The Bathala Project

Farewell, blogger.

2010-10-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a fun ride, blogger.

But it's time to move on to bigger and better-designed things.

Follow along at The Bathala Project

cyph

War of Words

2010-05-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

So I was in Chicago last weekend for about, 12 hours. Had the opportunity to meet up with Ms. Abet Speaks, who I met last year at the UIC MAFA Conference, to collaborate on a special spoken word video. Here's a sneak peak of something awesome:

Full piece coming soon. Stay up,

cyph

Redesigning

2010-05-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

Blogger's a tough customer to style with CSS. I really want to give you guys something fun and entertaining to look at, and though the content I generate will tide you over every now and then, the shell of this blog isn't the most welcoming thing...

But don't worry, it's coming...

Stay up,

cyph

Translation Tuesday - The J- Sound

2010-05-04T00:25:00.001-07:00

Edit 5/5/2010:

CRAP! Actually put out some faulty info in this video, so I'll be busy re-recording. Big ups to @animevenus93, she'll be getting a Baybayin print in the mail for the look out!

What can I say? Vacation took its toll on me... like these sunburns. Hahaha.. heh.. err.. eh.

stay up,

cyph

Profile shot

2010-04-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

What is SB1070? Here's the fact sheet, and here's the commentary...

Stay up,

cyph

Putula v Futura

2010-04-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

2010 workshop attendees will already have received a copy of this, but now the rest of the world may download it for free. My new Baybayin character chart, showcasing my own designed Baybayin font, "Putula":

Click image to download

I designed the font so that it compliments the sans-serif font, Futura:

I'll soon render the font into a usable TrueType (or maybe Openfont?) Font for all to use soon. If you look at modern Asian magazines, specifically Chinese and Japanese magazines, you'll notice that if they use a serifed roman font, then the accompanying Chinese/Japanese character font will have tail ends as well. Vice versa, if the magazine article is using a sans-serifed roman font, the accompanying character font will have no tail ends. In an effort to modernize Baybayin and proliferate it through graphic design, I feel that it is necessary to design as many contemporary, complimentary fonts as possible, more so than descriptive, fancy fonts. In this way, a designer may be more inclined to use a complimentary Baybayin font in more publicly viewed print/web articles for further visual communication...

Translation Tuesday will be back next week.

Stay up,

cyph

Bahama Mama

2010-04-27T13:06:00.001-07:00

Translation tuesdays are coming back as soon as I get settled over here in L.A. and handle some business.

Stay up!

cyph

Skillz

2010-04-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Rest In Power, Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal (GURU)

Goin in

2010-04-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

The brothas Deep Foundation and Hydroponikz go IN:

Warriors came out to play

2010-04-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

What's your definition of a modern day warrior? There are ways to fight and fend for one's own loved ones, community, and own survival in many different ways than just brute force. I highlighted many individuals that I thought had a warrior spirit in one way or another, be it their dedication to the community, how they approach their careers, or their overall attitude in life.

The Mandirigma (Warrior) piece is a set of three renders: a poster, a desktop wallpaper and a shirt design. Modeled by Stacey Ceylon:

1024x768 | 1280x1024 | 1280x800 | 1680x1050 | 1920x1200

Wallpapers are nice, but I'm a sucker for posters. So I also rendered a 22"x34" poster, which is also available as an 11"x17" poster as well. I'm not sure how I'm going to distribute this... so catch me at FPAC? Or just email me.

But why stop at wallpapers and posters? I think it was one of my Estevan Oriol tshirts that really inspired this whole project. So, for the third render, I made a halftone-dot shirt piece too:

Details:

Mock up (no, it wasn't actually printed...):

It's been a while since I posted a piece that I thoroughly worked on, as well as a video piece, so I really wanted to come back with a BANG. And to say "my bad", I put up the Desktop wallpapers for free.99 to download!

Video BG Music - House of Flying Daggers by Raekwon feat. the Wu-Tang Clan

Appearances by: DJ Stimey, L. Scatter Brain, Manila Ryce, Deep Foundation, USC Troy Phi, Shining Sons, Sama-Sama Carson, LUV MC, Bambu, Power Struggle, Stacey Ceylon, and Kyrkland

Stay up,

cyph

Virman Commands

2010-04-07T11:19:00.001-07:00

I thought you knew...

