Oct 31, 2023·edited Oct 31, 2023Liked by Carl Lorenz Cervantes
1. These last few articles have definitely added to my desire (which has already been there) to learn Tagalog, and maybe Ilocano someday. These words/concepts in particular were very captivating and really resonated with me: kapwa, pakikipagkapwa, hindi iba sa akin, kagandahang-loob, kusang-loob, and paki-ramdam.
I really enjoyed learning about the history of Sikolohiyang Filipino. It made me think of "Brown Skin, White Minds: Filipino - American Postcolonial Psychology" by E. J. R. David. Interestingly, even as a 2nd/3rd generation mixed Filipinx-American, I don't find these concepts to be alien. Learning about them, is kind of like coming home, in a way. The concepts make sense to me and probably help to explain why I've always wanted to be a part of, and maintain a connection with, Fil-Am community.
Katrin de Guia's article also made me think of the power of language for systems of knowledge. At the University of British Columbia, where I attended grad school, they have an indigenous First Nation's library that is organized according to indigenous knowledge/concepts: https://xwi7xwa.library.ubc.ca/collections/indigenous-knowledge-organization/. As a librarian, I loved this idea because our knowledge systems (something as simple as the Dewey Decimal Classification System) and our information technologies can, and often do, include biases, many of which are Western/colonialist.
Back in August, I had attended a Filipinx Buddhist meditation sangha, called Gathering Kapwa. One of the speakers, professor Lorene Jabola, described Fil-Am identity as being thrice colonized: first by the Spanish Catholic colonizers, then by the Americans (and briefly by the Japanese), and then through the process of assimilation that happens when immigrating to the U.S. However, what arose during that sangha, and what I often experience when I read, watch, or listen to Filipinx and/or Filipinx-American content, and/or what I often experience in Filipinx and Filipinx diaspora communities, is that there is still something very enduring and connecting. Whether that is the spirit of kapwa or bayanihan, or even a felt sense of our indigenous/collectivist/communal roots, I don't know, but I can now say that it is certainly paki-ramdam.
2. There is a lot that this resources says about Filipinx identity and really the majority of the concepts in this article resonated for me. I also appreciated the suggestion that the core Filipinx values of personhood, paki-ramdan, kapwa, and kagandahang-loob, could be a "prophylactic" for ones mental health as well as a possible way to return to indigenous knowledges and practices that are more ecological. I was also so charmed by de Guia's description of "Filipino time" or "cosmic," "organic," or "felt" time. Whenever I run late, I joke about being on "Filipino time," and reading about it being described as cosmic, organic, felt, and/or seasonal makes me feel much better about instances when I take my time or allow myself to go slowly.
3. In buddhism, there is the idea of interdependence and/or interconnectivity and it is often taught alongside concepts like "interbeing" or "interdependent arising." When we think about interdependence and interconnectivity on a communal/societal level, it isn't difficult to see how very dependent we are upon each other, even in very individualistic cultures. We "inter-are" with our family members and ancestors, we "inter-are" with grocery store clerks and food vendors, we "inter-are" with our friends and coworkers, etc. I plan on reflecting more on kapwa, pakikipagkapwa, and kagandahang-loob when I meditate on interbeing/interdependence and lovingkindness, also called metta in Pali.
Maraming salamat po! Thank you so much for all of these fabulous readings.
Thank you for sharing the resource, Meishi! Wonderful insight also on how these concepts align with Buddhist teaching. It just goes to show that these resonate with things we've long known, but have somehow chosen to forget.
Maraming salamat for sharing the First Nation's library! I did not know about this. I am a cataloger at a community college library, and am often struck by the biases in the organization of our knowledge systems. I look forward to diving into this resource!
I agree about the power of language to shape and maintain biases. I often feel that English in particular is a language whose grammar attempts to eliminate ambiguity. I am slowly learning Tagalog, and feel there is a capaciousness to the language that is seen in a lot of the concepts you mentioned from the readings.
I attended that Gathering Kapwa sangha via Zoom, and found it very moving and healing. Paki-ramdam indeed!
1. Reading about pakiramdam unlocked something deep inside me. This word is new to me, but it shines a spotlight into my past to illuminate so many misunderstood childhood experiences. I realize that much of my mom’s parenting was about practicing pakiramdam with her. She was teaching me to sense and attune with others, and that the world we live in happens underneath the level of words. I feel that this need for nonverbal, intuitive, emotional expression in an American landscape where direct, verbal expression is the norm led me to become a musician. Music created spaces for me to connect with others in ways that are grounded in the bodily intuitions and emotional resonance.
