CSTC COLLEGE OF SCIENCES TECHNOLOGY AND

COMMUNICATION, INC.
CSTC College Bldg. Gen. Luna St. Maharlika Hi-way, Pob. 3, Arellano Sub.
Sariaya Province of Quezon R4A
Registrar’s Office: 042 3290850 / 042 7192818
CSTC IT Center: 042 7192805
Atimonan Contact Number: 042 7171420

SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Instructional Module in Understanding the Self

Preliminaries
I. Lesson Number 4
II. Lesson Title To be or Not to be: The Political Self
III. Brief Introduction The emphasis, when debating national identity, appears
of the Lesson to be on becoming a country citizen. Culture's position regarding
identity should never be underestimated.
What makes a real Filipino? Do physical characteristics
like dark eyes, flat nose, and dark complexion make one a
Filipino? Or is it the language, birthplace, and ethnicity of one
person? In this lesson, you'll learn that the race, ethnicity and
physical characteristics of an individual are not just factors that
make up the national identity of a country. Also, values and
traits are important indicators which distinguish one nationality
from the other.
IV. Lesson Objectives At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
1. identify the strengths and weaknesses of Filipino
character, democratic culture and ways on how to be a
good Filipino
2. determine how becoming a Filipino affects yourself to be
a better Filipino and influence your duty to become a
better version of yourself.
3. reflect on your selfhood in relation being a Filipino

Lesson Proper
I. Getting Started
Getting Started

Who is a Filipino?
Answer the questions below in relation to pictures that are posted in the PPT presentation.
1. How do the pictures remind you of your being a Filipino?
2. Are you proud of being a Filipino? Why and why not?
3. How extensive are the effects of being Filipino in your selfhood?

II. Discussion

Political identity is a form of social identity marking membership of certain groups that
share a common struggle for a certain form of power. This can include identification with a
political party, but also positions on specific political issues, nationalism, inter-ethnic
relations or more abstract ideological themes.

The Filipino identity is not static. The self-image of a Filipino can be as diverse as its
context. This goes without saying that all Filipinos are similar irrespective of all of these. His
psychological understanding of becoming a Filipino identifies him as one, no matter how he
sees and describes the Filipino.

Developing a Filipino Identity

The Philippines is a lush island paradise known for its spectacular views of the mountains,
sandy beaches and a rich and varied community that varies from province to province.
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COMMUNICATION, INC.
CSTC College Bldg. Gen. Luna St. Maharlika Hi-way, Pob. 3, Arellano Sub.
Sariaya Province of Quezon R4A
Registrar’s Office: 042 3290850 / 042 7192818
CSTC IT Center: 042 7192805
Atimonan Contact Number: 042 7171420

While the Philippines may be well known for its awe-inspiring beauty, the unique features,
reputable values, and praiseworthy talents of the Filipinos may make the country a place to
be.

Strengths of the Filipino Character

 Filipino Hospitality. The Filipino trait known everywhere is the Filipino brand of
hospitality. Filipinos welcome their visitors and tourists as if they were brothers and
sisters in their own right. We still make their visitors feel right at home and give them
something to eat or even a place to rest. Filipino serves heap of festive food during
festivals or fiestas, and invites the whole barangay over. They are also fond of giving
pasalubong or tokens of their travels and pabaon or farewell gifts to their visitors.

 Respect for Elders. Filipino greets their elders by kissing their hands while saying
"Mano po!" and constantly using "po" and "opo" in conversation. Forgetting to
address older people properly will be seen as rude and impolite.

 Close Family Ties. Filipino have a close relationship with their families, regardless
of whether the children are old enough and have their own families. They are also
fond of family reunions on birthdays, holidays or holidays all year round.

 Cheerful Personality. Filipinos are getting used to smiling and laughing a lot. They
smile when they're happy, or sometimes when they're sad or angry. Smiling has
been a coping strategy for many Filipinos, especially in times and calamities.

 Self-sacrifice. The Filipinos' self-sacrificing mentality can be perceived as an

extension of the Filipino hospitality. Filipinos choose to express their love and
support to their friends, relatives and loved ones. They wish their loved ones warmth
and better lives and would travel hundreds of miles from working abroad to raise
more money to save up for them.

 Bayanihan. It is the Filipinos' spirit of collective harmony and cooperation. It's all
about giving out in exchange without expecting anything. Filipinos are still eager to
share and to support their vulnerable friends and loved ones.

 “Bahala Na” Attitude. Bahala na is the Filipino version of the popular "Hakuna
Matata" line, which means no worries. The phrase is said to derive from "Bathala
na," where Bathala means God, and the phrase means that everything falls into the
hands of God.

Weaknesses of Filipino Character

 Colonial Mentality. Colonial mentality is seen as a lack of patriotism and an attitude
where the Filipinos prefer foreign products more than their own. This concerns not
only goods, but also the desire to look more foreign than local and to keep up with
foreign trends in beauty.

