Christian renewal of Filipino Values Vitaliano R. Gorospe, S. J.

The problem has been characterized as a conflict between individual and social morality The social pressure from ones family and social expectation of the community as a whole, make it extremely difficult for the individual to be honest and moral. The Philippine morality has been described as a conflict between: Home values and School values School values and community values School values= inculcates values which are industrial, scientific and democratic. Home values= inculcates values which are agricultural, pre-scientific and pre-democratic. What is the effect of existing conflict between individual and social morality? The effect has been called: on the campus off the campus Ex: On campus, a college girl knows that it is wrong to be immodest. Reluctantly, she models for the school fashion show according to the convent-schools strict norms of modesty. But off the campus she does not hesitate to wear a strapless or plunging neckline at a party or a daring bikini for a beauty contest. A college boy is out with the gang on Saturday night. The party he is attending is a flop very few pretty girls, a mediocre combo. A member of the gang proposes a trip to Pasay. On the campus the student knows that promiscuity is morally wrong. But off the campus, he is afraid to offend the Barkada. What will they say about his pakikisama, his manliness? Reluctantly, he goes with the gang. Besides, he tells himself, what is wrong with staying in the car? A student is driving 90 on a 40 kilometers-per-hour road. A motorcycle policeman apprehends him for speeding. The officer starts giving the usual hints about Ang lagay, e . On thecampus, the student knows that he should not bribe the officer. But it takes too much time and trouble to get back his license. And off the campus, it occurs to him that everybody is doing it. Phenomenon called Split-level Christianity by Fr. Jaime Bulatao. Co-existence within the same person of two or more sets of thoughts and behavior systems which are inconsistent with each other. also called double-standard morality Ex: Philippine society condemns divorce and still frowns on the unfaithful Filipina wife, but come to accept

querida system as the lesser of two evils and because men are like that. Another conflict actual Filipino behavior and ideal Christian behavior. In short, between what is and what ought to be. TWO(2) Norms of Morality Norm of morality is split between actual Filipino norm and ideal Christian norm of morality. 1. Group centeredness or group thinking conscience from the outside What will my family or my relatives and friends or my Barkada think or say? What will other people say? 2. Dont be caught is attitude based on shame or fear of authority figure. Conflict in the individual between the donts of the authority figure and what everyone else does. Ex. Here, there are no ten commandments. You can obey or break the rules as you please. But God help you if you get caught. The potential of Filipino Values Traditional Filipino Values : > bahala na, > utang na loob also consider universal human values > pakikisama > hiya came from 3 cultures: Malay, Spanish and American (may be a help or a hindrance to moral & religious values) Filipino is rigidly ruled by a body of beliefs and traditions called ugaling Pilipino or Filipino customs that largely determines his motivation and dominates his behavior. Ex. Visayans still strongly belief in the gaba or curse reciprocity or utang na loob Filipino values in General (3) Three Traditional Values Authoritarianism Personalism Small-group centeredness Filipino family (nuclear and extended) tayo-tayo or just us means: my family first or my party first. autority figure ( parents,teachers,priest etc.) parents often misuse their authority to manipulate their children for their own selfish interest. Yet parental authority can be used wisely to help children make intelligent choices.

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