For 5 Saturdays of April 2023, we hosted Sulong Baybayin Abril 21 in celebrating our 7th Year Anniversary through our Google Meet Video Conferencing. As fellow cultural worker and advocate, Luntiang Aghama through Hilot Academy are working together with Sulong Baybayin Abril 21 in promoting Baybayin as our Traditional Writing Script in the Philippines. As SBA 21 or Sulong Baybayin Abril 21 celebrates their 7th Year Anniversary, Hilot Academy also celebrates the same age as SBA 21 as Hilot Academy was established on April 5, 2016.
For the Whole month of April, SBA 21 through Pahusay Bataan, ApuLakan Siklab have presented different topics of Interest regarding the use and advancement of Baybayin.
The Primary mission of SBA 21 is to teach B17 or Baybayin 17 that has 3 vowels and 14 consonants that is known as an Abugida and True Baybayin as well as other indigenous writing script that can be found in the philippines such as the Hanunuo and Buhid Script of the Mangyan Indigenous People in Mindoro.
On April 1st which is the first Saturday of April 2023, we kickstart the program by presenting How Sulong Baybayin April 21 started. We were blessed that we also became a presenter and facilitator of the entire Saturday meet up online.
On the next Saturday which is April 8, Ka Arcgel Hinggo have led us in studying the Historical use of Baybayin from then and now. From his lecture, i appreciate why Paul Versosa have named our Writing system as Alibata and I admired his intention even that the terminology he thought was not popularly accepted now-a-days. In ka Arcgel discussions, it has been mentioned that our indigenous writing system were already known as Baybayin but due to colonization, our knowledge about it was lost due to the institutionalization of the use of the Roman Alphabet.
On the following Saturday which is April 15, 2023- Engineer Chuck Atienza Ramon aka Pahusay Bataan have taught us the use of B17 as the method used by our ancestors in writing. Ka Pahusay have presented some exercises in writing and reading which everyone enjoyed participating.
Then on the exact date of our anniversary me, pahusay bataan and apulakan siklab went live streaming on our Facebook Page. You may click on the image above to watch the replay of our streaming.
Following that which is April 22-saturday, ApuLakan Siklab or better known as Marthy Austria have discussed the different proposals and suggestions of Baybayin Fonts which I enjoyed most. ApuLakan have presented 3 points on the evolution and development of Baybayin in this modern days, and they are the following:
- Ancient/Native/Traditional Baybayin
- Modified/Reformed and Developed Baybayin
- Semi Modern/Modern and Post Modern Baybayin and beyond.
Then Last night April 29, 2023- our weekly discussion have been presented by Kaka Nestor Sto. Tomas who is a proficient educator that he lead us and give us advice on Teaching Baybayin on different age groups and audience/participants.
Dambana ng Luntiang Aghama 