Baybayin Introductory Book

BAYBAYIN
the ancient script

of the Philippines
BAYBAYIN the ancient script of the Philippines
Published by
KY Press
69 Kissling St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
© 2011 KY Press
All rights reserved
Printed and bound in the United States of America
11 1
First Edition
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any man-

ner without written permission from the publisher, except in
context of reviews.
Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners

of copyright. Errors or omissions will be corrected in
subsequent editions.
Library of Congress Cataloguing-In-Publication Data

Baybayin: the Ancient Script of the Philippines/ edited by
Jay Blasso and Kristen Youngman
p.cm. - (Design Briefs)

Includes bibliographic references and index.
ISBN 000-000-000
1. Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Book design, book reference.
3
Dedication
To my family, my millions of cousins, “titos,”

and “titas” spread across the United States and
all the way back to the Philippines — this is
for you. Salamat for always loving me, simply
because we are family.
Acknowledgements
A special thanks to John Stucky, MA, MLIS

Museum Librarian at the C. Laan Chun
Library Center, Asian Art Museum in San
Francisco, for giving me access to the private
stacks. My book would not be as culturally
rich without that afternoon.
I would also like to thank Jason Blasso for

your keen editing skills, patience and lost sleep.
This book would not be nearly as focused
without your help.
5
BAYBAYIN
The ancient script of the Philippines
Kristen Youngman
Chapter Divider images taken from The Boxer Codex: illustrations of Filipinos during the initial contact with the Spaniards, ranging
from Tagalogs, Visayans, Zambals, Cagayanes or possibly Ibanags and Negritos of the Philippines in vibrant colors.
next page: Banmboo forest. Photography from Bamboo.Mendiola, Manila, Philippines : Centro Escolar University, c2000.
7
Contents
page chapter
4 1. Introduction
10 2. Origin
16 3. Inscriptions
36 4. Method
42 5. Meaning
50 6. Conclusion
Introduction 9
Introduction
Many Filipinos and their descendants are quite

confused these days about their roots. This makes
sense—the archipelago of islands have been ruled
by so many other cultures over the course of time,
riddled with colonization and war, that it can be
hard to distinguish what is authentically native.
Little recorded history has survived the intense
struggles for freedom, but what has survived is a
spirituality and common thread in the people to
recognize and understand where their roots lie.
To shed light on this endeavor, one can look back

to the ancient script of the Philippines, the
Baybayin script, also known as Alibata, a Filipino
approximation of the word “alphabet.” Its use and
structure help define a muddled heritage. Most
know of the native language, Tagalog, which is
spoken by a third of the country as a first language
and its standardized form, Filipino, is one of the
official languages of the Philippines. What they
don’t know is how deep the roots of Tagalog go.
Ancient Philippine scripts are systems of writing

that developed and flourished in the Philippine
islands in about 300 BC. These scripts are related
to other Southeast Asian systems of writing that
developed from South Indian Brahmi scripts used
in Asoka Inscriptions and Pallava Grantha, a type
of writing used in the writing of palm leaf books
called grantha during the ascendancy of the
Pallava dynasty about the 5th century.
This book is meant to uncover part of the past and

shed light on a history many know little about. It
is an overview of what has been uncovered so far
by linking language to the surrounding lands and
through written historical artifacts. There is still
much to be revealed as the path to understanding
Baybayin continues today.
Chapter 1: Origins
The south wind blows

Language to and fro
Around the archipelago
Sections in this text and in the Introduction are taken directly from or paraphrased
from the following sources:
Fox, R.B., Pre-history of the Philippines...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Philippine_scripts#Writing_technique
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagalog_language
Origin 13
A Migrating History
Baybayin is the ancient script that Tagalog migration that passed through the Philippine
was derived from. Tagalog means “river dweller,” archipelago from the Asian continent circa 200
derived from tagailog, tagá meaning “native of” BC” which constituted primarily the Malayans from
and ílog meaning “river”. It is part of the Austro- Tamil and Dravidians, but also included adjacent
nesian language family — auster meaning “south territories from Indonesia and South India.
wind” and nêsos “island” in Latin, coined by a
Shapes of the Baybayin characters exhibit some
German scholar, Wilhelm Schmid.
visual resemblance to the ancient Kavo script of
Dating back as far as 300 BC, ancient Philippine Java and Indonesia. In addition, Baybayin does
scripts developed and prospered in the Philippine share some important features with Southeast
Islands. These writing systems are related to Asian writing systems derived from ancient scripts
“other Southeast Asian systems that developed used in India over 2000 years ago, such as all the
from South Indian Brahmi scripts used in Asoka consonants being pronounced with a vowel and
Inscriptions and Pallava Grantha during the the use of special marks to change this sound, …
ascendancy of the Pallava dynasty around the 5th there is no physical evidence that it is this old.
century. These influencing scripts were written on
Spaniard accounts in the 1400s reveal that the
palm leaf books called grantha.
emergence of Baybayin in the Philippines was
Several historical writers have made strong considered fairly recent and that its origins came
evidence for this. Isaac Taylor believed that it was from Borneo.
some time before the 8th century that Baybayin
Miguel López de Legazpi reported that Baybayin
script was introduced via the Coast of Bengal.
had already arrived by 1567 with this account,
He draws this conclusion by comparing graphic
“They [the Visayans] have their letters and
representations of Kistna and Assam letters such as
characters like those of the Malays, from whom
g, k, ng, t, m, h and u to the same letters in Baybayin.
they learned them.” Another account written
Several historical writers, including Fletcher by Francisco Alcina a century later states,
Gardner, T. H. Pardo de Tavera saw a “very great “The characters of these natives, or, better said,
similarity” with the Asoka alphabets. David those that have been in use for a few years in these
Diringer built off the belief in the origins of India parts, an art which was communicated to them
and observed that Asokan inscriptions, particu- from the Tagalogs, and the latter learned it from
larly the Ci-Aruton inscriptions of the West Javan the Borneans who came from the great island
rajah, King Purnavarman, established the earliest of Borneo to Manila, with whom they have
types of Philippine syllabic writing, brought to the considerable traffic...
islands by the Buginese characters in Celebes in
From these Borneans the Tagalogs learned their
the 5th century.
characters, and from them the Visayans, so they
An opposing theory by V.A. Makarenko proposes call them Moro characters or letters because the
that because of the Dravidian influence on the Moros taught them... [the Visayans] learned [the
ancient Filipino scripts, their origins are from Moros’] letters, which many use today, and the
Tamil, in Indonesia. He based his work off H. women much more than the men, which they
Otley Beyer to theorize that these scripts reached write and read more readily than the latter.”
the Philippines during the last of the “six waves of
To support this theory, the Baybayin script could t he Philippi ne s de s cr ib ed t he li ng ui stic

