Animism and Environmentalism in an Upland Rural Community in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

This research explored animism as a holistic and ethical framework for addressing contemporary environmental challenges. Against the backdrop of the Western anthropocentric worldview's contribution to environmental degradation, the study argued for the potential enrichment of environmentalism through animistic perspectives. Animism which attributes spirit, sentience, and personhood to non-human entities, offers a promising alternative, rooted in a profound reverence for nature observed in animistic societies worldwide. Conducted in an upland rural community in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, the research employed a quantitative approach to examine the relationship between animism and environmentalism. Findings revealed the existence of animistic customs and practices mostly unique to Filipinos alongside high attribution of animistic essence to animals, and moderate attributions to plants and other objects. Environmentalism, measured in terms of concern, action for nature, and the overall, was notably high among respondents. The research established significant relationships between some animistic customs and practices and environmentalism. Moreover, it also established significant relationships between some attributions of animistic essence to objects and environmentalism. Though some of the animistic customs and practices and some attributions of animistic essence to objects correlated positively with environmentalism, all indicated low correlations. Such conditions might have been due to factors associated with the dominant religion, westernization, and or secular views and values. The research recommends for the creation of a culture-based environmentalist values enhancement program to preserve relevant animistic traits and further strengthen environmentalism in the community. However, the study acknowledges the complexity of the animism-environmentalism relationship and suggests exploration of moderating factors. By illuminating the intricate dynamics between variables, future research may contribute to strengthening animistic values for the benefit of both cultural identity and environmental preservation.