FILIPINO VALUES: ITS UNIVERSALITY WITH HUMAN DIGNITY (Written Report)

Humanistic Foundations| Report No. 4 on Filipino Values |Dr. Manalo | Mr. Roderico Y. Dumaug, Jr. 1 of 6 pages.

FILIPINO VALUES: ITS UNIVERSALITY WITH HUMAN DIGNITY

No. 4 Reporter

By: Mr. Roderico Y. Dumaug, Jr.

I. Introduction

Human values are not only necessary but are also indispensable factors in the study of

management and administration. Organization’s success is dependent on the organizational culture it

adopted and practice for time. The type of culture, in order to be successful, is also a function of the

values of all its stakeholders.

The trend now, which is generally recognized, is to analyze and consider the common values of

the workers, managers and all members of the organization instead of adopting foreign values to form

into an organizational culture and is adopted by or may be imposed upon every member of the

organization.

Filipino values are associated with the basic concept of man and the recognition of human

dignity. These are, in fact, aligned with the universally accepted human values especially among civilized

and democratic nations. Studies of indigenous core Filipino values which are determined through our

language and local dialects are currently continuing in order for us to understand the Filipino psyche, the

Filipino type of leadership, the Filipinos that are to be led and the type Filipino clientele.

The use of Filipino values in Philippine management and administration is therefore very

important especially in Philippine setting to ensure (1) absence of conflict between local and foreign

values, (2) development of a particular Filipino organizational behavior and (3) unity of values and

organizational culture fitting among Filipino leaders and stakeholder.

II. Man and Values

Values defined the very purpose and the direction of the life of man. They are good, important,

necessary and desirable in life. As part of man’s existence, they also provide significance to what an

organization is. When values are chosen, men in societies and organizations will tend to live a

purposeful, meaningful and satisfying life. Values can be learned and acquired through actual practice.

Knowing the objectivity of values is very important since it requires a person to act on it and

failure to respond to the call of the values, it is not actually the values that are destroyed but it is the

man himself.

Quality of life is obtain because of our values and they are part of our life being the one that

impels to act, basis for our commitments and the grounds and standards for our manners, behavior and

even expression, the norms and the principles of our lives and the criteria in appreciating beauty and

other aesthetic considerations and other economic utilities.

Through values, it generate and ought-to-be and an ought-to-do which are the basis for our

responsibilities, obligations, beliefs and attitudes without being similar with those concepts.


An author, Martin Buber, provides that man is always in dialogue with the world. The inner

being of man has a component of a being of response and ability, and it is freedom which is the

precondition of man’s response to another, whether such is another human being, a thing, a particular

event or in his belief of God. Buber further reiterates that the opposite of constraint is actually a

communion meaning for man to be free is to be a person able to respond to the call of communion.

Values are therefore experienced in a particular dialogic relationship of man as a being and as a person.

Animals on the other hand are compelled by their biological need with the force of a natural physical

law to satisfy their animalistic necessities but with values it calls for a free response from man. Hence,

the experience of values is actually the experience of man. The notion that values are created may not

be true but it is discovered by man himself in his participation with the world.

There are three diverse acts of man that makes him a unique person and these are (1) the act of

reflection or our being a thinking man, (2) of the acts of ideation or abstraction, as our coming in as an

essence from our being part of existence, and (3) the act of loving. Of the three, the last is the most

important character of man as a person for man is really capable of loving. To love and even to hate are

the basic acts of men of which all its other are coming from them. A person is one through what she

loves and hates.

Loving and hating are actually actions of the heart directed towards certain values and they are

geared towards certain hierarchy of values. Hatred is not the opposite of love but it is Apathy and in the

hierarchy of values, love direct us towards higher values while hatred to lower values.

In the hierarchy of values, the sensory values refer generally to what is pleasant and unpleasant,

of technical and luxury values. Next to that are the vital values of what are noble and vulgar and these

are what we called the values of civilization. The spiritual values of justice and injustice, of truth and

falsehood and our appreciation of beauty and ugliness are the next to sensory and vital values. The

highest are the values of what are holy and unholy. The spiritual and the holy values are values that

refer to our being man and spirit.

The above enumerated order or ranking of values are subjectively appreciated based on man’s

concrete realization of the different kinds of values. Like hatred, it is a confusion of the heart for it

wrongly changes the ranking of values. According to Scheles, what is good (positive) and evil (negative)

cannot be found in the ranking of values but rather in their realization. An action is good if it chooses

higher positive value rather than a lower or a negative value. In like manner, an action is evil if it prefers

a lower or negative value instead of a higher or positive one. Logically, without action and man who act

on it there is actually no moral good or evil will happen. Hence, moral values are actually personal values

for they came from man himself. If what is good is actually a realization of higher values, what is spiritual

and holy refer to our person. And if evil is the realization of lower values, the sensory and the vital

values can be likened to animals. Therefore, good values enhance our being a person while evil

degenerate our humanity.

