Chapter 2: The Meeting of East and West

The German Roots

Early Struggles in Philippine Psychology:

Psychology in the Philippines has faced significant challenges since its early
development. These challenges include:
 Staffing issues: Finding qualified personnel to teach and conduct research in
psychology has been a persistent problem.
 Curriculum development: Designing an appropriate psychology curriculum that
is relevant to the local context and not just based on foreign models has been
difficult.
 Instructional facilities: There have been limited resources for establishing well-
equipped psychology departments and training facilities.
 Research and publication: Conducting original research and publishing findings
has been hindered by both financial constraints and the dominance of foreign
theories.
The Role of the University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu:
 The University of San Carlos, established as the oldest center of learning in the
Philippines, was one of the first institutions to offer formal education in
psychology. The department of psychology at USC was established in 1954under
the leadership of Joseph Goertz.
 Goertz, who was trained in Germany and had worked in Beijing,
introduced German traditions in psychology, particularly the experimental
psychology methods of Wilhelm Wundt, the founder of modern psychology. This
contrasted with the American-influenced psychology that had been already
established in Manila by the early 1920s.
 Goertz’s use of English as the medium of instruction was significant, as he had to
teach complex psychological theories in a foreign language, which presented a
challenge. His approach involved teaching experimental psychology in
the German tradition, which focused on perception experiments and other
aspects of human psychology studied systematically.
 Despite this emphasis on German methods, the department at USC was also
open to American psychological practices, but many students sent abroad for
advanced studies did not return, leaving a gap in local expertise and
development. This hindered the department’s ability to further build its own
academic foundation.

The Influence of German Psychology:

The most notable contribution of Joseph Goertz and the University of San Carlos was
the introduction of German psychological theory to the Philippines. Some of the key
features of this tradition included:
 Wundt’s Experimental Psychology: Goertz taught Wundt’s experimental
approach, which emphasized the study of conscious experience through
controlled experiments. This tradition was a significant departure from
 the behaviorist and pragmatic American psychological models that were popular
in the Philippines at the time.
 Survival of German Ideas: Despite challenges in teaching these ideas in
English, Goertz’s efforts to impart these theories were impactful. He used
textbooks like Theoretical Psychology (After J. Lindworsky) to convey German
methods and ensure that the students understood complex psychological
concepts. However, some local critics referred to the approach as “brass and
cymbals psychology”, indicating that they felt it lacked practical application in the
local context.
 Language Barrier: Goertz’s use of English as the medium of instruction was a
double-edged sword. While it made the teachings accessible to a larger
audience, it also meant that the German ideas were sometimes diluted or
misunderstood, as many students were more familiar with their native languages
like Cebuano.

The Role of Leyte in Psychological Development:

While Cebu was a significant center for psychology, Leyte also emerged as an
important region for the discipline, particularly with Tacloban becoming a hub for
psychological activity. Here are some key developments in Leyte:

 Divine Word University (DWU) and Samar-Leyte Studies: Located

in Leyte, Divine Word University became a key institution for psychology in the
region. The Pambansang Samahan sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino (PSSP), or National
Association for Filipino Psychology, held its first regional conference in Leyte,
where a landmark book titled "Filipino Religious Psychology" was published. This
book represented a significant effort to integrate Filipino cultural elements with
psychological theories, highlighting the growing interest in Filipino psychology.
 University of the Philippines (UP) at Tacloban: In 1981, the University of the
Philippines at Taclobanlaunched an undergraduate psychology program
under Daisy Soledad. Soledad had completed her PhD dissertation on
the Philippine Thematic Apperception Test (PTAT) at UP Diliman, and her work
contributed to the growing body of research on Filipino psychological
assessments.
 Regional Conferences and Publishing Efforts: The psychological conferences
and the publication of books like "Filipino Religious Psychology" contributed to
the growth of a distinct Filipino psychological tradition that blended Western
psychology with local cultural contexts.

