THE UNIVERSITY has put up new gate signages displaying street names and Baybayin transliterations, expanding UST’s initiative to revitalize the use of the ancient Philippine script.
Installed by the Facilities Management Office (FMO) in July, the gate signages are akin to the street signages installed in UST last year.
However, netizens online were quick to notice an error in the signage at Gate 4, named España but transliterated to Baybayin as ᜂᜐ᜔ᜋᜒᜈ᜔ᜌ, which reads “Osmeña.”
The Osmeña gate refers to Gate 5, located on España Boulevard and facing its namesake drive, which was named after the fourth Philippine president Sergio Osmeña, a UST Faculty of Civil Law alumnus.
FMO Director Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P. told the Varsitarian that the error was scheduled for correction.
“We need to recheck the Baybayin. The España sign will be removed tomorrow. Will need to correct it,” Austria said.
In July 2024, “prototype” street signages installed by the FMO were criticized for transliterating the names letter by letter instead of per syllable, which is the proper way of applying Baybayin.
FMO immediately took down the signages before putting up the final versions months later.
Baybayin has immense cultural significance to UST, which owns two documents that are the only existing complete handwritten text in the ancient script.
These were declared National Cultural Treasure by the National Archives of the Philippines in 2014.
