Yearly Archives: 2012

EVENT: International Hotel Manilatown Center

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Baybayin art

This Sunday 12/9 in San Francisco, Ray Haguisan of Malaya Designs and I will be having probably our last event this year. Join us an a unique boutique sale at the historic International Hotel on Kearny st in Chinatown. Indigenous artists will have items you won’t find else where. Watch live kulingtang and backstrap weaving.

Also, I’ll be doing a large scale Baybayin demonstration and playing music starting at around 3pm. I haven’t played any of my music in the US before, so it will be interesting…..Music + Calligraphy mashup!

Sunday, Dec. 9th, 1pm-6pm
International Hotel Manilatown Center
868 Kearny Street, SF, CA 94108

A Gathering of Indigenous Artists at the International Hotel Manilatown Center in the historic Manilatown neighborhood. Descendants of residents of the old neighborhood return to offer their island inspired clothing, jewelry, and art to the general public. The Center is located in San Francisco at 868 Kearny Street at the intersection of Chinatown, North Beach, and the Financial District. Come experience the a new holiday tradition deeply rooted in a rich arkipelago nation culture. See traditional weaving demonstration by Jenny Bawer Young and Holly Calica sponsored by the Alliance of California Traditional Arts (ACTA).

More info on the Facebook invite

Baybayin Live

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Baybayin Live
In 2013, I’ll be focusing more on speaking and live demonstrations rather than vending opportunities. To promote the advancement of Baybayin, I setup a page called Baybayin Live that outlines some of the activities I can do for potential organizations.

Here’s some info:

I’ve spoken at universities and organizations including Stanford, Berkeley, SF State, Davis, Asian Art Museum, University of the Philippines and the San Francisco Philippine Consulate. Available world wide. Below are some of the activities I do.

Lecture
An Introduction to Baybayin is a flagship 60-90 minute presentation covers is targeted towards those unfamiliar with Philippine writing systems.

– What’s the history of the script?
– What is the connection with India?
– What are the of the reasons it became nearly extinct?
– Who still writes it?
– What is the current state of Baybayin?
– What are the benefits of using Baybayin?
– What are some of the revival issues?

Check it out

American Politics, Identity and Baybayin

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I don’t usually go to political events but I went to a rally for Fil-ams to confirm if my idea to use baybayin as a cultural identifier for businesses would also be applicable to politicians. After having pancit, fried chicken and a Carona, I spoke to some people in the audience, community organizers and a couple politicians. These politicians obviously want the support of the Filipino American community and specifically new young voters. The problem is how to identify as a Filipino without alienating others. It’s not a good idea I guess politically to say “Ryan Santos: Filipino” on a sign. People vote for people that they fell can trust to address their issues. Someone that speaks their language, literally and figuratively.

Below is the website of David Chiu. He uses a writing system specifically to identify him as Chinese and at the same time communicate to his target market.

In contrast, here’s the website below for Rob Bonta who’s Filipino.  The problem with Filipinos is that we are chameleons. We can look like virtually any race. Our last names can mistake us for Latin, Chinese, “American” or a handfull of others.

Fil-Am candidates should use Baybayin on their marketing materials to identify as Filipino. It does not have to communicate like David Chiu does because the reality is that the majority of Filipinos cannot read Baybayin (yet). However, the segment that Fil-Am politicians want to reach (young), do recognize it. Who will be the 1st Fil-Am politician to utilize Baybayin? Contact me and I’ll help you out.

EVENT: San Francisco State University lecture 10/25

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If you go to San Francisco State University, I’ll conduct a lecture/workshop coordinated by PACE. I’ll be trying something different than what I’ve been doing the past 2 years lecturing. This new format is based on my experience and self realization at the Asian Art Museum event this past weekend.

Contact PACE for more info

Event: 2 Blocks of Art 10/19 – San Francisco

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You may have heard about my 3 day event at Asian Art Museum this weekend (10/19-21) but also, this Friday, 10/19 I’ll be taking part of 2 Blocks of Art at the Bayanihan Center in San Francisco. Right after my live painting and lecture at the museum, I’ll be running over to this event. I’ll probably be there around 4:30PM. This is probably going to be one of my last public events this year where you can buy artwork.

Visit Kularts for more info.

2 Blocks of Art Central Market Art Walk
Friday | October 19 | 4-8PM

Bayanihan Community Center
1010 Mission Street @ 6th
San Francisco

Artists already signed on:

Balikbayod: A surfboard sharing project promoting education 1st through the love of surfing

Artisans already signed on:

DI&Q
Little Honey Vee

with live chalk art by Paolo Salazar and Basic Lee
weaving demonstration by Holly Calica
and music by Dirty Boots!

