A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON THE EXPERIENCES OF DOMESTIC HELPERS IN MANILA

This study was conducted by: Paul Onrubia, Danica Estanislao, Gian Maniego, Hazel Delas Alas and LA Revilla

I.                    INTRODUCTION

                Domestic working has been considered as an essential form of living, and as well as a source of financial stability, for families usually coming from the provinces and falling under low socioeconomic position, particularly in the Philippine society (Sayres, 2005). The domestic worker renders personal service in the employer’s home which is usually necessary for household maintenance and familial convenience (ILO, 2006). The purpose, therefore, of this study is on the experiences of these domestic workers with regards to their labor employment. However, domestic working is not just about physical work; it is also a role which constructs and situates the worker within certain set of social relationships (MacDonald, 2006). For this reason the study also aims to determine how the domestic worker would adjust to such experiences and opportunities that present itself in their line of work, not only in relation to living under a relatively new kind of living condition, but as well as to the authority of their employers, of which they must abide to, and to leaving their own families in the province.

II.                  METHODS

The study involved eleven domestic helpers; five were interviewed individually while the rest were part of a focus group discussion. The researchers used convenient sampling as a method of garnering participants; the study requires domestic workers who are currently employed and above the legal working age. Although various domestic workers around the Metro Manila would meet the study’s specification, the researchers garnered the participants through inquiring them for their time, with the consent their employers, only within the boundary of the researchers corresponding neighborhoods. For the data gathering component, the method used for the study was mainly conducting an interview. Data analysis includes audio transcriptions which were then encoded and extracted to obtain the key themes of the study. To ensure validity, participants were to comment on the garnered data and approve of the accuracy to their experiences. The participants were also made “co-researchers” so that they could constantly analyze and assess the data.

III.                RESULTS

Table1. The experiences of Domestic Helpers in an urban setting

- The following table illustrates the experiences of domestic helpers in an urban setting; experiences that particularly pertain and are limited to their line of work.

Themes	Working Definition/Description	Data Extract (Quotes from participants)
Personal Leisure	During breaks, domestic helpers find other activities, like shopping, to have some time with themselves and with other important people in their lives.	Q: Ano po ba yung pinakamalaking pagbabago na naransan mo mula ng galling sa probinsya ditto sa Maynila? “Yung nabibili mo yung gusto mo, sa probinsya kasi maliit yung kita kaya yung gusto mo di mo mabili. Dito kasi nabibili mo na kasi malaki na yung kinikita mo” Q: Maliban naman po dun, nakakahanap naman po kayo ng oras para sa sarili niyo? “Pag nag-off –nagpapahinga lang… sa ate ko lang. O kaya gumagala lang din dito sa buong subdivision, kasama naming yung bata.”
Sustaining the basic needs of their family in the province	The resources the domestic helpers acquire are sent to their family – sending basic necessities (“mga padala”) and remitting their earnings.	Q: Sa mga pagkakataon na bumibili kayo, nagpapadala rin po ba kayo sa pamilya niyo? “Oo, padala nalang. Sa tatay ko lang –may kanya kanya naman na kaming pamilya.” Q: Bakit po dumating sa point na nag iba-iba kayo ng trabaho? “Syempre nag hahanap ng magandang kita. Yung mataas na kita para sa pamilya.”
Unexpected leaves (amidst work) to administer the needs of their children	The duty of the parent domestic helper is going back to the province to their family to monitor the behaviors of their children during problematic times and budgeting for their children.	Q: Nung minsan kang umuwi, gaano ka katagal simula ng pumasok dito? “Kasi po nagka problema yung anak ko noon. Nagkaproblema kasi sabi ng mama ko kelangan asikasuhin mga bata hindi yata kasi nakikinig sa kanila. Edi ang ginawa ko sabi ko uuwi ako titignan ko kung ano magagawa.  Ayun pagkauwi ko kinausap ko mga bata tinanong ko kung nag-aaral sila kasi puro daw lakwatsa, mahirap kako walang mapapala. Sabi ko kaya ko kayo pinag-aaral, nagtrabaho ako para sa inyo. Kaya nag stay muna ako doon ng mga mag iisang buwan kasi tinesting kosila. Okay naman, nag-aaral naman sila. Kaya sabi ko babalik ulit ako sa trabaho. Itext niyo nalang ako kung ano pa maging problema.
Engaging in other forms of work for the benefit of their family	The domestic helper (also) works for the betterment of their own family in the province, some domestic helpers do not consider day-offs and engage in other work opportunities for the extra profits.	Q: Bakit po dumating sa point na nag iba-iba kayo ng trabaho? “Syempre naghahanap ng magandang kita. Yung mataas na kita para sa pamilya. Pero parang pare-parehas din, pag sa pabrika ganun din magastos din. Pagsa canteen ganun din. Pag nasa loob ka ngbahay pag katulong medyo tipid kasi hindi ka naman lumalabas eh.”

