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.