not show syllable final consonants, which are landscape as such, “Throughout the islands
common in most Philippine languages. This could t he n ative s w r ite ver y well u si ng [t hei r
be read as an indication that the script was letters]... All the natives, women as well as
recently acquired and had not been adapted to fit men, write in this language, and there are very
the needs of its new users. This same deficiency few who do not write well and correctly.” His
was also common in the script and language of the enthusiasm is often regarded as exaggerations
Bugis people in Sulawesi. Sulawesi is directly south since the historian William H. Scott did find
of the Philippines and directly east of Borneo, so some examples in the 1620s of datus, tribal
most scholars now accept that Baybayin descended chiefs in various regions, who could not sign
from the Buginese script or a related lost script affidavits or oaths and witnesses who could
from the Sulawesi island, arriving in Luzon circa not sig n la nd deed s. Despite t hese few
the 13th century. examples, it was clear that wherever Baybayin
was available, literacy was found among all
More accounts show how widespread Baybayin
levels of society, not just the elite.
had flourished throughout the society. In 1690 Dr.
Antonio de Morga, a Spanish magistrate in
TAIWAN
Origin 15
PHILIPPINES
VIETNAM
BRUNEI
MALAYSIA
SULAWESI
BORNEO
INDONESIA
JAVA
Map of the Philippines and the surrounding countries that have influenced the language.
Chapter 3: Inscriptions
“The Laguna Copperplate,

The Boxer Codex and the
Doctrina Christiana are our
eyes into this ancient script.”
Images and text in this section are taken directly from or paraphrased from the following sources:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16119/16119-h/16119-h.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laguna_Copperplate_Inscription
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagalog_language
Roces, Alfredo R., ed. (1977), “Boxer Codex”, Filipino Heritage: the Making of a Nation, IV, Philippines:
Lahing Pilipino Publishing, Inc.

Inscriptions 19
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription
The oldest known written document in the Philip- century, when Roman Catholicism was intro-
pine language is the Laguna Copperplate Inscrip- duced to later become the dominant religion of
tion (LCI), found by Alfredo E. Evangelista in 1989 the Filipino people.”
in Laguna de Bay. The date inscribed on it of Saka
Made of thin copper, the plate measures less than
era 822 corresponds to April 21, 900 AD. Written
8 x12 inches in size and has been hammered with
in the Kawi script in a variety of Old Malay meant
small writing on its surface.
it contained numerous loanwords from Sanskrit as
well as some vocabulary who’s origin is ambiguous It marks the beginning of written history of the
between Old Javanese and Old Tagalog (Baybayin). Philippines with its creation date in the year 900.
“The document releases its bearer, Namwaran, from Outside of writing, archeological findings and
a debt in gold amounting to 1 kati and 8 suwarnas records of contact through other civilizations like
(865 grams). The document mentions the places of the Song Dynasty China are relied on to unveil the
Tondo, Pila and Pulilan in the area around Manila story of the Philippines. It uses fragments of the lan-
Bay and Mdan (or rather, the Javanese Kingdom guage along with Sanskrit, Malay, and Javanese.
of Medang), Indonesia.” It’s existence is proof
of cultural links between the Tagalog-speaking
people and various sur rounding Asian civili-
zations such as the Javanese Medang Kingdom,
the Srivijaya empire, and the Middle kingdoms
of India.” Before this discovery it was believed
that the Philippines were mostly culturally iso-
lated until the Spaniards arrived.
The transliteration of the LCI shows heavy San-

skrit, Old Javanese and Malay linguistic influence.
Among the observances made by Pigafetta in the
16th century Boxer Codex, Old Malay was spoken
among pre-colonized Filipinos as a lingua franca.
“The use of Hindu references in the Laguna Cop-

perplate Inscription would also suggest the people
who authored this inscription, were followers of
Hinduism and Buddhism at this time in history.
The Golden Tara icon, an ancient artifact discov-
ered in Butuan, Mindanao dating from the same
period, also highly suggests the influence of Hindu
and Buddhist religions being followed in the area
(alongside Islam in many places in the archipelago
from the 14th century onwards) up until the 16th
Detail of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription
TRANSLITERATION
Swasti. aka warṣatita 822 Waisakha masa di(ng)

