CHAPTER 2- UNPACKING THE SELF

LESSON 1 – THE PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL SELF

WHAT IS SEXUAL SELF?

Your sexual self speaks of your sexual health, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and values
around sexuality.

WHAT IS SEXUAL ORIENTATION?

 Refers to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to men, women, or both
sexes.
 Refers also to a person’s sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in
a community of others who shared those attractions.

HUMAN SEXUALITY

Sexuality is much more than sexual feelings or sexual intercourse. It is an important part of who a person is and what she/he
will become.

THE BASIC BIOLOGY OF SEXUAL BEHAVI8OR; TEEN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

 The change from child to adult is an especially dangerous time for adolescents in our society. From their
earliest years, children watch television shows and movies that insist “sex appeal” is a personal quality that
people need to develop to the fullest.

Teenage Pregnancy

This is also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female under the age of 20. Pregnancy can occur
with sexual intercourse after the start of ovulation, which can be before the first menstrual period (menarche) but
usually occurs after the onset of periods. In well-nourished females, the first period usually takes p-lace around the
age of 12 or 13.

Prevent of Teenage Pregnancy

1. Comprehensive sex education and access to birth control appear to reduce unplanned pregnancy.
2. Abstinence only Education- This is a form of sex education that teaches not having sex outside of marriage.
It often excludes other types of sexual and reproductive health education, such as birth control and safe
sex. Comprehensive sex education, by contrast, covers the use of birth control and sexual abstinence

THE FIVE CIRCLES OF SEXUALITY

1. Sensuality- is awareness and feeling about your own body and other people’s bodies, especially the body of
a sexual partner.
2. Sexual Intimacy- is the ability to be emotionally close to another being and to accept closeness in return.
3. Sexual Identity- is a person’s understanding of who he/she is sexually, including the sense of being male or
of being female
 4. Reproduction and Sexual Health- These are a person’s capacity to reproduce and the behaviors and
attitudes that make sexual relationships healthy and enjoyable.
5. Sexualization- is that aspect of sexuality in which people behave sexually to influence, manipulate, or
control other people.

HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE

According to William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the cycle consists of four phases:

 Excitement/arousal
 Plateau
 Orgasm
 Resolution

 Desire Phase- Sexual urges occur in response to

sexual cues or fantasies.
 Arousal stage- a subjective sense of sexual
pleasure and physiological signs of sexual
arousal: in male, penile tumescene (increased
flow of blood into the penis): in females,
vasocongestion (blood pools in the pelvic area)
leading to a viganal lubrication and breast
tumescene (erect nipples).
 Plateu phase- Brief period of time before orgasm
 Orgasm phase- In males, feelings of the
inevitability of ejaculation, followed by
ejaculation; in females, contractions of the walls of the lower third of the vagina.
 Resolution Phase- Decrease in arousal occurs after orgasm (particularly in men)

SEXUALITY ADOLESCENT YOUTH (age 13 to 19)

Once the youth have reached puberty and beyond, they experience increased interest in romantic and sexual
relationships and in genital sex behaviours.

THE CHEMISTRY OF LUST, LOVE AND ATTACHMENT

There are physiological and psychological aspects in being turned on, being in love and attached to other person.

1. LUST- this is a phase which is driven by the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen- in both men and women.

2. ATTRACTION- this phase is said to be one of the beautiful moments of life. This is the phase when a person
actually starts to feel the love.

3. ATTACHMENT- is a bond helping the couple to take their relationship to advanced levels,

DIVERSITY OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

Sexual diversity

Gender and sexual diversity (GSD), or simply sexual diversity, refers to all the diversities of sex characteristics,
sexual orientations and gender identities, without the need to specify each of the identities, behaviors, or
characteristics that form this plurality.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR A LESBIAN, GAY, OR BISEXUAL

►People don't decide who they're attracted to, and therapy, treatment, or persuasion won't change a person's
sexual orientation. You also can't "turn" a person gay. For example, exposing a boy to toys traditionally made for
girls, such as dolls, won't cause him to be gay.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections

These are also known as "Venereal Disease" (VD). They are passed through sexual contact or genital through
vaginal intercourse oral sex and anal sex.

The term STI evolved from "venereal disease" to "sexually transmitted disease", then "sexually transmitted
infection" which has a broader range of meaning that it can be passed without disease. (You don't have to be ill to
infect others)

►HIV/AIDS

HIV is "Human Immunodificiency Virus". This is a retrovirus-genetic info@ RNA that DNA. HIV is the virus that
causes AIDS and it is preventable and manageable but not curable.

