Sentro Rizals Mandate:

Cultural Education for

Filipinos Overseas
Felipe M. de Leon, Jr.

Three Main Value-Orientations

Engendered by core value of Kapwa
(we are all one)

FILIPINOS LOVE TO
CONNECT, ESPECIALLY TO
PEOPLE
FILIPINOS LIKE TO
EXPERIENCE THE
MULTIDIMENSIONAL
WHOLENESS OF LIFE
FILIPINOS ARE HIGHLY
PARTICIPATORY

FILIPINOS LOVE TO CONNECT,

ESPECIALLY TO PEOPLE
Among, if not the
most, highly relational
in the world, Filipinos
are hardly alone. They
are happy being
together - when they
eat, sleep, work,
travel, pray, create or
celebrate. They like to
feel connected to the
world, God and
nature, but most of all
to people.

Walang gustong maiwanan sa kodakan

(Nobody likes to be left out of a photo op)

Sharing of Being:
Togetherness is happiness
Filipinos hardly eat alone
Invite a person to your
party, how many will
come?
The ubiquitous smile
Eagerness for social
networking; number one
in social media

Sharing of Being:
Togetherness is
happiness
Texting,facebook, and
selfie capital of the world
Bantay(watcher) & extra
bed
Prizes for everybody
Do not praise small items Juan Flavier

Sharing of Being:
Togetherness is
happiness
Pabalot, balato, bonus
(forms of sharing)
Pasalubong( quasi-sacred ritual:
gift from a journey)
Cannot keep secrets
Relational terms for calling each
other
No isolated notes (hagod, slides,
scooping)

SHARING OF BEING: SOCIAL BASIS OF

HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

Developing an expanded sense of

self means including in your
sphere of being not only your
individual self but also your
immediate
family,
relatives,
friends and associates.
Thus, your life will be one of
sharing with others such things as
making choices, resources, food
(Kumain ka na ba?), time,
feelings,
concerns
(Saan
ka
pupunta?, Saan ka galing?), etc.

Sharing of Being
Sharing of being makes possible a
remarkable degree of openness,
expressiveness, and a sense of
belonging
that
have
been
observed to bring very positive
psycho-physical results.
Among these are lower rates of
depression, a higher degree of
mental health and sense of
well-being,
and
appreciably
longer life spans.

Loners More Prone to Heart Disease

People with lots of friends are
usually the healthiest in the world
Lack of friends and close social ties
are the hidden cause of heart
disease
As social ties increase, mortality
rates decrease
Married people, members of
religious groups and the like often
live longer
Social isolation breeds depression,
which may lead to lower immunity
to disease and even suicide

 Study after study has shown

that feeling connected with
people is extremely important
for physical and mental health.
Suicide,alcoholism and mental
illness rates are much higher
among people living alone
A massive study confirmed that
those with the fewest close friends,
relatives and social connections are
2 to 3 x more likely to die earlier
than those with high levels of social
connectedness (like Filipinos!)

Love = Survival
Selfless love is absolutely
necessary for the survival
of newborn babies and for
their healthy growth
Human immune systems
function well only when
basic emotional needs such
as acceptance and love are
met

Devotion to the Home and

Family

Filipino popular culture is the culture

of devotion to the family and sanctity
of the home, which is its source of
happiness because connectedness to
one another is strongest within the
family, especially in the mother-child
connection*.
Thus, ancestors are revered and the ancestral
house has become a symbol of family
continuity and stability.
*This could perhaps be the reason for the Philippines having
the longest Christmas celebration in the world(from Sept to
Jan), since Mother Mary-Baby Jesus bond has become a
mythical symbol of the sacred mother-child relationship in
Filipino popular culture

Case Study
The tragic hostage-taking fiasco in
Luneta would not have happened if
the SWAT were properly-oriented
culturally. They should have been

told that family is sacred in

Filipino culture.
They roughed up the brother of the
already desperate hostage taker in
front of TV cameras, causing the latter
- who was monitoring every action
outside on television monitors - to run
berserk and start shooting at the
Hongkong tourists.

Identifying Filipino Strengths

If Filipinos love to connect
to people, then they will
enjoy and excel in activities
and making things that
bring people together.
The more an object,
activity, or idea connects
people to one another, the
more Filipinos delight in it.