2. The kapwa orientations of Sikolohiyang Pilipino have been following me around since reading de Guia’s essay a few weeks ago. I’ve been meditating on how the core values represent ways of being human across various contexts. We are all born into a world that already exists, into contexts we did not choose. We find kapwa by practicing pakiramdam to attune with and become one with those who share our present context, whether they are ibang tao or hindi ibang tao. Life is practicing pakikipagkapwa within the contexts we find ourselves in. Diba?
A Filipino identity grounded in kapwa is inclusive and realized in no-self. It is identity as a shared process, not a homogenized point of view. It is identity that exists below the level of words. But words are important for pointing into our inner depths with those who do not identify with us yet.
3. Sikolohiyang Pilipino creates a framework for decolonization and healing. The violence of colonization is relational. Colonial violence relies on dehumanization and disconnection. To heal, we need to be witnessed. We must return to each other. Decolonization, for me, is not about returning to some past state, but witnessing the past to heal the wounds my ancestors were unable to heal themselves. It is about expressing my humanity and connecting with others so that we can witness each other in kapwa.
Beautiful insights, Alexis. Thank you for sharing. I especially appreciate your answer to the last prompt, particularly how it's not about regression but about healing today. It's so important to return to the present, and not hide in our history. I'm also so excited for you to discover the hidden treasures now unlocked. Like Pandora's boxed: what is opened can't be closed. I've observed that Filipino languages tend to be musical. Tagalog is an incredibly romantic language. Where I was born, we speak Ilonggo, which, to foreigners, does sound like singing. You wouldn't know whether someone's angry because they'd be singing to you!
1. What struck me the most was the timeline of how Sikolohiyang Filipino evolved. I felt seen in this article because I had always felt ashamed of being Filipino American in my host country, America. I was educated and tested to understand what it means to be American. Still, I had little to no access to what it means to be Filipino or even to know that a term like "Pakataong Filipino" existed in my lifetime. Reading this article with a deep understanding that I am US-educated but have Filipino blood running through my veins is profound. I can only comprehend this information now.
I like the quote from Lagmay: "The needed information will arrive at its own time and only when necessary." Even though I had access to all this information, I couldn't get past comparing myself to people with generational wealth and inheritance. I felt short-handed and like I didn't even belong on this planet.
What resonates with me the most is "Filipino time." There was so much shame around being late. Before I met my husband, a first-generation Filipino American, I prided myself on challenging the norm of being late. I was usually on time or even early. Then, when I met him, I was challenged by his habit of being late. My husband, on the other hand, is always late. It doesn't bug me as much as it used to. I feel calmer knowing that, cosmically, time is a construct. It doesn't work well when we have a plane to catch, but that's another story for a different day.
What feels alien to me is the third core value of the Filipino personality, "kagandahang-loob." I know the first two; I grew up with them. But it's interesting how it's only today that I've come across this third core value, which grounds the other two. I inherently know the third core value because I believe that I give and act without any expectation—like a pay-it-forward vibe.
2. It gives language and context to who I am inherently. I always wondered why I felt out of place here in the U.S. because my values don't necessarily match what I see in the media or where I live. I don't necessarily agree with people giving me advice from a Western individualistic lens, but I play along to survive. However, after reading this article, I feel more at home with my body. This feels authentic to me.
3. I could use this to help me ground myself further in my identity. It would give me clarity in how I make decisions based on the three core values, like in a yes/no decision framework. Below is an example from ChatGPT:
1. Kapwa (Shared Identity)
Question: Does this action acknowledge and respect our shared identity and interconnectedness with others?
2. Pakiramdam (Empathy)
Question: Does this action demonstrate sensitivity and empathy towards the feelings and circumstances of others?
3. Kagandahang-loob (Generosity and Kindness)
Question: Does this action reflect generosity and kindness, contributing positively to the well-being of others?
1. After going through these resources, what struck you the most? It could be something that affected you emotionally, made you rethink your worldview, or affirmed something you already knew.
I appreciated the reframing, or greater clarity, on the value system of the Philippine Personality — I was already familiar with de Guia’s work but not this article. Specifically, I found the deeper explanation of kayalaan interesting, I had not considered the dichotomy resulting in open-minded adults for some and irresponsible for others. I also appreciated the explanation of bahala na. Often I have heard bahala na referenced as solely an expression of exasperation, and de Guia’s explanation supports what I understood bahala na mean (more of encouragement and determination) — this actually validates findings I wrote and had been criticized for.
