Resilience: Positive and Negative

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By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD 

Resilience is the image of a bamboo, highly flexible but firmly rooted on the ground (principles, values). It is about the ability to bounce back. Our institutions are meant to be like that. But moral accountability is not a matter of words. It must be about what our public officials actually do. 

Filipinos are resilient. But it might just be a facade, one that is rooted in the "Bahala na" attitude. People accept their fate. It is a type of resignation that things happen despite what you do. We learn how to adapt but fail to make sure that certain bad things won't happen again. 

But perhaps our resilience is in the weak sense. I call it negative resilience. Negative resilience means surviving but not doing anything to change bad situations to make sure that things won't happen again. You can't blame the people, however. They are victims of unfair structures and practices. 

In contrast, resilience in the strong sense is what pro-active action is about. Positive resilience means absorbing the impact, reorganizing, and adapting to processes that ensure survival. You try not to do the same mistakes again. While this requires effort, reform or change must be systemic. 

In fact, in a study of 4,000 respondents, 79% of Filipinos are actually discouraged after every disaster while only 19% feel positive. The study also says that 18% are depressed, and only 27% feel resilient. Hence, there is that sense of resignation given our situation because people are not resolute enough. 

Despite the findings above, you cannot underestimate the indomitable spirit of the Filipino people. Precisely, the problem lies in those who control the system and for that reason, accountability rests upon those who are in power. You can't blame people who continue to suffer from bad governance. 



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