The Filipino Family & Filipino ValuesA Synthesis Paper on the Books by Dr. Belen T. G.

Medina
1
, PhD & Dr. FlorentinoT. Timbreza, PhD
2

I. According to Medina (2001), the family is a familiar topic but there is a need to
step back & study it in critical & scientific lenses as personal experiences alone could be
very limited & may not be representative of other families in the society.
From here on I will try to extrapolate the authors ideas
on this particular subject.
The family have certain characteristics:
As a social group, it is universal
. It is a significant element in mans social life. Nowadays,
changes in the family (e.g. from traditional structure to non-traditional structure as will
be discussed later) are happening brought about by the changing economic climate
& technological advancements but it has remained a basic institution in the society.

It is the first social group to which an individual is exposed. Family relationships last a
long time & an individuals earliest & longest experience in living takes place in a family
setting.

The family affects the individuals social values, disposition, & outlook in life. The
family is the source of the individuals ideals, aspirations, & basic motivations.

The family is said to be the link between an individual & the larger society. In this way
we can say that a persons interaction &/or attitude inside the family unit affects or is a
determinant in how that person interacts in the community that his family belongs.

Logically, from the assertion above, the family is understood to provide continuity of
social life. It is a major agent in the transmission of culture which also affects &/or
reflects the culture of the society.

To elaborate further, the individual, upon witnessing other people perform certain
behaviours to achieve certain goals can either copy or not the behavior. It is here that
the question of self-efficacy surfaces.
Adoption of a certain behavior depends upon the personal evaluation of a person
whether he thinks he can do it himself.
Second, the Environment which encompasses the physical & social spheres could
affect the decision of the individual to adapt certain behavior. If he sees that people
around his house, or at school disapprove the behavior it could be a determining factor
not to adapt the behavior he previously observed.
Last but not the least, the information gathered upon the environment based on
personal evaluation will then be leveled by the perceived or expected value of the
outcome when the behavior is thought to be adopted. If the individual finally sees &
weighs the importance of the outcome as very important (has higher incentives ) for
himself then he is likely to adapt the behavior previously observed.
Realization
The attitude of the Filipino child therefore is justifiably seen as the sum of what he
experiences/observes at home.
E.

Kin Group Size

The kinship system among Filipinos is an important concern & is somehow related to
the natural tendencies of Filipinos toward extended family. This establishes the family in
the society. To add, this system does not limit to the blood relatives including: kinship
created by binyag (Baptism) & marriage(as with the compadrazgo system or commonly
known as the comadre-compadre system). By thisstandard we can see that family
size is thus very large among Filipinos.
F. Family Structures of Today
Because of the economic situation & technological advancement, interaction in
the family is changing.There is a trend to nuclearization as families are being drawn to
urbanized areas to work. Parents who go abroad to find greener pastures so to speak
leave behind their children to other relatives thus shifting the authority to them which
also affects how the child interacts to the society.

The decision maker which is traditionally held by the eldest male in the family is slowly
fading as there is tendency for the breadwinner (most likely the working member or
highest earner in the family) to assume this role though respect is still accorded to the
eldest still. Female headship has become an urban phenomenon because it is in the
urban center where employment opportunities for women are more available (Medina,
2001).
Urbanization not only changed family dynamics but also weakened family ties & also the
ties between the individual & the larger kin group. Solo parents are also proliferating
nowadays.
The types are:
1) Widow or widower & his/her offspring
2) Single man/woman with adopted child/children
3) Separated parent & his/her children
4)Unwed woman & her child/children
5)Mistress & her child/children by a married man
IV. Conclusion
Change is constant & the basic unit of society- the family- is not immune to it. It is
composed of human beings & human beings naturally adapt to the environment to
survive. The environment is continually changing prompting people to change their
interaction with it & one another also. To this, we are challenged as Filipinos to see if the
changes we welcome in our homes are actually working to our advantages- do these
promote better relationships & worthwhile companionship among family members &
among families in the society? Everything has a consequence. Although many forces
outside the family are affecting it, it has still for the most part remained as it is among
Filipinos- the most important area to be successful. Ties or solidarity with each other are
very much seen during calamities & problems.

Bayanihan (helping each other in the community like in the transferring of homes)
although is slowly fading in general, we can still observe concern during times of illness
or celebration during times of triumph among Filipino families.

Bibliography
1
Medina, T. G. (2001).
The filipino family
(2
nd
ed.). Philippines: University of the Philippines Press.
2
Timbreza, Florentino T. (2003).
Filipino values today: a primer for values education
. Philippines: NavotasPress.
3
DeYOUNG, S. (2003).
Teaching strategies for nurse educators
(low price edition). Philippines: PearsonEducation, Prentice Hall. Pages 6769Substantial Web
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om/browse/authority http://www.mockingbirdsociety.org/the-mockingbird-family-model/ h
ttp://www.philippines-virtual-guide.com/filipino-family-values/ http://www.southalabama.
edu/oll/mobile/theory_workbook/social_learning_theory.htm