News: Rizal hosts festival reviving ancient Filipino writing system of Baybayin

 By NEL B. ANDRADE/The Manila Bulletin 

December 1, 2011, 5:51pm

ANGONO, Rizal, Philippines — This province, named after national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, hosted the country’s first conference and symposium on our ancient writing system the other day as part of the commemoration of the birth anniversary of another hero, Andres Bonifacio.

This came as the province successfully held the Baybayin Festival 2011, in two venues, first at the Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs site and second, at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Pangasinan 2nd District Representative Leopoldo N. Bataoil, principal author of House Bill 4395, An Act Providing the Protection and Conservation of Baybayin and declaring Baybayin as the National Script of the Philippines also known as the National Script Act of 2011 was one of the guest speakers in the activities.

Rizal Governor Casimiro “Junjun” Ynares III; Rizal Mayors League members; Department of Education officials in the province as well as principals and officials of various public and private schools in the province joined in the 1st Philippine Baybayin Conference in Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs, which was part of the Baybayin Festival 2011, a collaborative project of Baybayin Buhayin, Taklobo Baybayin and Teachers @ Work Journey Group International and Soul Venture Rizal.

Early settlers of Tagalog areas in the Philippines used the "Alibata" or "Baybayin" as their ancient form of writing, which Andres Bonifacio used in the Katipunan organization.

Jaime “Jay” Enage, founding chairman of the Baybayin advocacy group, said the Rizal provincial government, Department of Education, and the National Museum were also instrumental in the holding of the historic Baybayin Festival in two separate venues in this province during the birth anniversary of Bonifacio, who was later found out to have used Baybayin text in the Katipunan organization.

The conference aims to create awareness among Filipinos on the historical and importance of our language, particularly on our ancient writing system, which is the Baybayin; provide a forum for stakeholders among the academe and other related agencies regarding the relevance of the theory by Dr. Bonifacio Comandante Jr. on the Baybayin Artifacts for educational purposes; and to help boost the tourism not only educational trips but for local guests and foreigners as well.

(Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/343288/rizal-hosts-festival-reviving-ancient-filipino-writing-system-baybayin?utm_medium=twitter)

(Photo credit: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Alibata&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=8yKxM59kIWz9GM:&imgrefurl=http://www.magandanghaponatbp.com/en/wordlist.html&docid=i2dEI6FiZUYKYM&imgurl=http://www.magandanghaponatbp.com/img/alibata5.gif&w=888&h=872&ei=8bDYTuC0NMuXiQeXodDfDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=248&vpy=137&dur=9537&hovh=222&hovw=227&tx=130&ty=150&sig=109016585911144419308&page=1&tbnh=104&tbnw=106&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0&biw=1024&bih=457)