Republic of the Philippines
House of Representatives
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Sixteen Congress
Second Regular Session

House Bill No. 511.0.

Introduced by Hon. LEOPOLDO N. BATAOIL

EXPLANATORY NOTE

“While a people preserve its language; it preserves the marks of liberty.”

-- EL FILIBUSTERISMO, 1887
Pedro Chirino (1557-1635) served in the Philippines for 12 years. He arrived in May 1590 and
left in July 1602, and thus saw and described the Philippines and the Filipinos during the early
years of the Spanish conquest. Perhaps the most cited chapter in his work concerns the pre-

Spanish writing or baybayin.
In “Relacion de Las Islas Filipinas” by Pedro Chirino, which was originally published in Rome
in 1604 and made more accessible in a bilingual edition of 1969 with a translation from the

original Spanish by Ramon Echevarria.

Here Chirino stated that

‘So accustomed are all these islanders to writing and reading that there
is scarcely a man, and much less a woman, who cannot read and write in letters proper to the
island of Manila, very different from those of China, Japan, or India.” He even drew the various

letters of the baybayin, explaining how this was written and read.

‘The importance of writing in general and of the alphabet in particular for the preservation and

progress of civilization is incalculable. As University of Chicago scholar I. J. GELB has
declared: “Writing is so important in our daily life that i should be willing to say that our

civilization could exist more casily without money, metals, radios, steam engines, or electricity

‘than without writing.” Before the invention of writing, the preservation of history, literature, and

tradition was dependent upon fallible oral transmission and faulty human memory.


It is no wonder that the seven ancient peoples (Sumerians, Egyptians, Elamites, Indians, Cretans,

Hittites, and Chinese) who de

d the earliest forms of true writing considered the art of writing
to be a gift or invention of God or the gods. "Writing is among the greatest inventions in human
history, perhaps the greatest invention, since it made history possible." Thus Andrew Robinson,
literary editor of the (London) Times Higher Education Supplement, introduces his scholarly and

fa

inating study of alphabets, hieroglyphies and pictograms.

Thus, the approval of this measure is earnestly sought.

Hon. LEOP



Republic of the Philippines

House of Representatives

Quezon City, Metro Manila
Sixteen Congress

Second Regular Session

House Bill No, 5110

Introduced by Hon. LEOPOLDO N. BATAOIL,

AN ACT
DECLARING “BAYBAYIN” AS THE NATIONAL WRITING SYSTEM
OF THE PHILIPPINES, PROVIDING FOR ITS PROMOTION, PROTECTION,
PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SEC, 1. Short Title, —
of 2014”,

his Act shall be known as the “National Writing System Act

SEC, 2. Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
inculcate, propagate and preserve the cultural heritage and treasures of the Philippines for the
evolution and development of patriotism among the citizenry by giving utmost priority to the

conservation and promotion of arts, letters and culture. Towards this end, there is a need to

promote, protect, preserve and conserve “Baybayin” as the National Writing System of the

Philippines, using it as a tool for cultural and economic development to ereate a consciousness,

respect and pride for the legacies of Filipino cultural history, heritage and our authentic

identity.

SEC. 3. Declaration of “Baybayin” as the National Writing System of the
Philippines. ~ To generate greater awareness on the plight of “Baybayin” and foster wider

appreciation on its importance and beauty, “Baybayin” is hereby declared the National Writing

‘tem of the Philippines. As used in this Act, “Baybayin” shall refer to all existing and

covered ancient and traditional scripts of the Philippine indigenous peoples.


SEC. 4, Promotion of “Baybayin” as the National Writing System of the
Philippines. ~ “Baybayin” as the national writing system representing Philippine traditions and

national identity shall be promoted through the following:

(a) by requiring all manufacturers of locally produced processed produced food

products to inscribe
labels;

“Baybayin” scripts and their translation on the containers or

(b) by mandating the local government units (LGUs) to include the appropriate
“Bay

and other necessary

yin” script in their signage for street names, public facilities, public buildings,

‘ignage for other public service establishments such as hospitals,

fire and police stations, community centers and government halls;

(©) by requiring newspaper and magazine publishers to include a “Baybayin” translation

of their official name; and

(d) by directing the appropriate government agency to disseminate knowledge and
information about “Baybayin” script by distributing reading materials in all levels of
public and private educational institutions and all government and private agencies
and offices to instil awareness of the declaration of “Baybayin” as the national
writing system and to conduct staff trainings for the proper handling of these

important documents.

SEC, 5. Protection, Preservation and Conservation of “Baybayin” Script. — The
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is hereby mandated to protect, preserve

s a National Cultural Treasure.

and conserve “baybayin”

. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations, — Within sixty (60) days after the
approval of this Act, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in coordination
with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTD, the Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG), the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher


Education (CHED), shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the

provisions of this Act.

SEC. 7. Repealing Clause. — All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations
and other issuances or parts thereof that are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SEC, 8, Separability Clause. — If any part, section or provision of this Act shall be

declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other part, section or provision not otherwise affected

shall remain in full force and effect.

SEC, 9.- Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication

in at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation

Approved.