THE background of this questionnaire has already been given in a previous column (July 1, 2009). So, I will prescind from it.

What follows is a report on the answers given by ninety-three (93) high school students of Arayat Institute on October 8, 2008. They are made up of the following groups: I-Sampaguita (24 students), II-Faith (21), III-Mango (20), and IV-Narra (16), a total of 81, plus twelve (12) others who did not write their year and section.

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They identified their residences as the following barangays, respectively, all in the town of Arayat: Poblacion (12 students), Guemasan Subdivision (12), Matamo (10), Paralaya (7), Gatiawin (6), Cacutud (5), San Nicolas (5), Cupang (4), Mesulo (4), Plazang Luma (4), San Agustin Sur (4), San Juan Bano (4), Candating (2), Lacnit (2), San Agustin Norte (2), San Jose Mesulo (2), as well as Bitas, Mangga Cacutud, Paroba Natamo, Paliolang, Paunlang, Riverside, and Sta Lucia Cupang, there being one student each in these last seven barangays. That is a total of only 92 students, because one of them did not indicate his/her residence.

The multiple-choice questions that were asked were these:

1. Ang kabutihang asal ay unang natututuhan at nabubuo: a. sa tahanan, b. sa paaralan, c. sa simbahan

2. Ang pinka-ugat ng ugali na mahirap nang palitan ay: a. ang tahanan, b. ang paaralan, c. ang simbahan.

3. Ang gusto ko na higit na igalang ng mga tao sa akin ay: a. ang aking damdamin, b. ang aking pananampalataya, c. ang aking opinion.

4. Ang pinka-kailangan sa mabuting pagsasamahan ay ang: a. unawain ang damdamin ng iba, b. unawain ang pananampalataya ng iba, c. unawain ang opinion ng iba.

5. Sa tatlong ito, ang pinakamahalaga sa akin ay ang pagiging: a. makatao, b. makabayan, c. makasimbahan.

The students responded as follows:

1. a. tahanan (92 students), b. paaralan (0), c. simbahan (1).
2. a. tahanan (72), b. paaralan (12), c. simbahan (7),
3. a. damdamin (76), b. pananampalatay (11), c. opininion (5).
4. a. damdamin (80), b. pananampalataya (2), c. opinion (11).
5. a. makatao (84), b. makabayan (6), c. makasimbahan (2).

Two choices were omitted in no. 2, and one choice each was omitted in nos. 3 and 5, and so the sum-totals are 91, 92, 92.

Analysis.

1. Of the 93 respondents, 98.93 percent believe that good attitude and behavior is first learned and formed at home. The rest mention the school (0percent) and the church (1.08 percent).

2. Of the 91 respondents, 79.12 percent believe that the root of attitude and behavior which is hard to change is the home. The rest mention the school (13.19 percent) and the church (7.69percent).

3. Of the 92 respondents, 82.61 percent say that, more than anything else, what they want people to respect in them are their feelings. The rest say it is their faith (11.96 percent) or their opinion (5.43 percent).

4. Of the 93 respondents, 86.02 percent believe that the key to harmonious relationship is to understand the feelings of others. The rest mention faith (2.15 percent) and opinion (11.83 percent).

5. Of the 92 respondents, 91.30 percent say that respecting human persons as human persons is more important than the other two choices. The rest consider loyalty to one's country (6.52 percent) or loyalty to one's church (2.17 percent) as the most important.

Conclusion.

The majority of the respondents believe that good attitude and behavior comes from the family (the apu, the nunu), and not from church and religion (not from the "among"). See their answers to 1 and 2. The majority also believe that feelings (and emotions) are more important than thoughts or ideas. The affective is more important than the cognitive. See their answers to 3 and 4. Remember that the concepts of "ne" and "rugu" are about feelings and emotions. See SSP October 01, 2009. Finally, the majority gives higher value to what is natural (human nature, apu, nunu) than to what is "artificial" (in the sense of added), that is, politics and religion: gobernador, among.