▶AIDS is “Acquired Immunodificiency Syndrome" Since this a syndrome, there are several manifestations of the
breakdown in body's immune system and have developed in people who have been infected by HIV.

How do people get AIDS?

AIDS is developed through:

1. Bodily fluids (blood products- transfusions, semen and vaginal fluids)

2. Intravenous (IV) Drug Abuse ( sharing needles and used of unsterilized blades)

3. Sexual Intercourse- unprotected vaginal, oral and anal sex

FAMILY PLANNING / RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD

This is having the desired number of children and when you want to have them by using safe and effective modern
or traditional methods. Proper birth spacing is having children 3 to 5 years apart, which is best for the health of the
mother, her child, and the family,

A concept linked to family planning is contraception, also known as birth control and fertility control. This is a
method or device used to prevent pregnancy. It is also defined as deliberate prevention of conception or
impregnation.
Lesson 2: To Buy or Not to Buy?

Lesson Proper

We are living in a world of sale and shopping spree. We are given a wide array ot products to purchase from
a simple set of spoon and fork to owning a restaurant. Almost everywhere, including the digital space, we can find
promotions of product purchase. Product advertisements are suggestive of making us feel better or look good. Part
of us wants to have that product. What makes us want to have those products are connected with who we are.
What we want to have and already possess is related to our self.

Belk (1988) stated that "we regard our possessions as parts of our selves. We are what we have and what
we possess. There is a direct link between self-identity with what we have and possess. Our wanting to have and
possess has a connection with another aspect of the self, the material self.

Let us try to examine ourselves further in the lens of material self.

Material Self

The material self, according to James primarily is about our bodies, clothes, immediate family, and home.
We are deeply affected by these things because we have put much invesment of our self to them.

Material Self Diagram

Body
The innermost part of our material self is our body. Intentionally, we are investing in our body. We are directly
attached to this commodity that we cannot Iive without. We strive hard to make sure that this body functions well
and good. Any ailment or disorder directly affects us. We do have certain preferential attachment or intimate
closeness to certain body parts because of its value to us.

Clothes
Next to our body are the clothes we use. Infiluenced by the “Philosophy of Dress" by Herman Lotze, James believed
that clothing is an essential part of the material self. Lotze in his book, Microcosmus, stipulates that "any time we
bring an object into the surface of our body, we invest that object into the consciousness of our personal
existence taking in its contours to be our own and making it part or the self” (Watson 2014).

The fabric and style of the clothes we wear bring sensations to the body to which directly affect our attitudes and
behavior. Thus, clothes are placed in the second hierarchy of material self. Clothing is a form of self-expression.
We choose and wear clothes that reflect our self (Watson 2014).

Immediate Family
Third in the hierarchy is our immediate family. Our parents and siblings hold another great important part of our
self. What they do or become affects us. When immediate family member dies, part of our self-dies, too. When
their lives are success, we feel their victories as if we are the one holding the trophy. In their failures, we are put to
shame or guilt of our self.

When they are in disadvantage situation, is an urgent urge to help like a voluntary instinct of saving one's self from
danger. We place huge investment in our immediate family when we see them as he nearest replica of our selt.

Home
The fourth component of material self is our home. Home is where our heart is. It is the earliest nest of our
selfhood. Our experiences inside the home were recorded and marked on particular parts and things in our home.
There was an old cliche about rooms: "if only walls can speak.” The home thus is an extension of self, because in it,
we can directly connect our self.

Having investment of self to things, made us attached to those things. The more investment of
self-given to the particular thing, the more we identify ourselves to it. We also tended to collect and possess
properties. The collections in different degree of investment of self, becomes part of the self. As James (1890)
described self: “a man's self is the sum total of all what ne CAN call his.” Possessions then become a part or an
extension of the self.

We Are What We Have

Russel Belk (1988) posits that “…we regard our possessions as part of ourselves. We are what
we have and what we possess. The identification of the self to things started in our infancy stage when we make a
distinction among self and environment and others who may desire our possessions

LESSON 3; Supernaturals: Believe It or Not!

