For those who still have interest in ancient Baybayin (my blog post on the topic remains one of my most reblogged posts here on tumblr), I’m posting here excerpts of my copy of the September 1963 issue of Panitik Silangan (Translation: Literature of the East). It is perhaps one of the few old publications I know that used Baybayin in almost 90% of its pages. I bought my copy from an old antique shop in Intramuros five years ago. It aptly reflects the zeitgeist of the time, as nationalist sentiments was at its height in the 60s. Just a year before the publication was released, in 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal moved the Independence Day commemoration from July 4 to June 12 recognizing the First Philippine Republic established by Emilio Aguinaldo. Hence, the passion of the people then to study the marks of our past, like Baybayin. The publication itself is a great reference not only on Baybayin but that generation’s perception of it. For example, the publication refers to the script as “Abakada,” not “Alibata” as wrongly suggested, and there was clearly a grassroots movement dedicated to teaching the script to students free of charge.
The publication also offers some potentials to Baybayin, like making it into an art form (See Pitak ng Sining). I remember Kristian Kabuay, an acquaintance and a known proponent of Baybayin online who is also a Filipino-American, who succeeded in making Baybayin into a calligraphic art form. These potentials and more are showcased in this publication, including some test questions that teachers can use for their students, as well as the Baybayin translation of Jose Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios.
A word of caution though, like what I’ve said before, the endurance of a script is always tantamount to its practicality and flexibility. Unfortunately, Baybayin stopped evolving since the early years of the Spanish colonization, making it incompatible with modern Filipino language in its entirety, and thus impractical in usage, especially in communicating complex messages.
Therefore, what we can only do is appreciate it by learning indigenous scripts that have inspired it and have endured the test of time, such as the Mangyan script, among others.
That being said, enjoy these scans!
