Reclaiming Pakikisama to Its Core: Bayanihan
- Cyberwatch UNLTD
- Sep 27, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 19, 2025
From Colonial Silence to Communal Courage
In Filipino culture, pakikisama — the value of getting along with others — is often seen as a strength. It reflects our collective spirit, our desire for social harmony, and our ability to maintain peace in group settings. But when taken too far, pakikisama can become a quiet force that silences truth, tolerates wrongdoing, and discourages accountability.
Some call it kindness or politeness. Others call it keeping the peace. But at its worst, it can mean staying quiet when someone is being mistreated, laughing along with things we don’t agree with, or turning a blind eye to abuse or corruption — just to avoid being labeled as difficult, divisive, or “too serious.”
Historically, it makes sense. During colonial times — particularly under Spanish and American rule — questioning authority or standing out too much often led to punishment. Silence became a form of self-preservation. Conformity was safer than confrontation. Over generations, that survival instinct may have evolved into a cultural norm: don’t rock the boat.
Today, we still see its effects. In the workplace, employees may hesitate to speak out against unethical practices to avoid being branded as pasaway or “not cooperative.” In families, younger members are often expected to agree with elders out of respect, even when the elders are clearly in the wrong. In politics, leaders get away with corruption because people don’t want to challenge someone they know — a cousin, a friend, a kababayan.
We call it pakikisama — but is it really harmony when truth is sacrificed?
To be clear, pakikisama itself isn’t the problem. The instinct to maintain good relationships is valuable. But like any cultural value, it must evolve. Genuine unity doesn’t come from silence or forced agreement — it comes from shared values, mutual respect, and the courage to tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
What makes this even more heartbreaking is that pakikisama was never meant to be about silence or fear. Its roots are in something far more noble: bayanihan — a spirit of collective heroism. The word itself comes from bayani (hero) and -han (together). At its core, bayanihan means being heroes together — working side by side for the common good. Pakikisama, in its truest form, was never about just getting along; it was about standing together.
And so, it is sad that a value once rooted in communal strength and solidarity has, over time, been reduced to passive conformity. A principle that once empowered people to move houses together has, in some ways, made us too afraid to move against injustice.
If colonialism taught us to stay silent, then reclaiming our voice is the first step toward decolonizing how we relate to each other — and to ourselves.
Because maybe the most pakikisama thing we can do today is to speak up —for each other, for the truth, for the kind of unity that doesn’t just keep the peace, but builds it.
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