The Cultural Mindset That We Filipinos Have part 1

Mechelle M. Halili

What is the Filipino mindset? How do we describe our way of thinking? Culturally, civic-wise, professionally, religiously, politically?

When asked this question, many would respond with mixed feelings—some positively and some with much apprehension and doubt. How are we really as a Filipino nation based on our ways of thinking? Obviously, this would be a great topic of study, debate, intellectual exchange, and one which will come from different perspectives. But let us view this one from the lens of introspective analysis.

The “Filipino mentality” has had negative connotations especially from Filipinos who have had a chance to work with other nationalities abroad. Once they return to the country, they are able to compare the way Filipinos work under the current system.

Let us take a glimpse of the Filipino way of thinking through the virtues we hold dear to ourselves as a people.

When talking about the Filipino mindset and the context upon which this mindset works, one is not able to resist the current conditions we see at play in our society: poverty, politics, violence, the pandemic and the current rise of incidences due to lack of discipline, and so on. But why are these the predominant traits that we see in our news, on TV, on social media sites, on newspapers (if anyone still reads them)? Obviously, this is what the media is now highlighting and feeding the majority of Filipino consumers of regular and social media.

Following are the irony of perceptions that we can glean from this simple analysis.

How do we see success? Well, it is undoubtedly true that Filipinos have a collective view of this concept when seen from the point of view of sports in the international arena. Nothing can display solidarity and oneness of the Filipino spirit more that when we are watching and cheering for our national team fight and win in international games and tournaments. Yet, on a day to day basis, many of us bemoan the fact that there are fellow Filipinos whom we see as succeeding and attribute their success to brown-nosing or sucking up to the boss. We take a mental step backwards when we see products that are “made in the Philippines”.

We are known for that indomitable spirit of hope despite any calamity and problem that crosses the path of the Filipino. This is seen by the world through the smiles on our faces despite the natural calamities the beset the nation. Yet why do we still linger in the same misery that we had even before the calamity struck? Hope is good as it brings light to a dark place in our situations. However, without the action to move forward and do something, hope will only get the Filipino so far.

Our sense of culture which reflects the solidarity of our being a people of distinction from the rest of the world seems to be disappearing as we immerse ourselves in the culture and styles of our tele-novelas from Korea, Japan, the United States, etc. When asked, “What does Filipino culture look like?” many are left with a quizzical look on their faces and seem to be looking at a blind spot in the side mirror of our personality as a nation. Even our language curriculum projects the idealism of the western world. Only in our words towards our compatriots do we see a glimmer of a cultural oneness when we call each other, Kabayan, Kapuso, Kapamilya.

How do we describe the faith of the Filipino? Well, we pride ourselves as the only pre-dominantly Christian (Catholic) nation in Asia, and this indomitable faith is what keeps us “stable” during times of great unrest and crises. This trait is what keeps us whole and connected to the spiritual world during the bleakest time of our lives. It feeds the belief of no matter how messed up and miserable life can be on this Earth, no matter how down-trodden and hopeless one becomes, there is always that faith and hope that the afterlife will have a better future for the soul. This may be good, if it does not drive the believer to complacency and contentment in whatever miserly situation they are in. This absolute faith sometimes leads to the total abandonment of efforts to move up in this life thinking that “this is my plight, and the only good place I will be is after this one, beside the Divine Presence”. This is the common mentality of some Filipinos who seems to see the only way life could be better is in the afterlife. (to be continued)

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The author is Teacher III at Lourdes Northwest

Elementary School