Baybayin Courses
Learn the ancient, pre-colonial writing system of the Filipino people in these deeply engaging courses on Filipino calligraphy.
Baybayin Courses
Help us keep our national identity and culture alive! Learn the ancient, pre-colonial writing script of the Filipino people.
Baybayin Crash Course
Manila For A Day’s Baybayin program is based on the first, and earliest, Spanish documents with Baybayin translations. To learn Baybayin with us is to learn it exactly as the first Spaniards on our shores learned it from our ancestors. It’s the best way to get started before heading to the more complicated variants of our pre-colonial scripts.
We bring our signature course straight to your door. Whether it’s in a classroom or in a boardroom, we can fit the Baybayin Crash Course to your organization’s needs and schedule. Don’t have your own space to hold the class? No problem! Give us your preferred city in the metro and we’ll find one for you.
Virtual Baybayin
Face to face classes isn’t the only way to learn Baybayin! Get the same level of instructional expertise and experience without leaving the comfort of your home, study hall, or conference room!
We offer the same level of instruction and expertise via Google Meet and have successfully conducted hundreds of classes throughout the pandemic while the country was in lockdown. The only difference between a virtual and a face-to-face session is that you have to print your own materials but the learning—and definitely the enjoyment—is exactly the same!
Master Class
Ready to take the next step? We can elevate your knowledge by customizing a program based on your learning objectives. For example, you may be interested in integrating Baybayin for Shodō calligraphy, or perhaps you’d like to focus on Baybayin and pre-colonial tattoo symbology. It’s up to you how to proceed after the initial crash course. We will work with you to maximize your experience!
Baybayin Crash Course
Manila For A Day’s Baybayin program is based on the first, and earliest, Spanish documents with Baybayin translations. To learn Baybayin with us is to learn it exactly as the first Spaniards on our shores learned it from our ancestors. It’s the best way to get started before heading to the more complicated variants of our pre-colonial scripts.
We bring our signature course straight to your door. Whether it’s in a classroom or in a boardroom, we can fit the Baybayin Crash Course to your organization’s needs and schedule. Don’t have your own space to hold the class? No problem! Give us your preferred city in the metro and we’ll find one for you.
Virtual Baybayin
Face to face classes isn’t the only way to learn Baybayin! Get the same level of instructional expertise and experience without leaving the comfort of your home, study hall, or conference room!
We offer the same level of instruction and expertise via Google Meet and have successfully conducted hundreds of classes throughout the pandemic while the country was in lockdown. The only difference between a virtual and a face-to-face session is that you have to print your own materials but the learning—and definitely the enjoyment—is exactly the same!
Master Class
Ready to take the next step? We can elevate your knowledge by customizing a program based on your learning objectives. For example, you may be interested in integrating Baybayin for Shodō calligraphy, or perhaps you’d like to focus on Baybayin and pre-colonial tattoo symbology. It’s up to you how to proceed after the initial crash course. We will work with you to maximize your experience!
What You’ll Learn
Manila For A Day’s signature Baybayin Courses are designed to give you both the theoretical and practical framework to use baybayin as a form of nationalistic and artistic self-expression.
Demystifying Baybayin
The first part of the course is a short discussion on what Baybayin actually is and what it isn’t based on factual, researched-backed historical information. We demystify Baybayin by discovering its origins, its evolution, near-extinction, and finally its revival.
This segment also talks about the various schools of thought regarding the propagation and practice of Baybayin as well as other surviving pre-colonial Philippine scripts.
Baybayin and You
You will learn how to write the Baybayin syllabary. Building on the theoretical framework from the previous segment, we walk you through Baybayin’s many characters using the Lopez Writing Method.
We use a collection of hands-on approaches in how we teach the practical framework for writing Baybayin. We do everything from breaking down each character and writing it with you stroke by stroke, all the way to mentored writing exercises.
Baybayin Personified
In this segment, we teach you the different methods of translating your name to its old Tagalog and Baybayin counterpart.
Using the science of onomastics, a well-researched reference on your name will be provided to you in this segment of the course. We will guide you through the nuances of finding that spark of inspiration and perhaps rediscovering not just your artistic side, but also your latent Filipino soul!
