How politicians and charismatic leaders use family-oriented Filipino cultural values
We take it for granted that Filipino culture puts a lot of value on family. But, whether intentionally or subconsciously, people who seek power are highly aware of this and use it to their advantage. They employ the family dynamic to enhance their power. In our culture, authority figures are usually seen as parents, and we must follow them and avoid being stubborn children. Let us look at the spiritual realm first before we look at the world of human beings.
I was once speaking to a folk practitioner who told me, “If there is God the Father and God the Son, then there must be God the Mother, and God the Grandfather.” He claimed that this was a secret spiritual doctrine (“lihim na karunungan”).
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The priest-psychologist Jaime Bulatao had also observed how we project unto the divine our cultural expectations surrounding family. He said that God is seen like a Filipino father with many children—He gives gifts to good children and punishes the pasaway. God as a father figure has been interpreted as the dominance of masculinity, or the deification of men.
Psychological studies on religious leadership—particularly of indigenous churches and folk religions—have shown a very interesting trend: charismatic leaders are, more often than not, parental figures
This is an important interpretation, but an alternative interpretation is also true: maybe the overwhelming abstract concept of God is humanized through parenthood. And so among folk practitioners, they call God “Amang Bathala,” and many Christians refer to Jesus as “Papa Jesus” (which is psychologically understandable but theologically wrong because Jesus was never a father).
The strong Marian devotion in our country also shows us the importance of the mother as one who nurtures and softens the heart of the almighty father. Unfortunately, this kind of faith may limit the believer to a state of child-like dependency. They only do “good” things because their pastor said so and they are afraid of punishment (i.e. hell), and not because they truly understand what is right and wrong.
And so now we return to the world of human beings. Could our family-oriented attitude to power explain our apparent trust in dynasties? This is true in the worlds of celebrity and politics, which frequently overlap. Psychological studies on religious leadership—particularly of indigenous churches and folk religions—have shown a very interesting trend: charismatic leaders are, more often than not, parental figures.
Charismatic leaders have the following traits:
- They are driven by a powerful purpose or conviction, usually guided by a supernatural voice known as “Santong Boses.” They know things and we trust them, in the same way a child does not question how a parent knows certain things about the world. “You will learn it when you grow up.”
- They are practical and organized, as well as aggressive in pursuing their vision. It is clear to them what they have to do and who the enemy is. As individuals, we have different beliefs and desires, so we tend to be scattered and unsure. So, we just pledge our loyalty to someone who seems like they know what they are doing. And, if someone tries to question it, we challenge them by saying, “Sige nga, you try to do what they are doing!”
- They are strong and reliable, but also humble and compassionate. They are vulnerable, but not in the sense that they are easily defeated. Rather, their vulnerability is seen in the way they are filled with so much love and care for their people/citizens/children. Once in a while, they might be caught crying (a sign of empathy) or looking tired (a sign of working hard to provide for us).
An aspiring charismatic leader does not actually have to have these traits, as long as they can express them with sincerity. Vulnerable moments must be captured, not manufactured. I do not have to give direct examples—I am sure we can already identify specific people who have succeeded in swaying the masses because they embody the parental figure described above. These figures might even be given a familiar title, like “Apo” or “Tatay.”
A final clarification: it is not my role to tell you what is morally correct or what is unjustified. Power can be used for destructive ends by selfish people (masasamang loob), or towards a brighter future by well-intentioned people (mabuting loob). Power can be oppressive or constructive. It is a force, like electricity, that could give life and warmth or cause death and destruction. My role is not to judge, but to illuminate. It is better to know what is secretly influencing our lives, rather than live in the world ignorant to how it is actually affecting us. Mahirap gisingin ang taong nagtutulog-tulugan lamang.