Understanding the Psychology of Pilipinos

What we can learn from culturally-specific psychologies like Sikolohiyang Pilipino.

Reviewed by Devon Frye

Key points

• "Sikolohiyang Pilipino," or Pilipino psychology, integrates mind, body, soul, community, and nature.
• Ethnic psychologies recognize that Western concepts and frameworks do not always align with local experience.
• To practice "Kapwa" means to embrace our shared identity and to genuinely care for one another.

Recently, I have been deeply listening to what the next generation of youth care about, the stories of my community, and the lessons from my ancestors. As a Pilipina-American, I am inherently rooted in Sikolohiyang Pilipino, or Pilipino psychology. My listening sessions have led me to understand that it is more than a way to explain individual behavior—it's a way to see the world (even, perhaps, the parts of it that are invisible to us).

Pilipinos are the third largest sub-Asian group in the United States, but we continue to be understudied or overlooked; as a result, very little is known about us. Yet with growing awareness of diversity, inclusion, positionality, and social justice has come a resurgent interest in ethnic psychologies. Here's why Sikolohiyang Pilipino is more relevant than ever and what the existence of unique cultural values and psychology means for those of us who inhabit these identities.

A Transnational Worldview

Virgilio Enriquez first coined the term Sikolohiyang Pilipino in 1975 to describe how indigenous concepts and distinctly Pilipino values translated to classic Western psychological theories and constructs. Since then, Sikolohiyang Pilipino has evolved into a more comprehensive representation of the vestiges of colonial mentality, reframing of values, and, increasingly, strengths-based interpretations. Broadly accepted definitions of Pilipino psychology now include parapsychological elements, native healing remedies, folk beliefs, and evidence-based science.

Professor Carl Cervantes explains that the wide variety of beliefs reflects “the Filipino transpersonal worldview,” which he describes as three circles. The first of these three is the individual’s kaluluwa, or soul, referring to a sense of self. The next circle is kapwa, or shared humanity, referring to interconnectedness with others, which may include one's ancestors and supernatural beings like fairies. The final circle is kalikasan, or nature, referring to the relationship with nature. This transpersonal worldview is why kapwa includes the belief that relationships must include paranormal forces such as spirits in the natural world.

Psychology Through the Lens of Pilipino History

The Spanish used the sword and the cross to take over the archipelago they would later name after Spanish King Philip, calling natives "Filipinos" (even though there continue to be no "F's" in the Pilipino language). Women healers were labeled witches and killed, and rebellious tribes were subdued through Catholicism, but the Spanish could never completely erase indigenous beliefs or rituals.

Pilipinos have always revered the natural world since the pre-colonial practice of animism (worship of the natural world). In fact, they used animist practices as a foundation for Catholicism. Asia Society’s Jack Miller notes, “(It's) Filipino folk Christianity, combining a surface veneer of Christian monotheism and dogma with indigenous animism.” As an example, it's common for home altars to have Santo Nino statues (statues of Jesus as a child), a Buddha, grains of rice, and mythological creatures of carved wood.

Through the Treaty of Paris in 1898, Spain sold the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the United States for $20 million and the second colonial period began (Mulligan, 2022). The Americans offered education—albeit through reconstructionist-era textbooks (Agoncillo, 1969). Renato Constantino's essay “The Mis-Education of the Filipino,” highlights how Pilipinos’ colonial mentality was further cemented, leading many to believe that anything Western and/or White was superior, and the continued erasure of indigenous culture, nationalism, and local knowledge and beliefs.

Reclaiming Diwa, the Pilipino Psyche

Is Sikolohiyang Pilipino culturally distinct or is it just cultural identity development? What does it mean to be Pilipino—or Filipino or Pilipin@ or Pilipinx? In the spirit of a transpersonal worldview, can it mean everything?

Whether Pilipinos are in the Philippines or part of the ten million Pilipinos currently living elsewhere, an interconnected thread of kapwa tethers them to the Philippines. Espiritu and Wolf found that inter-generationally, the Philippines is often referred to as “home” even for those not born there. Additionally, the consistent transmission of traditional Pilipino values strongly suggests that Sikolohiyang Pilipino is significant to understanding this community (Tuazon, 2021).

Kapwa as the Basis of Wellbeing

Kapwa can be as simple as connecting through shared references of place. Indeed, the first question Pilipinos ask one another is, “Where are you from... in the Philippines?” This determination of commonality is the first strand of connectedness.

Professor Aquino-Adriatico states, “Kapwa is not just about your present community, it is about drawing from the power of ancestors, making intergenerational healing both a physical and metaphysical experience.” Kapwa is a way to build community through shared identity and experiences, practice empathy, engage in mindfulness, and foster a sense of belonging (Paez and Covington, 2023). All of these things not only support and strengthen mental health outcomes but nurture overall wellbeing (Petalio, 2022).

Ordinary Magic in Action

Sikolohiyang Pilipino is holistic, maintaining beliefs that mystical, parallel worlds coexist and are woven into their everyday life, such as the practice of asking permission from the anitos, or spirits to walk through. Try something new that will help you connect to some of the values of Sikolohiyang Pilipino:

1. Utang ng Loob: This traditional value literally translates to “debt of gratitude” and has been described as "extended gratitude and reciprocity." High school students from the Philippines suggest practicing Utang ng Loob by “paying it forward.” Do something nice for someone today.
2. Kapwa: Create some interconnectedness with someone in your life you have meaning to spend time with, but life keeps getting in the way. Reach out and plan to share a meal, go for a walk, or even just have a phone call.
3. Lunas: Lunas means "remedy" or "antidote" in Tagalog. Many indigenous and native remedies for healing are embodied like breath work, reiki, and movement like meditative walking or yoga. Try one of these embodied healing modalities—or one of your own well-being remedies.