Saturday, July 1, 2017

FILIPINO VALUES REVISITED

Filipino Values are standards of behavior or beliefs   which most Filipinos regard as sacred  in their lives and are passed down from generations to generations. The following are some of the most noteworthy principles that Filipinos care about deeply and take pride in themselves.

Closeness and Solidarity

Filipinos are a closely knit family. They all live together under one roof and sometimes even though the children are married already and with children of their own,  they are still living with their parents. They are all united as one family and one clan. Most of the time the clan lives in a compound or just near each other. When the parents grow old, the children takes care of them and provides for all their personal and medical  needs.

Unlike in the Western Countries where they send their parents to home for the aged  or residential nursing facilities.  The Westerners  cannot take care of their parents as they are  busy with their work. They don't have a maid to look after their parents that's why sending them to nursing homes is their best option.

Politeness
Children are taught early in life  to be polite by saying "po" and "opo" as a sign of respect for the elderly. Politeness, i.e., being considerate and respectful of other people  is also being preached in school. This way, this good behavior will be ingrained in them while they are still young and will be something that they can cultivate, develop and bring with them when they grow up.

Hospitality
Filipinos are  known for their hospitality worldwide. This is one trait of Filipinos which endears them to co-Filipinos and foreigners. When a guest is invited to a Filipino home, they are treated with kindness, warmth and respect. The guest will be offered the best food in the house and will be treated like a royalty. The guest will be served to the utmost even though there will be no more food left for the other members of the family.

During town fiestas, the traditional  Filipino family will prepare and cook roasted pig called "lechon" early in the  the day as they will request their relatives  to help them with the cooking. Then during the fiesta proper, their clan, friends and other relatives will visit them and eat from their feast. The prominent  Filipino host will offer all the best cuisines and lay them all on the long dining table. He will welcome the town mayor, the parish priest and all the other prominent officials in the barangay.

Gratitude
This is  one value which is very unique to Filipinos. We call it "utang na loob." This kind of gratitude is returned to the other person when the time comes that it is the other person's turn to pay it forward. It is supposed to be a positive Filipino value. However, when it is applied in politics it takes on a different color.

Social Acceptance
Filipinos value social acceptance and this is called in the vernacular as "pakikisama." This means that they will do everything in their power just to have a smooth interpersonal relationship within their sphere of influence. They use nice persuasive words, soft voice, gentle manners just to be in good terms with everyone around them.

Economic Security
For the love of family, Filipinos opt to go work abroad just to be able to provide for their families and ensure economic security. They will not think of the  hardships and sacrifices that they are encountering just for them to be able to send money to their respective families in the Philippines. I have experienced this first hand as my husband became an Overseas Filipino Worker and went to work in big bank in Jeddah, KSA.

Trust in God
The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country brought about by the 333 years of Spanish colonial rule. Thus, more than 86%  of the population knows about God and trusts in Him. We have a lot of private Catholic schools in the Philippines initially established by various foreign  missionaries from different congregations, that's why majority of us Filipinos  are Christians.

We have witnessed and experienced two great miracles in the Philippines attributed to the intercession of God and the Holy Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the EDSA Revolution of 1986 popularly known as the " The People Power" and the peaceful oust of President Joseph Estrada in January of  2001, who was accused of corruption and inept leadership.







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