Introduction To Ancient Filipino Indigenous Script

This course is an introduction to Ancient Filipino Indigenous Script (also known as Baybayin), how to write in it, its history, its current cultural relevance, and its aesthetic today. This course will focus on Tagalog Baybayin which is the most popular Baybayin alphasyllabary in use today. This course also looks into other Filipino scripts.

Through the six hours of this course, students will be expected to:

• Learn how to write in Tagalog Baybayin and understand its orthographical rules,
• Understand the history of Filipino scripts from ancient times, to the colonial periods, and today,
• Gain an appreciation of the cultural significance of indigenous Filipino scripts, and
• Apply Baybayin and other indigenous scripts in your own life.

What This Class Covers

Module 1: Let’s Get Writing!

• What Baybayin is
• The characters that make up Tagalog Baybayin
• The kudlít system
• The Virama or Krus kudlít

Module 2: History of Philippine Orthography

• Baybayin artifacts
• Precolonial history of Philippine Orthography
• What was Baybayin used for? Aesthetics instead of record-keeping
• Colonial history of Baybayin

Module 3: Philippine Orthography Today

• Historical Baybayin Scripts
  • Tagalog
  • Sambal
  • Ilocano
  • Bicolano
  • Pangasinense
  • Bisaya
  • Kapampangan
• Living Baybayin Scripts
  • Tagbanwa
  • Buhid
  • Hanunó’o

Module 4: Variations

• Modern innovations in Baybayin: Ra
• Kapampangan-style of writing syllabus

Module 5: Baybayin Scholarship

• Overview of contemporary scholarship on Baybayin
• Doctrina Christina
• Calatagan Pot Inscription
• Ticao Stones

Module 6: Baybayin Calligraphy and Logos

• Use of Baybayin calligraphy in logos
• Politics of Baybayin logos
• Baybayin tattoos

CLASS SCHEDULE

California

Saturdays

7am-8am

Sep 24

Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Manila

Saturdays

10pm-11pm

Sep 24

Oct 1, 8, 15, 22, 29