A few weeks ago I attended a conference at UCSB where I learned how to write in Baybayin. I was so excited about it, I immediately called my mom when I got home to tell her about my newest discovery. However, to my disappointment, she didn't even know what Baybayin was. I was rambling on and on for 10 minutes about how pretty it was and how important it is to learn when she stopped me and said, "anak, anak, slow down you're talking too fast-- what is that? Baybay-what?" What is Baybayin? Baybayin is an ancient Philippine script that originated in India and was widely used among tagalog speakers before the 1500s. When the Spanish colonized the Philippines, they eradicated the script and replaced it with the Roman alphabet. Though some original Baybayin text has been preserved, it has mostly vanished from our culture. But thanks to artists like Kristian Kabuay (pictured above) and the Filipinx youth, it is slowly being revived! Why learn? Aside from the fact that it is a beautiful script, it is ever so important to learn about our past so it is not forgotten! So, Let's get started! |
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May 2020
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