UST Removes Baybayin Street Signs Following Backlash
The intention was there.
(SPOT.ph) New street signs showcasing Baybayin around the University of Santo Tomas were removed barely a day after installation, following backlash from social media users.
On Monday morning, students spotted signs near the Athletics Field that supposedly transliterated the campus' C. Gonzales Drive and O. Osmeña Drive into Baybayin. It didn't take long for these signs to go viral, especially after AB The Flame, the official publication of UST's Faculty of Arts and Letters, reported it.
Those versed in Baybayin and critics alike soon criticized the signs for their inaccurate use of the script, insisting that UST should have sought expert advice before installation.
They also pointed out the irony that UST—which holds two land documents written in Baybayin considered national cultural treasures by the National Archives of the Philippines—would make such an oversight. Others found it merely a performative move.
UST responds after taking down Baybayin street signs
However, the UST Facilities Management Office (FMO), responsible for the signs, clarified that they were prototypes and explained why they put it. They explained that these were just "prototypes" that they simply weren't able to take down during Typhoon Carina's onslaught. "'Yung posteng 'yun hindi pa 'yun 'yung totoo; prototype pa lang. Tinitignan nila kung valid, kung maganda," UST Faculty of Arts and Letters Dean Melanie Turingan told The Flame.
"It is not part of the celebration of Buwan ng Wika but an overall appreciation of the form of writing of our forefathers," FMO director Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P., told The Varsitarian.
Acknowledging the oversight, he stated, "If we want to change our signage, we should study it as well. We cannot rush into something that has not yet been introduced and understood by everyone." He added, "Let us fix it and give it justice."
Also read: You Can Now Download This Baybayin Guide Book for Free
Baybayin is our pre-Spanish writing system, not "alibata" which are the first three letters in Arabic, explained historian Ambeth Ocampo in a Facebook post. It is a form of abugida script, where each consonant character inherently includes the vowel sound "a."
Many groups continue to learn and practice Baybayin, including members of the non-governmental organization Baybayin Buhayin, which advocates for raising awareness and knowledge of the script.
In a phone interview with SPOT.ph, Baybayin Buhayin's chairperson, Jay Enage, expressed dismay over the street signs and how UST handled the issue.
"How come lumusot? It's an actual project; ito ay pinagplanuhan. Dumaan ito sa matinding proseso. How come walang nag validate?" he muses. He firmly believed the signs weren’t merely prototypes, as the letters were carefully painted, and wished the institution had simply come clean and admitted to making an honest mistake.
Although the intention was there, UST fell short in execution, with a few inaccuracies pointed out online. "C. Gonzales Drive" and "O. Osmeña Drive" were translated directly and letter-for-letter. While using loanwords on street signs is acceptable, they should be written to reflect their pronunciation, such as "darayb" for "drive" in this case. Another way to more effectively translate the text would have been to use Filipino where possible and then transliterate into Baybayin.
"Hindi ka maglalagay diyan ng Baybayin dahil gusto mo lang maglagay ng Baybayin," Enage stated. Besides seeking validation from experts, he hopes that if UST continues the project, it will include seminars or workshops on Baybayin for students so they can learn how to read and transliterate it properly.