Religion

Rebecca Stein (Stein 2011) works on the definition of religion as a set of cutural beliefs and
practices that usually includes some or all of basic characteristics. These characteristics are:

1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit and gods

2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence and awe
3. The prosence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural beings as well
as physical beings and objects
4. The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred object to
communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control events

Religion- An individual lives in a society where there are many practices of religion. The choice of
religious belief lies within the spiritual self. Although the choice maybe influenced by the society
and its culture.

Ritual- is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law (Britannica
2017). Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known societies. It is thus
possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.
There are three fundamental characteristics of rituals according to Penner (Britannica 2017). Ritual
has the characteristics of:

1. a feeling or emotion of respect, fascination, or dread in relation to the sacred

2. dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language of myth
3. is symbolic in relation to its reference

Some World Religious Beliefs and Practices

There are different religions with different beliefs and practices. Some of the major world
religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Excerpt of some religious
beliefs and practices are found in the University of London's Religion and Belief Guide 2017.

Bhuddism

Image of Buddha

Buddhist Monks Buddhist Temple

Buddhism

Beliefs

Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are suffering pain, and
frustrations. When people suffer, they want to experience the goodness of life and avoid
disappointments. It becomes a habit known as the reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like and
dislike, and craving and aversion. This reactive cycle can be broken through the practice of
mediation, acquiring more wisdom and deeper understanding, and acceptance of things as they
are.

Custom and Practices

There are two types of meditation practices: samatha and vipassana. Samatha is
practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving-kindness (Metta Bhavana).
Vipassana practices aim at developing insight into reality. Acquiring wisdom is by studying
Buddha's teaching, the Dharma. Through the reflection of Dharma, Buddhists can achieve a
deeper understanding of life Buddhists believe in non-violence principle.
Samatha Meditation Dharma Wheel

Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day in February; Buddha Day (Wesak) in
May; Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day in October, and Sangha Day in November.

Parinirvana Day Wesak Day is May

Christianity

Portrait of Jesus Christ Protestant Church Catholic Church

Christianity

Beliefs

Christians believe in Trinitarian God. One God in three personas: God the Father (Creator), God the
Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit (Sustainer). Eternal life after death will be achieved through
faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is, God the Son, who came into flesh, to spread the Good News of
Salvation. He died on the Cross for the sin of the humanity but resurrected from the death, so that
anyone who believes in Him will be saved and have eternal life. The Holy Bible is a selection of
books, which is divided into two, the Old Testament and New Testament.

Customs and Practices

Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of Communion are practiced by Christian churches. The
Sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian World, while the Sacrament of
Communion is an act of remembrance of Jesus Christ's sacrificial love. Jesus Christ teaching in
unconditional love that is expressed in loving the poor, oppressed, and outcast of the society.

Holy Baptism Holy

Communion Symbols

Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations in Christianity.
Christmas, usually on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ while Resurrection
Sunday (depends on the lunar calendar, sometime in March or April) celebrates the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from death.

Christmas Celebration

Easter Sunday Symbol

Easter Egg Hunting

Hinduism
Potrait of Vishu Portrait of Shri Radha-Krishna Mariamman Hindu

Hinduism

Beliefs

Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus, there is no
single founder or leader.

Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth, governed by Karma.

Karma- is a concept where the reincarnated life will depend on how the past life was spent.
Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is
always dependent on how the previous life was lived.

Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus.

Mahabharata and Ramayana are two other important texts of the Hindus.

Customs and Practices

Diwali, and Navrati are the most celebrated festivals of the Hindus.

Diwali - is the Festival of Lights while

Navrati- is the festival of nine nights, which celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

Hindus have set dates to honor particular manifestations of God.

Diwali Celebration
Islam

Mosque Mohammed

Islam

Beliefs

Muslims believe in Allah, who is their "One God.” They believe in the unity and
universality of God.

Muslims also have a strong sense of community or “ummah” and an awareness of their solidarity
with all Muslims worldwide,

Islam means “willing submission to God."

Quran Hajj, the Pilgrimage of Mecca

Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.

Mohammed was bom in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations from God through the Angel
Gabriel over a period of 23 years.

The Holy Book of Islam is called the Quran, which was taught to be recited in Arabic because any
translation is seen as inadequate.

Customs and Practices

Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim life:

1. Shahadah - statement of faith: "There is no God but the one true God and Mohammed is his
messenger.“
 2. Salat - the prayer that is practiced five times a day.
3. Zakat - the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises the 2.5% of a
Muslim's assets.
4. Hajj - the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to do the
pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
5. Sawm - the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink, and sexual act, during the
celebration of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The fast is from dawn to sunset

Two of the major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha.

