Ayon sa attributes a statement, interpretation, instruction, or rule to a source. It commonly translates as “according to”: Ayon sa ulat... “According to the report...” The expression can also mean “in accordance with” when a rule, plan, or standard supplies the reference point.
The complement belongs to the broad sa series. Use ayon sa before common phrases, ayon kay/kina before personal names, and ayon sa akin/iyo/kaniya... with pronouns. The relator does not guarantee that the speaker endorses the attributed claim.
Core forms and meanings
| Pattern | Function | Typical register |
|---|---|---|
| ayon sa + document/data/source | attribute information | neutral to (formal/academic) |
| ayon kay + name | attribute a view or statement to one person | neutral |
| ayon kina + names | attribute to a named group | neutral |
| ayon sa + rule/plan | in accordance with | neutral to (formal) |
| ayon dito/riyan/doon | according to this/that source | neutral |
| ayon kanino? | ask whose source or view is cited | neutral |
In news and academic prose, batay sa “based on” often appears nearby. Ayon sa foregrounds what a source says; batay sa foregrounds the evidence or basis from which a conclusion is formed. They overlap, but they are not mechanically interchangeable.
Attributing information to a source
Ayon sa ulat ng barangay, bumaba ang bilang ng mga kaso ngayong buwan.
According to the barangay report, the number of cases fell this month.
The opening phrase identifies the source of the proposition. Completed bumaba presents the decrease as a bounded change; ayon sa does not determine aspect.
Tataas ang antas ng tubig pagsapit ng hatinggabi, ayon sa pinakahuling babala.
The water level will rise by midnight, according to the latest warning.
The source phrase may follow the proposition. Clause-initial placement frames the information before it is heard; final placement adds or reminds the listener of its source. Both are standard.
Ayon sa mga nakasaksi, mabilis na umalis ang sasakyan mula sa lugar.
According to the witnesses, the vehicle left the area quickly.
The witnesses are expressed as a common plural group with sa mga. Named witnesses would take kina.
Personal sources
Use kay for one name and kina for a coordinated or associated named group.
Ayon kay Dr. Velasco, hindi kailangang isara ang buong gusali.
According to Dr. Velasco, the whole building does not need to be closed.
Ayon kina Mila at Ruben, handa na ang mga kagamitan para sa pagsasanay.
According to Mila and Ruben, the equipment is ready for the training.
Do not insert sa before kay/kina. These personal forms already occupy the sa-series slot.
With pronouns, retain sa:
Ayon sa kaniya, mas ligtas ang daang dumaraan sa bayan.
According to him/her, the road through town is safer.
In casual opinion-giving, para sa kaniya or sa palagay niya may sound more conversational. Ayon sa kaniya more explicitly presents the person as the source of the reported view.
According to a rule or plan
When the complement is a rule, schedule, design, or agreement, ayon sa can mean “in accordance with.”
Ayon sa kasunduan, hahatiin nang pantay ang gastusin.
Under the agreement, the expenses will be divided equally.
Hindi ayon sa panuntunan ang paglalagay ng sasakyan sa pasukang iyon.
Parking a vehicle at that entrance is not in accordance with the rules.
The negative denies conformity, not the existence of a rule. More explicitly formal alternatives include alinsunod sa “in accordance with” (formal/administrative) and batay sa when the reference is an evidential basis.
This compliance sense can be ambiguous with reportive attribution. Context usually resolves it: a regulation can be either the source of a quoted requirement or the standard an action conforms to.
Ayon sa versus sang-ayon sa
The related expression sang-ayon sa means “in agreement with” or “agreeing to.” It describes a participant’s stance, not merely a source attribution.
Sang-ayon ako sa mungkahing ilipat ang pulong sa umaga.
I agree with the proposal to move the meeting to the morning.
Compare Ayon sa akin, mas mabuti ang pulong sa umaga “In my view, a morning meeting is better.” The first explicitly states agreement with a proposal; the second presents the speaker as the source of an assessment. English according to me can sound unnatural, so sa palagay ko is often the most idiomatic conversational translation of personal opinion.
Questions, uncertainty, and follow-up
Ayon kanino ligtas nang buksan ang kalsada?
According to whom is it now safe to open the road?
Kanino already asks for a personal sa-series complement, so ayon sa kanino is not the neutral standard form.
—Ayon sa aling tala ang bilang na iyan? —Ayon sa talaan ng munisipyo, pero hindi pa iyon beripikado.
—According to which record is that figure? —According to the municipal register, but it has not been verified yet.
The exchange distinguishes attribution from confirmation. The municipal register supplies the number, while hindi pa beripikado warns that verification remains pending.
Connected attribution
Ayon sa paunang pagsusuri, ligtas ang tubig. Gayunman, ayon sa mga residente, may kakaiba pa rin itong amoy.
According to the preliminary test, the water is safe. However, according to the residents, it still has an unusual smell.
Two ayon sa phrases place institutional evidence and community testimony side by side. The writer need not decide between them merely by choosing the relator; evaluation belongs in the surrounding discourse.
For broader source relations, compare mula sa and galing sa: mula sa ulat can mean physically or informationally from the report, while ayon sa ulat specifically frames the report as authority for a claim.
Common Mistakes
Replacing sa with ng
❌ Ayon ng ulat, sarado ang tulay hanggang bukas.
Incorrect — the attributed source is a sa-series complement.
✅ Ayon sa ulat, sarado ang tulay hanggang bukas.
According to the report, the bridge is closed until tomorrow.
Using sa before a personal name
❌ Ayon sa Lorna, mauuna ang pangkat natin.
Incorrect standard personal marking — a singular name takes kay.
✅ Ayon kay Lorna, mauuna ang pangkat natin.
According to Lorna, our group will go first.
Confusing attribution with agreement
❌ Ayon ako sa bagong patakaran.
Incorrect for ‘I agree with the new policy’; ayon alone does not form this stance expression.
✅ Sang-ayon ako sa bagong patakaran.
I agree with the new policy.
Treating ayon sa as proof
❌ Ayon sa sabi-sabi, tiyak na totoo ang balita.
Faulty reasoning and unnatural certainty — ayon sa only identifies the source; rumor does not establish truth.
✅ Ayon sa sabi-sabi, may darating na bagong tagapangasiwa, pero hindi pa ito tiyak.
According to rumor, a new administrator may arrive, but this is not yet certain.
Key Takeaways
Use ayon sa to attribute a claim to a document, group, rule, or other source, and ayon kay/kina with personal names. The phrase can also mean “in accordance with,” especially before rules and plans. It marks source or conformity without guaranteeing truth. Distinguish it from batay sa “based on,” more formal alinsunod sa, and sang-ayon sa “in agreement with.”
Related Topics
- sa as General RelatorB1 — Use sa for broad location, direction, time, recipient, reference, and stimulus relations without mapping English prepositions one for one.
- tungkol sa and hinggil sa: AboutB1 — Use tungkol sa for neutral topic relations and hinggil sa for more formal discussion, with the correct personal and pronominal complements.
- Compound Relators and LinkersB1 — Assemble compound Filipino relators from outer sa-based relations, relational nouns, internal modifiers, linkers, and reference-point markers.
- English Preposition Transfer into FilipinoB1 — Avoid one-for-one preposition translation by choosing Filipino markers, relational phrases, and predicate frames from the intended relationship.
- kay for Singular Personal ObliquesA1 — Use kay before one personal name as a recipient, destination, source, relational complement, or ownership predicate.
- halimbawa: ExemplificationB2 — Use halimbawa and related expressions to introduce evidence, illustrations, and representative cases with clear scope.