From Palakasan to Pakikipagkapwa: How Agility Can Break Filipino Office Politics

Everyone in the office already knew who would get the promotion.

It didn’t matter that Ana had the best performance reviews, handled the toughest clients, and stayed late to support her team. The role was quietly reserved for someone else—because he was close to the boss. When the announcement came, people forced a polite clap, but the whispers spread fast: “Palakasan na naman.”

If you’ve worked in a Filipino company, government office, or even a school, you’ve probably seen this play out. Promotions, assignments, even simple perks often go not to the most capable, but to the most connected. We call it palakasan, padrino, sometimes even politics as usual.

The cost?

• Talented people stop trying, or worse, start leaving.
• Teams lose trust in their leaders.
• Work slows down as resentment builds.

I’ve seen this in corporate boardrooms, in LGUs, and in NGOs across the Philippines. And every time, leaders tell me the same thing: “We want fairness, but the culture is hard to change.”

The good news? There is a way to shift. By practicing agile leadership grounded in pakikipagkapwa, organizations can replace favoritism with fairness, politics with transparency, and disconnection with genuine trust.

Palakasan & Politics in the Workplace

We Filipinos have a word for it: palakasan.

It’s the invisible rule that says, “Hindi mahalaga kung gaano ka kagaling. Ang mahalaga ay kung kanino ka malakas.” It shows up everywhere—in promotions, in project assignments, even in who gets to sit at the “VIP” table during Christmas parties.

A Story We All Know

I remember working with a sales team in Makati. Everyone knew Mark was the top performer. He consistently exceeded his quota, brought in new clients, and even trained newcomers without being asked. But when the manager announced the “Salesperson of the Year,” the award went to someone else—because she was a college friend of the VP.

Mark didn’t complain. He just smiled, shook hands, and carried on. But a few months later, he transferred to another company. His teammates got the message: in this place, performance is optional. Connections are everything.

Why Palakasan Thrives

Palakasan is not unique to one office—it’s a reflection of bigger cultural patterns:

• The Padrino System – A holdover from colonial times, where influence was tied to patrons and political sponsors. Many government appointments still echo this, where who endorses you matters more than your credentials.
• Pakikisama Misused – In its best sense, pakikisama means harmony and cooperation. But in politics-driven offices, it becomes an excuse to avoid questioning unfair decisions. Nobody wants to rock the boat, so favoritism goes unchecked.
• Hierarchical Respect – Filipino workplaces tend to defer to seniority or titles. Sometimes this respect is twisted into blind acceptance, where “the boss’s favorite” automatically wins.

The Everyday Signs of Office Politics

You’ll recognize them:

• A tardy employee who’s never penalized—because she’s related to the HR manager.
• Meetings where decisions are already made in back channels, and the formal discussion is just for show.
• Project leads chosen not for skill but because of drinking buddies, church mates, or fraternity connections.
• Bonus distributions that are mysteriously unequal, even when outputs are clear.

It’s like a basketball team where the coach benches the best players and puts relatives in the starting five. The game goes on, but everyone watching knows it’s unfair.

The Hidden Costs of Palakasan

On the surface, the workplace still functions. People still clock in, finish reports, and attend meetings. But beneath, there’s silent erosion:

• Lost Talent – High performers quietly resign, taking their brilliance elsewhere.
• Low Morale – Employees stop giving their best because they believe effort won’t be rewarded.
• Distrust – Teams lose faith in leaders who play favorites.
• Slow Progress – When decisions are political instead of practical, execution slows down.

In one company I worked with, an employee told me straight: “Sir Jef, hindi na ako nagpupuyat para matapos agad. Kasi kahit gaano ako kahusay, hindi rin ako mapapansin. Mas mabuti pa maghintay na lang.” That’s the quiet quitting born out of favoritism.

Why This Matters Now

The world is changing fast. Companies face global competition, economic uncertainty, and technological disruption. Yet many Filipino workplaces are still stuck in politics-as-usual.

If meetings waste time (as we saw in the previous article), favoritism wastes trust. And once trust is gone, no amount of training or strategy can fix it.

This is why agility matters. Transparent, fair, and merit-based practices are not just nice-to-haves. They’re survival tools for organizations that want to keep their best people and move ahead.