Switch up

2010-04-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

A change of pace. New piece coming SOON (forreal this time)

Called Out

2010-03-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Departure

2010-03-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

Rest In Peace, Nujabes.

I was never a fan of Michael Jackson, DJ AM, or even James Brown. I don't doubt their legacies, their contribution to music or to their respective cultures, however I simply was never a fan of theirs. Jun Seba, aka Nujabes, was a man I was indeed a fan of. A producer of some of the finest hip-hop inspired instrumentals, most often I found his beats so beautiful that to lace them with lyrics would seem to be an injustice.

Often times as I toil away on the computer on graphic design or Baybayin works, it would usually be the soulful sounds of Nujabes that would keep both my mind and spirit awake and inspired. A native of Japan, his music transcended cultural and language barriers... he was indeed an inspiration.

So, to pay tribute to this man's great works, I wanted to do a couple of renders of my favorite albums of his. The first would be Modal Soul. In this piece, I kept the general color scheme and look of the actual CD album art, and wrote his name, Nujabes, in the center of the piece in Baybayin (Nu-Di-A-Be-S). Click for full size

Modal Soul was quite dear to me because it was the first album of his I got my hands on. But it was the second album, Departure, that ultimately became my favorite. Nordenx's Baybayin Modern Block font used in this piece to spell out his name. Click for full size

And the side-by-side comparisons:

I'm not looking to print these out to sell for a buck. Click on them for full resolution and print em out if you're compelled to do so. Just be sure to look up his music if you haven't done so already. Rest In Paradise, Nujabes. Jun Seba is now among the stars he once counted.

~cyph

Mama said knock you out

2010-03-06T22:05:00.000-08:00

Before Manny Pacquiao became a national treasure of the Philippines, another Pilipino pugilist sensationalized the flyweight boxing division all across America. Before the Pac Man’s rise through the weight class championships, there was one undisputed boxer who was known as the greatest fighter of all time that heralded from the Philippines; his name was Francisco “Pancho Villa” Guilledo.

These days, many Filipinos are proud to feel that they’re being represented by such world class fighters outside of the esoteric Filipino martial arts. Our people are honored as Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, Brian Viloria and Brandon Vera enter the ring/octagon, proudly representing their Philippine heritage. However, many new-comers to subscribe to the fighting sport may never have heard of Francisco Guilledo, much like how many Filipinos may never have heard of Baybayin writing either. Francisco Guilledo, born in 1901, blazed the boxing world all across Asia before travelling to the states to compete and dominate. Having died at the age of 23, he left an incredible record of 109 fights, winning 92, and 24 of them by K.O. This short lived star resonates throughout boxing history and is a name highly regarded by boxing aficionados. I wanted to pay tribute to this Filipino fighter for this month’s Mixed Martial Arts theme to not only remember Francisco Guilledo, but to also echo my own sentiments about Baybayin; the Philippine culture is rich in history, and though some may have forgotten certain aspects of it, it’s never too late to look back and find strength through our own culture.

This piece is featured at the Baybayin Online Art Gallery, so be sure to check out the other pieces featured this month. 8x10 prints are available for $40 with frame. Email Bathala1@gmail.com to inquire.

Stay up,

Cyph

In case you ever wondered...

2010-03-02T22:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the design exploration for this year's MAFA 2010 logo/shirt design. CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE

Exploration round:

A double-sided shirt exploration:

Refinement round. I was really feelin the bamboo idea replacing the laurels...

Final:

Actual:

Stay up,

Cyph

Picture = 1000 Words (estimated)

2010-03-02T00:57:00.000-08:00

But first, a video overview:

And now the pictorials. My first taste of Indiana in years...

Words can't express... so much to say, but I think I'll leave that within the memories of those that were with me.

Stay up,

Cyph

One second...

2010-03-01T00:22:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all the MAFA delegates, facilitators, friends and loved ones that came together at IU for the weekend! PICTURES AND VIDEO soon, I promise... and maybe a new Tutorial and project reveal for this week too? Whoa... hah!