Table Content: A change in the domestic helpers living condition or environment would also provide them new experiences and opportunities. The experiences they go through are still grounded upon the fundamental reason of why they entered domestic working – it serves as a means of resources and income for themselves and their family. This is why the experiences (other than that of their domestic work) of engaging in different employment and leisure activities are still related to the primary work they do.

Table2. How Domestic Helpers adjust to their Employer

- The following table illustrates the measures taken by domestic helpers to comply with the terms of their employer with regards to their overall relationship.

Themes	Working Definition/Description	Data Extract (Quotes from participants)
Approaching their employer when in need of their assistance regarding a particular situation they are in	The domestic helpers display a respecting and unassertive attitude towards their employer when conversing with them.	Q: Kapag po may problema kayo… sino po tinatakbuhan ninyo? “Yung boss ko, oras na kapag sa financial, siya yung lapitan ko.. kasi wala naman talaga akong ibang matatakbuhan eh kundi yung boss ko.”
Committing themselves to their assigned responsibilities or obligations	They give all of their time and effort in their tasks through displaying obedience to it. Sometimes they do not take the opportunity of having day-offs; all their works and tasks are efficiently and immediately done.	Q: Meron po ba yung sa tungkulin niyo po, yung lagpas na yung pinagawa nila sayo? “Hindi ko na iniisip yun. Kasi parang isang tao na rin sila sa akin, kaya kahit ano ano dyan (naipagawa) natural nalang na gagawin yun. Walang pa isip-isip.”
Accepts personal mistakes made in their line of duty	The domestic helpers admit their faults by not attempting to directly confront them in a defensive manner.	Q: Minsan po ba dumating na sa point na may pinagawa sila sayo na lagpas sa tungkulin ninyo? “Oo… Yung isang beses inutos sa akin yung paliguan yung bata tapos nauna ko yung pumuntang market. Tapos may binili ako. Pero di naman nagalit, nag text lang sa akin. Okay lang naman sa akin, wala naman iyon.”
Solving conflicts during times of negligence	Although domestic helpers, most of the time, do not directly confront nor do they defend themselves when committing a mistake, they are sensitive enough to approach and apologize their employer when a mistake is done.	Q: Pag may responsibilidad po kayo na hindi niyo nagagawa, ano po nasasabi nila sayo? May nasasabi ba sila? Ano po yung ginagawa nila? “Wala naman silang sinasabi basta ipapaliwanag mo minsan na bakit ganyan. Pinapaliwanag ko naiintindihan na nila yun.”
Assisting one another (fellow domestic helpers in household) to accomplish duties	If in the household, the domestic helper is fortunate enough to have colleagues around, they help each in accomplishing the tasks given to them.	Q: So ano naman po ba ang araw-araw na ginagawa ninyo? “Kasama na sa pag-aalaga ng bata , maglalaba, magluluto, naglilinis, dalawa kasi kami – nagtutulong-tulong nalang kami”

Table Content: In their line of work, domestic helpers are aware that they must be unconditionally committed to their employer’s authority and to their assigned duties. Maintaining a civil relationship with their employer is as important as being compliant and modest, especially during times of personal neglect or irresponsibility. This is why being able to establish a good relationship with their employer helps in enabling the domestic helpers to approach their bosses, during times wherein they would need assistance, particularly financial ones.

Table3. How Domestic Helpers adjust to leaving their family in the province.

-The following table illustrates the measures taken by domestic helpers to amend for leaving their families to enter domestic work.