Eidul-Fitr is the celebration of the end of Ramadan,

while Eidul-Adha is celebrated within the completion of the

Pilgrimage, the Hajj.

Celebration of Eidul-Fitr

Judaism

Abraham Jewish Temple Inside the Jewish Temple

Beliefs

The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated the Hebrew slaves from
Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land through the leadership of Moses and later, Joshua.

The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior.

The sacred scripture of the Jews is called the Torah or the Law.

The Torah is the guide of the Jewish living. The study and interpretation of Torah is part of the
Jewish culture.
Image of Moses with the Torrah

Ten Commandemnets in stone tablets

Customs and Practices

There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:

1. Rosh Hashanah - the New Year

2. Yom Kippur -the Day of Atonement

3. Pesach – Passover

4. Shavuot – Pentecost

5. Sukkot - Tabernacles.

The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset and is an important time when families
gather for the Shabbat meal.

Shabbat meal Rosh Hashanah Pesach

Religious beliefs, rituals, practices, and customs are all part of the expression of the spiritual self.
What to believe and how to manifest the belief is entirely dependent on the individual, to the self.
A person might believe that there is a higher being, a supernatural being, usually termed as God,
but not necessarily wants to be affiliated or identified with a certain religious group. Others may
have religious practices which are perceived to be contrary to the practices of other groups.
Religious beliefs and practices, therefore, are formed relative to its context and culture.

Finding and Creating Meaning of Life

Another extensive study of self can be found in the woks of Dr. Viktor E.
Frankl. The Viktor Frankl Institute in Vienna was created in 1992. The
Institute has a website where there is a synopsis of his life and works
and present programs (http://www.viktorfranklinstitute.org/About_VIktor_Franki.html)The
following are the excerpts from the website:

Dr. Viktor E. Frankl

The Psychiatrist

Dr. Viktor E. Frankl was born on March 26, 1905 in Vienna, Austria, where famous psychiatrists
Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler lived. At a young age, he wrote a short paper to Freud which was
published after three years. Dr. Frankl graduated with a medical degree from the University of
Vienna in 1930. He was assigned in Vienna Hospital suicide ward and headed the Rothschild
Hospital, eight years later.

A survivor of the Holocaust, Dr. Frankl published a book about logotherapy. In 1959, the book was
translated to English and was revised in 1963 as The Doctor and the Soul: An Introduction to
Logotherapy. His book, Man's Search for Meaning has been used as a textbook in high school and
college courses. Dr. Frankl died in 1997.

Logotheraphy

Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor Frankl, who is considered the Father of
Logotherapy.

The main belief of logotherapy is that “man’s primary motivational force is search for meaning.”
Logotherapy aids individuals to find personal meaning of life, whatever life situation they may be.

In logotherapy, meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing a deed, experiencing

something or encountering someone and the atitude toward unavoidable suffering.

According to the Victor Frankl Insutute of Logotheraphy (n.d.), it uses the philosophy of optimism
in the face of tragedy, where people are capable of “turning suffering into human achievement
and accomplishment; deriving from guilt the opportunity to change oneself for the better; and
deriving from life’s transitoriness an incentive to take responsible action.”

Basic Concepts of Franklian Psychology

The Franklian Psychology has the basic concepts. These are the following:

• Life has meaning under all circumstances.

• Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.

• Freedom to find meaning.

Furthermore, Franklian Psychology aims to: (1) become aware of spiritual resources, (2) make
conscious spiritual resources, and (3) use "defiant power of the human spirit” and stand up against
adversity.

Logotheraphy Assumptions
All psychotherapies make philosophical assumptions about the human persons that cannot be
proved with certainty. Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy (n.d.) states the assumptions of
logotherapy, which include the following:

1. The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind, and spirit. This first assumption deals
with the body (soma), mind (psyche), and spi (noos). According to Frankl, the body and mind
are what we have and the spirit is what we are.
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable. Assumption two is
"ultimate meaning." This is difficult to grasp but it is something everyone experiences and it
represents an order in a world with laws that go beyond human laws.
3. People have a will to meaning. The third assumption is seen as our main motivation for
living and acting. When we see meaning, we are ready for any type of suffering. This is
considered to be different than our will to achieve power and pleasure.
4. People have freedom under af ciroumstances to activate the will to find meaning.
Assumption four is that we are free to activate our will to find meaning, and this can be
done under any circumstances. This deals with change of attitudes about unavoidable fate.
Frankl was able to test the first four assumptions when he was confined in the
concentration camps.
5. Life has a demand quality to which people must respond if decisions are to be meaningtful.
The fifth assumption, the meaning of the moment, is more practical in daily living than
ultimate meaning. Unlike ultimate meaning this meaning can be found and fulfilled. This can
be done by following the values of society or by following the voice of our conscience.
6. The individual is unique. The sixth assumption with one’s sense of meaning. This enhanced
by the realization that we are irreplaceable.

