INVOCATION
O Lord, open our hearts to respect and uplift the dignity of every person. Open
our eyes to see the injustices within the church and our society. Open our ears to listen
and learn from the experiences of people of color. Open our mouths to speak out against
prejudice and injustice. We commit ourselves to work for justice, peace, and to pursue a
deeper relationship to you, Lord, so that we can truly be the body of Christ on earth, your
church for the sake of the world
Help us develop a new understanding of sharing of our whole self to others. In
which those who have been marginalized by reasons of gender, age, economic and
political conditions, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic origin and disability take their
place at the center of all decisions and actions as equal partners. Help us to be open to
one another, as friends on the basis of common commitment, mutual trust, confession,
and forgiveness. This is our prayer, for the glory of your name and the good of all people
and creation.
AMEN.
DEDICATION
This work and hardship is dedicated
To my Family, Friends and, especially to Maeka and,
To all other people who wants to strengthen or value their relationship with their
Kapwa…
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This thesis would have never come to a philosophical research paper without the
philosophical idea of Martin Buber, who shared with us the ‘I and Thou’ relationship. I
would also like to acknowledge the advice and support provided by the faculty and staff
at the Department of Undergraduate of AB Philosophy of the Saint Anthony Mary Claret
College. These include Fr. Jonathan Bitoy (The Dean of the college), Ms. Lutgarda
Carlos (Vice-dean), and to all the Professors who taught and shared their ideas, and
learnings.
1. Claretian Family
I would like to thank the Claretian community who always supported and guided me
in my studies and in my vocation journey, especially to my benefactor who always
supported and helped me financially. Once again, thank you po for being generous and
supportive in my vocation journey.
2. To all my Professors/Teachers
I would like to thank all my professors and teachers who shared and offered their
ideas, thoughts and learnings. Which they are a part of my journey because they are the
ones who helped, and guided me, to understand the discussions and due to their presence
and guidance I learned how to be industrious in my study and work.
3. To all my friends, Batch mates, and Classmates
I would like to thank all of my friends who are always there at my side to comfort,
motivate, and support me in my journey in life. Again, thank you for your love,
happiness, generosity, time, advices, and sacrifices, which all your presence helped me to
be enlighten, and find out of my existence.
Special Thanks To:
1. To my Adviser (Fr. Gilbert Quenceanos. CMF)
I would like to thank my adviser for checking, or examining my research paper.
Thanks to him that he helped me to formulate, and organize my ideas in my research
paper. He guided and helped me to be enlightened and further deepen my research study.
Again, thank you po for being generous, and supportive in my journey in life.
2. To my Mentor (Prof. Mike Lambino)
I would like to thank my generous professor in Research and Methodology for always
reminding me of our research paper, or thesis. Thank you for guiding me in my thesis
philosophical journey, which he always checked and helped me to understand deeply of
what we study and write of our thesis. Once again, thank you po for your generosity to
share your ideas and thoughts to us.
3. To my editor (Ms. Richele Maeka Allayssa Tagalog)
I would like to thank my editor for giving her time to edit my research paper. I
believed and trusted her in editing my work. Thanks to her, I was able to finish and
submit my research paper. She did not only edit my research paper, but also she gave me
the motivation and inspiration that I need in life, the one that woke me up and made me
work harder in my research paper.
You are the night of my life. When I am with you the stars in my life are shining so
bright. We dream, we laugh and we joke. I thought that I helped you to find yourself, but
it was you who help me to find my way back to my authentic self. You put together every
pieces of my heart, which you completed the puzzles of my life. Indeed, you are the
moon and I am the sun. We shine so brightly, beautifully, lightly, magnificently but
separately. God created you to be the light of the night and I am the light of the day. I
thank God because I found you. Thank you for letting me be a part of you. Let us shine
separately and differently but aesthetically.
And also I would like to acknowledge my second editor; Sem. Macky for helping me
to edit my research paper. Thanks to him for his time, support, and inspiration which
helps me to finish my thesis.
4. To my Formator (Fr. Ralden P. Mercadejas. CMF)
I would like to thank my dearest formator for guiding and supporting me in my
vocation journey. He always taught me to be a humble servant to others and thank you
for giving me motivations, inspirations, your time, advices and guidance, which it helped
me to be awaken or motivated in working and studying well.
5. To my Parents (Mama & Papa)
Finally and most importantly, I want to acknowledge the contributions of my parents,
Mr. Warlito A. Calatcat (Father), Mrs. Meriam A. Calatcat (Mother), who have over the
years been a crucial source of emotional support in my studies and much more
importantly, remained an enduring inspiration in my life. Thanks to them, I learned so
many things in life. One of that is to value the relationship with other people, one of
which is to respect and understand other people. Once again, thank you po mama and
papa for always giving me inspirations and motivations in my life by comforting me
when I have many struggles or problems in life.
6. To God
Lastly, the most important in life is to always thank God for his loving presence that
through him I learned how to love and trust everyone. Because of his presence I was able
to believe that there is hope in life, and so it helped me to activate my fighting spirit and
awaken me to work hard and study well in order to finish my thesis.
Before I work, read, or study, I usually pray by asking help and guidance of God, and
throughout my prayers it helped me to be enlightened more and to understand more
deeply my work or topic. Again, thank God for everything and blessing that he given to
me.
Maraming Salamat po sa inyong pagmamahal at mga panalangin.
Daghang Salamat Kapamilya...
-Calatcat, Christian Kent A.
THESIS ABSTRACT
In this research paper, the researcher will present a discussion about the Filipino
notion of Pakikipagkapwa-tao which will particularly also relate with the Claretian
missionaries in the Philippines with their relationship in their different mission
community area. However, in this Filipino notion of Pakikipagkapwa-tao it hopes that it
will be more enlighten and it will be more deeply understand through the philosophical
understanding/discourse of Martin Buber’s I-Thou relationship.
As a result the researcher finds it interesting to study, or to understand more of
how we relate with others, and live in harmonious relationship within the community. In
having relationship, one can find his/her true essence of being through the presence of
Thou, or others. And hopefully the researcher will find out the connection between the
Filipino notion of Pakikipagkapwa-tao, and the philosophical idea of Buber’s I-Thou
relationship.