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Business Ethics
and Social
Responsibility
Quarter 3 – Module 6
The Influence of Filipino Value
System to Business Practices
Business Ethics and Social Responsibility – Grade 12
Quarter 3 – Module 6: The Foundations of the Principles of Business Ethics
First Edition, 2020
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Business Ethics
and Social
Responsibility
Quarter 3 – Module 6
The Influence of Filipino Value
System to Business Practices
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on
how to use this module. You also need to keep track of the
learners' progress while allowing them to manage their own
learning at home. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage
and assist the learners as they do the tasks included in the
module.
For the learner:
As a learner, you must learn to become responsible of your
own learning. Take time to read, understand, and perform the
different activities in the module.
As you go through the different activities of this module be
reminded of the following:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s
on any part of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in
answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer Let Us Try before moving on to the
other activities.
3. Read the instructions carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and
checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are
done.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this
module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator.
Always bear in mind that you are not alone. We hope that through
this material, you will experience meaningful learning and gain
deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!
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Let Us Learn!
This material was designed and written with you in mind. It is
here to help you master the role of business in social and economic
development. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse
vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the
standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them
can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.
The learners: (based on MELCs)
2.3 infer how Filipino value system influence business practices.
ABM_ESR12- IIIe-h-2.3)
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Let Us Try!
Activity 1: Mind Mapping.
Instruction. On the boxes shown below, indicate the main concept and
sub concepts about Filipino Values.
This lesson gives us a better understanding about the different
Filipino values that Filipino people practice every day and how do these
values affect the workplace and the business as a whole. Depending on
the context of how it was used, some values are good while some are
bad. So in this lesson we will explore these different values. Are you
ready?
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Let Us Study
Meaning and Nature of Values
Values as defined by organizational behavior are set of
shared conception of what is considered good, desirable,
proper and worthwhile in a culture. For sociologist, values
are ideals or beliefs that connotes rightness, goodness or
inherent desirability set by the members of a culture. Filipino
practice values that are good and some are bad. The context
of these values depend on how they are used and it differs for
each person. Example, the meaning of justice for a person
may not be the general meaning for all – justice can be
objective and sometimes subjective.
Filipino Value System
Filipino values are set of values that most Filipinos have
historically considered important in their lives which is
consistent with their ideologies, moral codes, ethical
practices, etiquette, cultural and personal values. The
sacredness of these values may differ on their upbringing,
religions and other reasons.
Roots of Filipino Character
Most of the Filipino values can be traced from the very
own Filipino culture. And it ca be explained in fourfold sense:
First, though people share universal values but there
are certain values that is distinctly Filipino values. Example
of these values are “hindi labis, hindi kulang, katamtaman
lang” which corresponds to the Greek moderation called
meden agan.
Second, some Filipino values can be traced from other
cultures and value system. Example, God fearing and family
solidarity which came from other country particularly in Asia.
It only differs how we rank it based on our priority.
Third, there are universal human values which have
distinct meaning for Filipino people. Examples, pakikisama,
kabayanihan and pagsasarili. These values have distinct
meaning for Filipino which we commonly based on the past
experiences and our being nationalistic. Example, bahala na,
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this values can be negative and can also be positive. It
became negative, if this value is used by a person in making
decision without planning and evaluating or if he pushes an
undertaking and become helpless or come what may.
However, it became positive, if this values are used by
entrepreneur in taking risk and courage to start a business.
Fourth, Filipino values evolved historically and it
emanates consciously in a given situation. Example,
bayanihan, when a disaster happens in a certain place, like
what happen to Tacloban when Yolanda typhoon struck the
place, we have watched from the television that there a lot of
people or groups who helped the people living there.
The Filipino Value System and Its Effect on Business
Utang na Loob
Utang na loob are often viewed as “norm of reciprocity”
which has equivalent meaning to obligation and responsibility
to repay somebody for owing a favor. This favor is typically
unquantifiable debt that goes into deeper personal internal
dimension and oftentimes continues up to the next
generation.
In business, utang na loob can be good or bad depending
on a given consideration. It affects the business when the
conduct defied with ethical issues. Example, when an
employee tolerates her co-employee in doing something
wrong such as theft because it saves her when she was in
terrible situation.
Filial Piety
Filial piety is a family-centered values that recognize
family as important structure in a society. Filial
son(daughter) need to be good to their parents, obey, takes
care, respect and carry out sacrifices during their parent`s
lifetime. Usually this values are very common in Chinese
tradition and considered as a serious business for Chinese
people (Waldmeir, 2020). And we Filipipo people are also
practicing it.