Ideas, Objects, Activities that

Bring People Together
Those with many functions or
purposes they attract different
kinds of people and connect them to
one another
Friendship, Kinship, Family
Shared Devotions, Celebrations,
Festivities, Rituals
Expressive activities especially
artistic performance
Games and sports
Reunions, Wakes, Crises
Fulfillment of Daily Needs like
eating, shopping, leisure

MULTI-SIGNIFICANCE:
Bringing People Together

An effective
Filipino tool for
connecting people
to each other is to
endow an activity,
presentation or
creation with as
many different
meanings,
functions and
qualities as
possible.

Filipinos love multiples

Sinigang (3-in-one dish) essentially
Filipino for it combines soup, vegetable
and meat, fish or shrimp in one bowl.
Filipinos also love combining different
dishes on one and the same plate.
Medley all-inclusive of everybodys
favorite songs.
Filipino films difficult to classify
because every genre contains a little of
the others, e.g. an action film may feature
elements of comedy, drama, music, or
fantasy.

Filipino malls could be the most

multi-purpose in the whole world!

Filipinos are
very
creative in
things that
bring people
together,
like
furniture.
Filipino
furniture
design is
recognized
international
ly.

The worlds most emotional countries

The Philippines is the worlds most
emotional country. The heavily Catholic,
Southeast Asian nation, a former
colony of Spain and the U.S., scores
well above second-ranked El Salvador,
which is not even close.
Singapore is the least emotional country in the
world. Singaporeans recognize they have a
problem, Bloomberg Businessweek writes of the
countrys emotional deficit, citing a culture in
which schools discourage students from
thinking of themselves as individuals.

Filipinos Most Emotional in the

World (Out of 150 Countries)

EXPRESSIveness
Openness
culture of trust
maximalism
Performance excellence
Life as a celebration

COMMUNICATion
Facility for language
Prominence given to languagebased professions, such as Law, Politics,
management

Ict skills
Social networking
Passion for travel and mobility

Most Romantic in Southeast Asia

A Mobile Lifestyle Survey conducted by Asia
Market Intelligence for Siemens in late 2002
among six SEAn countries found that
Filipinos send I love you messages the most
often:

Filipinos
Indonesians
Malaysians
Singaporeans
Thais
Indians

58%
41%
36%
31%
30%
24%

Countries where people feel

the most loved
The three countries with the very
highest scores are, in this order,
the Philippines (93 percent),
Rwanda (92 percent) and Puerto
Rico (90 percent). The region that
appears to experience the most
love is Latin America, followed by
Southeast Asia and Western
Europe.

Countries where people feel the

least loved
Most of them are former Soviet
republics: Russia, Central Asia, Eastern
Europe and the Caucusus region all
consistently scored poorly. Interestingly,
those countries also tend to have
very high smoking rates.
Other low-scoring countries included
Burma/Myanmar, Yemen, and three
African states: Ethiopia, Chad and
Morocco.

Filipinos Number One in

Feeling Love (93%)

FILIPINOS LIKE TO EXPERIENCE THE

MULTIDIMENSIONAL WHOLENESS OF
LIFE
FILIPINOS DO NOT LIKE A PARTIAL,
FRAGMENTED VIEW OF LIFE; AND
RESPOND TO LIFE SYNERGISTICALLY
(COOPERATIVE ACTION OF ALL THE
SENSES, FACULTIES, OR LEVELS OF
BEING)
A FILIPINO IS NOT HAPPY JUST
KNOWING ANOTHER PERSONS
NAME. HE WOULD ALSO INQUIRE
ABOUT HIS WORK, HOMETOWN,
RELATIVES, MARITAL STATUS, EVEN
HIS SALARY.

 WE DO NOT LIKE TO BELONG TO

ONLY ONE SIDE OF A
RELATIONSHIP. OUR KINSHIP

SYSTEM IS BILATERAL. HAVING TWO

KIDS IS ENOUGH AS LONG AS
THEY ARE A BOY AND A GIRL.

In hosting shows, Filipinos

traditionally pair a man and a
woman rather than just have one
or the other as in Western
countries. The West is beginning
to catch on but mixed gender
hosting is still a novelty in the
U.S.

World
Ranking of
Women in
Managerial
Positions

HOLISTIC LOGIC:
The Unity of Opposites
An intuitive logic more
profound than the
either/or of
mechanistic cultures is
Filipino holistic polar
logic.
In polaristic logic, it is
axiomatic that if a
thing is true or valid,
then its opposite
must also be true or
valid.