Themes	Working Definition/Description	Data Extract (Quotes from participants)
Maintaining Communication	Domestic Helpers attempt to consistently communicate with their families in the province. They make use of available resources such as telecommunication tools, for example, landlines or mobile phones, to connect with their families.	Q: Tuwing kalian po kayo nakikipag-usap sa pamilya ninyo? “Pag nagpapadala ako ng pera, pero hindi lang tuwing nagpapadala ako ng pera tiyaka lang ako tumatawag. Pag minsan na mimiss ko sila, dun ko din sila tatawagan.” Q: So pano po kayo nakikipag-usap sa kanila? “Sa cellphone… Tawag-tawag nalang kahit anong araw, pag gusto mo.”
Engaging in alternative leisure activities	Domestic Helpers are w/o full control of their time, even with communicating with their family. They keep themselves occupied with particular leisure activities, such as going out with their current employers and watching TV or relaxing at home, to “free” their minds off missing their own family.	Q: So ano po ba yung nararamdaman ninyo na malayo kayo sa pamilya mo? “Nung una malungkot syempre, pero ng katagalan na rin okay na kasi masaya naman dito – naglilibang libang nalang. Nanunuod palagi ng TV. Masaya naman kasi pag namamasyal o umaalis sila, sinasama ako”
“Releasing” or unconstructively expressing their emotions on being away from their family	Domestic Helpers experience different emotional states when being away from their family for a long period of time.  Most would “let out” their depressed feeling and cry; although there are some who would go to the extent of harshly confronting others to achieve what they desire for their family.	Q: Tuwing kalian niyo po naiisip ang iyong mga anak? “Pag pagod ako minsan.  Minsan umiiyak din ako. Wala lang nakaupo lang” Q: Ano naman po nararamdaman mo pag nagka problema sa inyo, tapos naririto kayo? “Nung July 7 nasa Ospital anak ko, nagka UTI. Nag-away kami ng nanay ko kasi nga di niya alam gagawin niya – nakapag salita ako ng hindi maganda… pag may nangyari sa anak ko baka di ko alam magagawa ko sa inyo. Kasi kahit anong gagawin ko wala na talaga akong magagawa kasi malayo ako”
Relating to other people within their current environment about their endeavors	Domestic Helpers are committed to their employment with their employer, which therefore inclines them to be present in the employer’s household. Being away from their families, they are not able to directly monitor their own family problems; they would simply open up and share it to their employers.	Q: Pag may problema po kayo sa pamilya ninyo sa probinsya, anong ginagawa ninyo? “Pag may problema, syempre sasabihan nila kung ano kailangan, nasasabi ko din sa amo ko kung ano mga kailangan. Tapos di naman nila binibigo yung sinasabi ko.”
Motivating themselves to be persevering  and to be tolerant	Domestic helpers accept and are aware that they will be away from their families for a long time. They exhibit resilience for their families; they endure certain hardships and concentrate on their work to earn their income.	Q: Sa ngayon po, nagugustuhan niyo ba ang sitwasyon ninyo? “Okay lang naman. Minsan sinasabi ko din sa sarili ko bakit ganito ganyan. Pero wala naman ako magagawa kasi syempre naghahangad din ako ng maganda Q: Anong tingin mo sa lagay ng trabaho mo at pamilya mo ngayon? “Nagtitiis nalang ako para makaraos kami”

Table Content: The most common option for domestic helpers is to consistently maintain communication with their families. Although, there are others who would consider alternative means of mostly emotional behavior, such as by constructively managing them through engaging in alternative, relatively pleasant activities, or by simply letting their negative emotions out and/or relating them to the people within their current surroundings.

IV.                CONCLUSION/DISCUSSION/RECOMMENDATION

The findings show that domestic helpers go through various experiences pertaining to leaving the province and entering a new living condition here in Manila. The primary reason of domestic helpers for entering this line of work is to alleviate their rural poverty (Sayres, 2005), to better the situation and to sustain the needs of their family. Although they would garner new experiences, such as being able to buy things that are only sold here in Manila, they are still obligated to fulfill certain duties to their own family. In entering this line of work, they are aware of the particular responsibilities that come with it. Most of the participants stated that even if they make a few mistakes, they accept these faults and try to immediately resolve conflicts with their employers. As domestic helpers become distant from their family, they can consistently communicate with their family, but they cannot directly monitor problems that occur with their family; they are simply given time by their employers to go back to their family in the province. For this reason, establishing a good relationship and resolving conflicts with their employer is essential; this will also enable social support which can promote the resilience of these domestic workers (van der Ham, N.D). Pertaining to the support they need, particularly with financial difficulties, the domestic helper can be mistress-dependent, when they are confronted with extreme need for survival (Arnado, 2003, p.169). The researchers recommend furthering the investigation and studying the effects of the decisions made by domestic helpers that directly affect their families in the provinces. This can be a vital point of inquiry as future research may be able to determine if entering domestic work can be an effective source of rural poverty alleviation. Also, the researchers consider looking into the employer’s demographic information as well, as this may have bearing on the employer-employee relationship, and in effect, affect the domestic helper’s motives as well.

