Bagong Kasaysayan

Yesterday, I and my colleagues were invited to attend a symposium at UP NISMED in Diliman. The talk entitled "Pantayong Pananaw at Bagong Historiograpiyang Pilipino", whisked the colonial and dismal state of Philippine history and historiography which was very evident because the dialogue was delivered purely on the vernacular. It was organized by the progressive organizations namely, BAKAS ( Bagong Kasaysayan) and UP LIKAS ( Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Lipunang Pangkasaysayan). The talk showcased a series of fortunate and unfortunate events so to speak. Unfortunate for the symposium wasn't spared from the inconvenience that our government continues to offer when during the middle of the talk of Prof. Salazar, electricity bade a sudden but temporary goodbye to us which prompted the gentle speaker to jokingly utter "Baka may CIA dito". The incident just barely unleashed a hell of laugh out of me. The fortunate part was that I met "the man" himself, the one who spearheaded the turning point in Philippine Historiography Prof. Zeus Salazar. Well he is a sensible and soft-spoken intellectual being. I was glad to have met him personally. It was just disappointing that some other Filipino historians branded him as reductionist and nativist. Well I beg to dissent, I just think that what he and BAKAS were trying to commence was an act of splendor for our country's history and historiography. During the symposium, I was able to buy a book of Prof. Salazar. Well for curiosity's sake or whatever, I felt I would want to be involved in a little way. Who knows?