In essence, al humans are unique with an entity of body, mind, and spirit. We all go through
unique situations and are constantly looking to find meaning. We are free to do these at all
times in response to certain demands.

Frankl’s Sources of Meaning

Popova (2017) discussed Viktor Frankl’s work. There are three possible sources of the meaning of
life: purposeful work, courage in the face of difficulty, and love.

1. Purposeful Work. To find the meaning of life starts with holding a future goal. Each
individual has each own furure goal to achieve or a task to perform. That task or goal to
fulfill becomes the meaning of their life. Therefore, meaning of life is unique to every
individual.
2. Courage in the Face of Difficulty. A meaningful life is a life with suffering. Suffering is
inevitable part of lie. To find meaning of life is to recognize suffering, pain, and death as part
of life and to have the courage to face these lite dificulties.
3. Love. Popova (2017) quoted Dr. Frankl’s notes about his experience in the Nazi Camp: “For
hours I stood hacking at the icy ground. The guard passed by, insulting me, and once again i
communed with my beloved. More and more I felt that she was present, that she was with
me: I hadthe feeling that i was able to touch her, able to stretch out my hand and grasp
 hers. The feeling was very strong: she was there. Then, at that very moment, a bird flew
down silently and perched just in front of me, on the heap of soil which I had dug up from
the ditch, and looked steadily at me.”

LESSON 4: The Political Self and Being a Filipino

The Philippines as we know it today has only emerged in the 1890s after over three centuries of
colonization of the Spaniards. Meanwhile,liberation from the last colonizers, the Japanese, only
occurred in 1946. Foreign culture, beliefs, language and religion have made a huge dent on our
own by setting a foundation to the contemporary Filipino identity and culture. To date, colonial
mentality remains an issue.

Who Is a Filipino?

Fililpinos are often referenced to globally renowned personalities like Manny Pacquiao, Lea
Salonga, and Michael Cinco who have made Filipinos recognized around the world through their
expertise. However, being a Filipino is far more than just being related to these notable figures.
Independence Day and Buwan ng Wika celebrations prompt us to go back to our roots and reflect
on the question: Who Is a Filipino?

Technically, according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino citizens are “…those whose
fathers or mothers are citizens of the Phiippines, those born before January 17, 1973, of Fillpino
mothers, who elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority, and those who are
naturalized in accordance with law.” However, citizenship is not the only marker of being a
Fililpino. Culture and history have greatly influenced the manner Filipinos learn, live, and behave
to date.

People who were born and grew up in the same culture develop and share common personality
traits and values. Generations after generations, common traits and values have been passed on
that the Filipinos of today still embody.

Filipino Values and Traits

The Philippines is a lush island paradise famous for its grandiose mountain views, pristine
beaches, and rich and diverse curture changing from province to province. While the Philippines
may be well known for its awe-inspiring beauty, perhaps the Filipinos' unique traits, reputable
values, and laudable talents make the country a place to be.

Tourists who have visited the Philippines can never forget the big and bright smiles that greeted
them, the colorful and loud jeepneys, the common Filipino phrases such as “Mabuhay!” and
“Salamat!” and habits such as saying “po” and “opo” to the elders, leaving shoes or slippers at the
front door before entering a house, and the importunate asking of “Kumain ka na ba?” meaning
“Have you eaten yet?” Indeed, it is a marvel to experience these unique traits of the Filipinos
firsthand. Few of these traits are as follows.

The Filipino Hospitality

A Filipino trait that is known everywhere is the Filipino's brand of hospitality. Filipinos welcome
their guests and tourists as if they are their own brothers and sisters; they always make their
guests feel at home, offering them something to eat, or even a place to stay. They will bring out
their best sets of plates and chinaware for their honored guests and would even go as far as
spending a lot of money and going into debt just so they can satisty them.