V.                  REFERENCES

Arnado, J. (2003). Maternalism in Mistress-Maid Relations: The Philippine Experience. Journal of International Women’s Studies Vol. 4 #3 May     2003 177 

International Labour Office. (2006). Kasambahay Handbook. Everything the Filipino Domestic Worker Wants to Know. Domestic Workers           (DOMWORK) Project, Philippines ILO Programme on Mobilizing Action for the Protection of Domestic Workers from Forced Labour and         Trafficking in South-East Asia

MacDonald, M. (2006). Reproducing Social Identities: Employer-Employee Relationships within Paid Domestic Labor in the Netherlands.      Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. Paper 355. School for International Training, Sexuality and Gender Identity Program,            Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Sayres, N. J. (2005). An Analysis of the Situation of Filipino Domestic Workers. ILO Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour:  Mobilizing Action for the Protection of Domestic Workers from Forced Labour and Trafficking in Southeast Asia.

Van der Ham, L. (n.d). Resilience and environmental resources of female domestic workers from the Philippines.

Concepts of Death of Adolescents in the Philippines

This study was conducted by: Choa, G., Golloso, C.N., Guingona, B.M. & Moreno, J.M.

INTRODUCTION

It was found that mortality was generally higher in adolescents and young adults than in the older age groups in the Philippines (as cited in Redaniel, Lebanan-Dalida, & Gunnel, 2011).This emphasizes the idea that death matters are greatly significant for adolescents. Since the stage of adolescence is crucial, as they undergo a crisis wherein they try to figure out who and what they are depending on their personal and spiritual beliefs, principles and values, the experience of losing someone metaphorically or literally may be emotionally hard for a teenager (I. Noppe & L. Noppe, 2004).They develop fear towards death especially when they realize that death is something that is permanent and irrevocable (Lonetto, 1980; Silverman, 2000 as cited in Bradbury, 2005). To avoid the fear of dying, teenagers involve themselves with dangerous activities by thinking of their ideal death, seeking awareness through art and media or pursuing uncertainties to control their avoidance of death in misery (Kann et al.,2000 as cited in Noppe & Noppe, 2004).They are at higher risks for pursuing these uncertainties because of developments in their brain that increase the urge to engage in adventurous endeavors. (Kann et al.,2000 as cited in Noppe & Noppe, 2004).  

Based on previous research, there has been evidence that adolescents and adults tend to coherently talk about death spiritually (Harris and Gimenez, n.d.). According to Brent, Speece and Corr (as cited in I. Noppe & L. Noppe, 2004,p. 151), there are five primary notions about death: universality which means every human being must die; irreversibility which means when one dies, it can never be physically alive again; nonfunctionality which states that when one dies, all actions or activity engagements related to life dies with it; causality which is the possible reasons of death; and noncorporeal continuation which states that the dead transform into some sort after physically dying. These concepts, whether abstractly or subjectively viewed, may be partially based on what is seen or heard from media and what is read in different types of literature (Concepts of Death by Age Group, n.d.).

Death may seem a rather difficult topic to discuss especially in the Philippines, due to the very optimistic culture. Given this, knowing the notions of death from adolescents will further aid in the understanding of adolescent high-risk behaviors (such as suicide attempts).The study can also help counsellors in their practice, by assisting parents in dealing with the discussion of death with their children. Moreover, they will be able to help shape adolescents’ self-awareness and coping mechanisms, which will help give them a more in-depth comprehension of death (Weiruszowski, 2008), as well as provide the appropriate knowledge that may be of help in preparing them adapt to different types of loss (I. Noppe & L. Noppe, 2004).These can further spark interest among psychologists and other researchers to conduct studies regarding these matters and contribute to the growing literature on the study of death particularly in the Philippines. That is why for this research, the main question is “What are the concepts of death from adolescents in the Philippines?”

