EVENT: 1st Filipino American International Book Festival

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Books, art and music! 3 of my favorite things! The 1st Filipino American International Book Festival is this weekend, Oct 1-2 in between the San Francisco Main Library and the Asian Art Museum. I’ll be signing my book with the Baybayin Burner – Ray Haguisan and our very special guest, the Baybayin font king – Norman de los Santos who will bring copies of Anak Bathala.

Come by for custom artwork and translations. I’ll also be displaying my collection of old Baybayin stamps, money and other goodies.

Pilyong Balong

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Ang kwento ay tungkol sa isang bata [Balong] na lumaki sa probinsya kung saan ang mga batang mag-aaral ay naglalakad ng malayo sa kanilang pagpasuk sa eskwela. Sa mga paglalakad ay madalas maglaro at magbiruan ang mga bata dahil sa pagkakaroon ng pagkakataon na makasama ang isa’t isa ng matagal. Ngunit sa gayon ding pagkakataon ay di naiiwasan ang malabis na pagbibiro at mga pagkakapikunan, at para kay Balong, ito ay naging isang libangan.

Sa kwentong ito ay makikita kung papaanong ang isang inosenteng bata ay nagiging isang pilyo sa kaniyang mga kabata at kung papaanong sya’y natuto sa kaniyang pakikitungo sa iba.

Bili na!

GMA's Philippine Treasures

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GMA should win a cultural award for their promotion of Baybayin this year. This past Sunday Sept 11, GMA aired they much hyped Philippine Treasures special. In one of the segments, they featured…..you guessed it! The rock you love to hate, The Ticao Stone, AKA Rizal Stone, AKA the rock that may have buried Lapu Lapu (yes, that’s a real quote), AKA the Dremel Stone and AKA (insert your own).

Why was there so much emphasis on the Ticao Stone when it hasn’t even been proven an artifact? I get why but it’s an insult to the Golden Tara.

Besides the unproven Ticao artifact, they briefly showed the Laguna Copper Plate, Calatagan Pot and various Hanunóo and Tagbanwa scripts.

Overall it was pretty good and worth watching.

My favorite part was seeing the ex-long “distance speculator”, Christopher Miller checking out the rock.

Watch the Baybayin segment while you can

Baybayin needs a Francis M

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Francis M was rapper known for his nationalistic and socially conscious hip hop and rock fusion. From Wikipedia:

Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as FrancisM, Master Rapper, MC The Mouth andThe Man From Manila, was a Filipino rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, producer, actor, director, and photographer. He was the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines to cross over to the mainstream. He was credited for having pioneered the merging of rap with Pinoy rock, becoming a significant influence to artists in that genre as well. He was also a television host on MTV Asia and Channel V Philippines and on noontime variety television show Eat Bulaga! Magalona died seven months after being diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia.Magalona was later awarded a posthumous Presidential Medal of Merit. The award’s citation noted that it had been given “for his musical and artistic brilliance, his deep faith in the Filipino and his sense of national pride that continue to inspire us.

Some may disagree but the general consensus is that Francis M started the whole 3 Stars and a Sun craze with his song of the same title appearing in his Classic 1995 album, FREEMAN. The 3 Stars and a Sun theme would later become his clothing line. Shortly, others would follow with their own versions of “cool and modern nationalism”.

Baybayin needs a Francis M. Someone in the spotlight that has had a longtime (if not lifelong) interest and/or experience in Baybayin. Unfortunately, I don’t believe we currently have that. I’ve read Facebook posts saying that we need the media and entertainers to help promote Baybayin but to beg ask these artistas is ultimately superficial. Sure, there might be a small % of their sheep fans that might dig deeper but isn’t that just like your favorite entertainer promoting some product they wouldn’t use if they were not paid to do so?

Let’s say that Anne Curtis (one of the most popular and beautiful actresses in the Philippines and with over 1 million Twitter followers) promotes it but doesn’t actually know or use it. What good does that do other than a temporary interest. Is Baybayin something she can devote her time and $ to? I doubt it and that is fine. I want someone that is an actual practitioner rather than a cute face.

Hmmm, maybe we should get Norman & Ray to become action stars back home!

Fundraising for the Filipino American Book Festival

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I’ve been invited to head a Baybayin talk/workshop at the very 1st Filipino American Book Festival this coming October 1 & 2 at the San Francisco main library. I’m excited about this opportunity because this is my exact target market. So why the fundraising?

I decided to take my presence at this event a step further by getting a booth. These will mostly be occupied by book publishing companies and independent book stores rather than artists because of the cost. However, this is a great opportunity to promote Baybayin. To help defray the cost of the booth, I’ve partnered with Ray Haguisan where he will be displaying his Baybayin wood pendants. Even split 2 ways, it’s a pretty expensive investment. We will be lucky to break even.