2. What environmental concern in the Philippines do you think needs the most attention? Or, what environmental issue in the Philippines is not currently being recognized as a potential problem? What are the efforts that are being done (or that are being proposed) to address the issue?
Not living in the Philippines, it is hard for me to have a good opinion about environmental concerns in the Philippines. From a distance, I do worry about the overcrowding in Baguio and its impacts on the surrounding environment. Maybe less in the control of the Philippines, I also worry about the loss of reef habitat in the Philippine Sea with the building of artificial islands. As for what is being done to address these issues, I don’t have answers. We watched only a little TFC news and calls home to the Philippines generally aren’t about environmental issues.
3. How can we apply Filipino cultural values (e.g. kapwa) and spirituality (e.g. belief in anito) inform our approach to caring for the environment?
Filipino cultural values of kapwa (in my humble non-Filipino opinion) align well with addressing environmental issues. The recognition of self and the other promotes understanding the impact one has on others and on the environment. It is more of a question about re-strengthening kawpa generally and as a concept that connects people to the environment, i.e. the “other” in kapwa includes nature and spirits not just the people most closely around us.
1. What struck you the most about this resource? Which concepts resonate the most, and which ones still seem a little alien to you?
What struck me most about this was how much it reaffirmed what I feel to be innately true. Before even learning (academically) or reading about the concepts of Kapwa, Pakiramdam, and Kagandahang-Loob, these were concepts/values that I felt were "taught" or maybe the better word is inherited from my parents, grandparents, and beyond. It was always difficult for me to articulate but I feel this has given me a way to do that. I particularly enjoyed how the concept of Filipino time is explained. As someone who is Igorot, I was especially happy to see how the Ifugao rice fields was used as an example of indigenous knowledge and our interconnectedness to nature.
What does this resource say about the Filipino identity, particularly your identity as a Filipino?
I think it says that we have more to share and contribute with each other and the world. I struggle with how to use it more in my work as a psychotherapist in the US, given that my education was based on Western concepts of psychology. I want to be able to use concepts more in line with my values and what I feel would be effective when I work with others whose backgrounds and identities do not fit into the Western concepts.
How could the ideas in this resource be useful to your daily life?
It provides motivation to continue being more inclusive, not just with people but with nature and spirit.
1. These last few articles have definitely added to my desire (which has already been there) to learn Tagalog, and maybe Ilocano someday. These words/concepts in particular were very captivating and really resonated with me: kapwa, pakikipagkapwa, hindi iba sa akin, kagandahang-loob, kusang-loob, and paki-ramdam.
I really enjoyed learning about the history of Sikolohiyang Filipino. It made me think of "Brown Skin, White Minds: Filipino - American Postcolonial Psychology" by E. J. R. David. Interestingly, even as a 2nd/3rd generation mixed Filipinx-American, I don't find these concepts to be alien. Learning about them, is kind of like coming home, in a way. The concepts make sense to me and probably help to explain why I've always wanted to be a part of, and maintain a connection with, Fil-Am community.
Katrin de Guia's article also made me think of the power of language for systems of knowledge. At the University of British Columbia, where I attended grad school, they have an indigenous First Nation's library that is organized according to indigenous knowledge/concepts: https://xwi7xwa.library.ubc.ca/collections/indigenous-knowledge-organization/. As a librarian, I loved this idea because our knowledge systems (something as simple as the Dewey Decimal Classification System) and our information technologies can, and often do, include biases, many of which are Western/colonialist.
Back in August, I had attended a Filipinx Buddhist meditation sangha, called Gathering Kapwa. One of the speakers, professor Lorene Jabola, described Fil-Am identity as being thrice colonized: first by the Spanish Catholic colonizers, then by the Americans (and briefly by the Japanese), and then through the process of assimilation that happens when immigrating to the U.S. However, what arose during that sangha, and what I often experience when I read, watch, or listen to Filipinx and/or Filipinx-American content, and/or what I often experience in Filipinx and Filipinx diaspora communities, is that there is still something very enduring and connecting. Whether that is the spirit of kapwa or bayanihan, or even a felt sense of our indigenous/collectivist/communal roots, I don't know, but I can now say that it is certainly paki-ramdam.