Balance is a Supreme
Principle in a Holistic Culture

Malasa-Matabang
Kanin-Ulam
Puto-Dinuguan
Kutsinta-Niyog
Tamis-Asim(Sweet-Sour dishes)
Manggang Hilaw-Bagoong
Balot-Asin
Kulintang-Gandang
Palook-Toppaya
Maugong-Pagak na tunog

FILIPINOS ARE HIGHLY

PARTICIPATORY
FILIPINOS DEMAND COLLECTIVE,
EQUAL PARTICIPATION IN THE
CREATIVE PROCESS, DECISIONMAKING AND SELF-DETERMINATION.
No one must have a monopoly of the
decision-making process

Everybody must have an

active role,
no matter how small
(salimpusa)

Participation in the creative

process is primary
In Filipino society, everybody is
a participant/performer.
Nobody is a mere spectator.
There is no separation of
performer and audience;
or creator and spectator.
Thus, Filipinos prefer consensus
as a mode of reaching
decisions or settling conflicts.

Case Study
The Filipino Sense of Time: Sociallyrooted, thus Flexi-time
The Filipino senses time not
mechanically, not according to the clock,
but on the basis of its social value. As the
social value of an activity increases, the
importance of clock time diminishes.

Malasakit time and Celebrative time

Malasakit time: As malasakit
(the capacity to take upon oneself
the burden of the other) increases,
the more we go by the feelings of
the other.

Case Study
The Filipino Sense of Time: Sociallyrooted, thus Flexi-time

Celebrative time: The more an

event, like the fiesta, brings
Filipinos together, the more we
undervalue clock time.
Persons in individualistic cultures
are like isolated fragments of being
who can easily be pressured and
controlled by mechanical time
because there is no other way they
can be organized socially.

PROVIDING CHOICES
Development as the Proliferation of
Options

The deepest
social aspirations
of the Filipino are
freedom, justice,
and dignity.
Monopoly,
dictatorship and
the curtailment
of choices are
anathema.
Decision-making
is participatory.

ARROGANCE IS A NO-NO
The Filipino concept of kapwa (shared
identity/goodness) and non-duality of life
make people absolutely equal in principle
and nobody has a right to regard himself
as above or more important than others

Humility is highly-prized, at least

outwardly
The privilege of one must be the
privilege of all. Equal application of
the law is a must

MAGNANIMOUS MANNY
"Im just lucky I hit first. A right
hook."

-- Filipino

boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao plays down his world title

victory over Briton Rick Hatton.

http://news.ph.msn.com May 10, 2009

In contrast, Floyd Mayweather promotes himself as the

best of the best, that he is even greater than Muhammad
Ali.

CREATIVE IMPROVISATION
Extemporaneous
or on-the-spot
creativity comes
very naturally to
the Filipino who
has the finest
artistic yet
improvisatory
traditions such as
the duplo,
balagtasan,
balitaw, tultul,
kulintang, kuntao
and okir. Creative
spontaneity is
highly valued.

a Healing Culture: celebrating

life
We are highly relational Social
interconnectedness leads to longevity
Expressiveness, especially through
music and dance, releases harmful
emotions
Everyday creativity promotes well-being
Touching as a way of life increases
immunity to disease
Deep belief in God makes Filipinos
optimistic and provides meaning to life
Strong sense of humor and joy of life
enable us to rebound easily from any
tragedy

Promoting Filipino Cultural

Identity
Cultural Identity is the Basis of
Economic Competitiveness:

Cultural identity has its source in

originality, indigenousness,
authenticity, uniqueness, historicity,
magnitude, and excellence

Anywhere in the world people

prefer the distinctive, one with
character, not anything bland
and featureless

Seven Facets of Cultural

Worth
Originality (First of its Kind)
Indigenousness (Original or
Native to a Place)
Authenticity
(Purity,Genuineness)
Uniqueness (The Only One of its Kind)

Seven Facets of
Cultural Worth
Historicity (Connection to Past
Significant or Momentous Events)
Magnitude (Superlative Degree
or Extent,Quantitatively
Measured)
Excellence or Greatness (in
Artistic, Intellectual, Scientific,
Humanistic, or Technical Quality)

