FILOCRACIA 2:2 (August 2015) 86-105 ISSN: 2362-7581 © 2015 Rhochie Avelino E. Matienzo http://www.filocracia.org/issue4/Matienzo_Aug2015.pdf Revisiting the Philosophy of Bahala Na Folk Spirituality Rhochie Avelino E. Matienzo University of Santo Tomas Abstract: One of the areas in the discourse on God and secularism is found on the phenomenon of ―folk spirituality.‖ In the Philippines, an important yet undervalued religious theme is found in the expression ―Bahala na.‖ Ambivalently viewed by social scientists throughout local history, its more fatalistic flavor has been more emphasized than its positive attributes. Such paved the way to the attitudes of indolence and irresponsibility in current Filipino worldview and its approach to folk spirituality. This essay argues that Bahala na folk spirituality is more than cynical if viewed via recent discussions on the philosophy of God and religion. The paper is focused into two: first, a survey of the major theories on the phenomenon by the social and culture experts, and second, a philosophical interpretation of the manifestations of Bahala na in the light of the existentialist framework of faith. This study neither claims nor bolster existing thoughts on Bahala na. Instead, it wishes to contribute another facet to the age-old quest for answers on God and religion via this unique Filipino folk spirituality. 1 Key terms: Bahala na, leap of faith, folk spirituality 1 This paper is part of a research undertaking conducted under the Research Center for Culture, Education and Social Issues of the University of Santo Tomas.