My name in Alibata!
By eileenleyva
@eileenleyva (27560)
Philippines
November 28, 2021 11:43pm CST
Contrary to what others believe, the Philippines has a civilization ruled by chieftains called datus all throughout the archipelago. Although differentiated by languages and ways of life, the various tribes respect each other, a tradition that remains today.
Embedded in the culture was an age-old form or writing called Alibata. Yes, pre-colonial natives know how to read and write.
Unfortunately, the colonizers tried to cancel that written form of communication so the natives could not rally against them. The colonizers, the Spaniards, did succeed.
In the premier state university called the University of the Philippines, the faculty for Philippine Studies has been retrieving the lost culture and are prodding students to learn to write in Alibata again.
When my daughter was still in college, she wrote my name and asked me to remember who I am. That's my name in Alibata.
7 people like this
7 responses
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
1 Dec 21
@eileenleyva I think I learned those in my HS years when we had one lesson about it and I researched more about it and learned how to write it. But as I grew older its use stopped already and I also somehow lost my interest now. But I still remember the x beside each letter it means no vowel sound when x is above the vowel e-i and x below means o-u vowels.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
1 Dec 21
@rsa101 Wow! That's really a good lesson. So, is my name in Baybayin correct?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
1 Dec 21
@rsa101 Really? You could have been a expert Baybayin writer/transcriber. Wish you'd refresh the knowledge and share with others.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
30 Nov 21
@florelway Asked my daughter to write it down for you. I got reprimanded for calling it Alibata. It's a colonial mentality thing, I was told. Should be Baybayin.
2 people like this
@florelway (23305)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
30 Nov 21
@eileenleyva Now we're learning from the young. Your daughter is so sweet.. Thanks a lot.
1 person likes this
@florelway (23305)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
30 Nov 21
@eileenleyva I always remember Dora when I hear of Alibata. Anyway, we were on the same class in college when it was discussed in our literature class with Prof. Munoz, I cannot recall much if that's her name. I should make a research on how my name is written. Alibata should be part of our cultural heritage. While the National Commission of Culture and Arts is busy at restoring edifices it should also make effort at reviving a Culture which is distinct from our fellow Asian. We have an alphabet while they have character.
1 person likes this
@averygirl72 (37947)
• Philippines
30 Nov 21
I haven't paying attention much on Alibata. For me it's look complicated like Chinese characters. I'm studying Spanish language to remember that the Spain influence our culture
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
30 Nov 21
Muy bien, Knowing another language is a good thing,
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10399)
• Philippines
29 Nov 21
I remember it from school before. It's hard to maintain our original culture because of all the invasions that happened.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
29 Nov 21
Actually, the alibata is a coined terminology adopted from the Muslim phonetic writing. Ours is called baybayin.
Yup, ours is an inculturation from many foreigners: Arabs, Indians, Chinese, Spaniards, American, Japanese, and now - Koreans.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
29 Nov 21
It is, isn't it? At least I know how my name looks in another form of writing.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
30 Nov 21
My daughter claims the Baybayin is actually easy. We're just used to the modern alphabet.
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
29 Nov 21
Yup. Though I can't read nor write Alibata.
1 person likes this
