Mulzac: Cultural Dynamics and the Church in the Philippines Cultural Dynamics and the Church in the Philippines The. overwhelming. Christian. majority. makes. the. Philippines. By.Kenneth.D..Mulzac the.only.country.that.is.predomi- nantly.Christian.in.Asia..Chris- tian behavior, however, is influ- enced.not.only.by.the.convictions. The. Philippines. consist. of. of.the.respective.faith.communi- 7,250.islands..About.700.of.these. ties. but. also. by. certain. unique. are. populated. with. about. 89.5. values. held. in. common. by. the. million. people,. at. an. average. Filipino.people..In.order.to.un- population. growth. rate. of. 1.8%.. derstand.the.Filipino.Christian,. These.citizens.represent.a.unique. these. values. must. be. acknowl- blend. of. diversity. (in. languages,. edged. and. appreciated. (Jocano. ethnicity,. and. cultures). and. ho- 1966b).. This. is. especially. true. mogeneity..Despite.this.diversity,. as. has. been. noted. by. one. Fili- one.common.element.that.charac- pino.thinker,.who.believes.that. terizes.Filipinos.is.a.deep.abiding. we.must.“know.the.sociological. interest.in.religion.that.permeates. and. psychological. traits. and. all. strata. of. society:. Christian- values. that. govern. Filipino. life.. ity.92.5%,.(comprised.of.Roman. Together,.these.traits.and.values. Catholics. 80.9%,. Evangelicals. contribute.to.the.development.of. 2.8%,. Iglesia. ni. Cristo. [Church. the.typical.Filipino.personality”. of.Christ].2.3%,.Philippine.Inde- (Castillo.1982:106,.107). pendent. or. Aglipayan. 2%,. other. Since. I. came. from. the. USA,. Christians.4.5%,);.Islam.5%;.other. a. highly. individualistic. society,. 1.8%;. unspecified. 0.6%;. none. I.wanted.to.understand.at.least. 0.1%.(World Factbook.2006).. some.of.those.values.that.affect. Kenneth D. Mul- behavior.among.people.in.a.col- zac is an Associ- lectivistic. society,. such. as. the. ate Professor of Philippines,. where. the. empha- Christian Ministry sis.is.not.so.much.on. personal. at Andrews Uni- traits. but. more. on. contextual. versity. He previ- factors..Therefore,.the.purposes. ously worked as of. this. investigation. are:. (1). to. a missionary in the Philippines. introduce. a. few. select. Filipino. cultural.values.and.traits.in.or- Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2007 1 Journal of Adventist Mission Studies Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, Vol. 3 [2007], No. 2, Art. 9 der.to.facilitate.Filipino.non-Fili- utang na loob.(debt.of.the.heart,. pino.intercultural.relations.and. debt.of.gratitude),.hiya (shame),. avoid.“a.clash.of.cultural.values”. pakikisama.(relationships),.and. (Williams. 1994:3).. Such. cross- paniniwala sa mga espiritu.(be- cultural conflicts may be pre- lief.in.the.spirit.world).(Church. cluded.when.“developing.cultural. and.Katigbak.2000:75)..No.par- awareness.by.acquiring.a.broad. ticular.preference.or.philosophy. knowledge.of.values.and.beliefs.of. governs. the. choice. or. order. of. other.cultures”.(Glaser)..(2).Since. these. four. values.. They. simply. the. “Church. has. helped. in. the. function. as. an. introductory. maturation.of.traditional.Filipino. sampling.to.help.outsiders.gain. values.and.in.the.integration.of. an.understanding.of.such.an.in- faith.and.culture”.(Quisumbling. triguing.and.interesting.cultural. 1987:216),.this.article.also.sug- environment..Since.Filipinos.use. gests.some.proposals.on.how.the. these.“to.describe,.evaluate.and. church. may. interface. with. the. understand.others.and.their.be- Filipino.culture.. havior”.(87).Christian.witnesses. Since.the.above. issues. have. must.respectfully.pay.attention.. not.largely.been.applied.to.mis- Each. of. the. four. values. will. be. sion,.this.becomes.a.necessary. described.and.then.a.Christian. Mission must be aware of the cul- tural assumptions and characteristics of people. task..Further,.I.discovered.that. response. will. be. given.. An. Ad- this is a wide field, and though ventist. perspective. rounds. out. well.documented,.the.pieces.are. the.discussion. somewhat.scattered..This.inves- tigation. brings. together. several. Utang na Loob concepts.from.the.wider.body.of. Authority figures in the Phil- knowledge..Hence,.my.observa- ippines.enjoy.great.respect.and. tions.are.made.in.dialogue.with.a. adulation..An.American.teacher. rich.supply.of.sources.written.by. had. befriended. a. Filipina. and. both.Filipinos.and.non-Filipinos.. apparently,. the. bond. was. per- Overall,.my.intent.is.to.indicate. ceived. by. the. latter. to. be. that. that. mission. must. be. aware. of. of. a. mother-daughter. relation- the. cultural. assumptions. and. ship..As.a.matter.of.course,.she. characteristics.of.people,.in.this. started.calling.the.senior.“mom.”. case,.Filipinos. Although. the. American. “mom”. In light of this, four signifi- was. not. comfortable. with. this,. cant.Filipino.values.are.studied:. she. extended. herself. by. giving. