Pantayong Pananaw: An Indigenous Concept and Perspective in Understanding History

Pantayong Pananaw
An Indigenous Concept and Perspective in Understanding History

Session Objectives
• At the end of this lesson, students are expected to:

• Understand the concept of Pantayong Pananaw as a dominant
social science indigenous perspective
• Analyze the limitations and criticisms of Pantayong Pananaw
• Explore personal and social experiences using indigenous concepts
Zeus Salazar: Ama ng Pantayong Pananaw
Pantayong Pananaw: Primary Argument
• There is a need of
reorienting contemporary
historians on the right
way of reconstructing the
past based on who is
talking for whom, with
whom and to whom
Three Perspectives by which Philippine
History is written
• Pangkayong Pananaw
• Pangkaming Pananaw
• Pantayong Pananaw
Pangkayong Pananaw
• Perspective used by western historians- who used their own

cultural background and their countries political-economic agenda
– in framing the events that transpired in our country.
• When loosely translated, pangkayong pananaw is the “From-you-
to-us” perspective.
• To illustrate: The Westerners would say: “You Filipinos are
different from us in many aspects” (Kayong mga Pilipino ay iba sa
amin sa maraming bagay)
Pangkaming Pananaw
• The Pangkami perspective launched works on the
Philippines made by Filipinos for Western
consumption.
• This perspective is loosely translated as “From-us-
for-you”
• It is used when native talks to outsiders or
foreigners regarding his or her own society or
culture
• To illustrate: While talking to American visitors, the
Filipino would say: “Unlike you, we Filipinos don’t
believe in divorce” (Hindi tulad niyo, kaming mga
Pilipino ay hindi naniniwala sa diborsiyo.)
Pantayong Pananaw
• Philippine History should be written and consumed primarily by Filipinos

• To achieve this goal, a key element needs to be addressed—the use of
Filipino language in transmitting knowledge
• Loosely translated, this is the “from-us-for-us” perspective
• Salazar states that a community, society, or culture can claim to have
pantayong pananaw only if all its members use concepts and manifest
habits and behaviors whose meanings can be understood by all,
including the relationship between meanings.
• This is made possible with the existence of a language, which is the
basis and channel for understanding and knowledge
Local Language for Discourse
• According to Salazar, Philippine history should be

written in the local language or dialect for two
important reasons:
• 1. the local terms, when transposed to western language, lose
their actual meanings and historical significance; and
• 2. our history should be discussed among ourselves and not for
the others.
Example
• Revolucion vs. Himagsikan

• Revolucion- lifted from the Latin word
revolver which means “to go around”
• Himagsikan- from combining the root
words “Hin-Bagsik-an” which refers to a
“collective act of letting out one’s
ferocity for some reason”
Talastasang Bayan (national discourse)
• Salazar argued that through this, that the cultural identity of the
Filipinos were constructed or reconstructed
• He claimed that the Filipino cultural identity is dependent on what
prevailing course is. Hence,
• When the Pangkayo perspective was at its peak, Filipinos were made to
view themselves the way that their colonizers viewed them—uncivilized and
in need of Western guidance (e.g. Benevolent Assimilation)
• When the Pangkami perspective was at its height, Filipinos were guided to
be reactionary to the western conceptions of them. The Filipinos were
guided to have a discourse with their colonizers so as to dissuade the latter
from poor;y conceived ideas about the former
Important question:
• Why do we need to explain to them

who we are?
• From thereon, Salazar urged the Filipino
nation to have a talastasang bayan that is
oriented toward a discussion of Philippine
history for Filipinos and by the Filipinos
• To do this, we need to use our own
language without the need of translating it
for western audience because our story is
ours and not for them.
Limitations and Criticisms
1. The exclusive use of Filipino as a language for discourse

2. Cultural Essentialism
3. Locally deterministic
4. Impact of globalization
In essence…
• Pantayong Pananaw poses a great

challenge to current Filipino scholars
in their motivations and processes in
depicting the events that transpired
in Philippine society. From a western
stance of analysis, the Pantayong
Pananaw calls for a more
nationalistic discourse where history
is written for Filipinos and by
Filipinos.
Triad Task:
1. Group yourselves into three.

2. Think of a social phenomenon, historical event or a social issue
which you will write something about using the Pantayong Pananaw
Perspective.
3. Following the tradition of the Pantayong Pananaw, you will write
your social analysis using the Filipino language.
4. Write your social analysis on a one whole sheet of yellow paper.

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What are the three perspectives by which Philippine history can be written?

What are the main arguments for using the local language in writing Philippine history?

Pantayong Pananaw

An Indigenous Concept and Perspective in Understanding History

• At the end of this lesson, students are expected to:

• Perspective used by western historians- who used their own

• Philippine History should be written and consumed primarily by Filipinos

• According to Salazar, Philippine history should be

• Revolucion vs. Himagsikan

• Why do we need to explain to them

1. The exclusive use of Filipino as a language for discourse

• Pantayong Pananaw poses a great

1. Group yourselves into three.

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