Stay up,

Cyph

Still Alive!

2010-02-26T00:58:00.001-08:00

Been RIDICULOUSLY busy this month! Haven't even had the time to post up the pics from SCPASA yet, and in a couple of hours I'll be flying out to Indiana for the MAFA conference! But I PROMISE you all, I'll have some sweet eye candy and that Baybayin stylin' you all know and love for you all soon.

Stay up!

cyph

Futura Friday

2010-02-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

Finally finished a draft version of my first Baybayin font last night/early morning. I'm quite excited to reveal it to you all soon, after I get some critique and polish it up a bit! Here's a sneak peak:

The font was modeled to compliment the capital characters of the font, Futura Book, following the angles, line weights, and counter spacing. The FIRST people to see this will be all workshop attendees at tomorrow's (Saturday) SCPASA workshop! I'll be facilitating a Baybayin workshop/lecture sessions 2 and 3 at USC. Click on the flyer for full details:

Stay up!

Cyph

Next Level Sh*t

2010-02-18T17:52:00.000-08:00

Baybayin Vs. Futura

Stay up,

Cyph

Westside Writings

2010-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:00

Apologies for not having updated in a while; this month has been RIDICULOUSLY busy, and unfortunately I can't even tell you some of the reasons why... yet... but just know that everything is moving.

Now for the main point. IF YOU'RE IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA or plan to be this weekend, you can catch me live at the SCPASA conference at USC, facilitating my classic Baybayin Writer's workshop! Click here for more info

Stay up,

Cyph

In other news...

2010-01-25T08:48:00.000-08:00

Stay up,

Cyph

On freedom and such things...

2010-01-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day! A year or two back, the illest hiphop vlogger on the planet, JSmooth the Illdoctrine, chimed in on a couple of MLK's knowledge droppings. Check:

Stay up,

~cyph

Translation "Tuesday": 2010

2010-01-13T10:24:00.001-08:00

A late Translation Tuesday due to Youtube hating on a brotha... but anyways, happy new year! In this week's special first-of-the-year episode, I bring to you another translation and art-making episode! Today we translate "2010", which in Tagalog reads, "Dalawang Libo't Sampu"; the word "Taon" (Years) is added after to denote years. The reason why 2010 gets translated is because Christian Cabuay, who runs many of the google-popular Baybayin websites, opened the first Baybayin online art gallery, featuring many of your favorite Baybayin artists that you know and love:

As you can see from the flyer, the theme for the very first online gallery is "2010"; how one interprets 2010, and what one expects of it. So, taking a step back from design-communication, I thought I'd take a crack at fine art interpretation...

Essentially, I've experienced a rapid growth of the Baybayin community within the last year; Baybayin writers coming together, acknowledging each other, collaborating, and the word is spreading quickly. Sure, it's still (for lack of a better term) "underground" for now, but we're quickly expanding. I think that in this new decade, the Baybayin community will only grow faster, and essentially begin to blossom:

The Baybayin characters, which spell out "2010" (Dalawang Libo't Sampu) are spread out like roots and vines; extensions are drawn out of them, like leaves and branches extending and reaching out. I illustrated Sampaguita flowers (the national flower of the Philippines) to express my idea of the Baybayin community "blossoming" all about. Also, I wanted this printed piece to resemble a vintage print poster. I'm thinking, a Victorian-era retro Asian poster print. The reason why is because I always thought of Baybayin art as immediately becoming anachronistic once someone brings it into any time frame context outside of it's own, since it is an ancient writing system. Asia has been of the early adapters of poster printing, and I wanted to resonate that look in it's modern-day message; a play on the times, a decade's blossom.

Stay up,

Cyph

P.S. As seen in the end of the video, this piece was made for print. 11x14 prints WILL BE AVAILABLE only at the upcoming Baybayin Art gallery exhibition in February...

