CHAPTER 4: THE POLITICAL SELF

Introduction
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any
other public official.” -Theodore Roosevelt
As Filipinos, our loyalty must be first and foremost to the Philippines. Everything that
we do, may directly or indirectly affect our respective communities. Politics is an unseen
force in all of our affairs. It may be considered an infamous term for many, but everyone has
a political self because everyone has a nationality and a country to belong to. We are not
created for isolation and we are called to live productive lives that will benefit the greater
good. Mainly, the discussion will center on the significance of political engagement, the
Philippine democratic and political culture, and the role of your political self in affecting the
change that you wish to see in your community.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the chapter, you will be able to:

 Discuss the essence of the political self;
 Express position on key political issues and the present democratic system; and
 Propose ways to encourage responsible voter participation.

Lesson 1: The Role of Politics

How would you describe your attitude towards politics? Would you say that you have
high hopes in our political systems? Or is it the other way around? Even if you are not a
Political Science major, the discussion on politics is inevitable. So why should you be
interested in politics and governance? Here are the reasons given by Davis (2018):
1. Government and politics impact nearly every aspect of our lives.
2. Having knowledge of politics help make you an informed voter.
3. Politics empowers you to know your rights.
These are only few of the many reasons why we should not neglect the political self.
Even if many people have the tendency to shy away from this topic or to overly engage
without having the correct and enough information—we must have the courage to search for
and proclaim the truth.

Lesson 2: Seeking the Filipino Identity

What does it mean to be a Filipino citizen?
According to the 1987 Philippine constitution, Article IV, Section 1, these are the
citizens of the Philippines:
1. Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption of this
Constitution;
2. Those whose fathers and mothers are citizens of the Philippines;
3. Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippine
citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
4. Those who are naturalized in accordance of law.
Such identification as enshrined in the constitution is very helpful but the challenge is
how far and up to what extent do we feel this citizenship? What other factors affect our
sense of identity as Filipinos? Do you think that Filipinos have a strong sense of
Nationalism?

Lesson 3: Democracy – From Theirs to Ours

The inception of democracy was handed down to us by the Americans and we have
been taught to pattern ourselves according to their brand of government. The idea of
democracy did not emerge from our identity but it was forced on us and rigidly shaped us
and our identity according to the definition given by our colonizers, most especially the
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United States. This is not really a good start because we have a kind of political system that
did not grow from the political will of the ordinary people. A true democracy is the rule is
coming from the people, but if the people do not understand it – how can they say that they
are the ones who rule? The problem lies now in the lack of identity between the democratic
beliefs and practices of the Filipinos.
At present, we have been making a movement towards a grassroot concept of
democracy. But this will only be possible if the masses of poor people and uneducated will
find their voice.

3.1. Perception of a Filipino’s Role in a Democratic Setting

The Democracy Agenda Project defined democracy as ―a process, fundamentally, a
way of life, a means of relating with other individuals, groups, and the state, and a collective
process of decision-making in order to attain political liberty, social justice, and equity‖
(Diokno, 1997). From this, we can see that participative democracy was the preferred choice
of democracy over the elite democracy. It entails a more active role in the political decision
making. An example of this would be participation during elections. According to Zialcita
(1997), effective citizenship is one where people know that they can build things, ―people
who come up with ideas and resources; people who are bold; people who are accountable.‖
Another finding of the project was the consensus regarding redistributive democracy.
There is a clamor to have a better redistribution of resources and capabilities, particularly
land, income, and wealth. As long as the presence of the wide economic gap between
people in one republic is present, then the practice of democracy will be difficult and rights
would be more prone to abuse by those who have so much more in terms of the economic
value.
According to Article II, Section 5 of the 1987 Constitution, three things should be
provided by the government before we can enjoy democracy (1) maintenance of peace and
order, (2) protection of life, liberty, and property, and (3) promotion of general welfare. If we
cannot have these three, then we will not be able to reach our full potential and make a clear
definition of our political self. A major part of such a fulfillment is a general consensus among
Filipinos that first, we should be able to participate and be heard in the political process. Our
needs and sentiments through our individual voices or through our elected representatives
should be manifested in the government‘s decision making. Second, there must be
consistency in the principles and policies declared in the constitution and how Filipinos live
their lives. Additionally, there are general agreements on our duties like standing when the
national anthem is being played, awareness of community affairs, and payment of taxes.