Jyotiṣa. Caturthi Kriṣnapaksa Somawāra sana
tatkala Dayang Angkatan lawan dengan nya
sānak barngaran si Bukah anak da dang Hwan
Namwaran di bari waradāna wi shuddhapattra
ulih sang pamegat senāpati di Tundun barja(di)
dang Hwan Nāyaka tuhan Pailah Jayadewa.
Di krama dang Hwan Namwaran dengan dang

kayastha shuddha nu di parlappas hutang da
walenda Kati 1 Suwarna 8 di hadapan dang Hu-
wan Nayaka tuhan Puliran Kasumuran.
dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Pailah barjadi ga-

nashakti. Dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Binwangan
barjadi bishruta tathapi sadana sanak kapawaris
ulih sang pamegat dewata [ba]rjadi sang pamegat
Medang dari bhaktinda diparhulun sang pamegat.
Ya makanya sadanya anak cucu dang Hwan Nam-
waran shuddha ya kapawaris dihutang da dang
Hwan Namwaran di sang pamegat Dewata.
Ini gerang syat syapanta ha pashkat ding ari ka-

mudyan ada gerang urang barujara welung lappas
hutang da dang Hwa
Inscriptions 21
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Long Live! Year of Syaka 822, month of Vaisakha,

according to Jyotisha (Hindu astronomy). The fourth
day of the waning moon, Monday. On this occasion,
Lady Angkatan, and her brother whose name is Bukah,
the children of the Honourable Namwaran, were
awarded a document of complete pardon from the Com-
mander in Chief of Tundun, represented by the Lord
Minister of Pailah, Jayadewa.
By this order, through the scribe, the Honourable

Namwaran has been forgiven of all and is released from
his debts and arrears of 1 Katî and 8 Suwarna before the
Honourable Lord Minister of Puliran Kasumuran by the
authority of the Lord Minister of Pailah.
Because of his faithful service as a subject of the Chief,

the Honourable and widely renowned Lord Minister
of Binwangan recognized all the living relatives of
Namwaran who were claimed by the Chief of Dewata,
represented by the Chief of Medang.
Yes, therefore the living descendants of the Honourable

Namwaran are forgiven, indeed, of any and all debts
of the Honourable Namwaran to the Chief of Dewata.
This, in any case, shall declare to whomever henceforth

that on some future day should there be a man who
claims that no release from the debt of the Honourable...
Inscriptions 23
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (900 A.D.), a thin copper plate measuring less than 8 × 12 inches (20 × 30 cm) in size
and inscribed with small writing that had been hammered into its surface. It shows heavy Indian cultural influence (by way of
Srivijaya) present in the Philippines during the era previous to Spanish colonization in the 16th century.
The Boxer Codex

Much of the written history that has survived has
been recorded through a Spanish colonization
lens. The Boxer Codex (manuscripts of Charles
R. Boxer) is a good example, written around 1595.
It contains 15 illustrations of Filipinos during
the initial contact with the Spaniards, ranging
from Tagalogs, Visayans, Zambals, Cagayanes or
possibly Ibanags and Negritos of the Philippines
in vibrant colors. “The technique of the paintings
suggests that the artist may have been Chinese,
as does the use of Chinese paper, ink and paints.”
Spanish colonial governors were required to keep
written records on the territories they governed
so it is likely that the manuscript was written
under orders of the governor. The original owner
is believed to be Luis Pérez das Mariñas, the son of
Governor General Gómez Pérez das Mariñas. It’s
name comes from the place where the manuscript
resided with Professor Charles Ralph Boxer, who is
considered an authority on the far east.
The Boxer Codex describes the Filipinos adeptness

in Baybayin speaking and writing and specifi-
cally acknowledges that women were particularly
well-versed in writing on bamboo and leaves.
The palm midrib-base used for writing is called
talulo. The organization Baybayin360 explains
that “Baybayin enabled Filipinos to understand
each other, transcending regionalism and ethno-
linguistic differences. Boxer Codex mentioned of
how Bisayans can understand Tagalog well… Simi-
larities among the various groups based on locality
where very clear suggesting each others ability
to comprehend similar symbols and connotations.”
this page: the spine of the
Boxer Codex
opposite page: a written page
from the Boxer Codex

Inscriptions 25
Doctrina Christiana
The first known book to be written in Tagalog is in the Malay language, of which also no copy has
the Doctrina Cristiana (Christian Doctrine) of yet been located. But there are copies of the first
1593. It was written in Spanish and two versions book to come from a South American press, an-
of Tagalog; one written in the Baybayin script and other Doctrina printed in the native and Spanish
the other in the Latin alphabet. Throughout the languages at Lima in 1584. So the choice of this
333 years of Spanish occupation, there were gram- book as the first to be printed at Manila follows a
mar and dictionaries written by Spanish clergy- widespread precedent.
men such as Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by
We have then a book, the Doctrina Christiana, in
Pedro de San Buenaventura (Pila, Laguna, 1613),
Spanish and Tagalog, corrected by priests of more
Vocabulario de la lengua tagala (1835) and Arte de
than one order—and this is important in tracing
la lengua tagala y manual tagalog para la adminis-
the authorship of the work—and printed by the
tración de los Santos Sacramentos (1850).
xylographic method with license at Manila at the
Because the Doctrina Christiana, which may well Dominican Church of San Gabriel in 1593. So
be translated “The Teachings of Christianity,” much we get from the title, and in itself it is a fairly
contains the basic elements of the religion which complete story, but from the date of its issue until
the missionaries were trying to spread among the the present time that very fundamental informa-
unbaptized in the remote regions of the world, it tion has not been completely recorded.
was the most useful handbook they had. A sum-
mary of the contents of the present edition shows
the fundamental character of the work. After a
syllabary comes the Pater Noster, the primary and
most popular prayer of Christianity. Then follow
the Ave Maria, Credo, Salve Regina, Articles of
Faith, Ten Commandments, Commandments of
the Holy Church, Sacraments of the Holy Church,
Seven Mortal Sins, Fourteen Works of Charity,
Confession and Catechism. Here in a small com-
pass is presented the simplest, most easily learned
and most essential tenets of the Catholic Church.
So useful was the Doctrina considered as a guide