At the end, the moral act of doing good and evil is based on man and not on any moral

authority. Through a model person, values derives an ‘ought to do’ and without a man to be emulated

or modeled upon there will be no standards, norms, responsibility or obligations. In moral values,


nothing can make a man good but the intuition of those exemplified by a model person whose love

invites other to follow. Model persons are the way of value transformation of man in our society today.

III. What Do You Mean By Values?

APPROACH/ VIEWS DEFINITION OF VALUES

Idea-Normative Approach

Plato's formulation of the absolute values of Truth, Goodness and

Beauty. They are conceived as having independent existence of

their own and are used as ideal norms for value judgment at the

relative level of human existence. Attainment of a state of eternal

bliss by the realization of identity of the individual self with the

Universal Self of this absolute reality is the highest and ultimate

object of human striving.

Theistic View

Based on a metaphysical belief system which accepts the reality of

a divine cosmic order and faith in the authority of a creator God

who is also the upholder of all values.

Humanist Thought

Development of a new ethics of man based on interconnectedness

of humankind, love and respect for life, the joy of sharing and

caring, and the faith in man to shape his own identity.

Empirical-Purposive

Approach

It views values as a distinct component of the total human

personality, which guide or affect attitude and behavior of the

individuals and social groups. In Schwartz's view, values are

"responses to 3 universal requirements with which all individuals

and societies must cope: needs of individual biological organisms,

requisites of coordinated social interaction and requirements for

smooth functioning and survival of groups.

Level of Aggregation

3 Levels: Individual, Sociological and Ecological. Individual refers to

the level where the human being, taken as an independent entity

and it refers to survival values, character, virtues. Aesthetic

appreciation, human rights, salvation, self-realization. The second

level refers to values at the collective level of human society which

includes the family, social institutions, sense of social responsibility,

values of humanity and human interconnectedness, etc. Third level

refers to the inclusion of human being as part of the total

ecological system, a sense of identification with future generations

and the inter-dependency of man and nature and include

expressive terms like respect for and harmony with nature,

sustainability, conservation, etc.


IV. Filipino Values: What are those Values?

V. Conceptual Framework

HIYA AMOR PROPIO KAPALARAN PAKIKISAMA BAHALA NA UTANG NA LOOB

PANINIWALA

SA DIYOS

PAGPAHALAGA

SA PAMILYALOOB BAYANIHAN

Core Values

If Lacking/Absent

KAPWA

COLONIAL MENTALITY AND SUPERIORITY COMPLEX

COLONIAL MENTALITY AND SUPERIORITY COMPLEX

Filipino Value Type

Surface Value

PAKIRAMDAM

WORST

WORSE

BAD

Pakikipagkapwa

Unity or oneness

of a person with

other people

and denying

Hiya

Fixation/ Self-

Blame/ ought to

be Ashamed/

Shame

Dangal

Pakitang Tao/

Gaya-Gaya/

Hawa- Hawa

Pakiramdam

Shared inner

perception

driven by a

sense of

awareness and

sensitivity.

Amor

Propio

Sensitivity to

Personal AffrontSelf Esteem

Pride/ Fiesta

Grande/

Karangalan

Loob

Inner Being. Non-

separation of

the Mind and

the Heart.

Gulong Ng

Palad/

Kapalaran

Wheel of

FortunePananampalataya

Irresponsibility

and

Dependence/

Pagsasabukas

Pagpahalaga Sa

Pamilya/Familial

Close Family

Ties Pakikisama

Introjection/

Smooth

Interpersonal

Relationship/

Companionship

Pakikitungo/

Kagandahang

Loob/ Pakikiisa/

Damayan or

Empathy or

Participation on

Another's

Experience/

Malasakit or

sympathy for

someone

Adversarial/

Confrontational/

Pakikisama sa

Kabuktutan/

'Bata' System/

'Lakad' System/

Pakikialam or

meddling/

Euphemism or

Salitang Pag-

iwas/ Use of go

or between or

Bayanihan

Sublimation/Hel

ping One

Another/

Kawanggawa/Pa

gtutulungan/Pak

ikipagkapwa tao

Bahala Na

Binding

covenant of

commitment to

help or to care

for another/

Psychological

defense to cope

up with

adversities and

failures

Paniniwala Sa

Diyos/ To leave

one's life in the

care of God/

Determinism

Submissiveness

to one's

responsibility

and personal

independence/

Psychological

Justification for

their failure to

take up human

responisbility

and

accountability in

times of crises

and hardships

Pananampalataya

Sa Diyos

Utang Na

Loob

Compensation/

Sense of Inner

debt

Debt of Gratitude

Indebtedness to

Patrons/

Pakiusap/

Nepotism/

Kapangyarihan

Surface Values

Core ValuePOSITIVE MEANING

NEGATIVE MEANING (WITH

COLONIAL MENTALITY &

SUPERIORITY COMPLEX)


VI. Universality of Filipino Values

VII. Can Filipino Values an effective means of managing people in an organization?

Like any universal values, Filipino values can be integrated in managing and administering an

organization.

