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The tricky obligations of utang na loob : Code Switch Utang na loob is the Filipino concept of an eternal debt to others, be it family or friends, who do a favor for you. In this episode from 2022, we break down this "debt of the inner soul" — and discover a surprising side to this pre-colonial value.

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Code Switch

The tricky obligations of utang na loob

The tricky obligations of utang na loob

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A pair of hands entwined by white flowers symbolizing the ties of utang na loob.
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Malaka Gharib/NPR
A pair of hands entwined by white flowers symbolizing the ties of utang na loob.
Malaka Gharib/NPR

Utang na loob is the Filipino concept of an eternal debt to others, be it family or friends, who do a favor for you. In this episode from 2022, NPR's Malaka Gharib brings the story of how some Filipino-Americans want to do away with utang all together, especially when it butts up against "American" values of independence and self-reliance. We break down this "debt of the inner soul" — and discover a surprising side to this pre-colonial value.