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From the first word in the "Lupang Hinirang" (the Philippine national anthem) and beyond, bayan permeates our lives and in a real sense, our consciousness. This is the inaugural volume of what is hoped to be a series of works on different aspects of Philippine studies brought together by Kamulatan (Consciousness), a studies collective.

Essays in this volume seek to explore various aspects of bayan and what it/she represents. This collection contains eight essays, four in English and four in Filipino; four are written by authors residing in the Philippines and four in the United States.

As noted in the introduction, we are not the first or the only ones to delve into this area. Our purpose, in part, is not only to share the results of our research but also to spur an ongoing collaborative effort between scholars in the Philippines and the United States in the area of Philippine studies.

For the most part, we have not translated bayan or given an English equivalent. A word as fluid and encompassing as bayan should surely be left as is. The reader must discern and decide what bayan is and what bayan represents. In this book, we seek to echo the words of the closing lines of "Bayan Ko"

Pilipinas kong minumutya

Pugad ng luha ko at dalita

Aking adhika

Makita kang sakdal laya