That new-new (Part 2)

2010-01-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

Late last year I redesigned my logo to the circular-form:

The idea was to resonate a familiar geometry, the circle, to complement the mostly-unfamiliar Baybayin script. However, as I further self-criticized the logo, I came up with the following faults:

1. The circular form heavily distorts the characters
2. The line weights weren't heavy enough to compliment a more even negative-space to line ratio
3. The counter spacing was rather uneven in contrast to each character
4. Because of the above reasons, at very small scale, too much detail gets lost

So, addressing these issues, I switched up the geometry to a square, which doesn't distort the characters as much, and evened out both line weight and counter spacing. Aaaand voila:

The idea was taken from ancient Chinese seal stamps, which were usually fashioned in square/rectangular forms, since the characters themselves are rather blocky within their confines. The border line pays tribute to this, resembling an inked line. The characters themselves are monoweight and rounded to emphasize modernity within its approach. Even at small scale, the characters are still distinguishable (to me at least):

And there ya go. Any comments and constructive critiques are very much welcome.

edit: Version 2.1

Stay up,

~cyph

Eve of a new year

2009-12-31T13:42:00.001-08:00

2010. It'll be bananas I'm sure! Quite excited about the adventures that I'll be having with the Baybayin movement/community. Last year of this time I was just getting my feet wet with scribbles and random acts of Baybayin vandalism. Now I'm knee deep and am about to make a cannon-ball splash onto the Baybayin and graphic design scene.

New suit, new style, new year. Let's go!

Stay up,

~Cyph

Spoken Word Sunday: Intelect

2009-12-30T00:11:00.000-08:00

A late Spoken Word Sunday upload, this week's episode features the homie Helio aka Intelect (yes, that's one L) spitting and politickin. Intelect describes his style as "Immortal Technique content with a Tech-Nine influenced delivery." Word up.

Stay up,

Cyph

Translation Tuesday: "Ch-" Sounds

2009-12-29T10:35:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the last Translation Tuesday episode of the year! My, what a journey 2009 has been... to compare my entire mindset, attitude, and Baybayin style in January to now, it's night and day! I learned alot, built with many people, and 2010 is only going to be bigger and better!

But first thing's first. Today's Translation Tuesday episode addresses how to achieve the "Ch-" sound, such as in "Chuck" or "Peaches"...

Again, thank you to all that have made 2009 so memorable and have supported the Baybayin movement! 2010, WE GOT THIS!

Stay up,

~cyph

Happy Humbugs

2009-12-24T10:55:00.001-08:00

In this day and age of self awareness regarding consumerism, the echoes of colonization through Christianity, and general ideals that oppose the face value of Christmas, I can't help but still feel happy about the holiday season. I guess I can blame it on all on the great Christmas' that my parents could have afforded both my sister and I as children. I can blame it on the unity that my family had to congregate with the cousins and our ability to get along with each other, play, and give gifts. I can blame it on how much my family cares for one another with genuine smiles and cries.

But I am aware that it ain't all good in the hood. I know there are broken families that make being with them intolerable around this time of the year. I know there are people with no families to confide with throughout the whole year. I know there are those who can't afford to be a participant of the heightened consumerism culture for the holidays.

But I see you, brothers and sisters. I know you're there. For some, Christmas is the worse time of the year because it reminds them of what they don't have, much like Valentines is the worse for some because it reminds them of WHO they don't have. But stay strong, my brothers and sisters. You don't have to have a happy holiday just to be HAPPY. You're alive and breathing, and hopefully eating. I see you and I'm with you.

Happy holidays, stay up.

~Cyph

Translation Tuesday: Twin (Kambal)

2009-12-22T01:04:00.000-08:00

This week's Translation Tuesday is quite different. It's been a while since I did a walkthrough-video of myself creating a Baybayin art piece, so when a client called in to render the word "Kambal" (Twin) into a Baybayin piece, I thought to kill two birds with one stone...

Props to my brother in rhyme, Stimey, for assisting with the videography! So, here's the text: According to Filipino mythology, the supreme being Bathala one day sent a lightning bolt to strike the largest bamboo plant on earth. This split bamboo plant gave two beings, the first man and first woman. The man was named "Malakas" (strong) and the woman "Maganda" (beautiful). I always thought that this symmetery and close relation with god, earth, nature, spirituality and this overall harmony in the Filipino creation story was quite interesting. The idea of natural compliments is the essence of the balanced equations that ties all sciences and theories together. So what about life? What about emotion? These questions are raised in this 24" x 36" poster...

