RECIPROCITY IN THE

LOWLAND PHILIPPINES
MARY R. HOLLNSTEINER
 INTRODUCTION

While the norm of reciprocity is a universal principle of

behaviour, its manifestations, the emphasis placed upon it, and the
power it has to influence social behaviour differ from one society to
the next. In the Philippines, where people are so concerned about
getting along with others, reciprocity is a constant consideration, and
some knowledge of its operation is essential for an understanding of
Philippine society. This analysis will be followed by a discussion
placing Philippine reciprocity in the wider context of Philippine
culture and of reciprocity elsewhere.
 EXAMPLE RECIPROCITY
CONTRACTUAL
•
• Bolhon (Cebuano
The reciprocal acts areBisayan)
equivalent, –
DESCRIBED BY HART AND GIVEN THE STATUS OF A
their
TYPEartBY
andUDY
form having been expilcity agreed
upon
• A beforehand.
gruop of farmers who agree to take turns plowing one another’s field. The
• Thefarmers work
obligation thatjointly
is felt toonreturn
one field at aistime
a service , the proprietor
relatively of the
colorless; with particular field
a minimum
of affective
will act sentiment.
as a boss of the group. The amount of time and effort spent in each case
• Fulfillment
is approximately equal.
of the contract When
is such thatthe complete
there rotation
is no doubt in theofmind
fields and corresponding
of either party
thatwork leader
payment has has
beenbeen made,
made; the obligation
repayment of each member to all the others has
is unmistakable.
been settled.
• Terminates that particular relationship, leaving the participants in a state of
equilibrium
QUASI-CONTRACTUAL RECIPROCITY
• This manifestation of the norm utilizes both forms of the principle of equivalence in the
return payment.
• In one instance, the thing exchange may be concretely different but should be equal in value,
as defined by the actors in the situation.
• In the second, should be concretely alike, or identical in form, either with respect to the thing
exchanged.
• The payment of interest does not apply here unless the borrower has failed to return a
consumption item after a reasonable amount of time.
• In the latter case it would appear that an utang na loob relationship is created because the
lender has in effect, provided an extra service at a sacrifice to himself that of doing without
the item for a long time when he might have been using it.
EXAMPLE
• Abuloy (Based on money exchange)
• When someone in the community dies, it is customary for some members of the community,
related or not, and who are not feuding with the family of the deceased, to contribute of sum
money or abuloy, to the bereaved family. The family receiving the abuloy carefully records in a
notebook kept especially for that purpose the name of the donor and the amount contributed.
The reciprocal abuloy repayment must necessarily be deferred until someone in the donor’s
family dies. Then the debt engendered may be settled by the original recipient's consulting the
notebook to see how much money the original donor’s family contributed, giving in turn exactly
the same amount.

• In the case of contractual reciprocity, no interest is paid; there is no attempt to

improve on the sum given by the first donor. To do so would violate the code of
equivalence ascribed to the custom of abuloy
UTANG NA LOOB RECIPROCITY

• The third type of reciprocity, is most consciously generated when a transfer of

goods or services take place between individuals belonging to two different
groups. Since one does not ordinarily expect favors of anyone not of his own
group, a service this kind throws the norm into bold relief. Furthermore, it
compels the recipient to show his gratitude properly by returning the favor
with interest to be sure that he does not remain in the others debt. The debt
created in the recipient is called utang na loob or sense of gratitude.
• Colin, writing in 1663, about the social obligations binding a barangay chief
and his people makes this statement:
 There was another kind of service which was not of servitude, though
it appeared to be such. It was generally seen among certain persons called
cabalangay. Whenever such persons wanted any small trifle they begged the
head chief of their barangay for it, and he gave it to them. In return whenever
he summoned them they were obliged to go to him to work in his fields or to
row in his boats. Whenever a feast or banquet was given they all came together
and helped furnish the tuba, wine or quilan, such being their method of
services.
• The modern counterpart of his diffuse mutual service may be seen in the following
description of interaction in a Visayan community:

The share tenant like a landlord who treats him paternally. Consequently, a paternal
landlord is the recipient of many extra services from his tenant. The landlord in turn acts as the patron
of the tenant... In many instances, a tenant’s family is tied to a landlord’s farm because of gratitude
and debts to the landlord... The fact that a landlord always grants a tenant’s request for credit and the
fact that the credit is granted at a crisis period in the tenant’s life binds him in endless gratitude to his
benefactors.