for those who had just been, or were about to be,
converted that the missionary fathers placed it in
most cases foremost among the books necessary
to have in print in a strange land. It is generally
accepted today, although no extant copy is known,
that the first book printed in Mexico in 1539
was a Doctrina in Mexican and Spanish. Recent
research has shown that the second book printed
by the pioneer Jesuit press at Goa, in India, in
1557 was St. Francis Xavier’s Doutrina Christão Image from a page of the Doctrina Cristina
Inscriptions 27
The book, printed in Gothic letters and Tagalog “I have said before that the material composition
characters on paper made from the paper mul- of our books is inferior. The imprints before 1830
berry, now browned and brittle with age, consists were made on a paper called by some rice paper, by
of thirty-eight leaves, comprising a title-page as others silk paper, and by still others China paper,
above, under a woodcut of St. Dominic, with the according to their taste. It is detestable, brittle,
verso originally blank, but in this copy bearing without consistency or resistance, and was called
the contemporary manuscript inscription, Tas- rice paper because it was supposed to be made from
sada en dos rreales, signed Juan de Cuellar; and that grain. It was the only kind then used in the
seventy-four pages of text in Spanish, Tagalog Philippines, not only for printing, but for all man-
transliterated into roman letters, and Tagalog in ner of writing, letters, etc., and it is even recorded
Tagalog characters. The size of the volume, which that in 1874 when tobacco was a state monopoly,
is unbound, is 9⅛ by 7 inches, although individual cigarettes were made with this paper, and that the
leaves vary somewhat due to chipping. Some of the Indians and Chinese preferred it (and perhaps they
leaves have become separated from their comple- still do) to rag paper or other kinds, because of the
ments, but enough remain in the original stitching horrible taste it gives the tobacco.
to indicate that the book was originally made up
“In China they commonly made paper of bamboo,
in four gatherings, the first of twelve leaves, the
but more principally from cotton and a plant
second of ten, the third of ten, and the fourth
which travellers have cited only by its common
of six. Although the book is of the size called
name, which they transcribe in various ways, call-
quarto, the method of printing must have been page
ing it kochu, kotsu, or kotzu. Today it is known
by page, so it is doubtful that each sheet was folded
that this plant is an ulmacea (Broussonetia papy-
twice in the usual quarto manner, but more probable
rifera) from a mash of which they [5] still make
that it was printed four pages to a sheet of paper ap-
cloth in Japan. Cotton paper is superior to it, and
proximately 9⅛ by 14 inches, which was folded once.
naturally more expensive; but the paper of inferior
The volume is printed throughout by the xylo- quality which was received in Manila, where noth-
graphic method, that is to say, each page of text is ing was imported regularly but common articles of
printed from one wood-block which was carved low price, was of kotsu. As all Chinese-made paper
by hand. Along the inner margins of some it was coated with alum, the finer [the paper] the
pages are vertical lines which were made by the thicker [the coating], for the purpose of whitening
inked edge of the block, and the grain of the wood it and making the surface smooth, a deplorable
has caused striations to appear in the printed business, for it made the paper very moisture ab-
portions throughout. The unevenness of the sorbent, a condition fatal in such a humid climate
impression indicates that the pages were printed as in these islands. Moreover, as the alum used
in some primitive manner without the help of is impure and contains a large proportion of iron
a conventional press. salts, the humidity and weather oxidize it which
finally darkens the paper, so that Philippine books
The paper, which is one of the distinctive features
present a coloration which runs the gamut of tones
of most old Oriental books, has been discussed
from the color of bone to that of dark cinnamon.”
at length by Pardo de Tavera in his study of early
Philippine printing, and we can do no better than
translate the relevant passage in full:
This Ilokano document was first published by Father Francisco Lopez in 1620 using the Tagalog
form of the Baybayin. Here, Lopez introduced his radical modification to Baybayin orthography,
the + kudlít which allowed for unvoiced consonants.
opposite page: Drawing Interpretation of a scribe writing out the Doctrina Cristiana
Inscriptions 29
The Lord’s Prayer from the Doctrina Christiana, 1593

Inscriptions 31
Transcript Text, letters in blue are not represented in the Baybayin characters
Chapter 4: Method
Images and text in this section are taken directly from or paraphrased from the following sources:
Baybayin - The Ancient Script of the Philippines by Paul Morrow
http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/bayeng1.htm
Bamboo.Mendiola, Manila, Philippines : Centro Escolar University, c2000.

Method 35
The Baybayin Method of Writing
The Baybayin was a syllabic writing system, which This way of writing is called an abugida. When
means that each letter represented a syllable a person spelled a word orally or recited the
instead of just a basic sound as in the modern Baybayin, the individual letters were called babâ,
alphabet. There were a total of 17 characters: three kakâ, dadâ, etc., but the original sequence of the
vowels and 14 consonants, but when combined letters was different to what it is today. This
with the small vowel-modifying marks, called “alphabetical” order was recorded in the Tagalog
kudlíts, the number of characters increased to 45. Doctrina Christiana.
“The abc. in the Tagalog language”
A U/O I/E HA PA KA SA LA TA NA BA
MA GA DA/RA YA
NGA WA
THE CONSONANTS & KUDLÍTS
In their simplest form, each consonant represented

a syllable that was pronounced with an a vowel
(like the u in “up”). Simply adding a tick, dot or
other mark to the letter, would change the
inherent a vowel sound. These marks were called
kudlíts, or diacritics in English. A kudlit was
placed above a consonant letter to give it an i or e
vowel sound. When it was placed below the letter
it changed the vowel sound to u or o.
THE VOWELS
The three vowel characters were only used at the

beginning of words and syllables, or syllables
without any consonant. There were only three
vowels because the ancient Tagalogs, and many
other linguistic groups, did not distinguish
between the pronunciations of i and e, or u and o
until Spanish words entered their languages. Even
today these sounds are interchangeable in words
such as lalaki/lalake (man), babae (woman)
and kababaihan (womanhood or womankind),
uód/oód (worm), punò (tree trunk) and punung-
kahoy (tree), and oyaye/oyayi/uyayi (lullaby).
The vowel characters actually represented vowels