The bamboo, representing the whole idea of Filipino spirituality finding compliments and harmony in nature are represented by the symmetrical patterns around the border, and the two large bamboo poles. Complimenting hues, orange and blue, are each tinting half of the poster. In the middle however, is a hodge podge of colors. I always felt that visually, colors can represent so much simply because there are so many depths to interpret, much like emotion. So, I wanted each dash of color to represent an emotion, and the essence of this ball of emotions is a soul. But if everything truly IS complimentary, and everything essentially has a twin, what is a twin to a soul? A soul mate? A kindred spirit? A best friend? I don't personally know, but whatever they call it, "Kambal" (Twin) seems to be one of those names by which we call such a beautiful pair. On the Baybayin characters I included repetitious strokes to further resonate the idea of "twin". And lastly, the characters in red, which as a color has historically been used for either love or war. Many poets have compared and contrasted the two, but they indeed compliment each other regardless of their extreme outcomes...

Perhaps we're on this planet to find our twin? Our soul mate? Our optimal genetic match? Surely, if the universe is self complimenting with matter to antimatter, 0 to 1, on to off, then perhaps it is our mission/destiny/fate to search for our twin. But to realize our choice as to who our twin is would be a lifelong adventure. If you're lucky enough to actually identify who your twin is, then love with loyalty and leave with honor.

Stay up,

Cyph

FREE SWAG THURSDAY: Christmas Edition!

2009-12-17T01:44:00.000-08:00

Be sure to follow The Bathala Project on either Twitter or Facebook for your chance to win a very special FREE SWAG THURSDAY prize: The Baybayin Christmas Card - Magellan's stocking

What you see is poor old Magellan, finding a lump of naughty coal in his Christmas stocking. Above him reads "Maligayang Pasko!" which is Merry Christmas! in Tagalog, written in Baybayin (Nordenx's Baybayin Round font). The colorway of Magellan's garb was inspired by historical documents:

Sort of... So again, be sure to follow The Bathala Project on both Twitter and Facebook for your chance to win this 4"x6" Holiday card print!

Stay up!

~cyph

Teka muna...

2009-12-15T15:33:00.000-08:00

No Translation Tuesday episode this week... but instead, will be a very special FREE-SWAG THURSDAY holiday give-away! So be sure to follow on either Twitter or Facebook for your chance to win some FREE Baybayin Stylin!

Stay up!

Cyph

Spoken Word Sunday: Under Pressure

2009-12-13T02:47:00.000-08:00

So, I know I've been rather quiet this past week, but that's because I spent the most of that week rushing to finish this video piece, "Under Pressure".

Music recorded, video edited, and motion designed all in 3 agonizing days by yours truly. Good looking out to my brother in rhyme, Stimey, for shooting the video! This piece was my first real project using Adobe After Effects, to see what I can get done using pre-edited video without green screen or track markers (or money). In three days too! THE POSSIBILITIES ARE THERE, AND THEY ARE NUMEROUS! I can't wait to start working on some Baybayin-incorporated motion work, as soon as I figure out an idea to display modern Baybayin in practical design application...

Stay up,

Cyph

Translation Tuesday: Modern vs Traditional

2009-12-08T14:06:00.001-08:00

Rebuilding...

2009-12-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

While I assess the Baybayin projects that I've lost, which ones I'll just drop anyways, and which ones I'll recreate, here's a non-Baybayin related piece I finished just before my hard drive crashed that I uploaded to my flickr. It's a photochop of me, smashing atoms the old fashioned way. Consider this my "I'm working on it" picture...

Stay up,

cyph

This might take a while...

2009-12-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

It's been said that the universe is always self-preserving, as is the nature of everything. So, when my harddrive crashed, taking along with it several projects that I didn't back up with it... I can only assume that whatever benefits I get out of this are going to be so grand and fantastic, it will make whatever I lost seem trivial in comparison...

