Pasyon and

Revolution
(1979)
Author: Reynaldo Clemeña Ileto, Ph.D.

Presented by: Christian B. Tapec

BS ABE IIIB
 Introduction:
The ordinary peasants despite their role in the
Philippine history became primary actors of the
change the nation is experiencing today. As written
by Reynaldo C. Ileto in his book,
Pasyon and Revolution,
he recognized ordinary people and revolutionists to
have partaken a great role in our history.
 Who is
Reynaldo
Clemeña
Ileto?
Reynaldo Clemeña
Ileto, Ph.D.
• Born in Manila, Philippines
• Enrolled Pre- Engineering course at the
Ateneo De Manila University in 1963.
• Shifted to AB degree in Humanities in
1965.
• Pursued his post graduate studies at the
Cornell University as student in South East
Asian history.
• Authored other books like “Filipinos and
their Revolution: Event, Discourse and
Historiography” to name one.
 Pasyon
and Revolution:
A Revisit
• Published in 1979, by Reynaldo C. Ileto.
• It became one of the most read book as it
created a stern among historians, academics
and social scientists in the world.
• Described by Benedict Anderson, a renowned
scholar, as “questionably the most profound
and searching book of the late 19th century
Philippine history.”
 Reconstructing
the Past:
Ileto’s Presentation
History
• Ileto presented History is as a literature and used
“Pasyon” as a material to reconstruct the past.
• Presented the past in an interesting way.
• Ileto believed that history should not be presented
as a dead but instead as a something for the
Filipinos to understand the present by knowing
the past.
• Ileto’s view contradicted the focus
of historians in the 1970s where
written histories points out the
great contribution of the “big men”.
• His view showed the vital role of
ordinary peasants or people in the
Philippine history (history from the
low) which he advocated.
• His book paved way to considering
other resources in the study of the
past.
 Pasyon
and Revolution:
How it changed our
view of History
• As Ileto presented history in the unconventional
way, it changed the perspective of historians in
studying the past.
• His concept focused in writing history in a
transformative approach among people in the
consciousness.
• Ileto believed that our understanding of the present
relies in our understanding of how things came to
be.
• The book of Ileto presented history
in a way that would awaken the
mind of the people.
• His idea is to give significance to
our predecessors who helped the
great men of history success of the
revolution.
• The book became a widely read
book to scholars in the whole
world. Many of great scholars
describing it as “most single
monograph to have appeared on
modern Philippine history.”
 Pasyon
and Revolution:
Its Relevance

• The book became a trail blazing book that

paved its way for other scholars to gain
interest in studying history.
• It was then known to have a vital contribution
in understanding history better by knowing its
contributors, not only focusing on who was
known.
 Continuation…
• The book became the basis of
many other historians in writing
history. The approach was the
became known to many scholars.
Resources:
• Laureates> Reynaldo C. Ileto (
https://fukuoka-prize.org/en/laureates/detail/23c0e846-12a6-413f-a
3a3-027c626bdd7b#:~:text=Professor%20Reynaldo%20C.,%2C%20reli
gion%2C%20and%20cultural%20studies
.)
• https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/ileto-rc
Thank you!