Books on the Revitalization of the Ayta Language, Magbukun, launched

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Urtugrapiya ung Ayta Magbukun (Orthography of Ayta Magbukun) and Hinup: Aklat Ung Ayta Magbukun were launched on June 13, 2025 at the Bahay-Wika facility in Brgy. Bangkal, Abucay, Bataan.

Urtugrapiya contains rules for writing the Ayta Magbukun language. It was developed by elders from various Ayta Magbukun communities in Bataan, teachers from the Department of Education-Bataan, Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), and the Commission on the Filipino Language (KWF). Meanwhile, Hinup contains stories, songs, poems, dialogues, and a list of Magbukun words.

It also has pictures drawn by community members. These two books were developed to help revitalize the Ayta Magbukun language and use their language in schools.

Prior to the launch of the two books, an evaluation was conducted on the sixth batch of the Bahay-Wika and Master-Apprentice Language Learning Program (MALLP).

The results of the students’ progress in Bahay-Wika were reported to the community. After this, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was conducted with teachers, parents, elders, masters, and apprentices to assess the implementation of the program during one school year.

Community language planning was also carried out. They set a target that within ten years, from 2025–2035, all Ayta Magbukun in their community would speak the Ayta Magbukun language. They listed tasks and a timeline on how to achieve this.

It was attended by Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Jay-r Reyes, Chieftain Rosita Sison, teachers, elders, writers, and parents.

The KWF, led by Arthur P. Casanova, PhD, Chair, under the Department of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics with Lourdes Z. Hinampas, Head of Department, Jennifer S. Bactol, and Rolien Mark M. Balisi, in collaboration with the Provincial Tourism Office of Bataan with Ginette Lopez and Patricia Gail R. Miranda, led the said activity.