-dependency
also manifests when citizens and/or lower-ranked employees wait for orders rather than take initiative or be
active participants in policymaking. This passive attitude is sometimes abused by authorities to remain in
power.

5.) Belief that majority of politicians for corrupt - the term buwaya (crocodile) has been used to describe
corrupt politicians in the Philippines signifying their greed for money and power. Many Filipinos believe that
politicians are corrupt and are in government service only to promote their vested interest and not the public
interest. "Wala namang pulitikong hindi kurakot" only shows that public perception towards politics is anchored
on the idea that is evil for many politicians value more the money they can get instead of actually being good
public servants.

6.) Lack of political maturity – People elect officials based on popularity and personality and not on
performance and platform. It has been observed in national and local campaign activities that candidates who
can sing, dance, and crack jokes are the ones who become popular among voters. It seems that people are
more interested in entertainment rather than the serious presentation of platforms and plans of action for the
country. This is manifested in the number of showbiz personalities who are now politicians. Politics is no longer
limited to individuals with backgrounds in political science and law, even celebrities are now able to hold
positions in office by sheer popularity.

“The Philippine political culture is…personalistic, but violent, religious but superstitious, corrupt but
tolerant, hierarchical but distributionist, solicitous of form but no content, legalistic, but careless of
equity, media-obsessed and nationalistically vociferous with respect to rights but negligent to
obligations.” (Gleeck, 1988 as cited in Quezon III, 2007)

Ideal Citizen
Citizenship denotes the status of being a legal member of a nation-state. Anyone can easily claim that
he or she is a citizen of a nation. The concept of the real self and ideal self is introduced in the previous
lessons. The real self is the self that one feels to be most true to what and who he or she really is. It is how one
thinks, feels, and looks. On the other hand, the ideal self is the self one aspires to be. It is an idealized version
of oneself influenced by one’s experiences and aspirations in the environment he or she is situated in. From
the definition of the ideal self, the notion of the ideal citizen can also be found.

What constitutes an ideal citizen? An ideal citizen can be a person who follows the laws, protects and
takes care of the environment, and contributes to the welfare of other people. An ideal citizen carries out his or
her civil responsibilities – duties that help shape a better society for all citizens.

Article XIV, Section 3, Paragraph 2 of the Philippine Constitution identifies the qualities expected of
citizens to possess, thereby creating ideal citizens. The provision states that an ideal citizen is patriotic and
nationalistic, fosters love for humanity, has respect for human rights, appreciates the role of national heroes,
knows the rights and duties of citizenship, has strong ethical and spiritual values, and has a good moral
character and personal discipline. To produce graduates who possess these qualities should be the mission of
every educational institution.

Governance
Governance is defined as the traditions and institutions that determine how authority is exercised in
particular country. Those includes (1) the process by which governments are selected, held accountable,
monitored, and replaced; (2) the capacity of governments to manage resources efficiently and formulate,
implement, and enforce sound policies and regulations; and (3) the respect of citizens and the state for the
institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them (Kaufmann, Kraay, & Zoido-Lobaton,
2000)

Good Governance
In 1944, British Prime Minister John Major created a committee on Standards in Public Life to outline
proper behavior by public servants. In its first report, the committee released the Nolan Principles, named
after the committee’s first chairman Lord Michael Nolan. The principle aims to eliminate corruption in the
government. The seven Nolan Principles or seven principles in public life are selflessness, objectivity,
integrity, honesty, accountability, openness, and leadership.
These principles can also be applied in the Philippine setting.

1.) Selflessness – it means caring for what the people need and want instead of promoting personal interests.

2.) Objectivity – it means being neutral and free from biases in making decisions. The law must be applied as
it is. Decisions must be based on verifiable data and evidences for transparency and impartiality.

3.) Integrity – It means maintaining a good name and character. Public officials and employees must be the
epitome of obedience to laws.

4.) Honesty – it means telling the truth, hiding nothing, and being transparent at all times.