METHODS

The participants for this study were Filipino Adolescents, specifically between the ages of 12-18 from different private Catholic schools across Metro Manila. To gather data, the researchers conducted semi-structured individual interviews, as well as a focus group discussion. To analyze this, content analysis was used on the recordings and notes taken down by the researchers; lines from the text were coded, extracts were identified and then clusters of meaning were developed based on the similar experiences of the participants. To ensure validity of data, the Triangulation Method was used by merging information gathered from various other sources (Guion & McDonald, n.d.), as well as member checking or validation by the participants themselves.

RESULTS
Based on research, the concepts of death of adolescents were categorized as themes and are as follows:

THEMES	DEFINITIONS	SAMPLE QUOTES
Death is an event that brings out emotions	Death is seen as something that initiates different emotions and feelings to people such as sadness, fear, sympathy, doubtfulness, joyfulness, hopefulness and the like.	“it’s hard. Like, knowing that something that close to you, you’ve spent a lot of time with it and stuff, a lot of memories with that dog..it’s hard knowing that you can’t live without it anymore because it’s not there. So life’s different.”                                                 “that was really sad, actually. Cause we were all pretty close to him. Like me and my cousins, uncles and aunts, we were close to him. So every time we go to his house, we’d be there and yeah, knowing na, yun nga he’s not there na, it’s different.”
Death has a purpose	It is something that happens for a             reason. An event/phenomena that results to changes in different life settings such as school, work, family, career etc.	“it affected me in a way that, like one of the cornerstones of the whole family was gone na. I had to be there for my whole family… So I had to be there for my younger cousins and they were obviously closer to my lolo than I was because they were younger so they’re more attached. I had to be there for them. Not just when he died, but until like now”                                                 “Death is not really sad, it’s a part of life that it should serve as a lesson for other people. And it gives other people na sasabihin ung tao to spend more time and live life to the fullest because you don’t know when death will come.”
Death is a spiritual or religious belief	Various notions on death and the afterlife is shaped and influenced by an individual’s religion or spiritual belief.	A: “After death...the people who die spend time with God, Jesus”                                                 “They go to heaven when they’re saved. They go to Christ and live again. When they go to hell, they do not receive salvation and they experience eternal suffering. In heaven they spend time with God, they worship God and enjoy the gospel”                                                   “Because in my faith, we believe that Jesus Christ died to pay for our sins so we believe that you have a place to go to to pay for your own sins“
Death happens to everyone	Every person dies and no one is invulnerable towards it.	“I knew people could die, like pass away and stuff but didn’t know that dogs could die.”                         C: ...“din, kasi lahat naman ng pinagdadaan un. Temporary lang naman kasi ang life.”
Death can come naturally or unnaturally	Death may be due to natural causes like illnesses and old age or by unnatural causes such as accidents, suicides and killing crimes	“Maraming ways. The worst one would be dying of old age, sick ridden and then the ideal one is dying of old age healthy and strong. But of course, there are other ways that I imagined to come. One would be a car accident or fire being burned in the house or wherever, drowning and other things as of expected age” “tinry   ko ngang magpakamatay e”
Death is what others say it is	The beliefs of individuals towards death is individuals is based from what other people tell them or what the media tells/shows them	C: “Nung namatay lolo ko, sabi ng pinsan ko, ano parang ginagawa pa rin niya ung normal na ginagawa niya nung buhay pa siya. Before siya, like ginagawa pa        rin niya ung normal routines niya. Natutulog pa rin siya for ilang weeks, un, kasi nakakakita siya. So feeling ko ganun muna bago          siya pumunta (sa heaven)”
Death is the end of sufferings and/or problems	Death is what marks the end of problems as those who die are believed to be relieved from any sort of pain or negative experiences and/or feelings.	D: “Kasama nila si God tapos walang problems.”

The researchers were able to identify several themes regarding the concepts of death among Filipino adolescents. Most of them are related to ideas brought about by external influences such as religion and external entities while some are related to the general idea of death being universal and an end to worldly concepts such as life and sufferings. These were defined and were further supported by data extracts from the interviews and focus group discussion conducted for the study.

 CONCLUSION, DISCUSSION, RECOMMENDATIONS.