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In business, the practice of filial piety usually transpires
when family members are expected to work in their family-
owned business. And in the event, the management, like
President or CEO, are no longer capacitated to handle the
business, retire or die, the benefits, assets, duties and
obligation are transferred to their family heir. This is called
family succession.
A deeper appreciation of these family values can lead to
positive motivation of people in the workplace, obedient to
company leader, and a sustainable and flourishing workplace
environment (Kim et al., 2014).
Padrino System
Padrino system in our local word is called “palakasan”.
It is a common Filipino culture where somebody in a position
or authority intercede, back up or give favors to someone`s
endeavors usually because they are family affiliated
(nepotism) or friendship (cronyism) (Ramos, 2018). The
system was abused and became a tool for corruption not just
in politics and government but as well as in business. Some
businessman used their connection to get involved in illegal
activities such as bribery.
The following are the effects of nepotism and cronyism
in the business.
1. Disruption of the workforce. Workers are low morale,
less motivated and dissatisfied to perform diligently if
they feel that promotion is undermined by nepotism.
2. Loss of productivity. Usually employees who are
promoted because of their relationship with the
management are underqualified that can lead to loss of
leadership skills and eventually leads to inferior output.
Suki System
“Suki” means loyal customer. It is a system of patronage
system wherein a loyal customer, regularly buys goods and
services from a certain seller or company because they offer
low prices, quality products/services, and they allow credit
sales.
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“Suki” are beneficial for both clients and sellers. It
follows the concept of “you scratch my back, I`ll scratch
yours”. Sellers are helped by easy and continuous disposal of
their product, more profit, given protection and even
influence. For Buyers, having a “suki” enables them to
purchased goods and services on credit, availed free delivery
and discounts and the assurance of quality products.
However, it may be bad for business if its confronted with
ethical issues.
Bahala Na
“Bahala na” is already embedded in a Filipino culture.
Its definition may vary depending on a situational setting.
For some they used the term “bahala na” as “come what may”
or “whatever will be, will be” which simply means,
surrendering to the hands of fate especially if they don’t like
to control a situation. Others, represent this as “luck” which
allow things to happen instead of doing something.
Originally, the term “bahala na” came from the word “Bathala
Na” or God which is deeply rooted in the religiosity of Filipino
people. It adopts the idea “I have done my part, and let God
do the rest”.
The term “Bahala na” is good in the business if it means
the attitude of courage. Entrepreneur are known for being a
risk taker. And their determination to do their best in every
challenges of their business endeavors makes them
successful.
Mañana Habit
“Manana” habit is a Spanish word, meaning “tomorrow”
which means procrastination or deferring to do a certain
thing that can be possibly done today. Definitely, this is a bad
habit which makes Filipino less efficient in doing task. It
allows people in a workplace to make an excuses, panic,
worried, no focus and the result is not good and many missed
opportunities.
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Amor Propio
Amor propio is a Spanish word which means, self-love,
self-esteem, personal worth and sometimes a feeling of
excessive pride as superior to others.
Hiya or shame is related to Amor propio. Some Filipinos
have fear of being the object of gossip or ridicule.
Balat sibuyas is also related to amor propio in which the
person are super sensitive to emotional imperatives.
"Amor propio" and "Balat sibuyas" traits are not as
favorable particularly if one is working in the service
business.
More Filipino Family Values
Hospitality
Filipinos are renowned for its warm and excellent host.
Hospitality refers to friendly and generous reception of
welcoming and entertaining guest or visitors (Quijada, 2019).
This trait is definitely favorable to business for extra service
given.
Humor, Adaptability and Creativity.
Humor is an amusing quality which is a positive coping
mechanism of Filipinos to difficult circumstances. (Meriam
Dictionary).
Adaptability is the ability to adapt changes in the
environment easily. Filipinos have known to have a high
tolerance for uncertainty that enables them to respond
calmly.
Creativity is an ability to create. Filipinos are very
innovative and often improvise and make use of whatever is
available
Faith and Religiosity
Filipinos are known for their strong faith in God. It
includes practices of Holy week, praying at any possible
times, observing Sunday masses and many more. And in our
practice of being religious it doesn’t conflict our work life,
because we are still hardworking and industrious.
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Hard Work and Industry
Filipinos are regarded as hardworking and industrious.
We are known of our determination and perseverance in
accomplishing things that we plan to do, we performed well
in a very demanding task such as physical labor and highly
sophisticated jobs. These traits are driven by our desire to
become economically stable. Which makes us to never give
up and keep on going to achieved a desirable end.
