Shifts in Filipino values and priorities: Being well, finding balance, keeping the faith

In the decade between 2015 and 2025, a major shift took place in the Filipino psyche.

Acumen’s Project Alphabet research study in 2025 shows that faith — which was among the main themes in Filipino life and culture in the initial 2015 study on Filipino generations — is no longer among the top five influential factors that guide decisions and goals.

But let’s take a ground reality check: Go have a peek at a Catholic church or chapel anywhere in the Philippines on a Sunday and chances are, it will be pretty much packed during a scheduled Mass celebration. And there is the lingering devotion to what some may call as miraculous churches like in Quiapo and the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City.

Judging by those scenarios alone, it would be easy to say that faith is alive among Filipinos and religion remains a core cultural element.

Fact is, the Philippines is still a country where close to 80% of the population profess Catholicism as their faith. The remaining 20% are by no means irreligious with about 13% belonging to a Protestant or Christian denomination and 6% Muslims.

The demographics clearly indicate that considering one’s self as belonging to a faith-based community remains a common Filipino trait.

So, what do the Project Alphabet survey’s qualitative and quantitative data indicate?

First, let’s look at the baseline results from 2015 when Acumen undertook its first generational study. The dominant themes in Filipino values then were:

• Budget — Balancing income and expenses were the biggest stressor
• Happiness — No matter what, Filipinos found reasons to be happy, grounded in simplicity and gratitude.
• Family — The root and center of one’s life
• Faith — Belief and prayers were a source of hope and resilience.
• Education — The ticket out of poverty
• Social connection and face — Having a social circle and maintaining good reputation was highly valued.

From a bird’s eye view, these themes show a landscape where people are centered on relationships, guided by faith, and grounded in perseverance for a better life.

That landscape would be shaken in the next 10 years by digital developments, marked changes in weather patterns, and an unparalleled global health event that would prove to be the most pivotal of all disruptors: the COVID pandemic.

Within this global and national context, Filipino mindsets shifted.

Family holds steady as a core value, along with education and money.

Nine out of 10 Filipinos still rank family as a top priority, based on Project Alphabet. The older generations — Boomers and Gen X — express their love for that circle which is most important to them in terms of sacrifice and duty. The younger generations — Gen Y or Millennials and Gen Z — demonstrate this value more by being present, prioritizing closeness and open communications.

Meanwhile, perception of education is no longer simply a “ticket out of poverty” but a tool for self-development and pursuing one’s passion.

Filipinos’ view on money has expanded beyond budgeting. Awareness has grown across generations on the importance of financial security, though what it means still varies across generations.

What have emerged in Project Alphabet as new central themes for Filipinos are health and work-life balance.

“It’s not just about the money (that is important)… it’s also about spiritual life as well as social life,” said a Gen Z respondent from Davao.

Filipinos across generations continue to be grounded in their faith while redefining resilience in a more pragmatic sense. They now see wellness as a key component in the pursuit of a good life.

“I always pray before making big decisions, especially sa business. Kasi hindi lang naman ako ang affected,” said a Gen X member from Metro Manila.

A Boomer from Cebu said going to church remains a tradition that keeps the family close: “We make it a point na magsimba together. It’s part of how we stay connected as a family.”

What Project Alphabet tells us is that Filipinos are not giving up their faith. Rather, they are transitioning towards a more holistic mindset wherein priorities are moving towards immediate and more tangible enablers of freedom such as physical health and mental well-being.

Health as an enabler of freedom is a top priority for all generations. What it means, though, vary for the different age groups:

• Gen Z — As a digital generation, strongly influenced by online conversations on burnout and anxiety
• Millennials — Consider health as holistic self-care and an expression of self-respect
• Gen X — Link health to their responsibility to support and protect their families.
• Boomers — View health as independence, giving them the ability to remain active for both leisure or continued professional productivity.

Work-life balance is a breakthrough value. It is a dramatic leap from the work-work-work attitude that has been carried over from the Boomers’ post-war culture.

Like health, finding balance also differ among the generations: For Gen Z, it is having the freedom to pursue passion; for Millennials, it is striking harmony between ambition and rest; and for the Gen X and Boomers, it redounds back to family — being a good provider, not being a burden, and having the means to take life more easy.

Filipinos of all generations continue to embrace the deeply-rooted values of family and faith, but at the same time adopting mindsets that align with a world now largely defined by technological advancements, self-awareness, and well-being.