First of all, let us define about “Utang na
Loob” or in English it is called “Debt of Graditude”. Utang na loob is one of
the Filipino’s values. It is value, which many Filipino has adopted and define
it as part of their everyday lives. The essence of this value is an obligation
to appropriately repay a person who has done one a favor. When a person done
something that is nice or good for you or done any a favor for you, meaning you
will feel gratefulness to that person and your mindset will somehow went like
this that “you want to repay that person that has done well for you”. Moreover,
that action must be nice and good for that person in order to repay him/her as
well. In other situations, if that person wanted something, ask for help, or
ask for a favor you will do it as a repay for them. Can this be hinders our
freedom? Yes. Sometimes this Filipino value can hinder our freedom depending
for that favor or a help of that person or a group of person that owe you one.
For instance, that person asks for a favor because he/she saves your life. And,
now that person asked that if that he/she could asked some money and you felt
hesitated because you know that your money is not enough for your everyday life
spending. Therefore, you lend him/her your money even though you know your
situation and you don’t have any choice but to give that person a money due of
the fact that person save your life. Despite of our situation or even our
present state of your life, we can manage to help or to done something to
others for just that favor or May “Utang na loob” That situation shows it can
limit or can hinder us on our choices we make for the others. We are having
difficulties to refuse or to say no to that person because of shame and
gratitude towards to what did that person done to us good. Our freedom of
saying “yes” and “no” to a person can cause us hesitation on lending our help
to them. Weighing the good and bad, weighing also your position and condition
before lending something to that person, knowing if you are having a capability
of yourself to do that, and knowing the condition and circumstances of that
favor that is asking to you of that person can help use to decide on what they
needed to us. Sometimes, that Filipino value can cause the Filipino to forget
themselves on deciding and their freedom to choose a choice.
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