Baybayin

Baybayin is an ancient Filipino script used before Spanish colonization to write Tagalog and other Philippine languages. It consists of a set of characters representing consonant-vowel sounds, where each symbol primarily denotes a consonant with an inherent "a" sound. To write different vowels, diacritical marks are added, and separate characters exist for standalone vowels. Baybayin is an important cultural symbol, reflecting pre-colonial Filipino identity and language. While largely replaced by the Latin alphabet, it is still studied and revitalized today as part of Filipino heritage and cultural expression.