2. There is a lot that this resources says about Filipinx identity and really the majority of the concepts in this article resonated for me. I also appreciated the suggestion that the core Filipinx values of personhood, paki-ramdan, kapwa, and kagandahang-loob, could be a "prophylactic" for ones mental health as well as a possible way to return to indigenous knowledges and practices that are more ecological. I was also so charmed by de Guia's description of "Filipino time" or "cosmic," "organic," or "felt" time. Whenever I run late, I joke about being on "Filipino time," and reading about it being described as cosmic, organic, felt, and/or seasonal makes me feel much better about instances when I take my time or allow myself to go slowly.
3. In buddhism, there is the idea of interdependence and/or interconnectivity and it is often taught alongside concepts like "interbeing" or "interdependent arising." When we think about interdependence and interconnectivity on a communal/societal level, it isn't difficult to see how very dependent we are upon each other, even in very individualistic cultures. We "inter-are" with our family members and ancestors, we "inter-are" with grocery store clerks and food vendors, we "inter-are" with our friends and coworkers, etc. I plan on reflecting more on kapwa, pakikipagkapwa, and kagandahang-loob when I meditate on interbeing/interdependence and lovingkindness, also called metta in Pali.
Maraming salamat po! Thank you so much for all of these fabulous readings.
Thank you for sharing the resource, Meishi! Wonderful insight also on how these concepts align with Buddhist teaching. It just goes to show that these resonate with things we've long known, but have somehow chosen to forget.
Maraming salamat for sharing the First Nation's library! I did not know about this. I am a cataloger at a community college library, and am often struck by the biases in the organization of our knowledge systems. I look forward to diving into this resource!
I agree about the power of language to shape and maintain biases. I often feel that English in particular is a language whose grammar attempts to eliminate ambiguity. I am slowly learning Tagalog, and feel there is a capaciousness to the language that is seen in a lot of the concepts you mentioned from the readings.
I attended that Gathering Kapwa sangha via Zoom, and found it very moving and healing. Paki-ramdam indeed!
1. Reading about pakiramdam unlocked something deep inside me. This word is new to me, but it shines a spotlight into my past to illuminate so many misunderstood childhood experiences. I realize that much of my mom’s parenting was about practicing pakiramdam with her. She was teaching me to sense and attune with others, and that the world we live in happens underneath the level of words. I feel that this need for nonverbal, intuitive, emotional expression in an American landscape where direct, verbal expression is the norm led me to become a musician. Music created spaces for me to connect with others in ways that are grounded in the bodily intuitions and emotional resonance.
2. The kapwa orientations of Sikolohiyang Pilipino have been following me around since reading de Guia’s essay a few weeks ago. I’ve been meditating on how the core values represent ways of being human across various contexts. We are all born into a world that already exists, into contexts we did not choose. We find kapwa by practicing pakiramdam to attune with and become one with those who share our present context, whether they are ibang tao or hindi ibang tao. Life is practicing pakikipagkapwa within the contexts we find ourselves in. Diba?
A Filipino identity grounded in kapwa is inclusive and realized in no-self. It is identity as a shared process, not a homogenized point of view. It is identity that exists below the level of words. But words are important for pointing into our inner depths with those who do not identify with us yet.
3. Sikolohiyang Pilipino creates a framework for decolonization and healing. The violence of colonization is relational. Colonial violence relies on dehumanization and disconnection. To heal, we need to be witnessed. We must return to each other. Decolonization, for me, is not about returning to some past state, but witnessing the past to heal the wounds my ancestors were unable to heal themselves. It is about expressing my humanity and connecting with others so that we can witness each other in kapwa.
Beautiful insights, Alexis. Thank you for sharing. I especially appreciate your answer to the last prompt, particularly how it's not about regression but about healing today. It's so important to return to the present, and not hide in our history. I'm also so excited for you to discover the hidden treasures now unlocked. Like Pandora's boxed: what is opened can't be closed. I've observed that Filipino languages tend to be musical. Tagalog is an incredibly romantic language. Where I was born, we speak Ilonggo, which, to foreigners, does sound like singing. You wouldn't know whether someone's angry because they'd be singing to you!
1. What struck me the most was the timeline of how Sikolohiyang Filipino evolved. I felt seen in this article because I had always felt ashamed of being Filipino American in my host country, America. I was educated and tested to understand what it means to be American. Still, I had little to no access to what it means to be Filipino or even to know that a term like "Pakataong Filipino" existed in my lifetime. Reading this article with a deep understanding that I am US-educated but have Filipino blood running through my veins is profound. I can only comprehend this information now.
I like the quote from Lagmay: "The needed information will arrive at its own time and only when necessary." Even though I had access to all this information, I couldn't get past comparing myself to people with generational wealth and inheritance. I felt short-handed and like I didn't even belong on this planet.
