Chad Patrick T.

Osorio
2006-35082

CWTS 2- Anthropology
Ms. Christine Joyce Ajoc

The Search for the Spirit of Bayanihan

The Story thus far...
Probably one of the most unusual experiences for me this semester is my
CWTS subject, the course entitled Career Exploration in the Social Sciences,
wherein not only do we choose a specific group of people to help long-term but
also apply our skills to the task as the future social scientists and leaders of
our country. My core group originally volunteered to do a series of leadership
seminars in Brgy. Pansol, a part of Quezon City near the University of the Philippines Diliman, but due to miscommunication and the questionable authority
of the community leaders we had to find another pet project. Enter Krus na
Ligas High School, popularly known to us as KnL High. The teachers and
school administration were in desperate need of volunteers for their various
academic endeavors, and we were all too happy to oblige them.
We never knew it that time but they proved to a blessing in disguise.

Our Aims
I am a Psychology major. As such, I have been exposed to a lot of different individual, emotional and social theories of helping, but one particular
series of ideas struck me as most apt for this subject: Dr. Enriquez's Kapwa
Value System.
According to him, in order to achieve Kapayapaan (Peace), a community
must have the core value of Kapwa (the shared identity with self and others)
and its three accompaniments: Katarungan (Justice), Karangalan (Honor) and
Kalayaan (Freedom). But in such a depressing place as the KnL area, can peace

really be attained?
It is quoted that iron chains and bars are not the enemy of freedom:
rather, they only serve to represent it. The real nemesis of Kalayaan would be
the lack of choice, for without choice there is no freedom to begin with, following the train of thought that the freedom to choose is the most basic type of
being free.
Beggars can't be choosers. In a country where poverty is rampant, choice
is almost always the first to be sacrificed. When it comes to necessities, such as
food or clothing, a poor person can't afford to choose. What's inherently wrong
with that is that he or she is not free. And as long as the levels of free-dom
varies from one citizen to another, peace is a far away dream.
One of the ways that we can combat the lack of Kapayapaan is by giving
the students, the leaders of the future generation, a better chance at life by
educating them and informing them of the choices that they can make. It is in
the spirit of Bayanihan.
This is what I realized when I was helping out at KnL High, and it also
blends with what I have learned in school. We must not forget our Kapwa, even
in this time of economic crisis. Until we can find a balance, we must do what
we can, and that is to help out in our own little ways.

The Heuristic Helping Hand

We had several ongoing projects throughout the month, both planned
and unplanned, that taught us a few things. We were running on trial and
error, ask and answer, if the answer's yes, we're lucky.
Book Drives- I am a royal bookworm, and I know the value that books
have on a student's life. That's why I was glad to be a huge part of the succession of the book acquisition and donation to the library that the group orga-

nized. A lot of KnL High students cannot afford to buy their own books, and
have to spend hours at the library looking up topics on ancient books, obsolete
encyclopedias and dictionaries and out-of-date atlases, so it was one of the
best aspects of our project. It's long-time, too, because we're helping not only
the students of today but also of the next generation.
Fundraising and PET bottles- Because of my extremely toxic schedule
during that week, I was personally not involved in the completion of these parts
of the project except for tallying and information. However, I know that these
are helpful contributions to the school because there are a lot of stuff that they
need and can't afford. Even though the money that we were able to raise for
their cause was mere change compared to the amount that they need, we
sincerely hope that they can use it for a step up.
Career Symposium- I am a Social Being was the title of the seminar,
attended by third year students and hosted by yours truly. It was fun, I daresay not only for me but for them, too. We had speakers from various walks of
life, from working students to debaters to Pep Squad members to summa standing academic gods and goddesses, all talking about the different social
sciences they're in, from anthropology and psychology to political science and
economics.
I think this is very important because it aimed to help them figure out
what course to take in college, which, as we know, greatly affects a person's
life. It is an excellent example of empowerment by information.
UPCAT Tutorial- Who wants to go to UP? was my first question. Nearly
all the students raised their hands.
Who's taking the UPCAT? was the next. This time, only three replied
positively.
That's the first step, I said in Filipino. You can't go to UP straight from

high school until you pass the UPCAT, unless you're a varsity player or a really
talented artist. The next is to be not afraid. The UPCAT's real easy. I got 99 for
Science, 98 Math, 96 Language and 94 Reading. You just have to let go of your
fears.
I made modules for Math and English, albeit Science was my highest
subject, because I felt more comfortable teaching the previous two. But the
lessons themselves weren't that significant, because they were reviewers, just a
little more complex. I told them that what was more important was the confidence in themselves that they should have and rely upon, that they can do it,
that they can reach their dreams.

The Realization of Dreams

I decided, during the course of the events, to go with the flow and try to
belong to the group that we were helping, so that I can find my niche and learn
better from whatever experiences that we all might have in common. It was during this phase that I met very interesting people from significantly different
social strata, from whom I have learned contributions to the knowledge in my
head and the values in my heart.
I have to be honest: at first I never liked the idea of CWTS, for I've never
been a down-on-your-knees-and-get-dirty type of person. As a school requirement, it may be construed by some as a grand way to waste time. But then, as
the month of March wore on, I began to understand the importance of the subject. I now know that learning through personal experience is a better way of
acquiring new knowledge than just by sitting in a room reading all about these
things, or listening to other people extol the virtues of volunteerism. It can
change a person and his or her environment in such a radical way. As for
learning, it is invaluable. It not only teaches us how to apply the practical stuff

from school; it is a crash course on life.

Helping out teach kids and make them realize their dreams and potentials made me remember that in the old days, when the Bayanihan spirit was
still given much importance, the community helped each other out not only in
the simple aspects of daily life, but in monumental decisions as well, like big
events: weddings, funerals, even moving houses. But as time passed and the
effects of the Western and Japanese colonization of our country grew, we began
to forget the over-all system of feelings that our community has. Instead, we
just focused more on ourselves, hence the appearance of selfish negative
values.
I realized that the CWTS projects are helpful not only to the people it
directly benefits (i.e. the poor and the unfortunate) but to the nations culture
as well. Organizing a group from a variety of people to be able to work together
in order to assist for the needy is very reminiscent of the early Filipino practices wherein neighbors helped each other out in various personal matters. But
its more than just that. This is where a Filipino gets the opportunity to help
other people in the facets of life reserved for family and close friends. Hence the
interaction between these people, the helpers and the helped, are varied, as
was apparent in my experiences.
In the middle of Metropolitan Manila, where people act more and more
like our Western counterparts in the sense that we place little value on the
feelings of others, cooperation and unity, we should stand as a beacon and
remind others that even though we are progressing towards economic advantage, we still should take the time to remember our fellow Filipinos who are less
fortunate than us, the people who remain at the bottom of our social classes.
CWTS 2 is placing the Bayanihan spirit back into our lives, and it makes
me proud that even now, in this world where cultural identity is not given

much importance, the core values of Kapwa and the Bayanihan spirit are not
left behind. It has helped me become conscious of the fact that I should be
proud, too, that I am a future psychologist, who can help not only individuals
but groups as well. But more than that, it made me realize that being a Filipino, and lending a helping hand to others of our kind, is the greatest honor of
them all.