This is where YOU can help and at the same time, get some rewards! One of the biggest questions I get is “How do we get your stuff if we can’t make it to your events?”

Basically, we are trying to raise $500 and if we do, you get your item. If we don’t make the $500, you don’t get charged ANYTHING and the project is cancelled. Every Kickstarter project must be fully funded before its time expires or no money changes hands.

Here are the available rewards
$5 – Name (your choice) card

$10 – Name (your choice) on canvas

$20 – Signed “An Introduction to Baybayin” book

$30 – Custom burned bamboo pendent necklace (approximately 5/8″ width, 1/4″ thickness, 1″ – 1 1/2″ length.) + canvas of a name of your choice

Check it out on Kickstarter

YouLeaD: Overseas Filipino Youth Leadership Summit

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I was recently invited to take part of the 3 day Global Overseas Filipino Youth Leadership Summit happening in the Manila, Philippines.

The 3-day Global summit from September 27-29 at the Philippines International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila, Philippines. This is the gathering of 400 overseas Filipinos from various sectors in discussing how to contribute and create development opportunities in the Philippines or abroad in their respective communities.

I would love to go but unfortunately, I cannot make it this year but I WANT TO SPONSOR SOMEONE TO REPRESENT BAYBAYIN. Don’t worry, you won’t be giving any keynote speeches. I’m looking for someone that’s good at networking. If interested to go to this summit, I will take care of all the registration costs for you, a 2,100PHP value.

Requirements:

  • Manila based
  • Must attend all 3 days of the summit
  • Must know basic Baybayin and the role it plays in our cultural redevelopment
  • Promote Baybayin to other attendees when given the chance
  • Send me an overview of the event with photos

Interested? Email me support[at]baybayin.com and tell me why you should be chosen. Deadline for submission is 11:59PM, Friday Sept 9 Philippines time.

More information on the CFO website

1ST PHILIPPINE BAYBAYIN CONFERENCE

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Right on the heels of the Ticao Stone conference comes the 1st Philippine Baybayin conference in the Manila area. I know what some of you are thinking – Why are these conferences revolving around unproven Baybayin artifacts? Perhaps it’s need to help market Baybayin to the masses? Besides that, I think it’s an undeniable benefit to have this conference. The dialog has started! Could this be the core group all of you have been asking for who can implement a standard? What do you think?

1ST PHILIPPINE BAYBAYIN CONFERENCE IN ANGONO-BINANGONAN PETROGLYPHS

November 30,2011 @ Thunder Bird Resort Hotel & A-B Petroglyphs, Binangonan, 7am-12nn.
CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1) To create awareness among Filipinos on the historical and importance of our language, our ancient writing system, the Baybayin.
2) To provide a forum for stakeholders among the academe and other related agencies regarding the relevance of the theory by Dr. Bonifacio Comandante Jr. Baybayin Artifacts for educational purposes.
3) To help boost the tourism not only educational trips but for local guests and foreigners as well.

INVITED RESOURCE SPEAKERS:

HON. LEOPOLDO N. BATAOIL, Baybayin Bill
2nd District of Pangasinan
Author, House Bill No. 4395, An Act Providing the Protection and Conservation of Baybayin and declaring Baybayin as the National Script of the Philippines.

DR. RICARDO NOLASCO , Mother Tongue Based – Multi-Lingual Education
Ph. D. Lingusitics, University of the Philippines
Board Member, Linguistic Society of the Philippines
Komisyon ng Wikang Pilipino
Adviser, Foundation for Worldwide People Power on Mother
Language Education Initiatives

DR. ZEUS SALAZAR, Kamalayang Pilipino sa Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs
A historian, an anthropologist and the proponent of the Pantayong Pananaw.
He was former chairperson of the University of the Philippines-Diliman Department of History (1987-1989) and a former dean of the university’s College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (1989-1992)

HOWIE SEVERINO, Role of Media in Baybayin Advocacy
Ph.D. Suxxes University, London, UK
MA in Tuft University, Boston USA
Editor-In-Chief, GMA News TV Online

MR. JOSE JAIME “JAY” R. ENAGE, Baybayin to the World
Founding Chairman, Taklobo Baybayin, Baybayin Buhayin, and
Teachers@Work Journey Group International.

MR. JOHN NL. LEYSON, Baybayin Use in Design and Technology
President & CEO, Liquid and Liquid
President, Taklobo Baybayin
Vice President, Baybayin Buhayin

DR. BONIFACIO COMANDANTE, Baybayin Forms of Andres Bonifacio
Ph. D. Anthropology Multi-awarded Marine Biologist, University of the Philippines Professor
Director, Taklobo Baybayin

‎DR. GRACE BARRETO TESORO, What We know about the Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs
Ph.D. Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge

DR. MARICOR SORIANO, 3-D Imaging of the Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs
Officer-in-Charge, National Institute of Physics UP Diliman and Deputy Director for Academic Affairs, NIP UP Diliman