FILIPINO PHILOSOPHY WHY NOT? REFLECTIONS ON A FILIPINO PHILOSOPHY OF TIME

A national culture is the whole body of efforts made by a people

in the sphere of thought to describe, justify, and praise the action

through which that people has created itself and keeps itself in existence.

– Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth.

     If Luzon had breed thinkers such the like of Mercado, Quito, Timbreza, Abulad and other prominent authors and philosophers in their own right for the promotion of the so called Filipino Philosophy, Cebu has its own response to such call in the name of Amosa Velez, Ph.D whose response to the call has contributed under the following expression; “Mga Yangongo Sa Usa Ka Bata,” “Nayanaya: A Filipino Philosophy of Survival,” “Phenomenology of Nayanaya: A Filipino Philosophy of Survival Interpreted in the light of Silence in Zhuang Zi” and “Filipino Philosophy Why Not? Reflections on a Filipino Philosophy of Time”- which will be the focus of the paper and hoping to come a vivid reaction as a student of Amosa Velez.

    My reaction would consider two relevant issues indicated, one is the question; “Is there a Filipino Philosophy? As a response I had borrowed A. Velez's “Filipino Philosophy Why Not?” as heading to present my argument. Since taking up this subject way back in my undergraduate years it had remain controversial not just with the emergence of such yearning, but even the possibility and readiness of offering Filipino Philosophy as a subject. Considering that Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands and with a 171 living languages it thus reverberate concerns that need to be addressed as a grounding for a Filipino Philosophy. Second, It will also give reaction to the Filipino concept of time as presented by Dr. Velez which again my response would be under the heading “Filipino Concept of Time.”

Filipino Philosophy Why Not?

     A. Velez's had consider two significant reasons for undertaking the Filipino philosophy. “First, if philosophy is the ultimate intellectual achievement, then a, people's philosophy finds for a country it's distinctive place in the global community of cultures. Second. If there is indeed a Filipino philosophy, then it's presence is a booster to the Filipino morale.”

      Philippines as a country has so far been lead by 15 presidents including our current president, compared to the countries of M. Heidegger (Germany), M. Focault (France), John Rawls (USA) to name a few whose birth land has established strong economy and other sorts of advancement before they had impregnated their magnus opus, that an ordinary Filipino would wish to have lived. Despite enormous effort still our country remains to be labeled as newly industrialized country-which suggest a transition from agriculture based economy to manufacturing and services provider economy. The fact that we are a third world country economically cloaked as to address this issue, poverty had remain a big issue. Could we say that all of these problem could be hinged to bygone Roman Catholic teachings? or gulong ng palad (wheel of fate) has not yet turn for us Filipino?.

     As expressed in salawikain (proverb) “Ang kawayan habang tumutubo. Langit na mataas ang itinuturo; Pag ito ay lumaki at saka lumago, Sa lupang mabababa, doon yumuyuko” ( A bamboo tree points to the sky while growing and bows to the ground as it becomes taller). Though the proverb does speak of humility and understood as a good quality for an individual, not intending to discredit such proverb it does speak of hindrance of individual's growth on its own as it does present of an individual surrendering its fate on the will of an higher authority. If a Filipino Philosophy would come to emerge, it would be preferably to see Filipino Philosophy as a way of liberating Filipino from shadows of solipsistic religiosity or a means of announcing his individuality as “Filipino encompasses everything that he feels as Filipino... His or her queries about how to sustain life, how to think and act, how and why he ought to live a good life”. If Filipino Philosophy comes out in the public arena as a morale boost then Filipino Philosophy Why Not!.

Filipino Philosophy of Time

    A. Velez consider Salawikain (proverbs) as venue towards comprehension of time, analysis of proverbs discloses a hint to Filipino concept of time. Salawikain are sayings that are steeped in the traditional Filipino culture and wisdom, they are expression cloaked in poetry and are basically euphemistic passages that not too infrequently enter daily conversations.

     In agreement with the notion of A. Velez reflection on Filipino philosophy of time. On the same manner I had also consider some proverbs that offer implicit concept of Filipino time, though a translation is provided as a comparison it is far more sweeter to hear these Salawakian uttered in our own language than in English. 

                                                 

                                          Ang buhay parang gulong, minsan nasa

ibabaw, minsan nasa ilalim.

Huwag magbilang ng manok

Hangga't hindi napipisa ang itlog.

Ang bungang hinog sa sanga matamis ang lasa.

Ang bungang hinog sa pilit kung kainin ay mapait.

    Filipino concept of time is rather similar to St. Augustine's rumination of time's nature; “What then is time? If no one asks me, I know. If I wish to explain it to one that asketh, I know not.” Filipino concept of time are not expressed neither numerical nor measurable, mostly expressing either an expanse of area or distance but with the subjective word's malayo (far), malapit (near), noon (past), ngayon (present) sa darating na panahon (in the near future) and other way of utterances that a listener need not further explanation, it is simply understood in silence.