Students receive Baybayin crash course at LES seminar-workshop

In line with their mission of empowering future teachers for patriotic service and as advocates of education, the Lasallian Educators Society (LES) spearheaded a seminar-workshop entitled “Ang Baybayin: Ating Buhayin!” at the Bulwagang Francisco Barzaga, POLCA Hall yesterday, November 16, where students received a crash course on the ancient Filipino script, Baybayin.

With the aim to spread awareness and to provide the student participants a deeper understanding of Baybayin, LES invited the founding chairman of Baybayin Buhayin, Jose Jaime Enage, to discuss the importance of Baybayin, as well as the need to promote the ancient script.

In his talk, Enage emphasized that there is a lack of will to teach Baybayin in schools. “Hindi dahil ignorante tayo¸ [kundi] dahil hindi tinuturo, walang nagtuturo,” he expressed.

 

Students were later given the chance to write their names in Baybayin, guided by Enage’s brief lesson on the basics of Baybayin, such as how to write its vowels and consonants.

Enage also shared his ABaKaDa (Adbokasiya/Advocacy, Batas/Bill, Kultura/Culture, Disenyo/Design) of Baybayin and showcased the Baybayin fonts his advocacy has designed.

With the hopes of promoting Baybayin even further, Enage also asked the student participants to join him on his call,“Baybayin buhayin!,” to advocate that Baybayin be declared as the National Writing System of the Philippines.

 

Aside from the seminar-workshop, DString MNL and Indio Filipino Clothing, a clothing company that utilizes indigenous shapes, symbols, forms, and Baybayin designs, had booths set up at the POLCA Hall.

LES President Charlene-Harbie Coronel said in an online interview with the The HERALDO FILIPINO that she hopes for the students to become advocates of Baybayin aside from simply being aware of the script.

“Sana ‘yong mga nakapunta sa event ay maging advocates at maibahagi pa sa iba ang ganda ng ating kultura,” she said.

Sharing her plans to further promote Baybayin, “Hopefully, magkaroon ng opportunity na magkaroon pa ng susunod na Baybayin event, sa mas malaking venue at mas malaking bilang ng tagapakinig,” Coronel said.