EVENT: Introducing Filipino Calligraphy

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When Filipinos think about Baybayin or the handicapped term Alibata, they think of a few things like the writing system that’s no longer used, backwards “mountain people”, the un-Christianized or an annoying thing they have to take in school. The art aspect of Baybayin isn’t really being discussed or thought of. Sure, we have tattoos but is it art if you merely select a generic font from the internet? The act of the tattooist putting the ink on your body is art but is the end product artistic? That’s up to you the individual to decide but I would think that nobody would ever think of using an Arial font for a tattoo. They would opt for some sort of calligraphy most likely.

generic baybayin tattoo

It’s time to introduce Baybayin as an artform. We need to move away from taking shapes from existing material that’s been around for hundreds of years. Baybayin used in art as an element has been around since the 70’s if not earlier but they were straight copies of those references. Paul Morrow has done so much for Baybayin by releasing his fonts over 10 years ago but now have become the “standard”. Artist’s individual styles are now graded against Morrow’s Tagalog Stylized font.

It’s time to introduce Filipino Calligraphy that encompasses all indigenous and future writing systems from the so-called Philippines. Artists play an important if not more important part than academics in the promotion of Baybayin because it’s visual and digestible to the public.

This is a concept I’ll be introducing at my event at the Asian Art Museum October 19-21. I will be writing a famous yet controversial saying from a Filipino hero on canvas 15′ long. After the live art, I’ll be introducing Filipino Calligraphy to an audience of mostly non-Filipino artists, art academics and art lovers with a lecture.

Asian Art Museum
Chong-Moon Lee Center
for Asian Art & Culture
www.asianart.org

200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
T 415.581.3500
F 415.581.4700

Baybayin and The Cybercrime Law

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By now you should know about the Philippine Cybercrime Law shotgun approach to stop online “crime”. Read about it here. While the act has some good basic things to protect against child pornography, spam and etc but most of it is vague and may lead to jail time for liking a supposed libel Facebook post. I’m not gonna go into all of the bad possibilities but I’ll talk about something deeply personal and how this relates to the work we as Baybayin advocates do.

If we criticize certain people in big business and the government about their attempts to destroy indigenous culture, we can now be charged with libel and punished. Regardless of our regional sentiments, all citizens of the Philippines should stand up to this new freedom stifling “cybercrime law”.

– Norman de los Santos

You may think that this law can’t affect Baybayin but it does because Baybayin is political and freedom of expression. Baybayin was at the forefront of our fight for freedom from the Spanish. Th Ka sign has become synonymous with Kalayaan (freedom). Everyone from rebel leftists to the Philippine military uses it.

One of the reasons Baybayin almost became instinct was because of politics. Current efforts to “revive” it is politics and with any political discussion come debate and criticism that can now be deemed libel.

Sure, it’s difficult to prove malicious intent, a key ingredient of any libel suite but anyone with money and a lawyer can force the supposed lawbreaker into an expensive and time consuming legal battle if they can afford a lawyer. This cybercrime law empowers those with power to harras those with little power.

Some of you may remember the Ticao stone news from last year where the Baybayin community from the US and Canada questioned if the stone was really ancient or not. After an article came out on GMA News, I wrote this piece as a response to UP Anthropology professors.

Could Barry be in trouble for his comments to the professors?

Hell, this whole post could land me in jail!

Ray Haguisan could be sued for libel for calling out a corporation for reposting a photo of an incorrect Baybayin shirt with stolen fonts from my website where I call out Kultura?

Mike Pangilinan calls out politician from Pampanga who use Tagalog. Can he get into legal issues for his criticisms?

Criticizing a company or government body for incorrectly using Baybayin could get you a lawsuit as I wrote about the Department of Budget and Management.

This law turns critics into criminals.

I’m not even going to get into the potential artstic limitations….

This also greatly affects the Baybyain National Script Act bill. This will be put on the back burner until this Cyberbullshit is taken care of.

Since I’m an American citizen, I should be untouchable right? Don’t know with the law written so vaguely even Mark Zuckerberg could be a criminal because he runs Facebook that’s the vehicle for committing these “crimes”. If I go home to the Philippines can I be arrested?

I’m supposed to be getting my Philippine citizenship so that I can be a dual but with this issue, I don’t know now. I’ll have to wait it out.

On a personal note, I took part of the protest and put up an image on the homepage but I’m saddened that it seems like there aren’t many pissed off Filams. The weird thing is that many of the older generation came to America due to the Marcos martial law. I’ve heard so many stories how bad it was. I think there could be a digital divide where that generation doesn’t understand the dynamics of the internet or they are just totally over the Philippines where they just don’t give a shit because they were scared for life. So I can understand that generation as to why they are silent on the issue.

What baffles me is the younger generation of Filams and Filam groups who are relatively silent on the issue. October is Filipino American month, now is a perfect time to talk about this issue. Is it because it doesn’t affect them? Are they wanting to stay in good standing with the local Philippine Consulate?

BTW, I’m just basing thing on what I’ve seen on Facebook. There were more posts about Jessica Sanchez on American Idol rather than Cyber-Martial Law and the loss of freedom.