Republic of the Philippines

WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Teacher Education---Graduate School
Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

Name: Ralph Brian De Paz Rodriguez

Subject: Values Education
Date: June 23, 2018
Teacher: Prof. Celso Pernia

What Filipino value/s should our educational institutions foster or develop in order to
address the prevailing problem of morality in the Philippines?

Morality, as defined, is the moral discourse and beliefs about what is right and wrong. It
has been given meaning by various authors and writers and words such as a person’s character,
decency, integrity and honesty have been attached to it. However, the word is too subjective
and relative to be either defined or explained primarily because every person defines the word
differently, each definition based from one’s own sets of beliefs and experiences. These
significant experiences shape the person’s view toward issues in the society, and these views
play vital roles in the context of understanding the context of the word morality

Given the idea, educational institutions, specifically schools, are directed to advocate
the inculcation and constant teaching of Filipino values to address the issues of morality in the
society, especially if seen in the lens of everything that is happening in the country today. In this
note, teachers are given the primordial task to veer the Filipino students to respond to the
issues of morality and stand against crimes and killings, against corruption and self-gratification.

To address these issues on morality, the Filipino value that our institutional institutions
should foster and develop is the value of SELF-RESPECT----in everything ones does and in
everything one engages in. It is a given fact that most of the issues revolving around doing what
is good and evil always play around the idea that if people respect themselves and their whole
being, they will not choose to do what is evil and unacceptable. Self-respect also leads someone
to look into his being and decide that anything unacceptable and wrong is never an option and
will never be an option. An upright person, who loves himself and his dignity and character, will
never rely in doing what goes against his beliefs and will, because he respects himself.

From self-respect also comes the preservation of one’s dignity and principles---
something that is no longer given importance in the society today. In a society trapped in the
claws of confusion because of corruption, killings and selfish desires, the inculcation of the
value of self-respect should be given a prime. Self-respect shall also pave way for the values of
love and tolerance, of acceptance and forgiveness.

Self-respect should be inculcated in our students so that they will be trailblazers for
change in a society slowly dying because of immorality.