What resonates with me the most is "Filipino time." There was so much shame around being late. Before I met my husband, a first-generation Filipino American, I prided myself on challenging the norm of being late. I was usually on time or even early. Then, when I met him, I was challenged by his habit of being late. My husband, on the other hand, is always late. It doesn't bug me as much as it used to. I feel calmer knowing that, cosmically, time is a construct. It doesn't work well when we have a plane to catch, but that's another story for a different day.
What feels alien to me is the third core value of the Filipino personality, "kagandahang-loob." I know the first two; I grew up with them. But it's interesting how it's only today that I've come across this third core value, which grounds the other two. I inherently know the third core value because I believe that I give and act without any expectation—like a pay-it-forward vibe.
2. It gives language and context to who I am inherently. I always wondered why I felt out of place here in the U.S. because my values don't necessarily match what I see in the media or where I live. I don't necessarily agree with people giving me advice from a Western individualistic lens, but I play along to survive. However, after reading this article, I feel more at home with my body. This feels authentic to me.
3. I could use this to help me ground myself further in my identity. It would give me clarity in how I make decisions based on the three core values, like in a yes/no decision framework. Below is an example from ChatGPT:
1. Kapwa (Shared Identity)
Question: Does this action acknowledge and respect our shared identity and interconnectedness with others?
2. Pakiramdam (Empathy)
Question: Does this action demonstrate sensitivity and empathy towards the feelings and circumstances of others?
3. Kagandahang-loob (Generosity and Kindness)
Question: Does this action reflect generosity and kindness, contributing positively to the well-being of others?
1. After going through these resources, what struck you the most? It could be something that affected you emotionally, made you rethink your worldview, or affirmed something you already knew.
I appreciated the reframing, or greater clarity, on the value system of the Philippine Personality — I was already familiar with de Guia’s work but not this article. Specifically, I found the deeper explanation of kayalaan interesting, I had not considered the dichotomy resulting in open-minded adults for some and irresponsible for others. I also appreciated the explanation of bahala na. Often I have heard bahala na referenced as solely an expression of exasperation, and de Guia’s explanation supports what I understood bahala na mean (more of encouragement and determination) — this actually validates findings I wrote and had been criticized for.
2. What environmental concern in the Philippines do you think needs the most attention? Or, what environmental issue in the Philippines is not currently being recognized as a potential problem? What are the efforts that are being done (or that are being proposed) to address the issue?
Not living in the Philippines, it is hard for me to have a good opinion about environmental concerns in the Philippines. From a distance, I do worry about the overcrowding in Baguio and its impacts on the surrounding environment. Maybe less in the control of the Philippines, I also worry about the loss of reef habitat in the Philippine Sea with the building of artificial islands. As for what is being done to address these issues, I don’t have answers. We watched only a little TFC news and calls home to the Philippines generally aren’t about environmental issues.
3. How can we apply Filipino cultural values (e.g. kapwa) and spirituality (e.g. belief in anito) inform our approach to caring for the environment?
Filipino cultural values of kapwa (in my humble non-Filipino opinion) align well with addressing environmental issues. The recognition of self and the other promotes understanding the impact one has on others and on the environment. It is more of a question about re-strengthening kawpa generally and as a concept that connects people to the environment, i.e. the “other” in kapwa includes nature and spirits not just the people most closely around us.
1. What struck you the most about this resource? Which concepts resonate the most, and which ones still seem a little alien to you?
What struck me most about this was how much it reaffirmed what I feel to be innately true. Before even learning (academically) or reading about the concepts of Kapwa, Pakiramdam, and Kagandahang-Loob, these were concepts/values that I felt were "taught" or maybe the better word is inherited from my parents, grandparents, and beyond. It was always difficult for me to articulate but I feel this has given me a way to do that. I particularly enjoyed how the concept of Filipino time is explained. As someone who is Igorot, I was especially happy to see how the Ifugao rice fields was used as an example of indigenous knowledge and our interconnectedness to nature.
What does this resource say about the Filipino identity, particularly your identity as a Filipino?
I think it says that we have more to share and contribute with each other and the world. I struggle with how to use it more in my work as a psychotherapist in the US, given that my education was based on Western concepts of psychology. I want to be able to use concepts more in line with my values and what I feel would be effective when I work with others whose backgrounds and identities do not fit into the Western concepts.
How could the ideas in this resource be useful to your daily life?
It provides motivation to continue being more inclusive, not just with people but with nature and spirit.