REVIEW: "Elements of Filipino Philosophy" by Leonardo N. Mercado, SVD

Is there a Filipino philosophy?

  This has been the question Fr. Leonardo Merado, SVD contemplated in his journey throughout his philosophical mien. In his search for a Filipino philosophy, language became the basis for the existence for such discipline.

    Using the findings of linguistic philosophy, Fr. Mercado embarked on a journey of understanding the Philippine languages in rationalizing the meaning of being Filipino. Using the findings of the Western philosophers on the importance of language in expressing philosophical depth, he explored the thoughts of Merleau - Ponty, Wittgenstein, Wilhelm Von Humboldt and Heidegger.

  With these philosophers expounding on the possibility of philosophy through a linguistic perspective, the author made a distinction of the wholeness of philosophy by centering the Filipino as a man, the Filipino in relation to the World of Things, the Filipino and the other world. The Filipino as man tackles the Filipino as an individual. Filipino and the World of Things focuses on the relationship of man with the cosmos. on the other hand, the Filipino and the other world focuses on the relationship of the Filipino with the Divine.

    In a chapter dedicated in exploring the Filipino as a man, he focused on the nature of the loob. However, this concept of loob is a Tagalog conception. To include the other languages in the Philippines, the author included buot, a Visayan word for loob and nakem, an Ilocano version of the same word. After creating a table of specified meanings for loob, the author underscored the holistic nature of the Filipino which is different from the mindset of a Western individual used to compartmentalizing knowledge. More than this, the body is not a dualistic concept for the Filipino since the loob is connected with emotions.

      Continuing with the identity of the Filipino, the author used metalinguistic analysis to understand the nature of the Filipino as a thinker. With the results garnered on the analysis of language, the author explained philosophically the mindset of the Filipinos as intuitive through the use of symbols and the inductive nature of processing in Filipinos.

        Continuing with the nature of the Filipino as a social being, the behavior of the Filipino is anchored on the family ties. In this tie, the term sakop becomes important. Sakop connotes a behavior seeking personal alliance differentiated from the family ties that a person makes. Examples of this term are the gangs in Manila. Another specific social norm for the Filipino is to contact an intermediary person to gain an upper hand in the transactions done whether personal or not.

       Continuing with the work of the author, the Filipino and his/her relation with the world of things was explored. One important aspect of the concept is the philosophy of time through a linguistic analysis. This concept of time is deemed more dominant in rural areas which follows a cosmic cycle  rather than the urbanized set up of cities of the Philippines which follows a highly Westernized progression of time. Another important concept in Filipino philosophy is the concept of space which is non-dualistic since the Filipino measures space (like time) through his/her existence. For the concept of causality, the Filipino shares the same view with his/her Asian neighbors like China and India by which the harmony with nature is fostered.

    Concerning the Filipino and the Other World, the author emphasized the profane and the sacred for the Filipino. The existence of folk Catholicism in the Philippines is an interesting event for the author. A good example is the panata of many Filipinos for a wish being asked or for a gratitude on a granted wish. Adding on this is the everyday fact of a living God for many Filipinos. In the act of creation, the presence of a God is already a presupposition.

     Concluding the book, the author agreed with Merleau - Ponty regarding the inter-subjectivity of perception and truth. Technically, the Filipinos have a different set of values compared to the Western people since the culture of the Filipino is different from them. On the other hand, the book simply posits "elements". It is just the tip of the iceberg. A lot can still be covered on the tracks the author provided for his countrymen to look upon.

REVIEW: "Philosophy of Education: A Filipino Perspective" by Leonardo Estioko, SVD

  The crucial point of identity is a knowledge of the self. Once we have a knowledge of the self, we start to acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses. This is also the same with the work of Leonardo Estioko, SVD. Education for the Filipino should understand the Filipino perspective.

     For the author, the primary goal of a Filipino philosophy of education is to address the ills of the present Philippine Education system. However the search for the authentic Filipino is construed by the bureaucratic temperament affecting the realistic display of knowledge. Once the identity is established, the ideal is now sought. The whole hierarchy of the educational system is analysed. From the compulsory education up to general education and specializations, the Filipino must find the ideal in the world. Once the ideal is established, freedom is now recognized. The freedom to learn should be inculcated in children and not to impose them. The freedom to learn should be inculcated in children to elicit the natural learning which stems from home and the self.

    From the natural, we go to the economical. The nature of education as a right is slowly becoming a privilege in the world. Once capitalism enters the learning system, inequality is produced. Rather capitalism, patriotism should be the founding value of a learning system especially in the Philippines. Patriotism is unity in diversity as the book goes. Besides these, the harmony of religious and liberal education was explored by the author by which the two subjects can give a whole encounter of the person of Jesus Christ. In erecting democracy in education, a process should be established in the society. Once the process is ensured, the role of education as a liberating force begins.

     The book was a good introduction to the idea of a Filipino Education philosophy. Though the book is less than hundred pages, the density of the work in expressing short but solid ideas is remarkable. Recommending this book to philosophers of education is a must.