Bribery and Corruption
It has been observed that bribery and corruption was
practice by Filipino people. Some Filipinos are taking
advantage of abusing their power for their personal ambitions
and fulfillment. These traits are unethical business practices.
General Disregard for Rules.
There are Filipino who fond of breaking or violating
rules. Such as jaywalking, loitering and beating the red light.
In a workplace, rules are very important to protect from legal
claims, maintained orderly and positive work environment
(Klower, 2020) . Rules are not made to be broken!
Pagtatakpan
“Pagtatakpan” is also one of a Filipino trait, that covers
the wrong doings of other person. These are negative traits
which you connive one person in doing wrong and it has no
place in a workplace.
Gossiping
Filipinos has been observed of being found in talking
other`s business. This is unethical in the workplace because
it may inflict and destroys reputation of other workers.
Complacency.
It was also observed that some Filipinos, though they
are aware of certain issues but choose not to be involved
especially if it doesn’t concern or affect them. This is “walang
paki alam” attitude. According to Ruisi (2017) of Coach Zone,
complacency is one of the most dangerous threat to any
business which caused anybody to be reluctant to change or
performed better.
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Crab mentality
Is a thinking of “If I can`t have it, neither can you”?
Tendency people pushed somebody down for their own
advantage. These is undesirable traits which usually happen
in a workplace if there is a competition of position or
promotion.
Let Us Practice
ACTIVITY 2. Tell Me Take a careful look at the picture below. Tell me
the values being presented in each picture and write how this picture
makes you happy or makes you sad.
_____________________________ ___________________________
Happy Happy
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
Sad Sad
_____________________________ _____________________________
_____________________________ _____________________________
Question:
In what ways these values became good to you? or became bad?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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Let Us Practice More
Activity 3. FILL IN THE BLANKS
Instruction: Fill in the blanks the correct statement being described in
each number. Write your answer on the space provided.
__________1. This value system is rooted primarily in personal alliance
systems based on affinity that recognize family as
important social structure.
__________2. This value system has been source of many controversial
and corruption where one gains favor, promotion, or
political appointment through family affiliation or
friendship, as opposed to one's merit.
__________3. It is a system of patronage wherein a customer become a
regular buyer of a certain product at a certain seller.
__________4. This value system is very fashionable for Filipino
characteristics, where one does not fail to remember great
actions done by other people to them.
__________5. This trait pushes successful people down for their own
personal gain.
__________6. This trait shows Filipino as excellent hosts.
__________7. This means someone is doing well at the beginning of a job
and quickly fades away.
__________8. This trait considered success as a gift from above.
__________9. This trait entrusts the future to fate.
_________10. It refers to “self-love”
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Let Us Remember
Activity 4. Classification
a. Classify the following Filipino values or traits whether
desirable or undesirable. Write your answer on the table
below:
Suki System Manana Habit Amor propio
Padrino system Utang na loob Ningas Cogon
Hiya Crab mentality Filial piety
Religiosity Bahala na habit Complacency
Pagtatakpan Pakikisama Fatalism
DESIRABLE UNDESIRABLE
Activity 5. Essay
1. Is “utang na loob” good or bad to the business? Why or why not?
2. In what way, ‘bahala na system” can contribute positive effect to
the business?
3. Cite additional example how “padrino system” affect the business
negatively.
4. Is “padrino system” ethical or unethical in the conduct of a
business?
5. Can a suki system contribute negative effect on the business?
Justify your answer.
6. Does “walang pakialam” attitude, have positive effect in the
business setting?
7. Based on your answer in “Activity 4” what makes you decide
whether the specific values is desirable or undesirable?
Criteria:
5 points – Ideas are comprehensive, clear and persuasive.
3 points - Ideas are accurate and persuasive
2 points – Ideas are not comprehensive or persuasive
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Activity 6: Remember me this way
Instruction: Recall your experience that you have been visited whether
in a mall, establishment or offices. Described company`s practices or
employees values or traits that you have encountered. Are there
values/traits ethical or unethical? Why? If unethical, what should
supposedly they have done to make it ethical?
