1. LEVELS OF VALIDITY AND
SCIENTIFIC STANDARDS
Submitted to:
Prof. Agnes Montalbo
Rizal Technological University
2. Fifteen years ago, Rogelia Pe
(1978) called attention to the need
for sikolohiyang Pilipino scholars to
articulate its own history.
3. As research on indigenous psychology
matures, it becomes clearer that the
West does not have a monopoly of
scientific standards. In fact, the
recognition that science evolved from
Eastern intellectual traditions has
provided additional impetus to the
Sikolohiyang Pilipino task of reclaiming
the Filipino intellectual tradition from
the maaram to the Kabataang
Pilosopo Tasyo.
6. Talisayon’s (1991) study on
concepts of validity (patotoo) among
indigenous Filipino spiritual groups
shows why indigenous cultural
beliefs and value systems cannot be
properly measured or validated
using Western standards alone. For
him “ the process of patotoo”
[literally, ‘establishing the truth’.
7. While sikolohiyang Pilipino
dissociated itself from Anglo-
American psychology by
reconstructing its own history, it
accepted the philosophical
traditions and paradigms of
science as neither Eastern nor
Western but global
9. Sikolohiyang Pilipino is concerned not
only with universal validity of
psychological science but also utilizing
such for the purpose of serving the
interest of all mankind, thereby
affording protection to disadvantaged
Third World countries like the
Philippines. Sikolohiyang Pilipino thus
aims to use science to enhance, not
dehumanize, man.
10.
11. Quite apart from the demands of
scientific rigor, Sikolohiyang
Pilipino also requires the three
additional imperatives of being
makatao [“ethical”], makabuluhan
[“relevant”], and angkop sa kultura
[“culturally appropriate”].
12. Thus, sikolohiyang Pilipino not
only emphasizes the objective
study of psychology as a tool in
developing a Philippine national
culture which highlights sand
celebrates minority cultural
characteristics as integral to its
identity
