Knowing Through Kutob: The Lived Experiences of Filipino Solo Mothers Relying on Kutob in Parental Decisions and Performance
Document Types
Paper Presentation
Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)
Family, Relations, and Social Structure (FRS)
School Name
De La Salle University - Laguna
Track or Strand
Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS)
Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)
Gonzales, April Rose C.
Start Date
25-6-2026 10:30 AM
End Date
25-6-2026 12:00 PM
Zoom Link/ Room Assignment
Online - https://zoom.us/j/95274188371?pwd=bXhb7DQU3HQbLltdMsVaoT4A5iwGBr.1 Meeting ID: 952 7418 8371 | Passcode: research
Abstract/Executive Summary
Kutob, often understood as a form of intuition, plays a significant yet underexplored role in how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to everyday experiences. This culturally embedded phenomenon is of great importance for understanding the Filipino way of knowing, grounded in the values, culture, practices, and perspectives of its own people. The existing literature on kutob loosely frames the phenomenon and is often written in a conceptual and descriptive manner, leaving a gap in empirical studies that measure how Filipinos experience kutob in daily life. Therefore, this study aims to further understand kutob through the lens of Filipino solo mothers and how kutob influences their maternal perspectives, parenting approaches, meanings, and identity as mothers, using a phenomenological approach and interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) process, drawing on Smith et al.’s (2009) framework. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with twelve Filipino solo mothers. The findings reveal the prevalence of four themes: (1) kutob is a guide, (2) a reliable source of insight, (3) a way of knowing, and (4) an internal source of reassurance.
Keywords
kutob; maternal intuition; solo mothers; parenting; Sikolohiyang Pilipino; decision making
Initial Consent for Publication
yes
Statement of Originality
yes
Knowing Through Kutob: The Lived Experiences of Filipino Solo Mothers Relying on Kutob in Parental Decisions and Performance
Kutob, often understood as a form of intuition, plays a significant yet underexplored role in how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to everyday experiences. This culturally embedded phenomenon is of great importance for understanding the Filipino way of knowing, grounded in the values, culture, practices, and perspectives of its own people. The existing literature on kutob loosely frames the phenomenon and is often written in a conceptual and descriptive manner, leaving a gap in empirical studies that measure how Filipinos experience kutob in daily life. Therefore, this study aims to further understand kutob through the lens of Filipino solo mothers and how kutob influences their maternal perspectives, parenting approaches, meanings, and identity as mothers, using a phenomenological approach and interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) process, drawing on Smith et al.’s (2009) framework. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with twelve Filipino solo mothers. The findings reveal the prevalence of four themes: (1) kutob is a guide, (2) a reliable source of insight, (3) a way of knowing, and (4) an internal source of reassurance.
https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2026/BoA_FRS/2