Calligraphy workshops that are popular among crafty millennials usually involve European-style cursive and splashy watercolor backgrounds but what about the Philippines’ very own Baybayin?
Baybayin is an ancient Philippine script that, for the most part, has ceased to exist in modern Filipino culture. That’s a shame though because it’s a reflection of the country’s rich history — and it looks damn cool too.
The good news is, some are actively pushing for its revival or, at the very least, a better appreciation of it.
Like this upcoming workshop by tour company Manila For a Day. Called “Baybayin Crash Course,” the class is exactly that — a three-hour course that will teach attendees how to write in the pre-colonial syllabic alphabet.
READ: PH house committee wants to revive ancient Baybayin script
Apart from practical lessons on how to write, the course will also give a background on the history of Baybayin. According to Manila For a Day, the lessons are based on the first Spanish documents with Baybayin translations.
“To learn [B]aybayin with us is to learn it exactly as the first Spaniards on our shores learned it from our ancestors,” the organizer said in its Facebook event page.
Instructors include José Alain Austria, a historian and expert in local art and history; Luisito Tayag, restoration artist and calligrapher; and Dustin Ancheta, the lead cultural navigator for Manila For a Day.
By the end of the class, attendees will be taught how to write their names in Baybayin, which many will probably want to monogram all their stuff with.
READ: Have you seen this Baybayin Keyboard for your smartphone?
The class will be held on Sept. 30, Sunday from 2 – 5pm at the R.O.X. Philippines store in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. The fee is PHP1,299 (US$24.04).
For more information, visit the Baybayin Crash Course Facebook event page.
Find it:
R.O.X. Philippines
B1 Bonifacio High Street
7th Avenue corner Lane O
Bonifacio Global City