Lesson 4: Political culture

Political culture refers to the socially created aspects involving the production,
allocation, and use of decision-making powers among large groups of individuals (Montiel,
2002). It involves both subjective or mental elements (i.e., thoughts and feelings) and
objective aspects or concrete construction (i.e., material symbols, artifacts, and group-
related practices).
An example of a subjective component of Filipino culture that is activated during
political exercises is when volunteer campaigners carry a widely accepted belief that those
who help in a candidate‘s campaign get rewarded with a job and/or government contracts if
the candidate wins. On the other hand, an example of an objective component of Filipino
political culture would be the practice of local leaders in asking politicians to act as godfather
(ninong) at the wedding of their children. What does this political practice really symbolize?
The local leader‘s family can expect to be given job opportunities and other special politico-
economic favors by this powerful politician. In turn, the politician can expect the leader‘s
family to help out during the campaign period (Hollsteiner, 1963). Political culture is also

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structure-embedded such that political cultures may differ among those who hold power and
those who are marginalized in society (Montiel, 2002).

4.1. Political and social participation of the Filipinos

Using data from the 2001 National Survey on Filipino Citizenship, Sucgang (2006)
sought to determine the types of political participation among Filipinos. Two types of political
involvement surfaced, namely, political participation as proactive engagement in the public
arena (e.g., running for office, joining political rallies, and street demonstrations) and political
participation as public problem solving (e.g., contacting local and national officials on
problems, community organizing). Other forms of political participation Filipinos engaged in
were also identified, such as volunteering in radio and television shows, discussing and
injecting humor into political issues, and offering prayers with political intentions.
Are you a member of a civic organization like many of the Filipino youth? According
to Yacat (2006), many of these youth organizations are community-based with advocacy as
an important activity (e.g., teenage pregnancy, drug abuse). The youth engage in projects
such as cleanliness campaigns, sportsfests, and other types of competitions (e.g., dance
contest or Battle of the Bands).

4.2. Personality and Leadership

In general, Filipino voters prefer a leader with the following personality traits: morally
upright (marangal), God-fearing, loyal, responsible, intelligent, principled, and trustworthy
(IPC, 2005).
Montiel‘s 1986 study of nontraditional political leadership showed that Filipinos
preferred politicians who were democratic, kept promises, held consistently political views,
were for the masses, did not cheat or lie, and were not sexist.
Macapagal (2013), on the other hand, found that urban poor voters use several
candidate-related variables, such as background, sociopolitical status, promises, popularity,
and behavior in evaluating political candidates.
Carroll (1994) likewise revealed that regardless of socioeconomic status, Filipinos
tend to vote on the basis of personality and not on issues. They tend to decide early on who
to vote for even without knowing the candidates‘ platform.
Lande (1996) noted that voters tend to vote for candidates who are similar to them in
terms of province and language. This shows the importance of having shared identities with
voters and candidates. This is known as identity politics, the formation of political allegiances
on the basis of some demographic similarity, such as sex, race, and religion (Plutzer & Zipp,
1996).

Lesson 5: Developing a Democratic Culture

How can we promote the growth of the culture of democracy? As suggested by
Zialcita (1997), the following values are necessary to establish a democratic culture:
1. Respect for and affirmation of the individual. This entails recognizing that every
individual has basic and constitutional rights. But we always have to remember that
one‘s rights end where another person‘s rights begin.
2. Recognition of the innate dignity of all human beings. Article I of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights states: ―All human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights.‖ Simply by being human, all people deserve respect (Catholic
Social [Link]).
3. Concern for the common good. In ordinary political discourse, the ―common good‖
refers to those facilities—whether material, cultural or institutional—that the members
of a community provide to all of its members for common interests.
4. Willingness to listen to others. If we respect the individual, recognize their dignity
and their freedom of expression—then we will be giving time to listen to one another.

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 All these imply the need for us to help the anonymous stranger, that is—more than
our individual families—we should also be involved in caring for our nation. Going beyond
ourselves to serve the public good should be a major part of our Political Identity, an identity
closely tied to being a Filipino citizen in heart and mind.

Assessment

I. Answer the following questions briefly. Limit your answers to 10 sentences per
question. Write you answers in ½ sheet yellow paper.
1. As a Filipino, what is the biggest, most important political issue for you? How will
you attempt to address this issue as an undergraduate student?
2. What is your stand on the current democratic system here in the Philippines? Are
we experiencing too little or too much democracy?

II. Create a 2 to 3-minute TEDtalk style video reflecting your views on the upcoming
2022 elections specifically answering the question: how can you influence others to
remain vigilant and critical during the campaign period, and not sell their votes? Post
your video in your personal Facebook account and use the hashtags
#UnderstandingTheSelf #PoliticalSelf #Halalan2022

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