However, there’s a need to stop condemning Filipino traditional values as sources of our

weakness and compare is as an inferior one than western values. Second, is to understand that our

organization’s services are for the Filipinos in a Philippine setting and with Filipino workers or

stakeholders. Lastly, is the willingness of all to accept Filipino values to be integrated into the

organizational structure and to replace Western values which are successful in western settings.

PROPOSED

LISTFREEDOM HELPFULNESS ACCOMPLISHMENT HONESTY SELF-RESPECT

BROAD-

MINDEDNESSCREATIVITY EQUALITY INTELLIGENCE RESPONSIBILITY SOCIAL ORDER WEALTH COMPETENCE JUSTICE SECURITY SPRITUALITY

No. 9 9 8 8 8 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5

Personal

Value

Questionnai

re (PVQ)

(England,

1967)

Liberalism/

Autonomy

Employee

Welfare/

Social Welfare

Achievement/

Success-

Dignity/

Prestige/

Honor/

Individuality

Tolerance Creativity Equality Rational -Organizational

Stability

Profit/

Maximizati

on/

Money/

Property

High

Productivity/

Organizational

Efficiency/

Ability/ Skill/

Industry

Leadership

- Security Religion

Rokeach

Value

Survey (RVS)

(Rokeach,

1973)

Freedom/

Independent

Helpful/

Salvation

A sense of

accomplishmentHonest

Self Respect/

Social

Recognition

Broad-minded Imaginative Equality

Logical/

Intellectual/

Wisdom

ResponsibleA World at

Peace- Capable -

Family

Security/

National

Security

Inner

Harmony

Schwartz

Values

Survey (SVS)

(Schwartz,

1994)

Freedom/

Independent/

Choosing Own

Goals

Helpful Successful/

Meaning in lifeHonest

Self Respect/

Social

Recognotion/

Preserving

My Public

Image

Broad-minded

A varied

life/

Creativity/

Curious

EqualityIntelligent/

WisdomResponsible

Social Order/

A World at

Peace

Wealth CapableSocial

Justice

Family

Security/

National

Security

A Spiritual

Life/ Inner

Harmony/

Devout

Personal

Value Scale

(PVS) (Scott,

1965)

Independence -Academic

AchievementHonesty Status - Creativity - Intellectualism - - - - - - Religiousness

List of

Values

(LOV)

(Kahle,

1988)

Autonomy -

Sense of

Accomplishment/

Self fulfillment

-

Self-respect/

Being Well

Respect

- - - - - - - - - Security -

Life Values

Inventory

(LVI) (Crace

& Brown,

1995)

IndependenceConcern for

OthersAchievement - - - Creativity -

Objective

AnalysisResponsibility -

Financial

Prosperity- - - Sprituality

Comparative

Emphasis

Scale (CES)

(Revlin &

Meglino,

1987)

- Helping Achievement Honesty - - - - - - - - - Fairness - -

Value

Sensitive

Design (VES)

(Friedman,

2006)

Autonomy

Human

Welfare/

Universal

Usability

-Informed

ConsentIdentity - -

Freedom

from Bias- Accountability -

Ownership

and

Property

- - - -

Bernthal Freedom The Good Life Self-Realization -Human

Dignity- - - - - Order Profits

Allocation of

Resources/

Production

and

Distribution of

Goods and

Services

Justice Security -

McDonald

and GanzAutonomy Consideration -

Moral Integrity/

Openness-

Broad-

mindedness/

Adaptability

Creativity/

Experiment

ation

Social

EqualityLogic - Orderliness Economy - Fairness - -

Bird and

Waters- - -

Honesty in

Communication-

Special

Consideration-

Fair

Treatment/

Fair

Competition

-

Corporate

Social

Responsibility

Respect for

Law-

Organizational

Responsibility- - -

Jurkiewicz &

Giacalone-

Benevolence/

Humanism- Integrity Respect Receptivity - - - Responsibility - - - Justice - -


The structural channels that can be utilized to integrate this Filipino values are through trainings,

reorientation of the top management to become models, the use of modern technology in promoting

our indigenous values and to improve the recruitment process, compensation schemes, develop a

monitoring system and to impose certain discipline to ensure the incorporation of Filipino values into

the organization.

VIII. Recommendations

The following are recommended in an organization:

a. Conduct of Team Building and

b. Improve Communication Protocol by employing consultation, Persuasion, Consensus,

through motivations and to lead by example.

Education

FILIPINO VALUES: ITS UNIVERSALITY WITH HUMAN DIGNITY (Written Report)