Baybayin Courses
Discover Baybayin through the historical sources that first documented this centuries-old Philippine writing tradition. From your first characters to more advanced cultural applications, our programs bring the script and its history to life.
Baybayin Courses
Discover Baybayin, one of the writing systems used in the Philippines before and during the early Spanish colonial period. Through historical sources and guided instruction, our programs introduce you to the script while exploring its place in Philippine history and culture.
Baybayin Crash Course
Our signature Baybayin program draws from some of the earliest Spanish-era documents recording the script and its use. By returning to these historical sources, the course provides a strong foundation for understanding Baybayin before exploring other related Philippine scripts and later variations.
Designed for schools, companies, and organizations, the Baybayin Crash Course can be tailored to your group’s needs and schedule. We can conduct the program at your venue or help arrange a suitable location within Metro Manila.
Virtual Baybayin
Learn Baybayin wherever you are. Our virtual program brings the same structured instruction and historical context of the Baybayin Crash Course to individuals and groups online.
Sessions are conducted live via Google Meet, allowing participants to learn, practice, and engage directly with the instructor. Course materials are provided for participants to print in advance, so the complete learning experience can take place from home, school, or the workplace.
Master Class
Continue your study of Baybayin with a program designed around your interests and learning objectives. Our Master Class allows participants who have completed the foundational course to explore the script in greater depth and within a broader cultural context.
Programs can be customized around areas such as Baybayin and Shodō calligraphy, historical writing practices, or the relationship between Philippine scripts and precolonial visual traditions. We work with you to develop a focused program that builds naturally on what you have already learned.
Baybayin Crash Course
Our signature Baybayin program draws from some of the earliest Spanish-era documents recording the script and its use. By returning to these historical sources, the course provides a strong foundation for understanding Baybayin before exploring other related Philippine scripts and later variations.
Designed for schools, companies, and organizations, the Baybayin Crash Course can be tailored to your group’s needs and schedule. We can conduct the program at your venue or help arrange a suitable location within Metro Manila.
Virtual Baybayin
Learn Baybayin wherever you are. Our virtual program brings the same structured instruction and historical context of the Baybayin Crash Course to individuals and groups online.
Sessions are conducted live via Google Meet, allowing participants to learn, practice, and engage directly with the instructor. Course materials are provided for participants to print in advance, so the complete learning experience can take place from home, school, or the workplace.
Master Class
Continue your study of Baybayin with a program designed around your interests and learning objectives. Our Master Class allows participants who have completed the foundational course to explore the script in greater depth and within a broader cultural context.
Programs can be customized around areas such as Baybayin and Shodō calligraphy, historical writing practices, or the relationship between Philippine scripts and precolonial visual traditions. We work with you to develop a focused program that builds naturally on what you have already learned.
What You’ll Learn
Manila For A Day’s signature Baybayin Courses combine historical context with practical instruction, giving participants the knowledge and skills to engage with Baybayin as a meaningful form of cultural and artistic expression.
Demystifying Baybayin
We begin by establishing what Baybayin is, and just as importantly, what it is not. Drawing from historical research and primary sources, this segment explores the script’s origins, development, decline, and eventual revival in contemporary Filipino culture.
We also examine different perspectives on the preservation, propagation, and modern use of Baybayin, while introducing participants to other indigenous Philippine writing traditions that have survived to the present day.
Baybayin and You
With the historical foundation in place, you will learn how to read and write the Baybayin syllabary using the Lopez Writing Method.
Each character is introduced through guided, hands-on instruction, from its basic structure and stroke sequence to practical writing exercises. Through demonstration and mentored practice, you will gradually develop the confidence to compose words and phrases in Baybayin independently.
Baybayin Personified
The final segment makes the experience personal. You will explore how your name can be interpreted through historical Tagalog naming traditions and rendered in Baybayin.
Drawing on onomastics, the study of names and their origins, we provide researched context for your name and guide you through the process of creating your own Baybayin rendering. The result is more than a writing exercise: it offers a personal point of connection between the script, its cultural heritage, and your own creative expression.
Demystifying Baybayin
We begin by establishing what Baybayin is, and just as importantly, what it is not. Drawing from historical research and primary sources, this segment explores the script’s origins, development, decline, and eventual revival in contemporary Filipino culture.
We also examine different perspectives on the preservation, propagation, and modern use of Baybayin, while introducing participants to other indigenous Philippine writing traditions that have survived to the present day.