The Spanish Hold in Espafia and Intramuros, Manila

 PhD Program and Faculty Pioneers: UST initiated the PhD-level

psychology program in the Philippines, becoming the first institution to offer
advanced training in the field. The university overcame staffing challenges and
 became a central source of psychology-trained instructors for schools across the
country. Notable early faculty members included:
o Jose A. Samson: The first Filipino with a PhD in psychology, who played
a key role in clinical psychology at UST.
o Emmanuel Vit Samson: A doctor of medicine, who chaired the
department from 1954 to 1972 and is remembered for his long career and
contributions.
o Angel de Blas: A Spanish Dominican priest and philosopher, who
founded the UST Experimental Psychology Laboratory in 1938, which
became a training ground for students and produced instructional
materials like workbooks and manuals.

Medical and Physiological Orientation:

 Under the leadership of figures like Fr. Blas and Jose A. Samson, the department
maintained a medical and physiological orientation to psychology. The
department was known for its clinical focus, which helped shape the psychology
curriculum at UST.

Cultural and Local Adaptation (Sikolohiyang Pilipino):

 The UST's attitude towards indigenization (or developing psychology within the
context of Filipino culture) was cautious. Early on, some faculty members
expressed concern about localizing psychology, preferring to use
established foreign tests like the Rorschach and MMPI rather than create local
assessments, which they felt could lack validity. Dr. Jose A. Samson even
criticized the push for local tests, favoring reliable foreign ones instead.
 Filipino Psychology in Curriculum: Despite the cautious stance, in 1987, UST
took a significant step by integrating a subject on Filipino Psychology into its
undergraduate psychology curriculum, under the leadership of Dolores de Leon.
This move reflected a growing recognition of the importance of understanding the
Filipino cultural context in psychology, especially through clinical practice.

Legacy and Continued Influence:

 UST's long history of training psychologists has not only contributed to the
development of clinical psychology in the country but also paved the way for
incorporating local cultural perspectives into the discipline. The university’s
development of Filipino Psychology can be seen as part of a broader shift
towards recognizing the unique psychological experiences of Filipinos.

Dominican Influence:

 The Dominican Order played a significant role in the establishment of both UST
and Colegio de San Juan de Letran, where psychology was taught in Spanish up
until the mid-1970s. The Dominicans also influenced the approach to psychology,
 prioritizing Catholic values and viewing psychology through a religious lens. This
continued through the post-Marcos era, where religious authority was
emphasized in educational settings, occasionally leading to tension with secular
institutions.

The Belgian Connection in the Cordilleras

The Development of Psychology at St. Louis University (SLU):

 Establishment of Psychology Program (1967): SLU, a major institution in

the Northern Philippines, began offering psychology as a major undergraduate
field of study in 1967, under the leadership of Fr. Evarist Verlinden, a Belgian
missionary priest with a graduate degree in psychology.
 Scientific and Catholic Influence: The program was shaped by a scientific
attitude and Catholic faith, combining academic rigor with community service.
The Psychology Laboratory at SLU was equipped with a tachistoscope, an
apparatus crafted from old camera parts but functional enough for psychological
research.
 Community Psychology Focus: The department not only emphasized
theoretical knowledge but also provided students with direct experience in
applied psychology through an active community service program, engaging with
local communities.

Challenges and Financial Constraints:

 Lack of Local Faculty: Due to financial limitations, SLU struggled to hire

qualified local faculty with an MA in psychology from Ateneo de Manila.
Consequently, Belgian missionary professors with PhDs were invited as guest
professors. This led to a situation where foreign faculty outnumbered local
faculty in the university's MS psychology program.
 Filipino Psychology and Cultural Context: The university's psychology
program conceptualized Filipino psychology in the broader Philippine
context rather than specifically for the Cordillera peoples. The course Psychology
228 Filipino Psychology aimed to explore psychological constructs such as self-
concept, learning pro-social behaviors, and communication, grounded
in Philippine culture, values, and socialization patterns.

