Baybayin: The Role of a Written Language in the Cultural Identity and Socio-Psychological Well-Being of Filipinos

Abstract

The lingering problem of inferiority complex due to colonial mentality and the increasing threat of globalization as dominant cultures becomes the referenced culture is a growing concern to many Filipinos. This research aims to investigate the connection between the Baybayin writing system with the cultural identity and socio-psychological well-being of Filipinos. Using a phenomenological research method, this study analyzed the Baybayin writing system’s role in the cultural identity and socio-psychological well- being of Filipinos who still uses the writing system and processed their answers through horizontalization. In the horizontalization process, certain statements were lifted out of the transcripts and recorded on a separate piece of paper—forming core themes from the participants' answers. It was found that with the lingering problem of inferiority complex due to colonial mentality, the Baybayin provides; 1) a cultural/national visual identity or symbol to the Filipino people, 2) a unifying factor that offers a sense of communal pride, belongingness, and social connection among various communities of Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad, and 3) a sort of emotional expression and psychological upliftment to people. This research definitively answers the correlation between the Baybayin writing system with the cultural identity and socio-psychological well-being of the diaspora of advocates, artists, and scholars. Further studies are needed to have a greater understanding of the Baybayin’s role in the cultural identity and socio- psychological well-being of the other groups of Filipinos who still uses the Baybayin like the Mangyan tribes in Mindoro.