Filipino Value System

• Filial piety


  A virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors
• Bayanihan - The spirit of cooperation among people living together as a community or nation.
• Family

  • The basic unit for Filipinos
  • Includes nuclear family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, honorary relations
  • The larger and more powerful the family, the more advantages it can provide for its members
  • The father is usually considered the head of the family
  • In recent times, fathers and mothers share the responsibilities of the family
• Filial piety


  • A prime virtue that requires reverence and respect for parents and elders
  • Parents exercise absolute powers over the children who grow up respecting parents (elders) as they have been taught how
  • The opinions of younger family members' and children's opinions are considered to be secondary to their superior
• Paggalang (Respect)

  • Using "po", "opo", "ho" when conversing with elders or people in high positions
  • Filipino children place the elder's hand on their foreheads for mano po
  • Younger members of the family use Ate or Kuya to show respect towards older siblings
  • Filipino children are taught never to talk back to parents
  • Filipino parents seek advice from their elders for important matters and the grandparents' opinions are put into consideration
• Filial piety


  Discourages Filipinos from deciding on their own
• Pagpapahalaga sa pamilya (Prioritizing Family or Family Orientation)

  • Filipinos have a high regard for their families and prioritize them before anything else
  • Elderly people are rarely sent to homes for the aged, Filipinos prefer to take care of their elders in their homes
• Nepotism (a practice of favoring relatives or friends) can be a form of special treatment only available to the few
• Hiya (Shame)

  • Filipinos believe they must live up to the accepted standards of behavior and make it a point not to cause another person's embarrassment
  • Filipinos experience hiya when one goes against societal expectations
  • Filipinos believe strongly in saving face, they go out of their way to participate in barrio's fiesta, or organize a luxurious party even their economic circumstances cannot allow them to
  • Public reprimands or criticisms cause Filipinos to feel shame and lose their self-esteem
• Amor propio (Self-respect)


  • Transgression of self-worth can contribute to hiya
  • Filipinos are non-confrontational and this trait stems from a desire not to offend another's sense of amor propio and bring about a sense of shame
  • To protect one's amor propio, people feel discouraged from apologizing even when one is wrong, or they blame others for the offense to protect their pride
• Pakikisama (Being with others)


  • The ability to get along in a group, fosters camaraderie
  • Filipinos yearn to be accepted and well-liked by society, one usually yields to the group's opinion and sacrifice self-welfare for the group's welfare
  • Pakikisama is also sharing one's wealth, talent, time and self with fellow human beings and working together for a common good
• Pakikisama can easily be abused, knowing that one wants to maintain good relations, opportunists would take advantage and get the person to do his bidding
• Pakikisama


  Can easily be abused. Maintaining good relations, opportunists would take advantage and get the person to do his bidding
• Pakikisama (in this circumstance)


  Merely an exercise of yielding to social pressure. Pakikisama has become coerced
• Pakikisama (as a leader)


  Mentoring newly hired employees, teaching them the tasks and duties they need to do so that they can perform well
• Pakikisama (what not to do)


  Covering up for a colleague or helping co-workers hide their mistakes that have lost the company a sum of money
• What to do to help Jonah

  Make sure he learns the moral principles, best practices, and good policies of the company. Jonah can properly share, apply and hone his marketing skills for the good of the company
• Suki relationship

  Two people or organization agree to become regular customer and supplier. It is not an explicit agreement. Filipinos will regularly buy from certain suppliers who can give them in return, reduced prices, better quality, credit, or give them preferential services
• Trust is a vital aspect of suki relationship, therefore it creates a personal relationship between individuals
• Maintaining a good suki relationship


  It is generally best to have several suppliers you can always count on to deliver the products that you need
• Utang na loob


  More than debt of gratitude, repayment is just a matter of having gratitude. The recipient of the assistance or favor puts a premium on the goodwill that is being conveyed
• Parts of utang na loob

  • Physical (observable portion) - loaned money or the giving of a job to someone
  • Non-observable part - the benevolence, willingness, or goodwill of the act. This creates indebtedness
• Utang na loob


  The willingness and even eagerness to acknowledge such internal debt of benevolence, and then, to return it in kind by providing a similar favor or through a token gifts or services. These are rendered to express one's appreciation and loyalty to the benefactor
• Repayment of utang na loob

  A self-imposed obligation of the beneficiary. As it is difficult to repay, he/she must be ready to give himself/herself in return when the opportunity arises
• Utang na loob repayment


  Can be made by showing loyalty. Usually, one is expected to be blindly loyal to the benefactor regardless of right and wrong
• Unwillingness or hesitation to repay utang na loob


  Recognized as ingrate or walang utang na loob. It questions one's personal honor and dignity
• Utang na loob

  Can be a positive cultural value as Filipinos are thankful for the favor extended and wish to return the favors. However, unscrupulous individuals may take advantage of Filipino's sense of utang na loob to bind the person in indebtedness or lead one to be loyal to the person
• Mañana habit


  Procrastination, relegating tasks for another time and only working on them close to the deadline. It may be due to non-interest in the task or the mood of the person involved
• Bahala na


  Filipinos are fatalistic and this is shown by how often bahala na is used in everyday conversation. Bahala na means "to leave one's life or event in the care of God." It is invoked both positively and negatively
• Positive use of bahala na

  When used in situations wherein accidents happen despite preparedness or when one loses something in spite of careful attention to situation. When one feels there are uncertainties that lie ahead despite making careful and deliberate choices; or when one cannot decide even after careful deliberation. Bahala na is used in coping as a coping mechanism in the face of risky undertakings. It shows determination and strength in trying times
• Negative use of bahala na

  When there is ambivalence. The person becomes lazy, irresponsible, and randomly chooses an option without thinking or doing anything, relying too much in God without doing any effort. Becomes a scapegoat of one's responsibility
• Filial piety enables Filipinos to have a strong moral support from their extended family. Putting pressure, coercing, forcing people to do one's bidding and shaming one to follow is not what filial piety is about
• Pagpapahalaga sa pamilya, when abused, might lead to nepotism. Placing relatives that are skilled and qualified for the job should be acceptable as long as they act professionally
• It is difficult to find a positive value in the mañana habit because procrastination is not a trait one should embrace
• Being sensitive to amor propio, having pakikisama and cultivating padrino suki relationship strengthens your sense of security, builds your personal alliances, and enables you to have a strong support. You must be vigilant in ensuring that you do not abuse and let others abuse you
• Bahala na can be entrepreneurial, trusting in both human effort and Divine Providence. But a negative aspect of bahala na is giving a sense of resignation, ambivalence, superstition or blind faith
• It is up to the people to change their ways, utilize only the good, and do away the bad