that were preceded by a glottal stop. This pronun-
ciation was more common in the pre-Hispanic era
but has changed over the centuries due to the
influences of western languages. This shift can be
seen when early texts, such as the Doctrina
Christiana, are compared to modern Filipino. For
example, we syllabicate the words ngayón (today)
and gagawín (will do) as follows: nga-yon and
ga-ga-wín respectively. But the Baybayin text
of the Doctrina reveals a different syllabic
division. Ngayón was written, ngay-on, and
gagawin was written ga-gaw-in.
Method 37
THE R SOUND
The Tagalogs used only adopted the Baybayin, different ways of represent-
one character for da and ra. ing the r sound were required. The Visayans
apparently used the d/ra character for their own
The pronunciation of this letter depended on
words but used the la character for Spanish words.
its location within a word. The grammatical
Fr. Lopez’s choice of d/ra or la seemed to be
r ule has sur vived in moder n Filipino that
random in the Ilokano Doctrina, which caused
when a d is between two vowels, it becomes
many corruptions of Ilokano words. However, a
an r as in the words dangál (honour) and
chart drawn by Sinibaldo de Mas in 1843 showed
marangál (honourable), or dunong (knowl-
la doubling for the Ilokano ra while his Pangasinan
edge) and mar unong (knowledgeable).
list showed no substitute for ra at all. The
However, this rule could not be relied upon in Bikolanos modified the d/ra character to make a
other languages, so when other linguistic groups distinct letter for ra.
This is a chart of some Baybayin forms and the original source of each. They are sorted chronologi-
cally and grouped by their familiar region names but they are not distinct alphabets from different
regions or languages; they are only variations of typestyles and handwriting.

THE NGA CHARACTER The Spanish priests found this problem to be an

impediment to the accurate translation of their
A single character represented religious texts. So, when they printed a lesson in
the nga syllable. The latest version of the modern Baybayin it was usually accompanied by a Spanish
Filipino alphabet still retains the ng as a single translation and the same Tagalog text using the
letter but it is written with two characters. The Spanish alphabet, as in the Doctrina Christiana.
ng is the alphabet’s only remaining link to its Other priests simply stopped using the Baybayin in
Baybayin heritage. favour of the alphabet. The first attempt to
“reform” the Baybayin came in 1620 when Fr.
Francisco Lopez prepared to publish the Ilokano
PUNCTUATION Doctrina. He invented a new kudlít in the shape of
a cross. This was placed below a Baybayin
Words written in the Baybayin script were not
consonant in order to cancel the inherent a sound.
spaced apart; the letters were written in a
continuous flow and the only form of punct-
uation was a single vertical line, or more often, a
pair of vertical lines. || This fulfilled the function
of a comma and a period, and indeed, of practically
any punctuation mark in use today. Although
these bars were used consistently to end sentences,
they were also used to separate words, but in an Lopez wrote: “The reason for putting the text of
unpredictable manner. Occasionally a single word the Doctrina in Tagalog type... has been to begin
would be enclosed between these marks but the correction of the said Tagalog script, which, as
usually sentences were divided into groups of it is, is so defective and confused (because of not
three to five words. having any method until now for expressing final
consonants - I mean, those without vowels) that
the most learned reader has to stop and ponder
FINAL CONSONANTS over many words to decide on the pronunciation
which the writer intended.”
The most confusing feature of the Baybayin for
non-native readers was that there was no way to Although Lopez’s new way of writing provided a
write a consonant without having a vowel follow it. more accurate depiction of the spoken language,
If a syllable or a word ended with a consonant, that native Filipino writers found it cumbersome and
consonant was simply dropped. For example, the they never accepted it.
letters n and k in a word like bundók (mountain) In 1776, Pedro Andrés de Castro wrote about their
were omitted, so that it was spelled bu-do. reaction to the invention, “They, after much
praising of it and giving thanks for it, decided it
could not be incor porated into their writing
because it was contrary to the intrinsic character
and nature which God had given it and that it
would destroy the syntax, prosody and spelling of
the Tagalog language all at one blow...”
Method 39
Writing vs. Reading
The Baybayin was read from left to right in rows Although the ancient Filipinos did not seem to
that progressed from top to bottom, just as we read mind which way they read their writing, the
in English today. However, this has been a point clue to the proper orientation of the text was the
of controversy among scholars for centuries due to kudlíts, or diacritic marks that alter the vowel
conflicting accounts from early writers who were sound of the letters. In syllabic scripts such as Kavi,
confused by the ease with which ancient Filipinos Bugis and others closely related to Baybayin, the
could read their writing from almost any angle. As text was read from left to right and the diacritics
the historian William H. Scott commented: were placed above and below the characters (i/e
was above and u/o was below). When the ancient
“The willingness of Filipinos to read their writ- Filipinos carved the Baybayin into the bamboo
ing with the page held in any direction caused strips, they placed the kudlíts to the left of the
understandable confusion among European letter for the i/e vowel and to the right for the u/o
observers who lacked this ability - and causes some vowels. Thus, when the finished inscription was
irritation to Tagalog teachers in Mangyan schools turned clockwise to the horizontal position, the
today.” [Note: The peoples collectively known text flowed from left to right and the kudlíts were
as Mangyans still use their own form of the in their proper places, i/e above and u/o below.
Baybayin in Mindoro.]
Some observers were mistaken to believe that the

Baybayin should be read vertically from bottom
to top in columns progressing from left to right
because that was how the ancient Filipinos carved
their letters into narrow bamboo strips. However, it
was simply a matter of safety that when they used
a sharp instrument to carve, they held the bamboo
pointing outward and they carved away from their
bodies, just as modern Mangyans do today. This gave
the appearance that they were writing from the bot-
tom upward. However, this did not necessarily mean
that the text was supposed to be read that way too.
A Hanunóo boy of Mindoro
carves letters into a piece of
bamboo. The Hanunóo script
is one of three forms of the
Baybayin that is still in use today.