ORIGINALITY

Jeepney
Bahay na bato
Tranlucent clothing
Baybayin
Maglalatik
Tinikling
Manunggul jar
Max fried chicken
Edsa revolution
Aglipayan church
Nayong Pilipino

INDIGENOUSNESS
All the native Philippine
languages
Tarsier of Bohol, Tamaraw of
Mindoro, Philippine Eagle,
Butanding (whale shark)
Halu-halo
Bagoong
Balut
Sari-sari store

AUTHENTICITY
Fiesta authentic devotion to a
patron saint
Balisong of Taal
Mutya ng Pasig of Nicanor
Abelardo, Balitaw of Cebu,
authentic Filipino music
Kuradang, Kuratsa, Pantomina
Authentic Filipino foods
sinigang, kare-kare, adobo,
pinakbet, barako coffee, etc.

UNIQUENESS
Capiz shell windows and
ventanilla of ancestral houses
Taal Volcano features a lake
within a volcano within a lake
within a volcano
Gallinera three-in-one
furniture
Filipino malls most
multipurpose in the whole
world

HISTORICITY
Colon street in Cebu the
oldest street in the country
The Philippines First country
in Asia to wage and win a war
against Western colonizers
General Miguel Malvar - the
last Filipino general to
surrender to the Americans.

MAGNITUDE
Ifugao rice terraces (payo) greatest
engineering feat, grandest in the
world
Basilica of San Martin in Taal - the
largest church in Southeast Asia.
Taal Volcano considered the worlds
smallest
Rafflesia - worlds biggest flower
Christmas lanterns of Pampanga the
worlds most colorful and intricate
Puerto Princesa subterranean river
longest navigable underground river
in the world
Tubattaha Reef said to have the
greatest biodiversity in the world
Butanding biggest fish in the world

EXCELLENCE
Jose Rizal the most versatile
National Hero in the whole world
Mayon Volcano most perfect
cone volcano in the world
Philippine furniture
considered among the best

Tapping Local Cultural Genius

for Social and Economic
Advancement
Programs, projects and activities
that lead to the enhancement of
these elements of cultural worth
among existing Filipino
communities here or abroad will
go a long way towards the
preservation of creative, artistic
skills, and thus greatly contribute
to their social and economic wellbeing.

Promoting the Local But Thinking National

or Global: Human Communities, not the
State, are the Ultimate Actors in the
Development Process
In mainstream development thinking, the state is
always seen as the social agent or subject of the
development process. From a human
development perspective, human beings or small
communities of human beings, are the ultimate
actors. Most states are, after all, artificial
territorial constructions, usually the result of
international wars or internal colonialism.
The concept of a nation-state implies that the
territorial boundaries of the state coincide with
the boundaries of a culturally homogeneous
nation. This is the exception rather than the rule
in a world with about thousands of culturally
diverse peoples but only about 200 states.

Promoting the Local But Thinking National

or Global: Human Communities, not the
State, are the Ultimate Actors in the
Development Process
We have to encourage celebration of the
unique cultural identities of cultural
communities through various activities and
expressive forms to provide for communication
and sustainable development. Failure to do
this may lead to violence, deviant behavior,
depression, and suicide. Positive programs can
encourage harmony and engagement in
society. Underlying these programs is the
attitude of tolerance and respect for cultural
diversity.
A nations development, then, can be viewed
as proceeding along apparently divergent
directions, one, towards a shared cultural
universe at the national level and two,
towards the greatest possible intracultural diversity at the local level.

Social Self-Images As Self-Fulfilling:

The Need to Develop a Strong Shared
Vision
It is the image a people create of
themselves that is the psycho-cultural
basis of their strengths and weaknesses,
triumphs and failures.
For a nations self-image tends to be
self-fulfilling (Kenneth Boulding, The Image). If in
our minds we think we will be defeated,
we have already lost. If we think we are
an inferior people, we will tend to lower
our standards and be satisfied with good
enough. Negative self-images, whether
individual or collective, can cause untold
social and cultural damage.

Social Self-Images As SelfFulfilling: The Need to Develop

a Strong Shared Vision

We have nothing to lose by

creating and working for the most
exalted and inspiring images of
ourselves, especially because we
are a highly relational,
holistic, participatory and
creative people with a strong
nurturing and caring
orientation.

WAKAS
The End
Salamat Po!