Based on results, the study shows that adolescents in the Philippines see death as something universal. Everyone in the world would experience death sooner or later. Furthermore, adolescents understand that death is inevitable. Adolescents in the Philippines understand that death is part of the cycle of life, and in addition they see death as an emotional experience.The idea of death in the Philippines is greatly influenced by their emotional experience in losing someone, religion and individuals who are around. Emotional experience leads to the  understanding on how an individual may cope in the experience of losing some. In addition, religion and culture plays a big role in the understanding of death since most individuals in the Philippines are Catholics and observe most beliefs and practices in their cultures. Thus, the concept of death among these individuals is something that leads one to heaven, hell, and someone after death. For future researches on this topic, it would be advisable to compose a more focused an in-depth concepts of death of adolescents in the Philippines. Moreover, it would also be better if there would be more reference on the notions of death of individuals here in the Philippines instead of references coming from different parts of the world. Lastly, the study would be more in-depth if one could focus on other internal and external factors that affect the notions of death of children in the Philippines.

REFERENCES

Bradbury, J.S. (2004). Children's Perception of Death: A Piagetian Perspective (Masteral Dissertation). Retrieved from http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/344/dissertation.pdf?sequence=2. (Wits Institutional Repository on DSpace).

Concepts of Death by Age Group. (n.d.). University of Maryland Employee Assistance Program. Retrieved August 4, 2012, fromhttp://www.umb-eap.org/pdf/DeathByAgeGroup.pdf

Guion, L., Diehl, D., & McDonald, D. (n.d.). FCS6014/FY394: Triangulation: Establishing the Validity of Qualitative Studies. EDIS - Electronic Data Information Source - UF/IFAS Extension. Retrieved August 16, 2012, from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy394

Harris, P.L., & Gimenez, M. (n.d.).
Children’s acceptance of conflicting testimony: The case of death (Masteral
Dissertation). Retrieved from http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/features/harris/HarrisGimenez.pdf. (Harvard Graduate School of Education).

Noppe & L. Noppe. (2004). Adolescent experience with death: Letting Go of Immortality. Journal of Mental Health Counceling, 16(2)

Redaniel, M., Lebanan-Dalida, M., & Gunnell, D. (2011). Suicide in the Philippines: time trend analysis (1974-2005) and literature review. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved August 16, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3146433/

Speece, M. W. (1995). Children's Concepts of Death. Michigan Family Review, 1(Living & Dying: Family Decisions). Retrieved August 4, 2012, from http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.491908

Speece, M. & Brent, S.
(1984). Children's understanding of death: A review of three components of a
death concept. Child Development, 55(5), 1671-1686.

Speece, M. & Brent,
S.(1992). The acquisition of a mature understanding of three components of the
concept of death.  Death studies, 16(3), 211-229.

Weiruszowski, L.C. (2008). The experience of adolescents dealing with parental loss through death. University of Pretoria, 2, 41-69.

Unbelievable: A Qualitative Study about the Experiences of Atheists in the Philippines

This study was conducted by Aira Don, Tiffany Go, Karla Lee, and Kayla Ruiz.

Introduction

Our study seeks to understand and bring awareness on the experiences of atheists to lessen any discrimination directed towards them by the community. Also, since there are few Western studies and almost none Asian studies found, the study seeks to contribute to the psychology community new researches and ideas through focusing on atheists in the Philippines and their social relationships.  Research on the study found that in a person’s journey towards being an atheist, knowledge from different worldviews and doubting of religion are important factors (Lynn, Harvey, and Nyborg, 2009; Alidoosti, 2009). Self-exploration is also important before a person truly accepts themselves as an atheist (Alidoosti, 2009). In some studies, family and friends are found to be one of the influences in their claim while in other studies, confessing to them often leads to negative reactions (Baker & Smith, 2009; Alidoosti, 2009). Different religion groups in turn are found to distrust atheist which causes prejudice and discrimination towards them (Gervais, Shariff, and Norenzayan, 2011; Gervais, 2011).  These cause atheists to feel excluded from the society and therefore tries to find a group where they would be accepted (Power, 2012; Alidoosti, 2009). With this, we formed our research problem, what are the lived experiences of atheists in the Philippines? With three sub-questions: (a) What are the lived experiences of an atheist when relating to close people to differing religious affiliations? (b) What are the experiences of an atheist in different religious groups? (c) How do atheists feel when finding a group of fellow atheists in a predominantly Catholic country?