We are particularly proud of this segment as it not only adds a personalized touch to the course, but also allows you to truly reconnect with the ancient Philippine script.
Demystifying Baybayin
The first part of the course is a short discussion on what Baybayin actually is and what it isn’t based on factual, researched-backed historical information. We demystify Baybayin by discovering its origins, its evolution, near-extinction, and finally its revival.
This segment also talks about the various schools of thought regarding the propagation and practice of Baybayin as well as other surviving pre-colonial Philippine scripts.
Baybayin and You
You will learn how to write the Baybayin syllabary. Building on the theoretical framework from the previous segment, we walk you through Baybayin’s many characters using the Lopez Writing Method.
We use a collection of hands-on approaches in how we teach the practical framework for writing Baybayin. We do everything from breaking down each character and writing it with you stroke by stroke, all the way to mentored writing exercises.
Baybayin Personified
In this segment, we teach you the different methods of translating your name to its old Tagalog and Baybayin counterpart.
Using the science of onomastics, a well-researched reference on your name will be provided to you in this segment of the course. We will guide you through the nuances of finding that spark of inspiration and perhaps rediscovering not just your artistic side, but also your latent Filipino soul!
We are particularly proud of this segment as it not only adds a personalized touch to the course, but also allows you to truly reconnect with the ancient Philippine script.
About the Instructors
To ensure that you get only the highest quality learning experience, all our workshops will have a main facilitator supported by teaching assistants who have all mastered Baybayin.
José Alain Austria
Manila For A Day’s Historian-at-Large, Alain has over 20 years of teaching experience in the fields of Philippine and world history with a specialization in historical district studies.
A true renaissance man of dynamic wit and intelligence, Alain is a historian and cultural expert who specializes in local and art history, folk religiosity, and calligraphy. Alain is the perfect mentor to get you started in learning to love Baybayin as he has been practicing and mastering the art and science of pre-colonial Philippine scripts since 1999.
Luisito Tayag
Corporate trainer and facilitator. Santo restoration artist. Master Baybayin calligrapher. These are just a few of the hats that Luisito wears on a daily basis when he’s not busy navigating across cultures and guiding for Manila For A Day.
Luisito uses his extensive experience in organizational development and training to help you learn and master Baybayin in a fun and engaging manner. From the moment you enter the room, to the moment you sit down and write your first Baybayin character, you’ll realize that you have found the perfect mentor to get you started in learning this beautiful pre-colonial script.
Dustin Ancheta
A stereotype nerd with a passion for Philippine history, Dustin is an amateur historian with an interest in 15th to 17th century Philippines and pre-colonial Philippine scripts, particularly Baybayin. He is the Lead Cultural Navigator of the company and has been teaching Philippine history for almost a decade through Manila For A Day’s signature tour programs.
José Alain Austria
Manila For A Day’s Historian-at-Large, Alain has over 20 years of teaching experience in the fields of Philippine and world history with a specialization in historical district studies.
A true renaissance man of dynamic wit and intelligence, Alain is a historian and cultural expert who specializes in local and art history, folk religiosity, and calligraphy. Alain is the perfect mentor to get you started in learning to love Baybayin as he has been practicing and mastering the art and science of pre-colonial Philippine scripts since 1999.
Luisito Tayag
Corporate trainer and facilitator. Santo restoration artist. Master Baybayin calligrapher. These are just a few of the hats that Luisito wears on a daily basis when he’s not busy navigating across cultures and guiding for Manila For A Day.
Luisito uses his extensive experience in organizational development and training to help you learn and master Baybayin in a fun and engaging manner. From the moment you enter the room, to the moment you sit down and write your first Baybayin character, you’ll realize that you have found the perfect mentor to get you started in learning this beautiful pre-colonial script.
Dustin Ancheta
A stereotype nerd with a passion for Philippine history, Dustin is an amateur historian with an interest in 15th to 17th century Philippines and pre-colonial Philippine scripts, particularly Baybayin. He is the Lead Cultural Navigator of the company and has been teaching Philippine history for almost a decade through Manila For A Day’s signature tour programs.
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Rates
PHP 1,999.00 per participant, 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
Duration
Customizable
Schedules
Customizable
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.