5.) Accountability – it means being liable and responsible for one’s actions. Government officials and
employees owe their office to the people; thus, they are liable and responsible to the people; thus they are
liable and responsible to them.

6.) Openness – it means being transparent with whatever information one handles.

7.) Leadership – it means being able to lead the way for development that would benefit all. Personal qualities
are essential in government service but the most important quality is professional competence. Every nation
needs a leader who knows how to manage and run the government despite its limited resources. A leader
must be visionary who thinks of the future of the nation, an astute politician with strong political will and will not
hesitate to implement the law, and a good statesman who maintains healthy relations to other states.

Filipino Values
There are inherent traits that make Filipinos different from other nationalities. These traits form part of
the socio-anthropological self of the Filipinos. These traits have also formed art of the Filipino identity.

A.) Positive Filipino Values

1.) Bayanihan – as a practice of the spirit of kinship and camaraderie, the custom bayanihan is observed
whenever a helping hand is extended to accomplish a task as a group.

2.) Damayan – Filipinos always extend sympathy for people especially for those who lost their loved ones or
who were victims of calamities.

3.) Familism or Close Family Ties – Filipinos are known to prioritize the welfare of family members above
other things.

4.) Optimism – Filipinos have the attitude of looking at all ways to be happy and to maintain a positive outlook
even in times of calamities and other challenges in life.

5.) Hospitality – Filipinos are identified to be warm, friendly, generous, and accommodating to other people,
fellow Filipino or not.

6.) Flexibility – Filipinos have the ability to adapt or conform to the expectations or will of other people to
achieve smooth and harmonious relationships.

7.) Respect for Elders – Filipinos are thought to show courtesy towards the elderly at all times. This is
manifested in the act of pagmamano and saying po and opo when talking to someone older as a sign of
respect.

8.) Remedyo Culture – Filipinos are known for being creative and resourceful.

9.) Matiyaga – Filipinos are known for their grit and strong determination in every undertaking.

10.) Utang na Loob - This is a feeling of gratitude, recognition of one’s indebtedness, and obligation to repay
someone who has extended assistance to another.

B.) Negative Filipino Culture

1.) Bahala Na Attitude – This is a Filipino trait of leaving to fate and luck the outcome of a certain undertaking,
hence the expression bahala na.

2.) Colonial Mentality – It is a Filipino value of giving high regard to foreign products and treating the local as
inferior and low in quality.
3) Crab Mentality – it is a Filipino attitude born out of jealousy and insecurity characterized by an attempt to
pull down those who are ahead of them in life.

4.) Euphemistic – This is Filipino attitude of not being frank and straightforward so as not to offend or hurt
another person.

5.) Filipino Time – this manifest among Filipinos through lack of punctuality.

6.) Manana Habit – Manana, from the phrase mamaya na means “I’ll do it later” is an attitude Filipinos
characterized by stalling on doing tasks instead of doing them immediately.

7.) Ningas Kugon – This is characterized by the attitude of being enthusiastic only at the beginning of an
endeavor. This is usually observed in some politicians who are only good at the start of their term.

8.) Lack of Sportsmanship – it is an attitude of Filipinos manifested in how they cannot seem to accept
defeat.

9.) Tsamba lang Attitude – it is an attitude characterized by the refusal to take the credit for one’s own
accomplishments, instead owing it to charm and luck.

III. Activity

ACT. 10.1

Name 10 Filipino values and explain their relevance to you. Write your answers on the table provided.

Filipino Values Personal Relevance

ACT 10.2

Name five negative Filipino values and explain how these values hinder development and unity. Write your
answers on the table provided.

Negative Filipino Explanation

Values
IV. Assessment

1.) Basing from the Philippine Political Culture, what are your observations in the current governance of
the Philippines, may it be in National or Local Government Unit and identify specific Philippine political culture/s
that you have observed.

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2.) In what other ways can you be an ideal citizen of the nation. Explain your answer.
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Prepared by:

REZZIE P. MENSALVAS, CHRA

Instructor

Submitted to:

RAYMOND N. CLARO, PhD.

Asst. Dean, College of Teacher Education