Name: REA JADE L.
BANDAYREL
Course: CULINARY – II
WHAT IS FILIPINO PHILOSOPHY?
It is an aspect of Filipino thought. The attitude worldview, and notion of the
natural citizens of the Philippines towards the day-to-day experiences in life,
religion, communication, survival, interrelationship with people and intra-
relationship with his sakop or to oneself – the “I”, and the uplifting of one’s soul –
the Filipino are used to be stereotyped as the bamboo grass for it always sway
with the wind.
The Filipino people has gone through tough and rough times, good and bounty
years, and yet they always stand a firm as it was on the day ancestors fought
Magellan. Our own worldview explains why we stand all erect despite economic
downfall, political crisis, natural calamities. One thing that is to be observed,
everything revolves in relationship, in the sakop, in the upliftment of one’s soul.
Justice for the Filipino people is the satisfaction of the needs of the self and his
relations. These and more are the pattern of Filipinos which leads to the general
behavior of nation – the philosophy of the Filipinos.
The following Filipino Philosophies are:
1. KABABAANG LOOB – This philosophy shows how men are naturally good, humility or
lowness of the inner self is with in each of every one of us. It is perfectly inclined with
the quote “the more you lower yourself, the higher you become”.
According to Copernicus “we have the right to be humble” and this cannot be contrasted
because we are free and we have the choice to do what we want and be what we want to be.
But in the present reality being humble is a choice and not all of us possesses this philosophy.
2. FILIPINO TIME – A Filipino bad habit which is caused by human mentality. It is a bad
attitude where Filipino use the time irresponsibly. In this Filipino bad habit, people are
minutes or hours late to the specified time of arrival.
The main reason of this Filipino philosophy is relying to the concept of “bahala na”. The
word “bahala” which means from the root word “bathala” which means the supreme being
and the “bahala na” actually means they rely their irresponsibility to the supreme being.
3. UTANG NA LOOB – Debt of gratitude or borrowed inner self. This is a good philosophy
where people return their deep dept in another manner in order to say thank you and show
return of gratitude.
In Filipino philosophy, bigay kaya is an application where parents or guardian will demand
money to the man who will marry their daughter, in order for them to receive the return value
of effort for raising their daughter. There are 2 main concepts for bigay kaya:
a. Bigay suso – is the sum of the money that the man will give to the person in exchange for
the use of her breast milk for raising their child.
b. Panghimuyat – is the sum of the money that the man will give to the person in exchange
for all “puyat” spend for raising their child.
4. BAYANIHAN – derived from a Filipino word “bayan”, which means nation, town or
community. The term bayanihan itself literally means “being in a bayan”, which refers to
the spirit of communal unity, work and cooperation to achieve a particular goal.
Filipino Philosophy is the critical examination of the grounds for fundamental beliefs of
Filipinos and an analysis of the basic concepts employed in the expression of the Filipino
Worldviews.
Furthermore, I would like to define it into three dimensions:
1. Filipino Philosophy as a discipline.
It is the critical examination of the grounds for fundamental beliefs of Filipino being as an
individual and universal; likewise, it is an analysis of the basic concepts employed in the
expression of their worldview. Included in this study is the study of Filipino worldview from
tribal groups to mainland people and to the new generation of the modern times. Since it is a
study and the Filipinos have a diversity of life as it has a seven thousand one hundred islands,
there should be a different branch of Filipino Philosophy of which I categorize as:
(1) Ethnolinguistic – Tribal philosophy will further explain and discuss the main ideas and
the worldviews of the linguistic groups in the country. Tribal philosophy where Bicolano,
Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano Philosophies would fall under.
(2) Filipino Philosophy of Religion
(3) Animism and Practices of Filipinos
Knowing that the Filipinos are animalistic, owing its culture to the eastern practice,
‘Filipino Philosophy of Religion’ and ‘Animism and Practices of the Filipinos’ would
explain further the motives why an individual does his or her God and attributes. It will
further explain the way Filipinos think or give importance to their religious experience
and how orthodox religion. It must be the tool in understanding the Filipino’s attitude on
feasts, religious activities such as Christmas, Holy week, Ramadan, and that amazing
attitude of adoring mountains and making places sacred.
2. Filipino Philosophy as a behavioral worldview pattern of Filipinos.
Filipino Philosophy as behavioral worldview pattern of Filipinos. Filipino Philosophy is the
attitude, worldview, and notion of the natural citizens of the Philippines towards the day-to-day
experiences in life, religion, communication, survival, interrelationship with people and intra-
relationship with his sakop or to oneself – the “I”, and the uplifting of one’s soul – Filipino
being.
3. Filipino Philosophy as an identity.
Filipino Philosophy is the soul (self or “I”) of humans living in the Philippines having “other-
orientedness-centered-on-affinity-and-environment-self”, and feelings towards realities and
illusions in life and in one’s entity that is obviously evident in his endurance to be with his
society, live the religious-spiritual aspects imposed and expected of him, and live-out the culture
he/she has acquired from his ancestors and his current environment.