Method 41
above: Sword and cover,
bamboo forest and bamboo tip
opposite page: Sword with
Baybayin script on its cover

Method 43
The Art of Carving
Pre-Hispanic Filipinos made use of the natural This perspective from the Boxer Codex was a
materials around them, such as leaves, fruit rinds, limited view because the LCI was inscribed by
palm fronds, tree bark and, most commonly, hammering letters onto metal with a sharp instru-
bamboo to act as the surface of their communica- ment, visible by the closely joined and overlapping
tion. Their panulat (writing tools) were points of a dots from hammering, in order to form the letters.
dagger or small pieces of iron.
There is beauty in the way the culture uses raw
The Boxer Codex describes how they used these tools to materials as nature had made them instead of try-
literally carve their thoughts on the various materials. ing to alter them to be more sustainable. Instead
of labeling this as an inferior, this approach to the
“When they write, it is on some tablets made of
written word could alternatively be viewed as a
the bamboos which they have in those islands,
reflection of the ancestral hindu - buddist beliefs to
on the bark. In using such a tablet, which is four
always try to live in the present moment because
fingers wide, they do not write with ink, but with
it is the only moment that truly matters. The
some scribers with which they cut the surface and
culture’s mentality could have very well intention-
bark of the bamboo, and make the letters. ”
ally embraced the natural and ephemeral nature of
After the inscriptions were carved, the surface their writing system as a way to compliment how
was wiped with an ash to make the writing more life should be lived.
visible. If the writing surface was more delicate,
Aside from writing letters and poetry to each
like a leaf, sharpened splits of bamboo were used
other, the ancient Filipinos adorned the entrances
with colored plant saps. More durable materials
of their homes with incantations written on bam-
like clay, stone or metal, were not explored because
boo so as to keep out evil spirits.
ancient Filipinos did not traditionally keep long-
term written records. The early reports from the
Spaniards concur that pre-Hispanic literature was
taught orally.
Legazpi’s account of 1567, quoted earlier, went on

to say: “They have their letters and characters...
but never is any ancient writing found among
them nor word of their origin and arrival in these
islands; their customs and rites being preserved by
traditions handed down from father to son without
any other record.”
The Boxer Codex manuscript from 1590, goes on

to say that “They have neither books nor histories
nor do they write anything of length but only let-
ters and reminders to one another... [And lovers] The bamboo document and the dagger used to write it
carry written charms with them.” opposite page: a woman carves into a bamboo pole
Chapter 5: Meaning
Meaning 47
Evoking the Nature of Being
The pictographic significance of each character

in the ancient Filipino script shows a coherent
ontological foundation. The precise relationship
between the ideographs and their significations
linked with the idea of God demonstrates a
profound metaphysical view of how Filipinos
expressed their communications.
BA
In the article “Bathala and Our Baybayin” (Union
Espiritista Cristiana de Filpinas, Inc. 1972)
Guillermo Tolentino gives an awakening explica-
tion of how this metaphysical view permeates the
Baybayin script visually and in construction. This
can be seen by deconstructing the Filipino word
for God, Bathala, which is composed of the letters
BA, TA, HA, and LA.
BA, written as a stylized drawing or outline of the

female organ, hence the first letter of the word for
woman, Babae, signifying the female principle.
LA
LA is taken from the contour of the male organ,
hence the first letter of the word for man, Lalake,
representing the male principle.
TA is an imitation of an ancient hammer that in

striking hard objects as stones or metal produces
sparks of light or fire, hence the first letter of the
word work Tao which means “man” but also can
mean a spark of divine intelligence.
HA stylizes the blinding lightening caused by the

ignition of electric particles in dense, black nimbus
clouds, as well as the rising warm air from the hot TA
earth crust that creates thunderstorms. HA is the
source letter for Hininga (breath), Hangin (air),
and Habagat (thunderstorm).
The culmination of the whole word evokes the

STORY that God fuses in his being the eternal
unity of the opposites, male and female, spirit and
matter, with the life force in the form of breath
connecting the two. HA
opposite page: Kulaman head provided by the
Treasures of the Philippine National Museum

The Filipino story of creation tells of how man and woman
emerged simultaneously full-blown from the same cylinder of
bamboo. They were released from non-being when a great prime-
val bird was pecking at a bamboo grove. They stepped together
into life, hand in hand, equal and bound to each other only by a
common nature and a simultaneous emergence. Each had their
own particular attribute to complement the other, the Man called
Malakas, or Strong, and the Woman, Maganda, Beautiful.
This story reflects how man and woman are equally represented
in the Baybayin characters when deconstructing the Filipino word
for God, Bathala

Meaning 49
“Each letter of the alphabet

is like a door to a whole
dimension of thinking.”
The Filipino story of creation, as depicted in The This story reflects how man and woman are equally
Filipina, A Humanizing Force in Philippine Develop- represented in the Baybayin characters when
ment tells of how man and woman emerged deconstructing the Filipino word for God, Bathala.
simultaneously full-blown from the same cylinder De Leon’s manual highlights the richness of the
of bamboo. They were released from non-being graphic characters as such:
when a great primeval bird was pecking at a
“The impeccable grace, flair, graphic power and
bamboo grove. They stepped together into life,
integrity of the ancient Filipino script are easily
hand in hand, equal and bound to each other only
discernible. But more than these, each letter of
by a common nature and a simultaneous emer-
the alphabet is like a door to a whole dimension of
gence. Each had their own particular attribute to
thinking. It reveals the inner eye of a people who
complement the other, the Man called Malakas, or
cognizes inherent relationships between different
Strong, and the Woman, Maganda, Beautiful.
orders of realities, tangible or otherwise.”
previous spread:
Sections in this text are taken directly from or paraphrased from the following sources: illustraion from The Filipina,
The Filipina: A Humanizing Force in Philippine Development / National Media Production Center A Humanizing Force in
Baybayin, the ancient script of the Philippines : a concise manual / Bayani Mendoza de Leon Philippine Development
Meaning 51
MA is from a primitive weapon (bow) that only