SCENARIO Identified Ethical or Reason
values/traits unethical
Criteria:
Ideas and opinion - 10
Reflection - 5
Writing mechanics - 5
Total points 20 pts
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Let Us Assess
Activity 7: Multiple Choice Instruction: Choose the letter that best
corresponds your correct answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper
1. This is a patronage system where a customer becomes a regular
buyer of a certain product at a certain seller.
a. Bayanihan system
b. Pakikisama system
c. Padrino system
d. Suki system
2. Which of the following statements best describes a hardworking
Filipino?
a. believes that success is a luck.
b. endures suffering just to succeed
c. leave everything to God
d. risk taker
3. What Filipino values are shown when a person is willing to lend
money to his friend just to provide comfort and please his visitors?
a. Hospitality
b. Loving and caring
c. Utang na loob
d. Pakikisama
4. Which of the following is negative trait of Filipinos in a workplace?
a. Complacency
b. Industrious
c. Hospitality
d. Utang na loob
5. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Filial piety?
a. It shows gratitude or solidarity
b. It reciprocates the goodness of others
c. It shows love and care for the family members
d. It shows affection to a person
6. What Filipino values are reflected, when we celebrate fiestas?
a. Amor Propio
b. Fatalism
c. Pakikipagkapwa
d. Religiosity
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7. Jane needs to use euphemism language in confronting the mistakes
of her friends because she values____________
a. pakikipagkapwa
b. Pakikisama
c. Pagtatakpan
d. Kagandahang loob
8. What Filipino traits are shown when somebody blame others for
their failures rather than help them?
a. Bribery
b. Complacency
c. Crab mentality
d. Walang Hiya
9. Which of the following statements serves as the BEST example of
being industrious?
a. “Never give up”
b. “Try and try, until you succeed”
c. “No guts, no glory”
d. All of these
10. What trait does a person possess if he still makes a funny gesture
despite of a challenging situation?
a. Creative
b. Innovative
c. Humorous
d. None of these
Let Us Enhance
Activity 7. Think About Think at least 5 Filipino values or traits that
we usually practice but were not mentioned in this lesson. What are
they? Explain how these Filipino values or traits affect the business?
1. ______________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________________________
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Let Us Reflect
Instruction: Read the article below and answer the question
that follow:
“As quarantine eases, worker layoffs start”
(Business Mirror, June 02, 2020 by Bernadette D. Nicolas & Samuel P. Medenilla)
According to Dominique R. Tutay, Labor Assistant Secretary of
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the department is
already receiving reports from private companies through notices,
letters and verbal advice on their intent of reducing their workforce.
She said among the companies is Okada casino resort hotel, which
earlier announced its plans to retrench 1,000 of its employees to
maintain its viability during the Covid-19 crisis.
Citing their preliminary report for the first quarter of the year,
Tutay said 35,548 employees from 6,121 establishments lost their jobs.
From 10,756 on March 16, 2020, the number of Covid-affected workers
soared to 2.8 million last week. The period between April 6 and 24 was
among those that saw the biggest increase in the number of Covid-
affected workers, more than tripling from 25,124 to 81,835. However,
this gradually slowed down last month after the government relaxed its
quarantine restrictions to allow more workers to return to work.
“In the past our daily average was between 45,000 and 50,000
workers. In the past week our daily average of reported workers was at
20,000 daily average,” said Tutay
The prolonged restrictions on workers allowed to physically
report to their job sites had caused many companies to consider
reducing their manpower, like in the case of Okada. This led the DOLE
to project the unemployment rate this year to rise to 8 to 10 percent,
which will leave 3 million to 5 million jobless workers. Most of them are
expected to come from the following sectors, which are reliant on their
onsite operations: accommodation and food-service activities; wholesale
and retail (non-essential services); transportation; arts, entertainment
and recreation; and education.
Questions:
1. Do you think it is ethical to retrench workers during this pandemic
crisis? Why or why not?
2. To protect both the company and employees, can there be a better
solution other than retrenching workers? What would be? How?
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Let Us Assess Let Us answer:
1. D 1. Filial Piety
2. B 2. Padrino system
3. A 3. Suki system
4. A 4. Utang na loob
5. C 5. Crab mentality
6. F 6. Hospitality
7. B
7. Ningas cogon
8. C
8. Religiosity
9. D
10. C 9. Fatalism
10. Amor propio
Answer key to Activities
References
Domocmat, L. (n.d.) Understanding Filipino Values, A Window for Mission. Retrieved from:
https://www.academia.edu/11618418/UNDERSTANDING_FILIPINO_VALUES_A
WINDOW_FOR_MISSION. Retrieved on October 17, 2020
Kim et al., (2014). Filial Piety and Business Ethics: A Confucian Reflection.
https://www.academia.edu/8000972/Filial_Piety_and_Business_Ethics_A_Confucian_
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Nicolas, B. & Medenilla, S. (2020). BusinessMirror. As quarantine eases, worker layoffs start.
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employee-environment. retrieved on November 3, 2020.
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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:
Department of Education – Region XI
F. Torres St., Davao City
Telefax: (082) 291-1665; (082) 221-6147
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