The Bayanihan Way: What the Philippines Can Teach the World About Health and Connection
- Juliana Betervo
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Editor’s Note:
Bayanihan is a Filipino cultural practice that embodies collective unity—neighbors helping one another through shared effort and compassion. Once literal, now symbolic, it continues to define how Filipinos build connection, health, and hope together.
In modern times, where people are divided by different societies, Filipinos remain resilient with a deep sense of togetherness. Here’s why:
The Philippines holds a tradition so rich that it has shaped the nation’s reputation for hospitality, the Bayanihan.
Bayanihan is a traditional Filipino way of fostering community involvement through civic action, communication, and active socialization with fellow kababayans, embodying the spirit of collective unity. Originally, it referred to the practice of the Filipino neighborhood helping a family relocate their home by physically carrying it, with the word bayan meaning nation or community. This results in a bayanihan that signifies helping others, especially those in need, without expecting anything in return.
Ironic as it seems, this tradition still carries on up until modern times, but not by carrying one’s home, rather by building one for the community.
Today, bayanihan can be seen in various forms of outreach and community engagement. Whether it may be through volunteering for children, the poor, or for animal welfare, every act matters as it keeps the holistic tradition alive. Bayanihan reflects the Filipino spirit of unity and cooperation, where people come together to help others in times of need. This practice promotes strong community support, as people work side by side in activities such as rebuilding homes, cleaning surroundings, or supporting those in hardship.
Through these shared efforts, Filipinos stay socially connected and physically active, which strengthens both the body and the sense of belonging. By practicing bayanihan, people not only help their community but also improve their own well-being through compassion, teamwork, and purposeful action.
As a Filipino, I take pride in having witnessed and experienced it myself. Through volunteering, we embody the essence of bayanihan by fostering a welcoming community where children can grow and thrive.
Our professor once said:
“Helping kids is helping a community. Sila ang magdadala ng bagong bukas sa komunidad nila,” which translates to, “Helping kids is helping a community. They are the ones who will bring a new dawn to their community.”
His words stayed with us. Our community immersion in Caloocan City, where we taught children wellness dances to promote physical and mental well-being, made me realize the deeper meaning of bayanihan. It wasn’t just about helping others through physical effort, but about sharing time, care, and compassion to create positive change. As we guided the children through dance, I saw how simple acts of cooperation could build connection and joy within the community.
Like the Okinawan spirit of yuimaru, we worked together as a group and built friendships through cooperation and shared purpose: to create a safe and healthy foundation for the children. Similar to the African principle of ubuntu, we recognized that our well-being was connected to the children and the community. We grew as we helped them grow.
The Okinawan, African, and Filipino practices all reflect a shared belief in the strength of community and collective care. In Okinawa, the values of yuimaru , the spirit of cooperation, and moai, a lifelong support group of friends who help one another in times of need, encourage harmony and lasting relationships within the community. Similarly, African communities live by ubuntu, a philosophy that means “I am because we are,” highlighting shared humanity and interdependence, and harambee, which means “pulling together” to achieve common goals such as building homes, farms, or schools.
Together with bayanihan, these practices come from different cultures, yet they all reveal one universal truth: compassion, cooperation, and solidarity are what make a community strong, connected, and resilient.
These values of cooperation and compassion were also reflected in our experience of volunteering at the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Caring for rescued animals required teamwork, empathy, and a shared sense of responsibility. Each volunteer contributed time and effort not for personal gain, but for the well-being of creatures who depend on human kindness. Through this act of service, I have realized that true community extends beyond people and includes all living beings, reminding me that unity, compassion, and collective action are not limited to human relationships, but also reflect how we care for the world around us.
Just like the advocacy of Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS):
“The song is about how our lives are enriched by the animals whom we share this earth with. It calls on humankind to build back a better world where kindness reigns supreme.”
Bayanihan is not only limited to traditional means, where people team up to carry homes, it varies to a whole community involvement and active socialization where our kababayans, embodying the spirit of collective unity. With that, Bayanihan continues to live on beyond its traditional form. It now represents the broader spirit of community involvement, compassion, and solidarity among Filipinos. Whether through simple acts of kindness or collective efforts for a greater cause, Bayanihan reminds us that true strength lies in unity and the willingness to uplift one another.
In a world that often prioritizes individuality, Bayanihan reminds us of the beauty of collective strength, of reaching out, lending a hand, and growing together as one community. It is not just a tradition but a way of life that truly reflects what it means to be Filipino.
The author is a student writer with a deep interest in cultural wellness.
