Keeping family values alive in the digital age

Manila, Philippines - Kids these days have online presence even before they are born. Two-year-olds have their own Facebook page done by their parents. Filipinos are the No. 1 users of YouTube and in photo sharing sites. These were just some of the trends shared by IT professional and media practitioner Jerry Liao during the panel discussion on the topic, “The Filipino Family in the Digital Age.”

The event was held recently at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel to launch the nationwide search for five exemplary families in the second Jollibee Family Values Awards. Hosted by TV couple Tin Tin Bersola and Julius Babao, among the panelists were members of the board of judges of the 2012 Jollibee Family Values Awards, which is chaired by Grace Tan Caktiong, president of the Jollibee Foundation.

The annual recognition program, now in its second year, “seeks to give honor to deserving families who best exemplify positive Filipino family values such as joy, unity, optimism, close-knit bonding, and generosity, among others. With this award, Jollibee aims to further encourage everyone to cherish the real sense of family and to continue to uphold these treasured Filipino family values.”

Technology has its perils and can even affect family values. Albert Cuadrante, Jollibee vice president for marketing, remarked, “Technology has its pluses and minuses depending on how it is used. It can help connect family members even when they are apart. But it can also take away the human interaction.”

For Atty. Adel Tamano, technology poses a challenge to parents and it is up to them to guide their children. “Technology has become part and parcel of our kids’ lives,” he said. “The Internet has given us great freedom, but with it also comes great responsibility.”

 “It should never be used as a replacement for the real thing,” said Audrey Tan-Zubiri, wife of former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. While her husband’s work may often take him out of town, she makes the effort to record the activities of their children on video or digital photos and share it with him when they are together.

Cuadrante shared that he turns off his cell phone when he is out on a date with his wife. “This is our personal time together,” he said.

Marital and family counselor, Maribel Sison-Dionisio, gave similar advice. She sets aside time for each of her children individually, and she switches off all her gadgets so she can focus on her child during their bonding time.

In this fast-paced world dominated by technology, people have come to expect everything to happen instantaneously. “We need to learn how to wait,” Dionisio said. “This is important especially in relationships.”

During the first year of its campaign, the Jollibee Family Values Awards received the Anvil Award of Excellence for PR Programs directed at specific stakeholders, “in recognition of its effectiveness in promoting positive family values.”  

The criteria for judging the five winning families focus not only on the Filipino values that they exemplify but also their impact outside the family as well as the participation of the whole family. The uniqueness of their individual stories is also an important factor.

 “We received over 1,300 nominations from all over the country last year,” Cuadrante shared. “This year, we hope to generate at least 2,000 nominations.”

Judging is not an easy task. Zubiri sees it as a humbling experience, “to hear these stories of families doing great things,” she said, “it’s an honor.” Tamano said, “I know I will be enriched by the stories that are so inspiring.”

Among last year’s winners is the Depla family from Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Flor is a midwife who volunteers her services in the barangay. “She is the classic example of the ‘widow’s mite,’” Cuadrante noted.  The Francisco family from Lucena City started a feeding program in Gumaca, Quezon in 2009. They have also organized feeding programs in 43 sites in Lucena City as well as medical missions.

Wawel Mercado writes and gives talks in schools, before church groups, and other forums on how a family should handle the disability of its member. His wife, Mila, became paralyzed and unable to speak after suffering complications during the birth of their only child, Therese. They are also advocates for the implementation of the accessibility law in the country.

Ernesto and Mardi Suplido of Silay City, Negros Occidental, give talks to couples with the Christian Family Movement’s Discovery Weekend and Marriage Encounter. “All their kids also participate actively, sharing and giving talks on family values to their fellow teens, ” Cuadrante noted.

The Cartojano family from General Santos City in South Cotabato are all active members of the Red Cross. They have also launched several websites and blogs to help  promote their city as well as share information to the world.

 “This is the bigger picture, to share our Filipino values with the world,” Cuadrante remarked. Filipinos are all over the world and so is Jollibee. “We have seen how naturally Filipinos gravitate to a Jollibee. It’s like their kababayan, a part of their extended family. It is important for them to have a sense of home anywhere they are.”

 “There are many challenges that face the family,” Cuadrante observed. “Jollibee being the family brand that it is, it is our responsibility to protect what has been working for the Filipino family. Jollibee’s commitment is to make sure that Filipino family values are kept very much alive.”