Back in college, I discovered about the so called Visayan script when I read the book Suhot by multi-awarded Cebuano artist and writer, Nyor Leonilo Estimo. Such script was called the Kudlit-kabadlit and is similar to the ancient Filipino writing, alibata.
It so happened then that the theme for the magazine where I used to write was “looking back to our roots”. Timely enough, I and another publication writer set an interview with Dr. Warfe Engracia who wrote the Kudlit-kabadlit inscriptions on Nyor Estimo’s book.
Dr. Engracia is a radiologist and Visayan historian who has made extensive researches about the Malay race and Cebuano heritage.
An article about the Cebuano language and featuring the Visayan script was eventually published in the 2006 issue of the magazine. At that time, the study on the accuracy of the kudlit-kabadlit was still on-going.
Just recently, I had a conversation with Ms. Eleanor Valeros, The Freeman editor and fellow member of SineBuano. She is also a writer who specializes in the Cebuano language and from her, I heard of kudlit-kabadlit once again.
She said that she has read the book Suhot too and saw what Dr. Warfe inscribed. She also said that the group Kadangyan taught her the ancient script and it was different from that she had learned from Suhot. This leads me to review and make other researches on the ancient Visayan script.
Kudlit-kabadlit: ancient Visayan way of writing.
On the photo is the Kudlit-kabadlit which was taught to us by Dr. Warfe Engracia. The vowel sounds on words are represented by the dots. Without the dot the sound is the normal Visayan pronunciation of “a”. One dot above the letter is the softer “e” and two dots above the prolonged “e” “i”. A dot below the letter is the softer “o” and two dots the harder “o” or the “u”.
Just a disclaimer, this was still based on Dr. Warfe Engracia’s study as of 2006. That’s three years ago and we have not communicated since then.
Awesome way of thinking. I like it. Thanks for sharing
By: MikydHxs8 on May 12, 2010
at 12:14 am
visit me in my clinic and ask for copy of KUDLIT-KABADLIT ancient visayan alphabet. RAJAH TUPAS MEDICAL SERVICES, LABORATORY, ULTRASOUND, X-RAY, EKG(LUXE); 2nd flr, ELIZABETH MALL, N.BACALSO-LEON KILAT ST, CEBU CITY , PHILIPPINES..DR WARFE TUPAS ENGRACIA
By: WARFE T. ENGRACIA on July 24, 2010
at 10:46 pm
Dear Dr. Engracia, daghang salamat nga gihatagan mi nimo ug higayon nga makahibalo sa atong gigikanan. I feel the book is interesting to discover our route. How can I get a copy???
By: Emma Alcoseba on November 2, 2010
at 7:18 am
To Miss Emma Alcoseba,
If you are from Cebu please come to my clinic at the second floor of Elizabeth Mall. You can get xerox copy of the History, Calendar and the ancient alphabet “Kudlit-Kabadlit..
Ang Kudlit-Kabadlit ako kining kinutlo sa History Book nga sinulat ni Anhing Jovito Abellana. Akong gitun-an ug gihinayhinay og “decipher” aron mahimong tumdanang Alphabet.. Na’lecture kini sa Kuala Lumpur niadtong 2001 during the Annual Malay Convention.
Kini ang mga ebidensya nga civilized na kita dinhi sa wala pa moabot ang mga langyawng katsila niadtong 1521 nga gipangulohan ni Fernando Magallanes(Fernao Magalhaez).
I can be contacted thru this Phone Number (+6332) 4177887. or cell: +639236946162 or +639264093564
Kanunay moalagad para sa kalamboan sa atong matam-is nga kasaysayan,
Inyong higala, Dr Warfe Tupas Engracia, MD FPCR
Makita ko ninyo sa CCTN-INTV ch 47 every tuesday, wednesday & thursday at 8:30 AM and you can hear my Radioprogram at DYRC every sunday fro 8 – 10 PM website: http://www.dyrc-cebu.com (Philippine Time)
By: warfe tupas engracia, md on November 21, 2010
at 9:35 am
mag binisaya kita kay aron makakat-on kita sa atong kaugalingong pinulongan. matud pa sa usa ka amerikano nga ‘expert in language’, nga ang Visayan Language is the most perfect language, mas original ug mas kompleto pa! no comparison sa filipino tagalog language .. ang ENGLISH? borowed language. ang atong sugboanon? ORIGINAL! busa atong KAYKAYON, KAWUTON, UGKATON ug TUKBILON. Tun-an!Hashasan ug gamiton kanunay..
By: dr warfe t. engracia on July 24, 2010
at 11:36 pm
I believe that through literature, poetry, music, arts and culture, the world will unite; not only for us Malay. No war! Let us unite and love one another! “One world .. One country”
The mighty United States started as 13 separate colonies. Europe’s historic are now the European Union. Here in Asean, God gave our Malay roots as the collagen to bind us together!
LET US UNITE.
By: dr warfe t. engracia on August 5, 2010
at 7:14 pm
Adunay gibilin si anhing Professor LINA QUIMAT nga binisayang kalendaryo sa page 17 sa iyang libro . ako kining gipasundayag sa PARKLANE HOTEL last year sa launching sa CEBUANO DICTIONARY ni Atty Jesus B Garcia sa SUNSTAR. Nahipatik kini sa SUPERBALITA, cagayan de oro niadtong October 28, 2009 ni BESERE. Kinahanglan nga masayud kita niining tanan aron ikatudlo sa atong mga kabataan. Usa kini sa pagpaila kung kinsa kita niadtong panahon nga wala pa kita anhia sa mga langyaw nga mga katsila.