 “Mañana” Habit. This is the Filipino term of procrastination. It was derived from a
longer Filipino phrase called "Mamaya na" which means dawdling things that could
have been done in the past. It's a poor habit of laziness that results in a heavier
workload.

 Ningas Kugon. "Ningas" is a Filipino word for flame and "kugon" is a Filipino term
for Cogon grass that burns out quickly after it has been thrown into flames. Ningas
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CSTC College Bldg. Gen. Luna St. Maharlika Hi-way, Pob. 3, Arellano Sub.
Sariaya Province of Quezon R4A
Registrar’s Office: 042 3290850 / 042 7192818
CSTC IT Center: 042 7192805
Atimonan Contact Number: 042 7171420

kugon refers to the mentality of eagerly starting things but rapidly losing eagerness
soon after experiencing difficulties just as how fast a Cogon grass fire burns out
moments after it has been ignited. Laziness is a growing issue among Filipinos,
which is why they are known as "Juan Tamad" or Lazy Juan.

 Pride. Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if they were more precious than having
a good relationship with family and loved ones. If two parties aren't in good terms
they find it so difficult to apologize and wait until the other party first asks for an
apology.

 Crab Mentality. It is a toxic trait among Filipinos where, instead of feeling happy for
that person, one resents the achievement of another one. Like crabs in a container,
they pull each other down and ruin each other's reputation rather than bring them up,
resulting in no progress. The Filipinos should change this troublesome attitude and
focus more on their own inadequacies in order to improve one's self.

 Filipino Time. Filipinos have this popular attitude of arriving late at meetings,
dinners, or parties particularly when they meet someone close to them. They prefer
not to follow the punctuality entirely.

 Lack of Self-Analysis/Self-Reflection. It's an expression that the Filipinos are

"madaling makalimot" or have a short memory. This means we easily forget the
mistakes we made as a country and again, we make the same mistake. This is one
reason why typical politicians "trapos" are often re-elected to office.

Establishing a Democratic Culture

Democracy is a government in which the people directly or indirectly gain and exercise the
ultimate power by means of a system of representation, typically involving freely contested
elections on a periodic basis. Although democracy has several flaws, it also has a number
of features that most people consider desirable, whatever their beliefs may be. Examples
are as follows:
1. Democracy helps prevent the rule of cruel and vicious autocrats.
2. It promotes human development (i.e., health, education, personal income, and any
other indicators) more fully than other forms of government.
3. Democracy helps to protect the fundamental rights and interests of individuals.
4. Democratic societies provide people with the greatest opportunity to take moral
responsibility for their choices and decisions.
5. Democratic societies are offering a relatively high chance of achieving political
equality.

How to be A Good Filipino

Your values and traits are important indicators of being a Filipino. Here are some of ways
on how to be a good Filipino:

1. Be an active Filipino citizen. A good Filipino citizen is aware of the current events
and is active in government programs aimed at the growth and development of the
country.
2. Study the Philippines History. The path to the history of the Philippines is long and
bloody, and by learning and thoroughly knowing the events of the history of the
Philippines, you will learn so much about why it is so important for you to love your
country with your life, support your poor fellow Filipinos and acknowledge abuse of
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COMMUNICATION, INC.
CSTC College Bldg. Gen. Luna St. Maharlika Hi-way, Pob. 3, Arellano Sub.
Sariaya Province of Quezon R4A
Registrar’s Office: 042 3290850 / 042 7192818
CSTC IT Center: 042 7192805
Atimonan Contact Number: 042 7171420

political power.
3. Support local products. When buying local products, you not only support local
manufacturers and businessmen, but also help to strengthen the local economy. Our
creativity, innovativeness and resourcefulness are expressed in our support of local
goods.
4. Speak the Filipino language. When buying local products, you not only support
local manufacturers and businessmen, but also help to strengthen the local
economy. Our creativity, innovativeness and resourcefulness are expressed in our
support of local goods.
5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent. It's part
of becoming a Filipino to understand and check what you're reading online before
you fully believe in it and spread it like wildfire. This is also the duty of each Filipino
to accept differences in political views, be compassionate, and debate intelligently
without having to resort to people calling by names.
III. Application
Directions: Make a poster showing the beauty of the Filipino Identity. Do it in a short bond
paper and write your explanation for the said poster at the back.

CRITERIA POINTS
Content 15
Relevance to the Theme 10
Creativity 5
TOTAL 30

VI. References
Brawner, D.G. & Arcega, A.F.(2018). Understanding the Self.Quezon City, Philippines: C &
E Publishing, Inc.
Gutierrez-Ang, J. (2018). Understanding the Self. Manila, Philippines: Mindshapers Co., Inc.
Otig, V.S., Gallinero W.B., Bataga, N.U., Salado, F.B. & Visande, J.C.(2018) A Holistic
Approach in Understanding THE SELF. Malabon City, Philippines: Mutya Publishing
House Inc.

Prepared by:

LYNNEL L. NIEGAS, LPT

Instructor

Reviewed by:

JOHN MARC R. MENDOZA,

PhD, MLIS
Program Head, School of Teacher
Education