Methods

The participants for our study are atheists who are part of the Filipino Freethinkers. They have the age range of 18 – 48. We did individual interviews as well as a focus group discussion using a semi structured interview to gather our data.  We analyzed our data by transcribing the interviews and focus group discussion and after that coding the necessary data for our study. We ensured the validity of our data by checking or clarifying with our participants the statements that they gave. Another thing that we did to ensure the validity is coding the transcribed interviews individually to make sure that we get the same meaning from the data that we have.

Results

Table 1:  What are the lived experiences of atheists in the Philippines?

The lived experiences of atheists in the Philippines covers a wide range of topics; from the religion they were originally born into, their self-exploratory process towards atheism, their newfound non-religious beliefs, their reactions towards their religious family members, and their perception on the continuous belief of the religious community.

Theme	Description/Definition	Exemplar Quote
Early Catholic life	The religious environment the participant grew up in and the religion being practiced by the participant’s family.	“Ever since I was young, I was (born) from theist to something like New Ager, to Deist, then Atheist.”
Aversive reactions towards family members	Negative reactions towards family members, often adversarial or avoidant	“She would end up shouting and getting really mad whenever we would discuss something as sensitive as religion… It’s rather tearing when their common response is usually breaking into fears, or demanding that the topic not be discussed. So there’s an unspoken agreement that I’ll go to church with them just to pacify them.”
Non-religious Beliefs	Beliefs that participants hold onto in lieu of a religious, deity-based belief	“I believe that good doesn’t come from god, it comes from morality that is based on how people should treat people.”
Assumption of indoctrination	Seeing religious people as having been indoctrinated, hence continued religiosity	“The biggest definition I can give to these people is that they’ve been indoctrinated. That these people are this way because they don’t know any other option”
Religious exploration	The process of exploring different religions and looking for a better religious standpoint	“I haven’t always been agnostic but I find myself to be in a constant questioning and searching for answers. And until I find something um, something to change what I believe in, then I can say that I am content with how I am now.”

Most of the participants in the study have come from Catholic backgrounds although not all of them were devoutly Catholic and not all of them practiced religious traditions. Because of their doubts towards religious belief, the exposure to other world views has created new non-religious beliefs that they live by instead of the traditional deity-based belief often found in the Filipino culture. The participants view religious people as having no choice to their religion due to the indoctrination they were subjected early on in their lives. At times, the lack of belief of these participants has resulted in avoiding their family members or sometimes arguing with them regarding religion.

Table 2: What are the lived experiences of an atheist when relating to close people to differing religious affiliations?

Due to the opposing beliefs of atheists and religious members of the participant’s social circles, the differing belief may at times cause familial or friendship friction.

Theme	Description/Definition	Exemplar Quote
Familial friction	Strain on familial relations because of participant’s atheism	“They’re extremely fundamentalist Christian that their religion has affected their opinion on things like homophobia, or birth control or general bigotry, so as I expressed dislike of their opinions on social media, they lashed back with religious conservatism on an extreme level, to the point where I was disowned by my aunt as a family member. So, to her, I’m like dead to her and her sisters”
Friendship friction	Difficulties caused by atheism of participant regarding friendships	“I had a hard time getting along with my officemates because I was always afraid of offending them, or saying something that would upset them. And at the same time, they were also a bit wary of me… And, I guess they didn’t really associate themselves with me that often.”

Some participants have expressed their issues and concerns regarding the difficulties and strains that their belief has caused on their relationships with friends and family members. Arguments between family members, avoidance from peers, denial from both family and friends are just some of the problems that the participants have experienced.

Table 3: What are the experiences of an atheist in different religious groups?

When interacting with people of different religious groups, the atheistic nature of the participants will allow them to act in only one of two ways.

Theme	Description/Definition	Exemplar Quote
Religious indifference	Not treating religious people differently simply because of religious differences	“In terms of getting along with them (theists), going out with them, working with them, I have no problem with that. I treat them like anybody else.”
Religious considerations	Atheists treating religious people and groups with more caution to avoid conflict	“I feel guarded. I always feel like I have to think very carefully about what I say, of course I want to be honest, as honest as possible and not lie for the sake of their comfort…. There still is that underlying tension and I’ll have to live with that”

 Firstly, atheists can treat the people with indifference wherein they treat the person just like anybody else, without taking their religious beliefs or traditions into consideration. Another way is for the atheists to remain be careful about the things they say or do so as not to offend, hurt, sadden, put someone ill-at-ease, or to cause conflict.