Political and Social Context in the Cordilleras:

 The political climate in the Cordilleras during the time, particularly the autonomy
movements among the indigenous peoples. Macli-ing Dulag, a leader of
the Kalinga, Apayao, and Bontoc tribes, was killed in 1980 for his resistance
against the Chico River Dam construction, symbolizing the broader struggle for
indigenous rights in the region.
 The "barefoot psychologist" concept was introduced in the context of community
psychology, emphasizing fieldwork and direct engagement with local
 communities. Students from lowland universities visited the Cordillera mountains
to apply psychological and anthropological methods in these remote areas,
learning from the struggles and resilience of indigenous peoples.

American Legacy at Diliman and Manila’s University Belt

Key Developments and Figures:

 Alfredo V. Lagmay:
o A philosophy graduate from UP Diliman, Lagmay was sent to the United
States for a fellowship with the goal of weakening the University of the
Philippines (UP) Department of Philosophy, which was under the influence
of the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action (UPSCA).
o Lagmay earned a PhD in psychology from Harvard, training under B.F.
Skinner in experimental psychology.
o Upon returning in 1955, he moved the UP Department of Psychology from
the College of Education to the College of Liberal Arts, refocusing the
program towards scientific psychology.
o Despite pushing for a behavioral approach, particularly
Skinnerian behavior analysis, it did not become widespread in the
Philippines. However, he was known as a "Skinnerian" in the field.
o His students included notable figures such as Abraham Felipe, Angeline
Ramirez, and Robert Lawless.
 Jaime Bulatao:
o A clinical psychologist and Jesuit priest, Bulatao returned from Fordham
University in 1961 to establish the Ateneo de Manila’s psychology
department.
o He faced strong opposition from his dean to teaching Freudian
psychology, but succeeded in integrating Freud’s ideas with the local
culture, making them more acceptable by removing the emphasis on sex.
o Bulatao also worked to ensure the department’s survival by
emphasizing industrial psychology for business and industry support, even
though clinical psychology was the department’s core passion.
o His work also focused on integrating clinical psychology with the local
spiritual beliefs, appreciating local healers like the albularyo and framing
their practices through concepts like hypnotherapy and altered states of
consciousness.

Challenges and Issues in Philippine Psychology:

 American Influence and Limitations:

o The field of psychology in the Philippines was heavily influenced
by American theories and practices, often sidelining non-American
contributions, especially from other English-speaking countries.
 o The dominance of American psychological models in local research and
academic circles limited the development of an independent Filipino
approach to psychology.
o The economic and political barriers under the Marcos regime, such as exit
permits preventing students from studying in certain countries, also
hindered the diversification of psychological training and research.
 Economic and Cultural Divide:
o The economic segregation in the Philippines created a significant cultural
divide between the elite and masses. This divide extended to psychology
education, with wealthier students attending elite schools
like Ateneo and De La Salle, while working-class students attended
schools like Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU).
o Language became a significant marker of class, with English being
associated with the elite and Filipinowith the working class. This distinction
influenced psychology training, as many universities preferred English-
language curricula, leaving a gap in psychological research that
incorporates local languages.
 Cultural Context in Psychology:
o Filipino psychology faced challenges in language development and in
adapting psychological concepts to the local context. The use of Filipino in
psychology was promoted by figures like Paz Policarpio-
Mendezand Gonzalo del Rosario, but the movement faced challenges
from the fast pace of technological development and the necessity of
using English for academic and professional communication.

Notable Contributions and Publications:

 Paz Policarpio-Mendez was instrumental in creating PhD-level psychology

courses at Centro Escolar University, including ones focused on the Filipino
Personality and Contemporary Sources of Philippine Psychology.
 Centro Escolar University published Panimulang Sikolohia in 1983, the first
psychology textbook incorporating Filipino research and written in Filipino. This
marked a significant step in the development of psychology that
reflects Philippine cultural contexts.