Filipino Values and Character

(I don't prefer to classify these traits as positive and negative. Everything is negative if there is too much or too lacking. We have to be just balanced.) 

Hospitality

The Filipinos are very hospitable when it comes to their fellowmen. They will invite their visitors to come into their homes and offer them treats such as snacks and drinks after a long journey. There are also instances when the Filipinos will serve only the best to their visitors even if at times they may not be able to afford it. They also go the extremes as to give up the comfort of their own bedrooms for their guests and to the point of sleeping on floor just to ensure that their guests are comfortable.

Close Family Ties

We enjoy the feeling of having and knowing family members are around us. From cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents, some families share their homes, celebrate holidays and lend a hand to relatives when it is needed.

Respect for Elders

Filipinos are accustomed to using the words “po”, “opo” and “ho”, when they are conversing with older people or sometimes to people with higher position or status in the society. Respect for elders can be given by also kissing their hands before leaving and upon arrival.

Cheerful

Because we’ve been through a lot of trials in our history, Filipinos have learned not to be depressed. Rather, we find a joke and try to have fun even during times of difficulty.

Religious

Filipinos are also religious. They devote time to reconnect with God. They have strong faith, believing that problems and adversities in life will surpass with the help and providence of God.

Loyalty

Loyalty or ‘’’Pakikisama’’’ is another Filipino value. Filipinos are said to be loyal to their friends and fellowmen in order to ensure the peace in the group. This is manifested in their basic sense of justice and fairness and concern for other's well being. Filipinos recognize the essential humanity of all people and regard others with respect and empathy. With this orientation, Filipinos develop sensitivity to the nature and quality of interpersonal relationships, which are their principal source of security and happiness.

Filipinos are one with 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 faculties, agencies, or levels of being)

> 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.

> A Filipino is not happy just knowing another person’s name. He would also inquire about his work, hometown, relatives, marital status, even his salary.

> Filipinos have greater energy for work or activity that involves all the levels of being (body, all the senses, feelings, intellect, spirit)

> A Filipino relates to others not only functionally (based on the task on hand) but wholistically.

A person and his actions are one, not separate

> To criticize a person’s work is also to criticize the person himself, so how does one urge him to improve his work and raise standards without hurting him?

> The solution is to use a bipolar approach: Praise-Criticize or Better, PRAISE-CRITICIZE-PRAISE

Crab Mentality

Filipinos tend to be competitive but to outwitting a competitor by pulling him down is a sign of "Crab Mentality". Develop yourself to become better than your competitor so that the competition will grow. If the competition is healthy the benefits you will receive will also grow. 

"The Manyana or Mamaya Na Habit" (you will delay the things you can do for today)

This habit is going to be the cause for cramming. Solution is to finish the work on an earlier date before the deadline. 

"Ningas – Kugon” or they exert effort only at the start"

Some Filipinos exert their full effort only at the start of the work but as time pass, that effort starts to decrease. It mirrors the characteristic of Filipinos of being a show-off. 

“Fatalistic”

No amount of expostulation on the virtues of science or logic can dislodge him from his idea of fatalism. He believes that whatever happens to him is the work of FATE. This fatalism is best symbolized in the phrase “BAHALA NA”, a phrase that defies translation but which may be rendered loosely as “come what may.”

“Lack of Initiative”

This trait is explained by a natural fear of competition, for Filipino society is cooperative, not competitive. 

“Jealousy”

He does not look with favor on a woman who flirts with several men. To him, the sweetheart’s or the wife’s eyes are meant only for him and for no other, even his closest friend cannot kiss his wife with impunity on the pretext that it is a “brotherly” kiss. The Filipino, therefore, requires complete faith and loyalty of his wife or sweetheart.

Regional Traits (taken from Agoncillo's History of the Filipino People)

These traits, which may be termed regional, have been the upshot of economic and social factors.

Luzon Traits

• Samtoy- finds his surroundings not conductive to humor. Anybody who sees humor in such kind of environment is a born humorist. The Samtoy is not a born humorist. He takes his life seriously and considers it an object of struggle. Those is why he appears sluggish and shy, and create the impression that he getting ready to wrestle with the surroundings forces.

Visayan Trait

• Hedonist- Give him a jug of tuba and a piece of dried fish and he will sing the wilderness into Paradise. He is a lover like the Tagalog, but he expresses his consuming passion in music, not in poetry. Thus, armed with a banduria, a ukulele or a guitar, he forgets his sorrows even his hunger, if he is poor, by caressing the strings of his musical instrument and singing to its accompaniment. He may not know the difference between a do and mi on paper, but he can put together the notes of the scale to produce lilting, coquettish music.

Muslim Trait

• Fiercest lover of freedom - he dares the high seas in search of manly adventure. He is man of honor who sticks to his plighted word and will brave dangers to redeem his vow or promise. He is proud of his culture, and does not offer meek apologies epics.