16 BASIC VALUES ENSHRINED IN THE 1987 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION
Faith in God Believes that God is almighty and can do all things.
One who lives the basic value of FAITH IN ALMIGHTY GOD knows and acknowledges his dependence on God. He is grateful for the blessings he receives from God. He wants to please God and to fulfill his will and his commands, as he understands them to be. He prays and seeks to do his best.
RESPECT FOR LIFE Cherishes his life and that of others
One who lives the basic value of RESPECT FOR LIFE is grateful for life. He cherishes his life and that of others. He does his best to nurture and protect life and will not do anything that would unnecessarily endanger life. In all he does, he seeks to be positive, affirming. He is ready to defend life if called upon to do so. He values the dignity of every human person and has full respect for human rights.
ORDER Organize in thoughts, words, in relationships, and in the use of resources.
One who lives the basic value of ORDER is neat. He is disciplined. He seeks to be self-reliant in his basic needs. He makes proper use of funds and other resources within his control. His lifestyle is consistent with his means and stature. He establishes his priorities and seeks to act on them in a logical manner, given the time and resources available. He exercises moderation. He is not wasteful. He is efficient. He is punctual. He does not procrastinate. He waits for his turn.
WORK Work is an essential part of being human. Work is a duty.
One who lives the basic value of WORK seeks to use his talents and resources to build, to contribute to the betterment of his own life, that of others, and of society as well. He is industrious, productive, diligent, conscientious, orderly, and persevering. He is not lazy, he is not wasteful. He seeks to make full and efficient use of his human resources and the material resources within his control. He seeks to draw from his work the means of providing for his life and for his family and of serving the human community. He is grateful for his work. He does his work cheerfully and thoroughly. He is proud of his work.
CONCERN FOR THE FAMILY AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
Loves his family and does his best for them.
One who lives the basic value of CONCERN FOR THE FAMILY AND FUTURE GENERATION recognize the family as the foundation of the nation and seeks to strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total development. He sees marriage as the foundation of the family. He recognizes and acts upon the right of children to special assistance and protection and the need to attend to the formation of the youth and their physical, moral, spiritual and social well-being. He seeks to strengthen ethical and spiritual values within his family. He fulfills his role in his family with love.
LOVE Cares for others. Willing to make sacrifices for the good of another.
One who lives the basic value of LOVE is patient, kind, gentle, understanding, and forgiving. He loves God. He loves his family and his country. He loves others as he loves himself. He serves without seeking a reward. He is generous. He is thoughtful. He is friendly. He is careful not to cause hurt or harm to anyone. He has a special concern for the underprivileged, the sick, the elderly, the handicapped, and for all who live in poverty.
FREEDOM Cherishes freedom and careful to preserve it.
One who lives the basic value of FREEDOM, uses his freedom in his daily life and in his work with utmost responsibility. He exercises and encourages critical and creative thinking. He seeks to make good decisions and to act on them with confidence. He recognizes and respects the freedom of others. He has initiative. He acts with courage and resolve. He has enthusiasm.
PEACE Has sense of harmony with others, and has no on-going conflict with anyone.
One who lives the basic value of PEACE has serenity based on order. He is not hostile to anyone. He is reconciled with all men. He does not engage in acts of violence (except in cases of legitimate defense by military forces) nor does he violate in any way the rights of his fellowmen. He knows who he is and what his duties and obligations are and he does his best to fulfill them. He does not impose unreasonable demands on himself or on anyone. He seeks to be a peacemaker.
TRUTH Honest in all ways and at all times.
One who lives the basic value of TRUTH has integrity. He knows his place. He seeks to always communicate accurately, clearly and effectively. He does not participate in any acts of graft and corruption, neither as a giver not as a taker. There is no pretense in him. He does not boast. He does not flatter. He means what he says. He is trustworthy.
JUSTICE Gives each person his due.
One who lives the basic value of JUSTICE knows and respects his rights and the rights of others. He deals fairly with everyone. He does not exploit others. He does not manipulate others. He keeps his promises.
UNITY Oneness with everyone
One who lives the basic value of UNITY seeks to live in peace and harmony with others. He shares what he has. He seeks to do to others what he would like others to do to him. He desires the good of others. He does not isolate himself from others. He has empathy. He feels with others. He knows that what he does affects others. He works well with a team. He acts in solidarity with others. He does not put himself up at the expense of others. He does not have a “crab mentality�.
EQUALITY Respects the basic equality of all human beings
One who lives the basic value of EQUALITY does not use the position to exploit others. He listens and allows others to express themselves, and to be themselves. He does not put others down. He does not impose his will on others, nor does he seek to get his way at the expense of someone else.
RESPECT FOR LAW AND GOVERNMENT
Knows and obeys the laws pertinent to life and work.
One who lives the basic value of RESPECT FOR LAW AND GOVERNMENT encourages others to obey the law. He respects authority and obeys Government directives and guidelines with dispatch. He has an affection for Government and looks to Government with gratitude and good will. He pays his taxes in the right amount and at the required time, and is current in whatever licenses he is required to have, if any. He votes wisely. When the principles of good government are violated, he is ready to help that they be upheld.
PATRIOTISM Loves for country
One who lives the basic value of PATIOTISM is proud of our country. He is ready to come to its defense, if such should ever be necessary. He loves our people. He is proud to be Filipino. It is an honor for him to be of service to our country. He knows and upholds the Constitution. He seeks to be informed about our country – its history, its resources, its heroes, the problems and challenges it faces, its directions. He participates in its development in the ways he can. He uses locally-made products whenever possible.
PROMOTION OF THE COMMON GOOD
Sense of responsibility for the welfare of others
One who lives the basic value for THE PROMOTION OF THE COMMON GOOD is committed to participating in efforts to enable not only himself and his family, but all members of society as well, to possess the sum total of social conditions needed to reach fulfillment, which include all that they need for a truly human life, starting with food, shelter, clothing, education, and a peaceful and just environment. He does his best to contribute to the welfare of his community. He does not engage in practices which demean or deface society, such as drug abuse, pornography, prostitution. He is vigilant and takes a stand against these. He feels a sense of responsibility to help those in need.
CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Steward of Gods creation
One who lives the basic value of CONCERN FOR THE INVIRONMENT considers himself as a steward of the created things he has control over or can influence in some way. He strives to keep the environment healthful, neat, and pollution-free. He seeks to enhance the environment by planting, caring for plants, and keeping its surroundings clean. He recognizes the need to implement measures to preserve the environment not only for the present but also for future generations.
Workshop Questions 1. What values are generally inherent to Filipinos? 2. What values are commonly violated today? Rank them from 1 as the most violated and the last as the least. 3. What specific activities do you plan to undertake to promote Good Citizenship Values? a. As individual b. Parish c. Vicariate