a strong arm can pull. The bow’s ability to release
power, as through an arrow heading for a target,
is obviously the reason why MA, when used as
prefix to any name or noun, activates said word
MA into an adjective.
LAKAS = strength
»
MALAKAS = strong
GANDA = beauty
»
MAGANDA = beautiful
KA is composed of two lines or stakes tied

together, strongly suggesting the idea of union,
cohesion and related concepts. Thus it forms
the basis for words like these:
KA
KAISA = unity
KASAMA = companion
KAUGNAY = united
KAKABIT = linked
KABIYAK = marital partner
KATIPUNAN, the official revolutionary arm of

the Filipinos during the Spanish rule, had on its
flag three KAs, proclaiming the collective upris-
ing against Spain.
Meaning 53
SA has the shape of wind passing through a small

or narrow opening; also of breath streaming
through the teeth when one says shhh, murmurs
(SITSIT) or whistles (SUTSOT).
SA
SITSIT
murmurs
SUTSOT
whistles
NGA conveys the sound made by animals,

especially a cow which moos (UNGA) and thus
the character closely resembles a cow or carabao.
NGA
UNGA
sound of a cow’s moo
WA represents the turning back of the end of

the thread from a spool. It describes the nihilistic
impulse to turn against oneself, to yield to the dark
forces of destruction, to deny life and existence.
WAKAS = end
WA
WALA = nothing
WASAK = to destroy
WALAY = to separate
WATAK = chaotic
Meaning 55
DA shows parallel lines, either straight or

curved, indicating animal or human trail.
Words like road and anything to do with
direction indicate this.
DA DAAN = road
DOON = there
DITO = here
DAKO = place
DULO = end of the road

opposite page: Calatagan Pot provided by the Treasures of the Philippine National Museum
Meaning 57
A Straight Forward Sound
In Baybayin, the Ancient Script of the Philippines: He goes on to show Neologistic cohesion in how
A Concise Manual, Bayani Mendoza de Leon root words used as prefixes (neologisms) acquire a
examines a bit of the onthology and formation certain level of meaning that indicates a highly
of words in Baybayin. He points out that one integrated and systematic internal structure. He
characteristic of Filipino is that it’s onomatopoeic. uses the prefix ka to illustrate this point. Ka always
It imitates natural sounds associated with the indicates a state of relationship, defining diverse
objects or actions involved, like “ubo” (cough), contexts, personal and social interactions, as seen
“hatsing” (sneeze), “untog” (bumping of the head), in the following examples:
“halakhak” (laughter), “pagaspas” (flapping wings,
Kapatid (brother/sister)
like a bird’s), “langitngit” (creaking of a door)
and “taguktok” (horse’s gallop). Kamag-anak (relative)
There is no phonetic ambiguity in Filipino. Each Kababayan (fellow countryman)
letter composing it has only one definite, specific,
and unchanging phonetic value or pronounica- Kapitbahay (neighbor)
tion or sound effect in speaking and writing. Katipan (sweetheart)
The vowels a e i o u are sounded as in Spanish,
although some may take the global sound in Kabiyak (marital partner)
the end vowel of a word: e/g/ báta, puno, hapdi, Kababata (childhood friend)
sampu, gantimpala.
Kakambal (twin)
By the one-letter-one-sound rule, the con-
sonants each possess a peculiar sound all its Kaaway (enemy)
own not identical with any other consonant
Kakampi (ally)
within Filipino.
Kakilala (acquaintance)
Chapter 6: Conclusion
Origins - sprang from bamboo
originally carved into bamboo
now carved onto the body

Conclusion 61
Imbued in the Body
A variation of Baybayin script lives on in the the continuity of the family or village. Still other
modern world today in Mindoro, but also is tattoos gave a direct passage into the afterlife,
displayed as a sense of pride in tattoos. Like the while some illustrated the important link between
diversity of words in language, tattooing among mortals, their ancestors, gods and the intimacy of
various regions held different meanings. Filipino communication between them.”
Tattoos by Lan Wilcken gives some insight into
The flowing lines of Baybayin make beautiful tat-
the ancient tradition:
toos today although this was not commonly prac-
“For some tribes tattoos were symbols of courage ticed in the past. Words such as “ina” (mother)
in battle with specific parts of the body linked or “ama” (father) are common as well as children’s
to outward marks of valor, manhood and marital names. Looking at the symbolism of the script, it
prowness. For others it was used as a form of cloth- is easy to make the connection of the past shining
ing, reflecting roles in society, tribal identity, status, through to the present. What once was carved
prestige, eligibility for marriage and personal on the bamboo shoot that gave birth to mankind
beauty. Above these reasons were the spiritual in the story of origin is now carved on the body
beliefs associated with it. Tattooing was part of that emerged and persevered through time. The
an important rite of passage for both men and Baybayin script visually represents the blood
women. Certain designs recognized manhood and that runs deep through the land it has never lost,
personal accomplishments while others conveyed a inadvertently uniting a people with its written
woman’s attractiveness and promoted fertility and word once again.
opposite page: Prince Giolo
from the engraving made for
his exhibition in 1692
this page left: Kalinga Elder
Apo Leg-leg with differing
tattoos on the right and left
arms. Photo by Farlet Vale
this page right:
The Baybayin tattoo of
Claudell Duldulao.
Tattooing kit of artist Lakay Jacob Angn-
ganai of Lubo Tanudan. His final tattoo he
drew at the age of 90 was on his grandson.
The coconut shell was used to hold the ink
and the pieces of string were used as stencils
to create straight lines. The gisi (kisi) tool
is made of lemon thorn. Photo by Professor
Analyn Salvadore-Amores.
this page: Ifugao man with
a chest tattoo called chak-lag,
signifying his headhunter status.
Photo by Dean Worcester
circa 1900
opposite page: Engraving of a
partially tattooed warrior in
the Benguet region circa 1850

Conclusion 63
Conclusion 65
Final Thoughts
As with most ancient languages whose artifacts

are not well documented, the script of the ancient
Filipinos is accompanied by confusion and
obfuscation. From historians misinterpreting
ancient charts, to submissions of false historical
evidence, the path to fully understanding this
mysterious language is a winding one. Though
much work lies ahead for researchers, this book
offers a brief look into the deep Filipino cultural
heritage expressed through language. There is
inherent beauty in the way Baybayin reveals an
ancient view of the world. It is rich with symbol-
ism of an understanding of the Universe and shows
a respect for how nature provides life. There is a
balance portrayed of both sexes, each being equally
vital in their roles for existence. The metaphysical
view of the world shown through our ancestral eyes
and the knowledge of this script continues to
strengthen the Filipino cultural foundation.
opposite page: wooden bullol,
Ifugao Granary Deity

Bibliography
Agoncillo, Teodoro A. History Of The Filipino People. 8th ed.