In most local shops, Filipino salespersons will greet their customers with warm welcome and say
thank you when they leave even without buying anything. Filipinos also anticipate giving tours to
friends who will visit their hometown and treating them to the best restaurants and delicacies tor
free. During festivals or fiestas, Filipinos serve heaps of festive food and invite the whole barangay
over. They are also fond of giving pasalubong or tokens from their travels and pabaon or farewell
gifts to their visitors.

Respect for Elders

Filipinos greet their elders by kissing their hand while saying “Mano po!" and constantly using “po”
and “opo” in conversations. Forgetting to address older people properly will regard them as rude
and impolite. There is also a wide array of references to elder people such as ate for older sister;
kuya for older brother; Tito and Tita for uncle and aunt, respectively, Lolo and Lola for grandfather
and grandmother, and Manong and Aling for older people outside the family

Close Family Ties

Filipinos maintain a tight relationship with their families regardless if the children are old enough
and already have families of their own. They are also fond of family reunions during birthdays,
holidays, or fiestas year-round. Some Filipino families even opt to live in a big house where
everyone can stay together. Nursing homes are almost always not an option for family members
and choose to take care of their elders themselves.

Cheerful Personality

Filipinos have a habit of smiling and laughing a lot. They smile when they are happy, or sometimes
even when they are sad or angry. Smillng has been a coping strategy for many Filipinos especially
during trying times and calamities. For instance , Filipinos smile and wave at the camera while
being interviewed even after a fire or flooding incident. They always try to maintain a positive
outlook in life which makes them resilient and able to manage almost everything with a simple
smile.

Self-sacrifice
The self-sacrificing attitude of Filipinos can be seen as an extension of the Filipino hospitality.
Flipinos go out of their families, and loved ones. They wish comfort and better lives for their loved
ones and would even go to extent of working abroad hundreds of miles way to earn more money
and save up for them. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) sacrifice a lot; that is why they are
regarded as the modern day Filipino heroes. There are also times when the eldest among the
children of the family would give up school to work and provide for the rest of the family and
educate his or her siblings.
Bayanihan
Bayanihan is the spirit of communal unity and cooperation of Fillpinos. It is also about giving
without expecting something in return. Filipinos are always ready to share and help their friends
and loved ones who are in need. It may not always be in monetary form, but the time and effort
they give also count as a form of help for them. This trait is particularly manifested in how Filipinos
rally themselves to send aid to those who are severely affected by natural calamities.

“Bahala Na” Attitude

“Bahala na” is the Filipino version of the famous line “Hakuna Matata,” meaning no worries. The
phrase is said to have originated from "Bathala na,” where Bathala means God, and the phrase
meaning leaving everything into God's hands. It can also be viewed as something similar to the
cheerful and positive attitude of Filipinos and allowing situations take care of themselves instead
of worrying about them.

Colonial Mentality
Colonial mentality is regarded as the lack of patriotism and the attitude where Filipinos favor
foreign products more than their own. This does not only concern goods, but also the desire to
look more foreign than local and keep up with foreign beauty trends. It is attributed to the
centuries of colonization Filipinos had experienced under tne Spanish, American, and Japanese
rule.

“Mañana” Habit
This is the Flpino term for procrastination. It was derived from a longer Filipino phrase called
"Mamaya na" meaning dawdling things, which could have been done at an earlier time. It is a
poor habit of laziness that results in heavier workloads.

“Ningas Kugon”
“Ningas” is a Filipino term for flame and "kugon” is a Filipino term for Cogon grass that easily
burns out after it is put into flames. Ningas kugon refers to the attitude of eagerly starting things
but quickly losing eagerness soon after experiencing difficulty, just like how fast the fire of a
Cogon grass burns out moments after being ignited. Laziness is a common problem among
Filipinos; that is why Filipinos are regarded as “Juan Tamad" or Lazy Juan

Pride
Most Filipinos hold on to their pride as if they are more precious than keeping a good relationship
with family and loved ones. When two parties are not in good terms, they find it so hard to
apologize and wait until the other party asks for an apology first.

Crab Mentality
This is a toxic trait among Flipinos where one resents the achievement of anotner, instead of
feeling happy for that person. Just like crabs in a container, they pull each other down and ruin
each other's reputation rather than bringing them up,resulting to no progress. Filipinos should
change this troublesome attitude and focus more on their own inadequacies to improve one’ s
self.

