I hope this system (algorithm?) is useful for developing an IME for Filipino/Tagalog akin to what is used for Japanese (typing in romaji would give you kana or kanji depending on … stuff!)
Do we really need to understand how to read and write baybayin and other related scripts? I don’t know what others may think, but imposing a indic-based script to a nation that has already adopted a Latin-based script for mostly everything doesn’t seem to be a worthwhile undertaking. Especially considering that in our local dialects, as far as we can tell, we have no recorded use of an indic-based script, which defeats the purpose of learning it.
I have no issue with it though I think it should remain as a novelty instead of forcing us all to use it.
Agree here. It’s cool and fun to some extent but it’s extremely limiting as well considering modern Filipino borrows various words that won’t work well with the alphabet.
considering modern Filipino borrows various words that won’t work well with the alphabet.
This is concerning to me as well. I hope there would be a standardized, modernized version of baybayin that is maintained by some governing body (not necessarily a government body, it could be a committee composed of academics and scholars) that would sort this kind of issue, and a lot more (such as how it can be supported on computers and smartphones). Text entry is also an issue I want to be standardized (providing a set, or several, of standards on how text entry should be handled).
As others have already commented, I also don’t have any issue with baybayin seeing a resurgence. I don’t think there’d be any imposition either as it is way too much effort switching to it, as well as the implications of making it more difficult for people to access material written in the Latin-based script (cf. Vietnamese, Mongolian, as well as discussions RE: Japanese for such).
I pressed enter too early, my apologies.
we have no recorded use of an indic-based script, which defeats the purpose of learning it.
Now, let’s keep in mind that when the Spanish exerted control over these islands, they burned all the written stuff they can find. Add to that the materials we’ve written stuff on (mostly wood bark, banana leaves and whatnot), it’s pretty easy to imagine a scenario where even the ones that escaped destruction wouldn’t able to escape the ravages of time.
There are also other Philippine languages such as Hanuno’o that have used (and still use, though whether or not it saw continuous use, IDK), a Brahmic-derived script.
I’m putting it on a separate reply rather than an edit.
I’ve missed this part of the linked article:
Part of these efforts is the House of Representatives’ approval of the House Bill 1022 in 2018, declaring Baybayin as the country’s national writing system.
And following the link in that paragraph, I got to this press release. I’m quoting the following section for discussion:
HB 1022 shall require all manufacturers of locally produced processed food products to inscribe Baybayin scripts and their translation on the containers of labels.
It shall also mandate local government units (LGUs) to include the appropriate Baybayin in their signage for street names, public facilities, public buildings, and other necessary signage for other public service establishments like hospitals, fire and police stations, community centers and government halls.
The bill also requires newspaper and magazine publishers to include a Baybayin translation of their name in Baybayin.
Lastly, the measure shall direct the appropriate government agency to disseminate knowledge and information about Baybayin by distributing reading materials in all levels of public and private educational institutions and government and private agencies and offices.
I can’t find the actual full text of the house bill (I found a sketchy one on scribd, but I only got to the first two pages of the bill, and it’s a dodgy copy), but as far as I understand, there is no imposition to change over to baybayin, but rather, a requirement to use it.
I do have issues with the former (mandatory switch to baybayin) but I’m okay with the latter (mandatory use of baybayin alongside the current latin-based script for Filipino/Tagalog). Also missing is the IRR for this bill (assuming it already got passed into law). IANAL, but there’s some questions I would want to be answered:
- What script is to be used? What orthography is to be used? What typographical symbols are to be used?
- How is this script going to be handled? Are we going to use fonts to adjust? Are we going to use the baybayin area of unicode? What about support for this script?
While I do want to see more stuff written in baybayin (because novelty, plus it’s just a nice script to use for ceremonial purposes, IMO), I want to see how this is going to be implemented if ever.
