Filipinos are generally great people. Our passions in life are driven by strong faith and deep love. Kaya habang sinasabi pa rin natin ang “opo” at “mahal kita” [note: “kita” doesn’t just mean “you”—it means “you and I”], and as long as we continue to show respect through gestures like pagmamano and pagpapaalam [asking for permission], the Filipino spirit lives on.

However, we also need to recognize some toxic negative traits that affect how we see and manage money.

1. Pa-Victim Mentality – What is victim mentality, and who has it? Victim mentality is the tendency of some individuals to act “paawa” [pitiful] to elicit help from others, even though they are capable of taking actions to improve their own situation. These individuals often blame others or make excuses, believing they are the most unfortunate or “hampaslupa” [destitute] people in the world.

Examples:

• Dapat magpa-piyesta ka pagdating mo kapag galing kang ibang bansa. Kasi nga sila ay dito-dito lang nakaabot
• Kapag ‘di ka nagbigay o nagpada ng pera hindi sila magsu-survive
• Ganyan ka kasi ganito lang s’ya

If you’re guilty of having a victim mentality, try to change your way of life and mindset. Think that each person has own journey and crosses to bear para maging burden ka pa. You can’t maximize your potential or realize your self-worth if you keep relying on or blaming others. At the end of the day, no one can help you to thrive except yourself kaya ‘wag maging pa pabigat!

On the other hand, if you’re the friend or relative who tends to have a victim mentality, always remember this: it’s okay to offer help—but not all the time. Iba ang “nagpapatulong” sa “umaasa na.” Tipong dependent na parasites that exploit you.  In this case, you’re not helping them. You are actually tolerating their attitude problems. Ang tawag dito ay codependency.

2. You think being frugal means being cheapstake or looking poor. If you think you’re kuripot [frugal], apir! We’re both “mutant and proud!” Ang kaso lang dito ay pagkukumpara sa atin sa mga ultra-generous people out there. Kaya may iba na and iniisip ay ang frugality ay…

• Oh no, I’am getting poor na,
• Madamot [more than selfish and below ganid]
• Killjoy

Frugality means you are good in saving and spending your money. You know when you’re going to spend because you’re SURE about your happiness. Pa-party,‘di naman marunong sumayaw. Manonood ng concert, ‘di naman naiintindihan iyong mga kanta. May new phone nga ‘di naman alam gamitin :p

3. The Great Borrower – ‘Di naman siguro marami ang populasyon nila, but for me, great borrowers are those who think borrowing money is natural and ALWAYS the first thing to do. Tipong hihiram, magbabayad, tapos maghihiram ulit. The mysterious part is that they can afford to buy cars, smart phones, fancy clothes, and other things [according to their Facebook updates]. However, they can’t save money to pay their debts and monthly bills. Resulta? Debt-ridden.

4. Pasikat o Pabida – In English, boastful in a starring role …charrot! Dati “the Pasikats” are common in fiestas. There, they offer banquets and join activities where they can show their talents money. Personally, I like fiestas. Iyon lang there are individuals who show extravagant ways of life in their handaan even though they have tight budgets. Puwede naman ambagan sa fiesta, ‘di ba?

An example of The Modern Pasikat ay iyong active sa social media updates and buying gizmos for the sake of saying “they can afford.” I believe smart, esteemed, and successful people don’t boast (or rarely do) about their escapades, designer clothes, the latest gadgets, or expensive collections. Instead, they’re busy focusing on their productivity, making money, and doing their acitvities as usual. Discover who are Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Ariana Huffington, and Oprah Winfrey. They do not make yabang; they make money.

5. Humility for the wrong reasons o pagpapakumbaba kuno – Absolutely, being humble is good, BUT it should come with wisdom and dignity. Lalim noh?  Explain, ko…

The negative type of humility is when we think we’re not good enough compared to others. We allow people to abuse our kindness and disrespect our opinions. Meanwhile, when we receive appreciation, we either reject it or doubt our worth. I believe that handling our career, business, money, and relationships well also depends on having the right mindset about humility

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity