Utang na Loob: Overrated Filipino Culture and Politics Predicaments

Utang na Loob is highly valued by Filipinos. Providing assistance to someone in need is a

priceless treasure that leaves the recipient feeling obligated. The support recipient's passivity is
described as walang Utang na Loob, and there is a sense of reciprocity. While this is a
beneficial habit, Filipinos have a tendency to misuse and abuse it. Those who respond favorably
develop a bond of friendship and assistance. Being of service to others is priceless, and it can
only be repaid with an act of equal or greater magnitude. On the other hand, when someone
has been helped, this can be utilized to create a sense of helplessness in them in order to
control them in the future.

Utang literally means “debt,” and loob means “inside,” therefore Utang na Loob can be
interpreted as “debt from the inside.” However, the term inside or loob appears to be highly
ambiguous as to what human loob is being referred to. "Loob ng ano?" one would ask. Loob
should obviously be understood as kalooban in order to be more specific and precise, and so
refers to a person's inner existence and being, rather than the insides, guts, and innards of a
human being, in the context of kalooban.

Utang na loob can be incurred when a person becomes a beneficiary of a significant

assistance that is given by another person. For example, a person gave you a food because
they see you looking at the food stall at the park. Now, you feel indebted to the person who
gave you food and you must return the favor one way or another. The problem comes when the
person who gave you the favor uses it to manipulate you. The situation can be narrowed as a
socio-political-cultural problem.

It can be viewed as a socio-political problem. In a way, a person who has a connection

(e.g. a relative of a politician) can easily get what they need or want. For example, a kid wants
to study at a prestigious school. However, the kid doesn’t want to do the entrance exam.
Instead, his father who is the City Councilor talked his way to it and asked the guidance
counselor to accept his son without taking the entrance exam. The father, who is a City
Councilor, stated that it will give the school a positive outlook if the people noticed that a
respected politician’s son goes to the prestigious school. It will give positive comments to the
school and will likely have more students than ever. The father manipulated the guidance
counselor by using his title for his own good and returns the favor in a simple way.
 Another example is when an election is coming and a politician talks to some families who
are indebted to him and uses that power to manipulate them into voting for him. These kinds of
tactics are popular in Philippine culture. It emphasizes the importance of the family and clan,
which, when paired with the role of the individual, creates a powerful combination. The island
nation's disjointed geography hinders the development of patriotism, civic responsibility, and
national togetherness. This values system has a significant impact on national politics,
obstructing vertical responsibility in public and corporate governance to Filipino citizens. We
noticed widespread public dissatisfaction with the Philippine government and political system,
which arose from the notion that the country's cultural difficulties were deeply systemic.

It can be also viewed as a socio cultural problem. It is known that in the culture of
Filipinos and well practiced. It is the sense of reciprocal social obligation. Morally, it refers that
you are responsible to give back to the gratitude. In the Filipino context, it is linked to the Filipino
character traits of generosity and hospitality, as well as their belief in Karma. When a person
does something helpful for another without expecting anything in return, that help will eventually
come back to them. This is a very common quality or practice among Filipinos in society: one
cannot forget a good deed done to him, even if it has been done many years ago.

There are many examples of Utang na Loob as a socio-cultural problem. One example is
when you want your mother to pay her debt to you but instead of paying you, she lectured you
about the things she bought, worked for, and give birth to you. Mothers do this to manipulate the
child into that they are indebted to them and the money she borrowed will not be paid. Another
example is when your parents tell you to study hard so you can give back to them when you
graduate. Many people see this kind of situation as a “Retirement Plan” for the parents.

Utang na loob can be direct, indirect and induced. A direct Utang na Loob incurs when, a
person chooses to seek aid from another person in order to be rid of his issues due to problems
and difficulties that he is experiencing. The help he receives will result in him developing Utang
na Loob. He also expressed his desire for such to be extended to him. In indirect Utang na
Loob, for instance, a person may be elected to an office or organization based on the votes of
the people. In a political process such as an election, for example, a candidate wins by receiving
the majority of votes cast by the electorate. This triumph can be viewed as an indirect Utang na
Loob to the electorate who voted for them. Lastly it can be induced when a person who
knowingly offers assistance to someone in need. The approach is deliberate because the
assistance provided is intended to create a sense of indebtedness on the part of the individual
who has been assisted. It becomes malevolent when the provider seeks to take advantage of
this value in the future to consider another as lesser and less dependent. Utang na Loob
becomes an instrument of injustice and abuse as the person aided becomes subordinate to the
dictates of the other.

The negative effects of Utang na Loob can have a solution. It will start with oneself,
wherein a person should never trust easily and prevent depending on others. Even though it is
not bad to trust and depend on others, people tend to be selfish and manipulative after they
make you vulnerable and able to trust them. It is important to be vigilant and don’t trust people
easily. However, the negative effects of Utang na Loob cannot be taught to others and cannot
be learned over time. If Utang na Loob’s negative effects are taught, intellectual humility should
be practiced and understood. It is made by Pepperdine University last 2016 into four
components. A person should have respect for other viewpoints, not be intellectually
overconfident, separate one’s ego from one’s intellect, and willingness to revise one’s own
viewpoint.

For instance, a person has no money for his enrollment. An acquaintance insisted to lend
you some money. The person does not know him that much so he did not accept the offer
because he cannot trust him easily since he doesn’t know him much. Later on, he learned that
his acquaintance uses the utang na loob he gains from every people for bad things. Like, getting
what he wants.

In conclusion, Utang na Loob is widely known among Filipinos. It has positive and
negative results. While this is a helpful habit, Filipinos have a proclivity to abuse it. Those who
respond positively form friendship and assistance bonds. Being of service to others is
invaluable, and it can only be returned with a similar or larger deed. When someone has been
assisted, on the other hand, this might be used to create a sense of helplessness in them so
that they can be controlled in the future. The solution to the negative result can be resolved by
starting with oneself. It will be effective because you can influence and inspire others to be
better. It can be done by being vigilant and never trusting easily. By practicing the four
components of Pepperdine University a person can be open-minded to a situation and others’
situations. Sometimes being too vulnerable to others might cause manipulation and regret,
which is why being careful but thankful is important.
REFERENCES:
Agaton, S. (2017) Vantage Points of Utang na Loob. Social Ethics Society Journal of Applied
Philosophy, 3(1). http://ses-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Vantage-Points-of-
Utang-na-Loob.pdf
Baldo, J., & Quirante, R. (2011). Utang na Loob: The Ilonggo Perspective. Undergraduate
thesis. University of the Philippines Visayas, 3(1). https://www.evsu.edu.ph/university-
research-and-created-works/vantage-points-of-utang-na-loob/
Samuels, R. (2020) The Two Faces of Utang na Loob. https://kalamansijuice.com/utang-na-
loob/
Snow, S. (2018) A New Way to Become More Open-Minded. https://hbr.org/2018/11/a-new-
way-to-become-more-open-minded