By: warfe tupas engracia, md on September 10, 2010
at 8:46 am
Interesting. The letters actually look just like some variants of handwriting from Luzon. The way people actually wrote is quite different from the book printing letter shapes that most people know. Unfortunately information on the way people actually wrote the letters by hand has not become widely known yet, but I hope to publish this relatively soon as part of my study of the origins of Baybayin and its relation to other scripts of Indonesia. My interpretation is that this is an example of the way people wrote throughout the islands: one particular example of handwriting.
By: Christopher Miller on September 10, 2010
at 6:05 pm
sa pahina 17 sa “Glimpses in History of early Cebu” ni Professor Lina Quimat kanhi President sa Cebu Historical Society. Nahipatik ang Kalendaryong Binisaya: 1) January = Ulalong; 2) February = Dagangcahoy; 3) March = Dagangbuwan; 4) April = Quiling; 5) May = Himbabuyan; 6) June = Gobay; 7) July = Hidapdapon; 8) August = Lubodlubod; 9) September = Canggurulsol; 10) October = Bagyobagyo; 11) November = Panglot nga diutay; 12) December = Panglot nga Daku.
1) Monday = Tingbukad; 2) Tuesday = Dumason; 3)Wednesday = Ducutducut; 4) Thursday=Bailobailo; 5) Friday = Danghus; 6) Saturday=Hingothingot; 7) Sunday = Liguidliguid
By: warfe tupas engracia, md on September 11, 2010
at 8:24 am
Last November 18, there was an article sa Cebu Daily News nga “Calendar in Cebuano?” page 12. Gihatagan ko og kopya ni dr. Silverio Martinez. I was surprised nga gilalisan na man hinoon ang original sa “Binisayang kalendaryo” nga kini ako kining gidistribute diha sa akong clinica dugay na since 2001. Ako usab kining gibalikbalik og singit sa akong “Health Guide” sa Dyla with Mons Binghay matag buntag before 6:00a.m.. Kini nga kalendaryo dili lamang sa mga Cebuano o sa mga Antiqueno kon dili para sa tibuok Visayas; mao nga sagolsagol ang mga pulonng nga gigagamit. Nagpasabut kini nga kita sa Visayas, Federated na or we belong to one Sultanate? Kini nga kalendaryo na-copyright na kini niadtong 1980 sumaa pa sa page 17 sa second edition ni Professor Lina Quimat sa “Glimpses in History of Ancient Cebu”
Six years ago ang Cebu Malay Society misuway og buhat sa maong “Kalendaryong Bisaya” We tried to forward this to the Governor’s office. Naapil na niini ang “Kudlit-Kabadlit” I dont know what happen? Ang ako sang gisugo naghimo pud siya og Kalendaryo nga iya usang gidistribute sa ilang Breakfast CLUB. My suggestion nga ato kining lingkuran og aninawon og maayo aron makab-ot nato ang tinuoray nga History. dili his story.
Ang alimaong Tribe miadto sa ako og nangayo niining Kalendaryo ug Kudlit-kabadlit. Ila na kining gisugdan og tudlo sa mga kabataan. Dili na kinaghanglan nga kinsay nakauna og report didto sa National Historical Commission sa Manila. Ang importante nga masubay nato ang tinuoray nga History nga gikan dinhi sa ato.. Dili mga langyaw o mga tagalog nga mosulat.. kita gayud nga mga Bisaya sa Visayas, Mindanao, etc.
By: warfe tupas engracia, md on November 21, 2010
at 8:55 am
The Ancient Pre-Hispanic Cebuano Alphabet: “Kudlit-Kabadlit”
Early year 2001, I discovered something that could link us to the past, a collection of yesterday’s language and alphabets.
After the blessing of the King Tupas Mobile Clinic last January 7, 2001 I was encouraged to look for the history of the last king of Cebu, Rajah Tupas. While getting information on King Tupas at the SWU museum, a book about strange alphabets ” Aginid Bayok sa atong Tawarik” caught my attention. So I borrowed one of the books, and diligently went through it so i could study and do some research about the history of our beloved Sugbo.
I found some write -ups about Madjapahit, Sri Visjaya, Raja Humabon, Datu Lapulapu, Raja Tupas, etc.. There are several Cebuano words which are not used now and which are difficult to understand,. But what intrigued me were the alphabets on top of the Cebuano words.. So I studied the strange alphabets since it has stirred a deep interest in me. And I found out that each letter is equivalent to syllables of our present writings/alphabets.
Therefore, the writing is shortened to approximately 40% to 60%, like shorthand. Further research revealed that these characters are similar to Hindi and arabic,.
To me, short-writings are not so important. What is important to me is the discovery of these alphabets which I believed were used even before the Magellan expedition came to Cebu in 1521. This is tangible evidence that Sugbo was already civilized before the Spaniards came.
This is merely a personal discovery, but one that affirms our civilized past, a pride of the Sugboanons. We pride ourselves for having been the center of civilization jn this country. We pride ourselves for already enjoying progress and economic development. We can only hope then that we will continue to do so and make our beloved Sugbo truly deserving of such honor..
By: Dr. Warfe Tupas Engracia, MD FPCR KGOR SCODA on January 27, 2012
at 8:08 pm
Dr. Warfe, thank you very much for all the input. We appreciate he hearing or reading all these information that are helpful to trace our roots.
By: annpeace on May 1, 2012
at 1:48 am