Baybayin and You
With the historical foundation in place, you will learn how to read and write the Baybayin syllabary using the Lopez Writing Method.
Each character is introduced through guided, hands-on instruction, from its basic structure and stroke sequence to practical writing exercises. Through demonstration and mentored practice, you will gradually develop the confidence to compose words and phrases in Baybayin independently.
Baybayin Personified
The final segment makes the experience personal. You will explore how your name can be interpreted through historical Tagalog naming traditions and rendered in Baybayin.
Drawing on onomastics, the study of names and their origins, we provide researched context for your name and guide you through the process of creating your own Baybayin rendering. The result is more than a writing exercise: it offers a personal point of connection between the script, its cultural heritage, and your own creative expression.
About the Instructors
Every Baybayin workshop is led by an experienced facilitator and supported by trained teaching assistants, ensuring that participants receive attentive guidance throughout the learning experience.
José Alain Austria
Manila For A Day’s Historian-at-Large, José Alain Austria brings more than 20 years of teaching experience in Philippine and world history, with a specialization in historical district studies.
A historian, cultural specialist, and calligrapher, Alain’s areas of expertise include local and art history, folk religiosity, and Philippine writing traditions. He has studied and practiced Baybayin and other indigenous Philippine scripts since 1999, bringing both scholarly depth and artistic discipline to his instruction.
Luisito Tayag
A corporate trainer, facilitator, restoration artist, and Baybayin calligrapher, Luisito Tayag brings together a distinctive combination of cultural knowledge, artistic practice, and professional training experience.
Drawing from his background in organizational development and facilitation, Luisito makes Baybayin approachable without sacrificing depth. His hands-on teaching style guides participants from their first character to increasingly confident and independent writing.
Dustin Ancheta
As Manila For A Day’s Lead Cultural Navigator, Dustin Ancheta has spent more than a decade introducing guests to Philippine history and culture through the company’s signature programs.
His historical interests center on the Philippines from the 15th to 17th centuries, with a particular focus on Baybayin and other early Philippine writing traditions. His approach places the script within the broader historical and cultural world in which it developed and was used.
José Alain Austria
Manila For A Day’s Historian-at-Large, José Alain Austria brings more than 20 years of teaching experience in Philippine and world history, with a specialization in historical district studies.
A historian, cultural specialist, and calligrapher, Alain’s areas of expertise include local and art history, folk religiosity, and Philippine writing traditions. He has studied and practiced Baybayin and other indigenous Philippine scripts since 1999, bringing both scholarly depth and artistic discipline to his instruction.
Luisito Tayag
A corporate trainer, facilitator, restoration artist, and Baybayin calligrapher, Luisito Tayag brings together a distinctive combination of cultural knowledge, artistic practice, and professional training experience.
Drawing from his background in organizational development and facilitation, Luisito makes Baybayin approachable without sacrificing depth. His hands-on teaching style guides participants from their first character to increasingly confident and independent writing.
Dustin Ancheta
As Manila For A Day’s Lead Cultural Navigator, Dustin Ancheta has spent more than a decade introducing guests to Philippine history and culture through the company’s signature programs.
His historical interests center on the Philippines from the 15th to 17th centuries, with a particular focus on Baybayin and other early Philippine writing traditions. His approach places the script within the broader historical and cultural world in which it developed and was used.
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Duration
Customizable
Schedules
Customizable
Pricing
PHP 1,999 per participant, with minimum of five (5) participants per private session.
Inclusions
• Printable signature Manila For A Day exercise sheets
• Printable signature Manila For A Day reference material
• Unparalleled hands-on instruction
• More than two decades combined instructional experience
• Exclusive invitation to join a private, Manila For A Day Facebook Group of composed of graduates of the course
• Printable signature Manila For A Day reference material
• Unparalleled hands-on instruction
• More than two decades combined instructional experience
• Exclusive invitation to join a private, Manila For A Day Facebook Group of composed of graduates of the course
Quality Over Quantity
All Manila For A Day engagements are private. We do not mix groups to preserve the quality of our tours.
Fun But Factual
We aim to enrich your knowledge with factual commentaries. All information can be cited as well.
No Commissions
We partner with other industries to bring you only the best deals. We do not skim from the top or pad at the bottom.
Cruelty-Free
No kalesa (horse-drawn carriage) rides for us, folks! We do not believe in the use of animals for entertainment.
Reservation Form
Let us know how you’d like to start your journey. If you are inquiring about program details, such as rates, inclusions, or scheduling, please read the course description.