TOURISM AND HERITAGE IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY: THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE (SOME PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS)

This article tries to clarify the meaning of several terms such as “global society,” “tourism,” “heritage,” and relate them particularly to the Philippine experience. While there are reasons to promote tourism and preserve the national heritage, there are certain obstacles to these that must be overcome. The article further argues that the present Filipino generation has accepted the current global culture—described by James Fallows as a “damaged culture”—as a source out of which a new understanding of Filipino identity is possible

Why must we forgive? (Penultimate version)

Personal forgiveness, in a worldly setting, is an act performed by a human person to overcome resentment, among others, in order for that person to open up to possibilities of accommodation of, acceptance of, and reconciliation or communion with the Other. I want to argue that such an act is spiritual in nature or has an element of divinity in it. To forgive is to be lovingly compassionate, and the act of being lovingly compassionate in the midst of being wronged or downtrodden, or exploited and so on—real or imagined—is an act that goes beyond being human: it appears knowingly or unknowingly—even for a non-believer—to have the guidance of a spiritual support. One overriding reason, among many, on why we must forgive is to have peace of mind, that is, to overcome the inherent spiritual distress or emotional burden, or both. In this regard, personal forgiveness may be considered as a form of an enlightened self-interest

The concept of the public good: A view from a Filipino philosopher

The author argues that the concept of the public good carries largely the politico-ethical sense which subsumes the politico-economic sense. The public good is public in the sense that the beneficiaries are the general public. The government or state pursues it with a service orientation while private corporations pursue it with a profit orientation.The author also discusses mixed public goods which are pursued by private organizations with a service motivation. Government corporations are basically motivated by service though having profit is not precluded. Finally, the author talks about public bads such as corruption, pollution, and crimes

Filipino philosophy, western tradition, and nation building

In this paper, the author (1) makes the distinctions between traditional and cultural approaches to philosophy and between philosophers and scholars of philosophy, (2) explains why the Filipino philosophy that developed is Western in orientation, (3) discusses the problems of philosophy in the Philippines, (4) argues for the relevant linkage of philosophy to nation building and, among others, (5) enumerates some principles that help guide the author in developing philosophy in the Philippines

Mythical Burgos: A critique of Honario Lopez\u27s Ang Tunay na Buhay ni P. Jose Burgos

Dr. Rolando Gripaldo of the Philosophy Department lectured on Mythical Burgos: A Critique of Honario Lopez\u27s Ang Tunay na Buhay ni P. Jose Burgos during the celebration of University Week \u2799

The making of a Filipino philosopher

It is not only important for a Filipino teacher or scholar of philosophy to transform oneself into a Filipino philosopher by innovating within one\u27s favorite philosopher (from Kantian, e.g., to neo-Kantian), by rejecting a philosophical position and formulating one\u27s own (discarding Hegelianism, e.g., and formulating a neorealism), or by examining old philosophical questions and offering one\u27s own novel perspectival solutions. It is more important to transform oneself into a world-class philosopher