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.