PINOY LIFE: CLASSIC FILIPINO TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS

Characteristics of Filipinos

Every country has its differing values and stereotypes, and the Philippines is no exception. We Filipinos
firmly believe that our country has the best values in the world. Although we have been colonized by
several countries, many core values from our ancestors remained intact and are still honored to this day.
Filipinos are not perfect, but we have great characteristics and qualities every one of us should be proud
of. Below I've listed some of the most well-known positive and negative traits of Filipinos.

1. Hospitality

This is one of the most popular qualities of Filipinos. Foreigners who have gone to the Philippines find
themselves falling in love with the warm hospitality they are shown. It's a different kind of value system,
which has existed for thousands of years. Here are some examples of the hospitality that Filipinos show,
not only to foreigners, but also to their fellow citizens:

When a person visits a friend's house, the host greets him or her with a very warm welcome. The host
will immediately let their visitor sit down and will prepare a meal or a snack plus drinks for the visitor.
The host will insist that the friend not leave the house with an empty stomach. A host will always make
sure you had a great time visiting them.

People offer their guest room to visitors if they're going to spend the night. Meals offered to guests are
very special. A host always finds a way to prepare great tasting food that her visitor wants to eat.

2. Respect

This is often observed-not just by younger people but also by people of all ages. Children respect elders
by saying "po" and "opo," which mean "yes," when answering their elders.

Children or young adults also show respect by putting their elders' hands on their foreheads. Filipinos
also show respect at work by making a bow to their employers.

3. Strong Family Ties and Religions

Yes. Filipinos value their families so much that they tend to keep families intact through the generations.
Families go to church and pray together because their religion is important and creates a strong bond,
marking God as the center of their lives.

Families make sure to have quality time together especially after a day's work. Just watching television
or eating a family meal will be valued and prioritized in everybody's schedules.

4. Generosity and Helpfulness

Filipinos are generous people. Even when we have very little, we always share with those around us.
During special occasions such as birthdays or "fiestas" —parties when people from other places visit
your home to celebrate with you there are lots of foods specially prepared for everyone! Friends, family,
friends of friends, and even strangers can gather and they are always willing to share food and help out.
When a neighbor is in trouble, Filipinos are always ready to help them.
5. Strong Work Ethic

Yes, we are hardworking people to the point that we are willing to work almost the whole day just to
feed our families. That's how Filipinos are. One example of a hardworking person is a farmer. They earn
so little but they still work very hard for not much compensation.

Filipinos always find creative ways to earn a living, like creating a small business from their home where
they sell foods or other items for the convenience of their neighbors.

6. Love and Caring

This is so true! Filipinos are the sweetest and most loving people in the world. I'm not just saying this
because I'm a Filipino; if you know us well, you will soon figure this out.

Men are so sweet and romantic when it comes to love. They will send their beloved flowers, bring her to
a very romantic place, text her sweet quotes, and tell often how special she is to them.

Filipino women are also romantic and very caring, which often makes foreigners want to marry them.
Women tend to prepare dinner before their husband comes home. They are loving, and value the
relationship, always staying faithful to their husbands. They love deeply and sincerely.

Political Self

This is often defined by citizenship. It organizes one's beliefs, attitudes, and affiliations and aids the
processing of politically relevant information. It constitutes knowledge about the Constitution,
government and governance. It exemplifies the ideals and aspirations of the people, embodies the rules
and principle of the States, and determines the status and power of the people.

ORIGINS OF POLITICAL SELF

The family has a hierarchical structure. Through hierarchy of positions, status and power. For example, a
father acts as a leader and establishes rules to maintain order in the family. This shows that authority is
necessary in the development of political self and identity

Church

The church helps shape the ideals of citizenship and democracy through the religious teachings, values
and tradition

Peers

The interaction with the peers encompasses and emphasizes the equal distribution of power, rights, and
privileges among members of the group.

School

The school's responsibility is to teach moral, spiritual, and political values that will help the students to
become patriotic and morally upright citizen. Subjects such as UTS, GMRC and ROTC were being offered.
The school is similar to family, where the teacher acts as the leader in classroom that sets the rules and
regulation to maintain order in class.

Citizenship

According to Ma. Serena Diokno (1997), this is the most basic identification with the nation. A person
relates himself or herself to a group of others who also see themselves as citizen of a larger polity.

Diokno added that the political self and identity are developed through socialization, through the ways
of people learn the knowledge, norms, values, motives, and roles appropriate to their positions in a
group or community.

Through social interaction, people learn the status, duties, rights and power necessary to interact
successfully with other people in the group and community. Thus, the political self is influenced and
modified by the opinions, comments and suggestions of other people.

A digital self is generated through social media and online activities, using content (what we post, such
as social media, blog posts and playlists) and the associated metadata (where, when and how we post,
as well as the frequency).

Mass Media

This is the key to the source of information on politics. The mass media provide most of the electorate
with a framework for understanding past, present and future events.

THEORIES OF POLITICAL SELF

A person can acquire learning through observation and imitation. Observation and imitation are
important in a process known political socialization. Political socialization is the lifelong process by which
individuals gain knowledge about politics.

Cognitive Theory

This suggests that mental activities (e.g., knowledge, perceptions, ideas) of individuals are important
determinants of behavior (e.g., political attitude). For example, individuals interpret meaning of politics
and then choose and decide the actions they will make.