WHAT IS KAPWA?

 

"Kapwa: is a Tagalog term widely used when addressing another with the intention of establishing a connection. It reflects a viewpoint that beholds the essential humanity recognizable in everyone, therefore linking (including) people rather than separating (excluding) them from each other. [Virgilio]Enriquez felt that this orientation was an expression of “humanness at its highest level.” Why? Kapwa, beyond all outer trappings, looks for what people have in common: not whether someone is rich or poor, not whether somebody is young or old, man, woman or child, but rather for the fundamental characteristics in people, that is, as human beings. According to this type of thinking, people always remain just people (tao lang) despite titles, prestigious positions or wealth. It’s their behavior and their ethics that count."

             -Katrin de Guia, "KAPWA the Self in the Other" 

​