Baybayin Learning Party Marks Culmination of National Heritage Month Celebration in Berlin

Baybayin Class “Lakbay”. (Tofu Creatives photo)

BERLIN 04 June 2020 – A virtual Baybayin Learning Party, held last May 30, marked the culmination of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin’s celebration of National Heritage Month this year.

Baybayin was one of the indigenous scripts used in the Philippines prior to the introduction of the Latin alphabet during the Spanish colonial era.

The class included lessons on the history of Baybayin and on reading and writing the script’s 17 characters. A total of 46 participants from Germany, other European countries, and the United States were able to write a two-sentence paragraph at the end of the 90-minute class. Lucky participants also won a Baybayin name art courtesy of Tofu Creatives.

In her remarks before the class, Philippine Ambassador to Germany Maria Theresa Dizon-de Vega expressed appreciation for the organizers’ passion in preserving such an important element of our culture.

The United States-based artist/singer-songwriter Nityalila Saulo and Illustrator Desiree Llanos Dee of Tofu Creatives (www.tofucreatives.com) served as class facilitators.

The class was organized by Tofu Creatives, in collaboration with the Embassy and the University of the Philippines Alumni Association Germany e.V., headed by Ms. Jennifer Lynne Fadrigo-Hankammer.

Despite restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Embassy was able to mount a special celebration of Filipino culture and heritage. Aside from the Baybayin Learning Party, full-length film, “I’m Drunk, I Love You” courtesy of TBA Studios; a documentary on Baybayin; a news segment on the Filipino people’s Austronesian heritage; and Carlo Vergara’s musical, “Kung Paano ako naging Leading Lady” courtesy of the Cultural Center of the Philippines were featured on the Embassy Facebook page (@PHinGermany) as part of the month-long celebration. END

Top photo: Participants show words in Baybayin characters that they wrote. Bottom photo: Participants learn how to write in Baybayin. (Berlin PE photo)

Samples of Tofu Creatives’ Baybayin Name Art. (Tofu Creatives photo)

The Philippine Embassy in Berlin shares TBA Studios’ movie entitled “I’m Drunk, I Love You” youtube link on their Facebook page. (Berlin PE photo)

For more information, visit  https://www.berlinpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassy.de,  or https://www.facebook.com/PHinGermany.