REED 4 | Module 2: The Experience of Social Injustice Faith and Religiosity – Innate religiosity enables us to

comprehend and genuinely accept reality in the context

Introduction
of God's will and plan. Thus, tragedy and bad fortune are
In order to do God’s work and work towards accepted and some optimism characterizes even the
justice, there is a need to be immersed in and understand poorest lives.
the contemporary situation of the world through the
WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
natural and social sciences, as well as business and
economics, the humanities, and applied sciences.  Extreme Personalism – There is no separation
between an objective task and emotional
A Faith That is Both Personal and Social
involvement. This is manifested in the tendency
The Catholic Church wishes to respond to give personal interpretations to actions, i.e.,
adequately to the current situation, it needs to to "take things personally."
collaborate with other disciplines and organizations in  Extreme Family-Centeredness – Excessive
order to have a more complete understanding of how concern for the family creates an in-group to
the current situation operates, and how people interact which the Filipino is fiercely loyal, to the
with, are affected by, and contribute to this situation. detriment of concern for the larger community
or the common good.
The Social Aspect: The Filipino Culture, Civil Society, and
 Passivity and Lack of Initiative – Filipinos are
Social Institutions
generally passive and lacking in initiative. There
In 1987, a study was commissioned to articulate is a high tolerance for inefficiency, poor service,
the strengths and weaknesses of the Filipino character in and even violations of one's basic rights. In many
order to understand how to further develop Filipino ways, it can be said that the Filipino is too patient
society. and long-suffering (matiisin), easily oppressed
and exploited.
STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
 Colonial Mentality – Lack of patriotism or an
 Pakikipagkapwa-Tao (regard for others) – active awareness, appreciation, and love of the
manifested in a basic sense of justice and Philippines; an actual preference for things
fairness, and in concern for others and Filipino's foreign. Filipinos are extraordinarily susceptible
ability to empathize in times of need to the wholesome acceptance of modern
(pakikiramay), in the practice of bayanihan or Western mass culture.
mutual assistance, and in the famous Filipino  Kanya-Kanya Syndrome – Selfish, self-serving
hospitality. attitude that generates a feeling of envy and
 Family Orientation – genuine and deep love for competitiveness towards others, particularly
the family as their source of personal identity, one's peers, who seem to have gained some
emotional and material support, and the status or prestige.
person's main commitment and responsibility.  Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection –
 Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity – great Superficial and flighty. In the face of serious
capacity to adjust, and to adapt to circumstances problems both personal and social, there is lack
and to the surrounding environment, both of analysis or reflection. This is reinforced by an
physical and social. Filipinos are creative, educational system that is often more form than
resourceful, adept at learning, and able to substance and a legal system that tends to
improvise to create and produce. substitute law for reality.
 Hard work and Industry – desire to raise one's
standard of living and to possess the essentials
of a decent life for one's family, combined with
the right opportunities and incentives, stimulate
the Filipino to work very hard.
The Economic Aspect: Philippine Business and
Economics

Gross Domestic Product (GDP), has been consistently

exceeding 6% for nine consecutive quarters as of the
third quarter of 2017.

Trickle Down Economics – assumed that giving some

form of incentive, such as tax cuts, to the wealthy owners
of capital and businesses will stimulate business
investments and lead to more job opportunities or more
wages that will “trickle down” to the workers in the
businesses.

The Political Aspect: Governance

One of the common problems that has consistently been

raised in the country is the problem of corruption in the
government, both at the local and national levels.

Corruption – any form of abuse of power, and in

government, the ability to craft and policies and
procedures that will affect how resources are allocated
and how people behave, or to simply affect how such
policies and procedures are made through activities such
as bribery, vote buying or selling, misuse of public funds,
or extortion.

According to Transparency International, the Philippines

has a score of 34 out of 100 in 2017, wherein 0 means
highly corrupt, and 100 is very clean.

Rent-seeking behavior – uses resources to obtain some

form of economic gain, without necessarily giving some
form of value to society through wealth creation

Patronage politics – a collusion between public and

private entities wherein the public entity, such as the
local government, dispenses or gives out contracts,
enacts favorable policies, or gives other valued benefits
to private entities, in exchange for loyalty, votes, or
financial backing.

CONCLUSION

Catholicism explains further SIN not simply as

personal but also social. In the treatment of sin and evil,
people seek to identify a clear link between our actions
and the consequences in order to acknowledge one’s
role in the wrongdoing.