Introduction
For what we have
known Filipino is our language, the way on how we communicate and connect with
one another, but before this language became our way of communication there is
a script called “Baybayin” or known as “Alibata” when it was introduced in the
early 1900s. But what exactly is Baybayin? Is it same thing as Alibata? Is it
like Chinese writing? Japanese? Arabic?
What is Baybayin?
Baybayin is alphasyllabry writing system known as an abugida. Consisting of symbols for consonants and vowels. The Baybayin writing system is comprised of 17 characters that express consonants and vowels found in old Tagalog.
Is Alibata and Baybayin the same?
In regards to whether Alibata
is the same thing as Baybayin; yes, it is the same thing as it refers to the
same writing system, but Alibata is the wrong term to use as explained by
Hector Santos.
To compare it to Arabic or
Chinese writing would not be a precise comparison. It could be closer to
Japanese writing as they both syllable based.
Etymology of Baybayin
MABUHAY! Tagalog
is the most widely spoken tongue in the Philippines today. Baybayin is a writing system native to the Philippines. It came from the word baybay means “to spell”. Baybayin was
used to write short things such as poetry and announcements. It was carved in
natural material such as leaves, palm fronds, tree bark and fruit rinds, but
the most common material was bamboo. The writing tools or panulat were the
points of daggers or small pieces of iron.
The Baybayin Method of Writing
There were a total of 17
characters: three (3) vowels and fourteen (14) consonants, but when combined with the small
vowel-modifying marks, called kudlíts, the number of characters increased to forty-five (45). This way of writing is called an abugida. When a person spelled a word
orally or recited the baybayin, the individual letters were called babâ, kakâ,
dadâ, etc., but the original sequence of the letters was different to what it
is today. This “alphabetical” order was recorded in the Tagalog Doctrina
Christiana.
Origin of the Baybayin
The baybayin is more like a
syllabary. This name for the old Filipino script came from one of the earliest
Philippine language dictionaries ever published, the Vocabulario de Lengua
Tagala of 1613. Early Spanish accounts usually called the baybayin “Tagalog
letters” or “Tagalog writing” while the Visayans called it “Moro writing”
because it was imported from Manila, which was one of the ports where many
products from Muslim traders entered what are now known as the Philippine
islands. The Bikolanos called the script "basahan" and the letters,
"guhit."
Bonifacio Comandante claims
that the development of baybayin was influenced by the use of giant clams. The earliest document found in the Philippines is
the Laguna Copperplate Inscription
from 900, which was written in a version of the Javanese bawi script, also in
the Brahmic family. Sometime between then and 1002, baybayin was developed in
the Philippines from bawi or related Indic scripts, becoming more and more
widely used through to the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s. But then
Baybayin ends up during the twentieth century that had survived only in limited
time.
End of the Baybayin Alphabet
The Spaniards of the
Christian faith corresponding hatred for all the forms of belief that led them
to regard the native writings and art as works of the Devil.
The inability of the ancient
script to record the new sounds introduced by the Spaniards, the rapid
acquisition of literacy in the Latin script with its concomitant social and
material benefits and the disruption of traditional family activities were the
main culprits for the loss of the Tagalog script.
Direction of Baybayin Writing
The baybayin was read from
left to right in rows that progressed from top to bottom, just as we read in
English today.
More people are seen strolling and shopping in
the Malls, Bazaars, and Tiangges availing back to back sales and promotions in
the product. Many people go out to spend time for shopping, however the traffic
in the Philippines make us stressful that led a lot of us to shop online. The Online
Shops such as Amazon, Lazada, Zalora, Shopee, and OLX are gained popularity in our
country. Consumers choose to online shops due to convenience, discounts and savings.
With just a few clicks, consumers can easily begin buying from shopping
websites from their own internet-connected desktop computers, laptops, and
mobile phones. Filipinos’ top reasons for doing their shopping online are
convenience, door-to-door delivery, affordability, and accessibility.
We can conclude that Online Shopping is helpful
to all Filipinos, why? Because we will not spend more time in traffic and in long
queue in counter. It will not be inconvenient to Filipinos who work long hours because
consumer simply access online stores from their mobile phone or computer if
they have free time available. 
