Values are something
desirable. This could mean one may not value what is undesirable. This could
also mean that there are no negative values but only wrong usage/uses of them. How
about the one you love? Is there anything desirable from him or her that you value
him or her? Well, we can understand this if we understand the nature of values.
Moreover, it is said that we, Filipinos, reason more with our hearts than with
our minds.
A person with values
positively believes that certain patterns of behaviour or modes of conduct are
personally and socially preferable to other patterns or modes of conduct. Such
preference serves as a guide for making decisions or choices. Values are best
expressed in the actions we do and understood in the events we experience. In
the case, Aowa Electronic Philippines, Inc. vs DTI-NCR, G.R. NO. 189655, 2011
one may see two different values in the seller and in the buyer/consumer as the
ponente of the case wrote: “In these trying times, when fly-by-night establishments and
syndicates proliferate all over the country, lurking and waiting to prey on
innocent consumers, and ganging up on them like a pack of wolves with their
sugar-coated sales talk and false representations disguised as overzealous
marketing strategies, it is the mandated duty of the Government, through its
various agencies like the DTI, to be wary and ready to protect each and every
consumer. To allow or even tolerate the marketing schemes such as these, under
the pretext of promotional sales in contravention of the law and its existing
rules and regulations, would result in consumers being robbed in broad daylight
of their hard earned money. This court shall not countenance these pernicious
acts at the expense of consumers.” Aowas’ representatives just wanted the money of
their customers while the buyers/consumers wanted the giveaways or gifts. Nevertheless,
both choices of action have value components.
The most common Filipino
term for value is halaga. Halaga refers to the worth we give to
something or someone. But there are competent authorities who scholarly used
the term pamantayan instead of the
term halaga. Why? Value is a “standard”
on the basis of which one recognizes, expresses and evaluates behaviour as
right or wrong, correct or incorrect, etc., Pamantayan
is then the most appropriate term for value being a “standard”. Pamantayan comes from the root word pantay which means at the “same level or
aligned”. It is walang labis, walang
kulang. Behaving in line with what is acceptable is much preferred to
deviating from it. Thus, we can say nasa
tamang katayuan tayo as we stand for what is true, beautiful, good and
right. Without a standard, it would be difficult to decide what is important
and what is not, what is right and what is wrong, what we ought to do and what
we ought not to do in certain situations.
Pamantayan is composed of three
elements or value systems: halaga, asal
and diwa. Halaga (price) is more of extrinsic in its nature; it is
evaluative. It creates an image of relevance, importance, and significance in
the things we do. This is why we consider certain objects valuables and others
not; we uphold certain principles but not others. Here we say tama or mali (right or wrong) in our decisions and actions. Look at the
case of Emmanuel B. Moran, Jr. vs Office of the President of the Philippines,
as represented by the Honorable Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita and PGA
Cars, Inc., G.R. No. 192957. The case itself outlived the original
complainant/petitioner. He was substituted by his widow, Concordia who raised
the issue before the Supreme Court. The court eventually upheld a DTI ruling
holding a car dealer liable for the defects of a brand new vehicle a consumer
bought for 3.3 million in 2003. The court’s decision was made only in 2014. The
length of time spent by both parties for this case especially by the petitioner
reveals the halaga of what her
deceased husband was fighting for.
Asal (character) is
intrinsic in its nature; it is expressive. It serves as the fundamental basis
of our way of valuing –be it interpersonal, emotional, or moral. It is a
standard for recognizing and expressing proper behaviour. Here we say there is mabuti or masama (good or bad) in one’s character or manners or right conduct.
People are rejected or accepted according to their asal (kabubut-on or kulay).
Asal as one of the three elements is
applicable only to human behaviour. It is limited to the expressive nature of
character. In the case of Autozentrum Alabang, Inc., vs Spouses Miamar A.
Bernardo and Genaro F. Bernardo, Jr., DTI, Asian Carmakers Corporation, and
Bayerishe Motoren Werke (BMW) A.G., GR No. 214122, 2016, Autozentrum, the
petitioner claimed that the spouses Bernardo failed to prove the elements of
deceit or misrepresentation under Article 50, and injury under Article 97 of RA
7394 (Consumer Act of the Philippines) but the Supreme Court noted that DTI and
the Court of Appeals both found that it sold to the couple a defective and used
car, instead of a brand new one. The Court was convinced there was clearly a
fraud on the part of the seller. This case does not just dwell on the halaga (price) of the vehicle but also
of the asal (character) of the
seller.
Diwa is psychic in nature;
it is spiritual. When it is mentioned that diwa
is spiritual, it refers to those contexts and meanings in cultural values and
practices that are believed to be true and accepted as correct such that they
do not need any explanation at all. These include beliefs in the influence of
natural and supernatural powers over human affairs. It provides inner strength
and meaning to life. Without which, life becomes meaningless and all the things
we do lose their significance. Here we say malinis
or makasalanan (virtuous/good or evil).
With diwa, one is strengthened and
made capable to deal patiently with all kinds of problems in life. It is the
soul of the people.
Major reference:
Jocano, F. Landa, Anthropology
of the Filipino People IV: Filipino Value System (A Cultural Definition),
Quezon City: PUNLAD Research House, Inc., 1997.
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