Later, we’ll talk about how agile leadership grounded in pakikipagkapwa—genuine recognition of shared dignity—offers a way forward. It’s not about abandoning Filipino culture, but about returning to its best values.

The Agility Difference – From Palakasan to Pakikipagkapwa

If palakasan is the disease, agility is the antidote.

Agile leadership shifts the focus from who you know to what you contribute. It creates systems where performance, collaboration, and transparency—not politics—decide who gets recognized and who moves forward.

From Favoritism to Fairness

In palakasan-driven offices, promotions and projects are handed to those with connections. In agile workplaces, criteria are clear, visible, and measurable. Everyone knows what’s expected, and everyone has a fair shot at recognition.

It’s the difference between playing basketball with secret rules and playing a game where the scoreboard is visible to all.

Table 1. Palakasan vs. Pakikipagkapwa (Agile Practices in Action)

Why Pakikipagkapwa Fits Agility

Some leaders worry agility is a “foreign concept.” But if you look closely, agile principles actually resonate with Filipino values:

• Pakikipagkapwa (Shared Identity): Agility invites everyone’s voice, not just the boss’s circle.
• Bayanihan (Shared Burden): Agile rituals emphasize collective ownership of results.
• Malasakit (Genuine Care): Time-boxed meetings and clear standards show respect for people’s time and dignity.

Agility doesn’t erase Filipino culture. It amplifies the best of it.

A Quick Story

At a provincial LGU I worked with, complaints of favoritism were rampant. Promotions went to those with “connections,” and employees had stopped trying. When the mayor introduced an agile scorecard system—where criteria for performance and promotion were posted on a shared board—something shifted.

Suddenly, people could see what mattered. Politics didn’t disappear overnight, but fairness grew. One employee told me, “At least ngayon, alam namin kung ano ang basehan. Hindi na parang hulaan.”

That’s the agility difference: from guessing and gossip to clarity and confidence.

📌 For more examples of how agility transforms Filipino workplaces, I’ve put together a larger guide here: Mastering Agility: The Definitive Guide for Leaders Who Want to Stay Ahead.

How Agile Leaders Foster Fairness & Dismantle Favoritism

Agility is not a slogan. It’s a set of habits and practices that leaders can build into daily work so favoritism no longer decides outcomes. Here are four shifts any Filipino leader can start making today:

1. Make Criteria Visible and Transparent

• Instead of whispered endorsements or hidden scorecards, publish what it takes to earn promotions, bonuses, or key assignments.
• Use clear rubrics: skills, outcomes, behaviors.
• Make these available to everyone, so no one feels blindsided.

📌 I once worked with a school division office where teachers complained about unfair promotions. When leadership began posting criteria for promotions and peer-evaluation results on a common board, the gossip didn’t vanish overnight—but trust grew, because people could finally see the basis.

2. Use 360-Degree Feedback

• Don’t rely only on one manager’s perspective.
• Invite peers, subordinates, and even clients to share structured feedback.
• Aggregate results so it’s not about who likes whom but about consistent patterns of performance.

Example: A BPO in Ortigas piloted 360 reviews. Before, team leads promoted their “favorites.” After, employees with consistently high peer and client ratings started rising. Morale improved, because people saw fairness at work.

3. Rotate Opportunities, Don’t Hoard Them

• In palakasan systems, high-visibility projects always land on the same desks.
• Agile leaders rotate opportunities so everyone has a chance to shine.
• This doesn’t mean lowering standards—it means giving room for growth and discovery.

Metaphor: Think of basketball again. A coach who always gives the ball to one player might score sometimes, but a team where everyone learns to shoot is harder to beat.

4. Apply Policies Equally, Without Exception

• Nothing kills trust faster than double standards.
• If tardiness rules apply to one employee, they should apply to the boss’s nephew too.
• Document exceptions—if someone really deserves one, explain it openly.

📌 I’ve seen this transform an NGO in Quezon City. They created a simple checklist: before approving any exception, leaders had to answer, “Would I approve this for everyone else?” That one filter reduced accusations of favoritism almost instantly.

5. Model the Change as a Leader

• Agility begins at the top. If leaders still show favoritism, no policy will fix it.
• Show humility by inviting feedback, admitting mistakes, and being consistent.

One HR manager once told me: “When my boss finally admitted she used to favor certain staff, it shocked us. But it also freed us, because she showed she wanted to change.”

