The current 28-letter Filipino alphabet was institutionalized after the signing of the 1987 Constitution.Įach utility box bears two letters, and are represented by a Tagalog word and illustration, such as radyo (radio), saranggola (kite), watawat (flag), and yakap (embrace). It was officially adopted in 1940 and remained the national language in the Philippines until 1976 when the Philippine Department of Education, Culture and Sports expanded the alphabet with 11 letters. Santos in Ang Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa (The Grammar of the National Language) - bears 15 consonants and five vowels to represent the sounds of the Tagalog language.
A map showing where the utility boxes are located in SOMAīay Area multimedia artist Mel Vera Cruz was commissioned to create the art, which would represent the 20 letters, essentially in a style similar to alphabet flashcards.Ībakada - which was developed by Filipino scholar Lope K. The sentiment behind this project was to expose everyone, enrich the youth, engage families, and empower the community,” FEC Galing Bata teachers Shari Sarinas and Mark Belocura said. “Aside from it being a learning tool, we believe that these flashcards showcase the long-lasting history and continuous presence of the Filipinos in San Francisco.
Under the collaboration between SOMCAN and FEC Galing Bata, community meetings were held to choose the designs and what would be illustrated on the boxes. Historically, the different Filipino American organizations have been providing services that instill vital linguistically and culturally responsive services and resources in the SOMA to address the needs of immigrant and multi-racial families, and FEC Galing Bata and the Filipino Education Center are some examples,” South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN)’s Lian Ladia, who facilitated the project, said. “For over a century, Filipino American organizations have been serving the BIPOC community of the SOMA. This project serves as an example of community empowerment through education. The project, which comes after years of advocacy, aims to teach the community about the alphabet, as well as to amplify the work of FEC Galing Bata, an after school program of the Bessie Carmichael School PreK-8/the Filipino Education Center. THOSE walking down Folsom and Howard streets in San Francisco’s South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood can get a brief lesson in the Abakada alphabet, which was once taught as part of the Philippine national language.Įntitled the “We Live Here” project, 10 utility boxes depicting letters from the alphabet were recently unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, October 6 along the two streets in the neighborhood as the city celebrates October as Filipino American History Month. Utility boxes in the SOMA neighborhood seek to teach residents about the abakada alphabet | Photos courtesy of SOMCAN
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