Ancient Kapampangan writing system

Contrary to popular belief, we weren't savages when the Spaniards got here. The Kapampangan people then had a thriving civilization--and that includes a writing system. No, it's not Alibata (Arabic), contrary to popular belief. It's also not the Baybayin text found in the sablay of UP graduates, which is Tagalog.

Kapampangans then used what researchers call Kulitan or Baybayin Kapampangan. The writing style is closer to most Asian writings such as Brahmic and Chinese, including the vertical way of writing instead of horizontal.

A lot of us complain that it's very tedious writing in Filipino because words are so long. Well, that's because our natural way of spelling our own words is not in Roman alphabets. It's actually quicker to write native words using our native script. Writing "KAPAMPANGAN" for instance would require 11 characters from the Roman alphabet. In Kulitan, just seven. Seven Kulitan characters for MAKAPAGTAKA, 11 from Roman alphabet.

So how could I live without knowing how to write in Kulitan?!


In fact, I got myself a henna tattoo a while ago in a beach resort in Olongapo (we visited my father-side uncles and aunt) that reads "Kapampangan." Of course, the artist had no idea how to write the word, since all of his character templates are Chinese, Japanese, etc. I wrote the word myself and had him transfer it to my unevenly colored arm a la 'Flame of Recca'.

If you wish to learn it, I can gladly teach you. Just send me an email. In case you haven't noticed yet, the vertical writing in my blog's banner is how you write KAMARU using Kulitan. Cool, ne?


Susug: Check out my father-side pisan (cousin). He acts timid when you ask him to be photographed, but once you aim the camera, he acts Mr. Pogi faster than lightning. Sadly, he will grow up a Tagalog since his parents talk to him in Tagalog in spite of his being a Kapampangan.

Anyway, check out my Kamaru shirt. It actually reads "Mulala, oyni ing singsing mung mebating" (Stupid, here's the ring that you lost). My father-side relatives quickly knew that the statement was referring to the singsing lost in the folk song Atin Ku Pung Singsing. I wonder if the rest of the Kapampangans in that beach resort (there were a lot!) knew that, too.