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/jams/vol3/iss2/9 2 Journal of Adventist Mission Studies 2/2007 Mulzac: Cultural Dynamics and the Church in the Philippines gifts,.paying.tuition,.and.so.forth.. qualifies the debt. For example, “Mom”.soon.felt.that.the.situation. being.a.parent,.saving.one’s.life,. was.getting.out.of.hand,.because. “pulling.strings”.for.someone.to. she.felt.that.the.younger.woman. get.a.job,.or.paying.for.a.person’s. was.invading.her.privacy.by.con- education.are.far.more.valuable. stantly.trying.to.be.with.her.and. than. paying. the. fare. for. the. bombarding.her.with.small.gifts. jeepney..Some.things.can.incur.a. and.tokens,.as.well.as.unsolic- sense.of.life-long.indebtedness.. ited.acts.of.service..She.wanted. Leonardo. N.. Mercado. trans- to.be.just.a.teacher,.nothing.else.. lates.the.concept.as.follows,.“A. The. Filipina,. however,. felt. that. debt. of. volition. no. matter. how. she.was.showing.gratitude.by.her. small. remains. a. debt. even. if. gifts.and.gestures.of.deference.. repaid.. It. is. an. expression. of. This. sense. of. obligation. where. humaneness. and. right. senti- people.feel.that.they.owe.others. ment,.and.no.amount.of.money. but.can.never.completely.repay. can.ever.fully.repay.it”.(Mercado. them.but.“which.they.would.ac- 1975:116).. Local. proverbs. em- knowledge. through. constantly. brace.the.idea.succinctly,.“There. repeated.little.acts.of.deference”. is. no. measure. to. repayment. in. (Cannell 1999:104) reflectsutang kind.”.Again,.“Financial.indebt- na loob. edness.is.easily.paid.but.not.a. This.concept.is.derived.from. debt. of. kindness.”. One. social. two.Tagalog.words:.utang.(“debt”). observer.contends.that.any.gift. and. loob. (“inside”).. It. literally. or.service,.whether.offered.by.a. means. “debt. in. the. inside.”. In. friend. or. stranger,. if. accepted,. a. meaningful. way,. it. speaks. places.the.recipient.in.the.posi- about.a.sense.of.being.obligated. tion.of.returning.a.debt.of.grati- to.a.benefactor,.owing.a.“debt.of. tude. equal. to,. or. superseding,. gratitude”.(Kaut.1961:257-272). that.which.s/he.received..Hence,. but. even. this. “fails. to. impart. “For.every.free.service.received,. the. feeling. and. commitment. whether.requested.or.not,.the.re- that. a. Filipino. with. his. deep. cipient.contracts.a.debt.of.honor. colonial,. feudal. and. religious. towards. his. benefactor”. (Eggan. background. puts. into. exercise. 1971:15)..It.must.be.understood. of.such.value”.(Andes.and.Ilado- that.“the.benefactor.does.not.set. Andes.1986:32)..This.is.part.of. any.conditions,.or.ask.for.an.ex- the.very.psyche.of.every.Filipino.. pression.of.gratitude..All.depends. It.is.an.interior.law.that.consti- on.the.inventive.generosity.of.the. tutes.“the.most.authentic.self.of. recipients,. a. generosity. which. the.Filipino;.that.is.what.he.is.in. can.last.for.a.lifetime”.(Mercado. his.innermost.reality”.(de.Mesa. 1975:117).. 1988:24)..As.such,.it.dictates.the. Utang na loob.is.closely.related. behavior.of.a.recipient.to.a.gen- to.the.strong.family.ties.that.are. erous.benefactor..Of.course,.the. part.and.parcel.of.the.Philippine. value.placed.on.the.gift.or.deed. cultural. context.. Indeed,. this. is. Published by Digital Commons @ Andrews University, 2007 3 0 Journal of Adventist Mission Studies Journal of Adventist Mission Studies, Vol. 3 [2007], No. 2, Art. 9 an.essential.component.of.the.col- In.the.context.of.the.church. lectivistic.construct..The.family.is. three.observations.may.be.made. central.and.quite.extensive,.reach- concerning.utang na loob,.one.of. ing.back.several.generations..The. the most significant moral values history.and.traditions,.ethics.and. that.undergirds.Filipino.society. ideals,. morals. and. principles. of. (Enriquez. 1980:8).. First,. this. the. extended. family. help. shape. value. can. be. easily. misplaced,. the.individual..This.has.prompted. exaggerated,.or.exploited..Hence,. Theodore.Gochenour,.former.di- one.has.to.be.careful.in.the.dis- rector.of.Southeast.Asian.Refugee. pensing.of.services.and.gifts.so. Center.in.Bataan,.Philippines,.to. as.not.to.have.people.in.a.state. comment,.“No.other.single.aspect. of.constant.indebtedness..There- of.life.is.likely.to.be.as.important,. fore,. respect. for. the. individual,. lasting or influential on choices both. within. and. without. the. and.decisions.from.childhood.to. group confines, is of principal old. age”. (1990:18).. In. fact,. the. worth.. Each. person. must. be. Utang na loob is closely related to the strong family ties that are part and parcel of the Philippine cultural context. family.concept.is.so.deeply.rooted. seen.and.treated.as.the.creation. in.the.Philippine.cultural.milieu. of.God,.made.in.his.image.and. that.nothing.is.as.important.to.a. likeness.(Gen.1:27).1. Filipino.citizen.as.family..A.Fili- Second,.if.care.is.not.exercised. pino “exists first and foremost as then.utang na loob.can.lead.to.an. a.member.of.a.family.and.looks. abuse.of.authority.by.the.power. to.the.family.as.the.only.reliable. holders.who.can.foster.an.oppres- protection.against.the.uncertain- sive. patron-client. atmosphere.. ties.of.life”.(18)..Chan.rightfully. Christians,. regardless. of. their. summarizes.the.effect.and.extent.