Quezon City: Garotech Publishing, 1990. Print.
Fox, Robert B., Concepcion, Leonardo Molina, Antonio J. Casino, Eric S. Beyer, William, Martires,
Myrna Ocampo, Galo B. Pre-history of the Philippines. 1967. Print.
Locsin, Maria Elena Paterno-, and Centro Escolar University.

Bamboo. Manila: Mendiola, 2000. Print.
Mendoza de Leon, Bayani. Baybayin, the ancient script of the Philippines : a concise manual /
Bayani Mendoza de Leon. Paramus: Bycynthium Treasures, 1992. Print.
Morrow, Paul. Baybayin - The Ancient Script of the Philippines

Web. <http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/bayeng1.htm >.
National Media Production Center. The Filipina: a humanizing force in Philippine development.
Manila: National Media Production Center. 1975. Print.
Roces, Alfredo R., IV ed., Filipino Heritage: the Making of a Nation, “Boxer Codex”,
Philippines: Lahing Pilipino Publishing, Inc. 1977. Print
Scott, William Henry. Prehispanic Source Materials For The Study Of Philippine History.
Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1984. Print.

Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Philippine_scripts>.
Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagalog_language>.
Web. <http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16119/16119-h/16119-h.htm>.
Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laguna_Copperplate_Inscription>.
67
Resources/Links
Information about Philippine history, language, writing, etc by Paul Morrow (includes a tutorial on how
to write with the Tagalog alphabet and free Tagalog fonts):
http://www.mts.net/~pmorrow/
Ating Baybayin, Our Filipino Script - includes a page on which you can type words in the Latin alphabet
and see them transformed in the Tagalog alphabet (click on the ‘translate’ link on the left: http://www.
eaglescorner.com/Baybayin/
Alibata, Filipino’s Ancient Writing Script

http://www.paradisephilippines.ph/2007/12/24/alibata-filipinos-ancient-writing-script/
An introduction to the alphabets of the Philippines by Hector Santos

http://www.bibingka.com/dahon/
Information about the Tagalog language

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagalog
Online Tagalog lessons

http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/
http://www.tagalog1.com/Index_Lessons.jsp
http://www.tagaloglang.com
https://learningtagalog.com/grammar
Online Tagalog dictionary

http://www.tagalog-dictionary.com
Tagalog Translators
http://www.tagalogtranslator.nl
http://home.planet.nl/~roosiedb/tagtrans3/tagtrans3.html
Tagalog Electronic talking dictionaries

http://www.ectaco.com
Colophon
This book has been laser printed on Epson 4 star

premium presentation paper, double-sided in San
Francisco, California. Font choices for this work are
Goudy Old Style and Goudy Old Style Italic.
69

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BAYBAYIN

the ancient script

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any man-

Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners

Library of Congress Cataloguing-In-Publication Data

p.cm. - (Design Briefs)

To my family, my millions of cousins, “titos,”

A special thanks to John Stucky, MA, MLIS

I would also like to thank Jason Blasso for

The ancient script of the Philippines

Many Filipinos and their descendants are quite

To shed light on this endeavor, one can look back

Ancient Philippine scripts are systems of writing

This book is meant to uncover part of the past and

The south wind blows

from the following sources:

Fox, R.B., Pre-history of the Philippines...

To support this theory, the Baybayin script could t he Philippi ne s de s cr ib ed t he li ng ui stic

“The Laguna Copperplate,

Lahing Pilipino Publishing, Inc.

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription

The transliteration of the LCI shows heavy San-

“The use of Hindu references in the Laguna Cop-

Swasti. aka warṣatita 822 Waisakha masa di(ng)

Di krama dang Hwan Namwaran dengan dang

dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Pailah barjadi ga-

Ini gerang syat syapanta ha pashkat ding ari ka-

Long Live! Year of Syaka 822, month of Vaisakha,

By this order, through the scribe, the Honourable

Because of his faithful service as a subject of the Chief,

Yes, therefore the living descendants of the Honourable

This, in any case, shall declare to whomever henceforth

The Boxer Codex

The Boxer Codex describes the Filipinos adeptness

this page: the spine of the

opposite page: a written page

from the Boxer Codex

So useful was the Doctrina considered as a guide

the + kudlít which allowed for unvoiced consonants.

The Lord’s Prayer from the Doctrina Christiana, 1593

Baybayin - The Ancient Script of the Philippines by Paul Morrow

Bamboo.Mendiola, Manila, Philippines : Centro Escolar University, c2000.

The Baybayin Method of Writing

“The abc. in the Tagalog language”

THE CONSONANTS & KUDLÍTS

In their simplest form, each consonant represented

The three vowel characters were only used at the

The vowel characters actually represented vowels

regions or languages; they are only variations of typestyles and handwriting.

THE NGA CHARACTER The Spanish priests found this problem to be an

Writing vs. Reading

Some observers were mistaken to believe that the

A Hanunóo boy of Mindoro

carves letters into a piece of

bamboo. The Hanunóo script

is one of three forms of the

Baybayin that is still in use today.

above: Sword and cover,