Bottom line: Agile leaders don’t just talk about fairness. They design for it—through transparency, feedback, shared opportunities, equal enforcement, and their own example.

From Palakasan to Pakikipagkapwa

Agility is best seen in action. Here are three stories—drawn from real patterns I’ve seen in the Philippines—of organizations that took steps to dismantle favoritism and rebuild fairness.

A BPO Where Merit Trumped Connections

In a large BPO in Ortigas, promotions often went to those who had “connections” with supervisors. High performers quietly left, frustrated that no amount of late-night work or client wins could outshine favoritism.

The HR head decided to pilot a merit scorecard and 360-degree reviews. Promotions were now based on visible criteria: client feedback, peer ratings, and output.

The change was bumpy at first—some managers resisted because it removed their “influence.” But within a year, turnover among high performers dropped. Employees started saying, “At least ngayon, kita namin kung bakit siya na-promote.”

The shift: politics lost its grip, and fairness started building loyalty.

An LGU That Opened the Hiring Process

In a provincial LGU, complaints about nepotism were common. Vacant posts often went to relatives of politicians or “recommended” applicants. Citizens grumbled, and employees quietly disengaged.

A reform-minded mayor introduced open job postings and panel interviews. Criteria for selection were posted publicly, and interview scores were shared transparently.

The result? Residents noticed. Trust in the LGU’s hiring improved, and the office started attracting more qualified candidates. One employee told me, “Dati, wala akong gana mag-apply kasi alam kong may nakareserba na. Ngayon, at least patas na ang laban.”

The shift: from padrino politics to public trust.

A School That Rotated Leadership Roles

In a private school in Quezon City, teachers felt leadership roles (like project heads or program coordinators) always went to the same group of “favorites.” Resentment brewed.

The new principal introduced a rotation system. Leadership assignments rotated every semester, with criteria for selection made clear. This gave younger teachers visibility and a chance to build confidence.

The result? More teachers felt ownership of programs. Students noticed new energy in school projects. And senior staff realized that giving space to others didn’t weaken them—it strengthened the whole team.

The shift: from exclusivity to inclusivity, powered by pakikipagkapwa.

Lessons Across These Stories

• Transparency reduces gossip.
• Clear criteria protect leaders from accusations.
• Shared opportunities raise morale.
• Fairness builds trust faster than any speech.

📌 These are not isolated stories. They’re signs that Filipino workplaces are ready to leave palakasan behind and embrace pakikipagkapwa through agility.

Practical Tools & Takeaways

Agility isn’t abstract. It becomes real when leaders build simple practices that people can trust. Here are four tools to start dismantling palakasan and building fairness in your workplace.

1. The Merit Scorecard

What it is: A transparent rubric for promotions, recognition, or project assignments.
How to use it:

• Define 3–5 criteria (skills, output, teamwork, behaviors).
• Make the scorecard visible to all staff.
• Regularly update it with objective data (not just opinions).

📌 Example: In one Filipino BPO, posting scorecards for promotion eligibility reduced complaints about favoritism and motivated people to improve in areas that mattered.

2. 360-Degree Feedback

What it is: A system where peers, subordinates, and even clients give structured feedback—not just the manager.
How to use it:

• Collect feedback quarterly through surveys or short forms.
• Focus on patterns, not single comments.
• Share summarized results with employees so they know where to improve.

📌 Why it works: It balances power. A manager can’t simply favor “barkada” because multiple voices now weigh in.

3. Role Rotation System

What it is: A method to rotate high-visibility tasks and leadership roles.
How to use it:

• List key projects or opportunities.
• Assign them on a rotation, ensuring everyone has a chance to lead at some point.
• Pair new leaders with mentors for support.

📌 Metaphor: Just like in basketball, you can’t always pass the ball to the same player. The team gets stronger when everyone learns to handle pressure.

4. Policy Application Checklist

What it is: A fairness filter to avoid double standards.
How to use it: Before approving exceptions, ask:

1. Would this apply if it were someone else?
2. Am I willing to explain this exception openly?
3. Is it consistent with our stated values?

📌 Example: An NGO I worked with adopted this checklist. Complaints about “VIP treatment” dropped, because leaders now had to justify every special case.

Metrics That Matter

Bottom line: Agile leaders don’t just hope for fairness. They design it. These tools are simple, but when applied consistently, they can shift a culture from politics to trust.