Table 4: How do atheists in a primarily religious country feel when they finally find a group of atheists?

As the Philippines is a very religious country with a dominance in the Catholic religion, atheists experience certain feelings such as surprise and curiosity once they have immersed themselves in the atheist community that they once thought would not exist in this country.

Theme	Description/Definition	Exemplar Quote
Surprise at numbers	Because atheists in the Philippines often assume there are not very many of them in the Philippines, the sheer number  of like-minded individuals shock them	“I mean I thought that there were very few of us, but it turns out that it’s a fairly large community or at least in my opinion, it’s currently growing, so I feel like I belong.”
Curiosity towards other atheists	Because of their lack of exposure to other atheists, finally meeting more atheists makes them curious and they often end up wanting to learn more about the religious histories of other people	“What I found really really nice about Filipino Freethinkers is how their discussions are… Howdo you say this? Very… Structured. Very multi-faceted. Yeah, you see a lot of sides. You see a lot of opinions… A lot ideas on one issue. Things you’ve never thought of before and things you will never think of. Which are quite interesting pa rin to actually know that there are a lot, like shitload of a lot of ideas out there that you find quite acceptable and very amazing and very intelligent na even you couldn’t have thought about in the first place. The people there… La lang. Very curious people. Very interesting personalities and whatnot.”

One of the things the participants said they felt was surprise; this surprise was caused by the initial discovery of the large and continuously expanding number of individuals in the atheist community. Another thing they reported feeling was curiosity regarding the religious journeys of the people in the community, as well as their different ideas and thoughts regarding certain issues.

Conclusion, Discussion, Recommendations

                The fact that the participants were born and raised in a predominantly Catholic country resulted in a vast majority of them having Catholic backgrounds and a vast majority of them admitted to having very staunchly religious family members. The more staunchly religious family members were more likely to distance themselves from the participants in a very drastic manner (Alidoosti, 2009) and this may be the reason why so many of the participants are so cautious and careful when talking to other religious people, for fear of offending them. It is natural for one to want to join a group and it is equally natural for the group to want to maintain consistency within its ranks and this may be why the participants would take such considerations when dealing with other people (Dewall & Baumeister, 2008). The participants all came from middle class families which allowed them to explore different belief systems. The predominantly religious setting, however, caused them to believe that they were the only ones who believed what they did when they had finally declared themselves atheist, hence their shock at the number of people in groups for non-believers.

                Due to the unique constraints of the study, some aspects may be probed further such as correlations between atheism and variables such as socio-economic status, age and the religiosity of the participant’s family. Also, because the study covered only very few participants, perhaps a more extensive study involving more participants would yield even more information on the topic.

References

Alidoosti, B. (2009), The Process and Experience of Deciding to Live Openly Atheist in a Christian Family: A Qualitative Study (Master’s Thesis) Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12222009-140247/unrestricted/Alidoosti_B_T_2009_.pdf

Baker, J., & Smith, B. (2009). None too simple: Examining issues of religious nonbelief and nonbelonging in the United States. Journal For The Scientific Study Of Religion, 48(4), 719-733. doi:10.1111/j.1468-5906.2009.01475.x

DeWall, C. N., Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, K. D. (2008). Satiated with belongingness? effects of acceptance, rejection, and task framing on self-regulatory performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(6), 1367-1382. DOI: 10.1037/a0012632

Gervais, W. M. (2011). Finding the faithless: Perceived atheist prevalence reduce anti-atheist prejudice. Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1464-1480.

Gervais, W. M., Shariff, A. F., & Norenzayan, A. (2011). Do you believe in atheists? Distrust is central to anti-atheist prejudice. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 101(6), 1189-1206. doi:10.1037/a0025882

Lynn, R., Harvey, J., Nyborg, H. (2009). Average Intelligence Predicts Atheism Rates Across 137 Nations. Intelligence 37, p. 11-15

Power, M. (2012). Adieu to god: Why psychology leads to atheism. John Wiley & Sons Ltd: UK. Retrieved from http://www.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=N1u2YGTbMpsC&oi=fnd&pg=PA167&dq=Atheist+experiences+-+journal&ots=XzWKZ0ofHB&sig=KxfCoDOoTWK385FAAr_Cq26dRMc&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Atheist%20experiences%20-%20journal&f=false