• Every Filipino is expected to possess utang na loob; that is, he should be aware of
his obligations to those from whom he recieves favors and should repay them in
any acceptable manner. Saving a person’s life would be one of these; getting a
steady job, specially for an unskilled laborer at a time when employment is scarce
and unskilled laborers abound, might be another.
• There are, furthermore, definitely one-sided utang na loob relationships
where a power status differential precludes the likelihood of equivalent
repayment on the part of the subordinate party.
• Example: The rice which a landlord gives a tenant during the course of their relationship
serves to bind one to the other. But whereas the landlord may want to consider such rice
as being loaned, the tenant will consider it as “owed” him as part of the reciprocal social
relationship and where the debt lightly.

• The utang na loob repayment, where it is made or attempted, is undefined in

the sense that it can encompass any acceptable form within the reach of the
one reciprocating.
• Hiya is the universal social sanction that regulates the give and take
reciprocity and, in general, all social behaviour. When one violates such a
norm he ordinarily feels a deep sense of shame, a realization of having failed
to live up to the standards of the society. It wound them seriously.
• By not settling an obligation when the opportunity arises, the Filipino
violates a highly valued operating principle and experiences a consequent
hiya. To avoid this painful experience, he makes every effort to repay his
obligations in the manner prescribed by his culture.
INTRA-FAMILY UTANG NA LOOB
• The term utang na loob is also used with reference to parent-child and sibling
relationships; but the emotion attached to it goes far deeper than the non-
familial utang na loob.
• Parent-child relationship
• Children are expected to be everlastingly grateful to their parents not only for all that
the latter have done for them in the process of raising them but more fundamentally for
giving them life itself. The children should recognize, in particular, that their mother
risked her life to enable each child exist. Thus, a child’s utang na loob to its parents is
immeasurable and eternal. Nothing he can do during his lifetime can make-up for what
they have done for him/her.
• Sibling relationship
• The younger sibling owes utang na loob to all his elder siblings for the care which they
have lavished on him and, in the local view, even for letting the younger ones be born
by being born first.

• The term tayo-tayo lamang (just us) is used to refer to this primary group.
Contrary to a popular notion, Filipinos do not indiscriminately support
relatives above all others; the near-far, ingroup-outgroup dichotomies
introduce limiting factors.
UTANG NA LOOB IN PRACTICE

• To show the principle of utang naloob reciprocity in operation, the occasions

in which utang na loob is incurred and then present a description situations
through which these obligations may be wholly or partially repaid. In going
through the analysis, one should keep in mind the distinction made above
between utang na loob reciprocity and complementarity.
• Utang na loob reciprocity is created when:
• A person sends a relative or friend’s child through school, paying all part of the
expenses involved.
• Professional services rendered free of charge or for a token fee also engender.
• Giving credit.
• When a government official in Manila gives a person special treatment, facilitating his
papers ahead of others, it becomes virtually mandatory to show ones for this service
with a few peso, or by sending special food to his house.
• Getting a job.
• Festive occasions.
• Political activities.
 OVERALL SUMMARY
TYPES OF RECIPROCITY

UTANG NA LOOB
FEATURES
QUASI-
CONTRACTUAL COORDINATE SUPERORDINATE-
CONTRACTUAL
SUBORDINATE

EXPECTED
PARTIAL,
PAYMENT EQUIVALENT WITH INTEREST
INCOMPLETE

EXPLICIT AS TO IMPLICIT AS TO
AGREEMET ON NO AGREEMENT AS TO AMOUNT AND
AMOUNT AND AMOUNT AND
TERMS FORM
FORM FORM
REPAYMENT IN UNCERTAIN EVEN
UNMISTAKABLE WHEN MADE NOT EXPECTED
FULL WHEN MADE
NOT BALANCED, NOT BALANCED,
STATUS OF
BALANCED AND BALANCE BUT ALIVE BUT ALIVE, AND STILL
OBIGATION AFTER
DEAD DORMANT SHIFTED TO WITH SAME
RECIPROCATION
OTHER PARTY PARTY
EMOTION VERY
INSIGNIFICANT SIGNIFICANT
INVOLVE SIGNIFICANT
SOURCE OF HIYA NON-RECIPROCATION NON RECOGNATION OF DEBT
 THE END...
JIREMIE JURADO
CHERRY ANNE GONZAGA