The Filipino Value Advantage: Pakikipagkapwa & Beyond

Some leaders worry that adopting agile practices means importing something foreign—another “Western” model that might not fit our ways. But if you look closely, agility is already in our DNA as Filipinos.

Pakikipagkapwa (Shared Humanity)

In workplaces trapped in palakasan, people are seen as insiders or outsiders—who you know matters more than who you are.
Agility, on the other hand, aligns with pakikipagkapwa. It sees everyone as worthy of voice, fairness, and dignity. When leaders open space for all contributions, they practice pakikipagkapwa in action.

Bayanihan (Shared Burden, Shared Lift)

Favoritism concentrates opportunity in a few hands, often burning them out while others disengage.
Agility distributes responsibility like bayanihan. Everyone lifts together, and the load gets lighter. Rotating roles, peer feedback, and shared ownership echo our long tradition of helping each other build, literally and figuratively.

Malasakit (Genuine Care)

Palakasan drains trust. People feel unseen, unrewarded, and eventually disheartened.
Agility restores malasakit by creating systems that show genuine care:

• Respecting people’s time with shorter, focused meetings.
• Respecting effort with transparent recognition.
• Respecting fairness by applying rules equally.

Why This Matters Now

Agility doesn’t erase Filipino culture—it rescues its best values from being overshadowed by politics.

• Where palakasan divides, pakikipagkapwa unites.
• Where favoritism excludes, bayanihan includes.
• Where politics demoralizes, malasakit energizes.

📌 This is the Filipino way of practicing agility: not as a foreign framework, but as a return to the values that make us strong as a people.

FAQs – From Palakasan to Pakikipagkapwa

Q1. Isn’t favoritism just part of Filipino culture? Can it really be changed?
Yes, palakasan has deep cultural roots, but that doesn’t mean it’s unchangeable. Look at how many organizations already practice transparency through open hiring, public scorecards, and peer feedback. The shift happens when leaders see agility not as rejecting culture, but as honoring pakikipagkapwa and bayanihan.

Q2. What if senior leaders are the ones playing favorites?
Start small. Apply agile practices in your own team: rotate roles, post criteria, and track actions openly. When leaders see the results—better morale, less turnover—they often notice. I’ve seen department heads adopt change after watching one small team succeed.

Q3. Won’t 360-degree feedback or peer reviews cause drama?
Not if done right. The key is structure. Keep feedback simple (3 questions max), anonymous, and regular. Over time, people shift from gossiping in hallways to giving constructive input in the system.

Q4. How do we prevent rules from being bent for “special” employees?
Use a Policy Application Checklist:

1. Would I approve this exception for anyone else?
2. Am I willing to explain this publicly?
3. Does it match our stated values?
   If the answer is “no,” then it’s favoritism, not fairness.

Q5. Can small businesses or LGUs afford agile leadership practices?
Absolutely. Transparency and fairness don’t cost money—they save it. A one-page scorecard, a rotation schedule, or a 30-minute feedback session are free. What’s expensive is losing your best people because politics drove them away.

📌 For more answers and step-by-step practices, I built Mastering Agility: The Definitive Guide for Leaders Who Want to Stay Ahead as a hub for Filipino leaders navigating today’s challenges.

From Politics to Progress

Office politics will always exist—but they don’t have to define your workplace. Leaders who choose agility can move their organizations from palakasan to pakikipagkapwa, from favoritism to fairness, from hidden deals to transparent trust.

Here’s your challenge:
👉 This month, pick one practice to apply in your team:

• Post clear criteria for a role or project.
• Rotate one high-visibility task.
• Use a simple 3-question peer feedback round.

Then ask your people: “Does this feel fairer than before?”

It won’t fix everything overnight, but it will signal something powerful—that you value pakikipagkapwa over politics.

📌 If this resonates, I’ve built Mastering Agility: The Definitive Guide for Leaders Who Want to Stay Ahead to help Filipino leaders apply agility across different workplace challenges. It’s your home base for stories, tools, and frameworks.

And if you want to go further, join me in The Agility Advantage—a one-day workshop where we practice these shifts live. Together, we’ll explore how to dismantle favoritism, build fairness, and unlock the real potential of your people.

Because the real advantage today isn’t who you know.
It’s how you lead.