Filipino Time
Filipinos have this common attitude of arriving late at commitments, dinner, or parties especially if
they are meeting someone close to them. They tend to not observe punctuality altogether. The
7:00 PM call time becomes adjusted to 7:30 PM, and almost everyone arrives at the same time
because everyone is using Filipino time.

Filipino Markers
What then are the hallmarks of our being a Filipino? What makes truly relish in our being a
Filipino? The following are constant reminders of our nationality.

1. Proverbs or Salawikain

Filipinos proverbs, just like any other proverbs, are sayings that convey lessons and reflections on
Filipino practices, beliefs, and traditions.

Damiana Eugenio, regarded as the Mother of Philippine Folklore, calssified proverbs into six
categories (Eugenio, 2000):

a) proverbs expressing a general attitude toward life and the laws that govern life;
b) ethical proverbs recommending certain virtues and condemning certain vices;
c) proverbs expressing a system of values
d) proverbs expressing general truths and observations about life and human nature;
e) humorous proverbs; and
f) miscellaneous proverbs.

An example of a Filipino proverb is the saying "Kung may tiyaga, may nilaga," which means that
hard work will be rewarded if one is persistent

2. Superstitions

Filipinos also subscribe to their own set of superstitions passed down from generation to
generation. Some of these may be influenced by beliefs from other cultures, but Filipinos have
retold these superstitions according to their own experiences and they sometimes end up even
more interesting.

3. Myths and Legends

Due to the Philippines's rich culture and history, numerous myths and legends have sprung about
things that are beyond one's imagination. These stories are aimed to explain the origin of things,
at the same time, teach a valuable lesson. Some of these stories stemmed in pre- Christianity
period, but have evolved to the stories we know today.
 4. Heroes and Icons

Heroes serve as a reminder of true patriotism and nationalism as they have sacrificed their lives
for the sake of their country’s freedom and progress. Every year, we lend a whole day to celebrate
our heroes, usually the last Monday of August, to remember their greatness, bravery, and
resilience that has led to the freedom we know today.

Famous Filipino icons such as Lea Salonga, Manny Pacquiao, and our very own national hero, Jose
Rizal, also serve as important Filipino markers as they have made the Filipino name more
pronounced worldwide through their own expertise.

How To Be A Good Filipino

Now you know that your traits and values are important indicators of being a Filipino. The
problem now is how to truly become one and how you can be useful to the development and
progress of our country. The following are a few ways on how to be a good Filipino:

1. Be an active Filipino citizen.

A good Filipino citizen is aware of the current events and participants in government programs
that aim for the country’s progression and development. By simply exercising your right to vote,
you also become an active citizen. When it comes to voting, the rich and the poor have equal
voting rights-every Filipino citizen of legal age have a chance in choosing the right leaders for the
Philippines who are genuine in helping and caring for the Filipino people

2. Study the Philippine history.

The road of the Philippine history is long and bloody, and by learning and fully understanding the
events of the Philippine history, you will learn so much as to why it is so important for you to love
your country with your life, extend help to your fellow Fiipinos in need, and recognize abuse of
political power.

3. Support local products.

When you buy local products, you do not only support local manufacturers and businessmen, but
you also help strengthen the local economy. How is this so? There will be more demand of local
products thus, local businesses will be in need for more employees, which will open new job
opportunities. The business owners will also invest within the country and are less likely to leave.
Supporting our local products also displays our creativity, innovativeness, and resourcefulness.

4. Speak the Filipino language.

The history of the Filipino language was as long and hard as the Philppine history. Jose Rizal
highlighted the importance of speaking a national language as a way of displaying the love for
one’s country. Speaking Filipino also serves as a unique identifier of being a Filipino. It has been a
decade-long debate whether to use Filipino as the instructional language in school and to translate
textbooks into Filipino, however, this is still not strictly imposed.

5. Do not spread fake news and be democratic in engaging with dissent.

This period in the history of the Philippines has seen how the Internet has spawned tons of
possibilites for people, both good and bad. For instance, it is easier for Filipinos working abroad to
communicate with their loved ones left in the Philippines through the Internet. Despite this, the
Internet has also made the spread of fake news very common.

Likewise, the Internet has also made us engage in intense arguments with people across the globe
about our political positions, for example. It is a part of being a good Filipino to understand and
verify what you read online, especially in social media, before actually believing in it and spreading
it like wildfire. It is also the responsibility of every Filipino to recognize disagreement in political
views, be tolerant, and argue intelligently without having to resort into name-calling people.