The term pakikibaka comes from the Filipino root word baka, meaning "battle of two minds," combined with the prefix pakiki-, which indicates participation in an action. Therefore, pakikibaka literally translates to "act of participating in battle" and is understood in Filipino psychology as collective resistance, struggle, and uprisings against a common threat or injustice.
Breakdown of the Word pakiki-: A prefix in Filipino that denotes the act of doing something together or participating in an activity, similar to "co-" or "inter-" in English. baka: A root word that means "battle of two minds".
Cultural Significance Collective Action: Pakikibaka emphasizes that struggle is not an individualistic act but one that arises from a deep sense of belonging and interconnectedness among Filipinos.
Historical Context: It reflects the nation's history of fighting for freedom, dignity, and social justice against colonizers and oppressive regimes. Beyond Physical Confrontation: The term encompasses not only physical uprisings and revolutions but also the moral and ideological battles faced by Filipinos.
[[concepts:summary::The Filipino concept of “pakikibaka,” often translated as “struggle,” entails a distinct and relational mode of collective resistance. In this dictionary sketch of the term, I explain the linguistic, historical, and philosophical roots of pakikibaka to show how it departs from the individualistic notion of “struggle” in Anglophone and Western thought. Derived from the root “baka” [“to fight”] and the prefix “pakiki-” [“to join”], pakikibaka emphasizes participation and solidarity where all must struggle with and for others. Early colonial dictionaries reduced “pagbabaka”—a more circulated inflection of the term then—to mere “warcraft”, but Filipino usage transformed and soon captured collectivity and shared resistance.]]