But to my old operating system... it was hard to say goodbye, but I have to admit, Windows 7 is pretty damn sexy. So, my dearest XP, though we met long ago when I was a freshman in college and we shared many secrets, laughs, and cries together, this is an official farewell.

Spoken Word Sunday and Translation Tuesday will be on hold for a minute, as will other works; give me a second to regroup, and I'll get back at ya...

Stay up,

~cyph

Baybayin Modern

2009-12-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

A great blog post written by Malaya Design on the modernization of Baybayin. Here's a snippet, but check out the whole post here.

Modifying, modernizing the Baybayin is a debated issue between some writers. Some don’t see a problem with using the Spanish modification by placing a + sign under a character to cancel out a vowel, but some do. It is both right and wrong at the same time, depending on who you are…yeah, it’s vague. I am a traditional practitioner that has evolved to include a variation of it by placing a kudlit above and below the character. I didn’t make it up, I saw it someplace and had an “error 404” episode.

Does that mean I condone the use of cancellation kudlits? Yes, to some extent, but I will not bastardize the writing system just because of an individuals ignorance. If anything, I hate seeing transliterations that are blatantly wrong because either the writer or the person wearing the script just didn’t take the time to research and ask questions. There is no “system restore” for this mishap.

And in case Wordpress gets wonky on me, here's the reply comment I (tried to) put up:

Very insightful and well put!

I do believe that modernization of Baybayin is the way to go, however, who would be responsible for doing so? Who should be held responsible to commit to the task of amending a writing system? The Baybayin artists? The tribesmen that still use an iteration of it? The Philippine government? College professors, academics and intellectuals? Consider a similar scenario in which the increasing Spanish-speaking population in America may one day deem it necessary to add the Enye (~n) letter to the American alphabet. Who would be responsible in doing so? And how would such an amendment be standardized throughout the country? Then how would this be distributed to the academic institutions? I suppose one can look at the politics behind the redefinition of Pluto no longer being a planet and being made into public intellect as a reference.

I understand that several Baybayin writers have tried to modernize the Baybayin script by adding new characters to express modern phonetics as well as reconfiguring the kudlits to become more expressive; however, I feel like most of these changes were done independently by the individual Baybayin writer thus becoming unlikely to be held as a standard. Without a cohesive agreement from the "Baybayin community", I think it would be difficult to bring forward a modern Baybayin character set if there are too many individual variations.

I think to successfully modernize Baybayin, several things must take place: First, a committee should be formed to discuss, debate, document and deliberate all Baybayin-related matters. By unifying efforts and collecting opinions, insights, and perspectives, macro-level changes of a writing system could have a stronger foundation to be built upon. Second, the 17 Basic character system should have it's character strokes finalized and standardized to be recognized by the Baybayin community; The problem with making changes to Baybayin I feel is that because of regional, stylistic and individual differences, it can be difficult to communicate the same idea when many are unsure if the character they're writing is founded on a standard character face. But once this has been defined, standardized, documented and distributed, I truly believe that modernization of Baybayin will be a much smoother, calculated and designed process.

As to what we do with this new Baybayin system is a discussion for another time...

~Cyph

-----------------

The future is now, it just needs to be thought out before it's implemented. Like the creative designer mantra goes, "Think more, design less."

Stay up,

Cyph

Translation Tuesday: Wala...

2009-12-01T13:54:00.001-08:00

Spelled as in, Wa-La, meaning "none"...

Stay up,

~cyph

Black Friday

2009-11-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

This is my first attempt at Dynamic Typography, and I realize that some of the frames and perspective shifts are pretty wonky; I'm not that dope at motion design (yet), so what can I say?

The audio is part of Bambu's verse from the song, Slave Thinking, from the Native Guns album, Barrel Men. Dope album, yall should check it out. Baybayin font used was Nordenx's modern script.

Stay up,

Cyph

Translation Tuesday: Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-24T09:11:00.001-08:00

In this week's exciting episode of Translation Tuesday, we find out how to write "Happy Thanksgiving" (Maligayang araw ng pasasalamat) as well as "Happy Turkey Day" (Maligayang araw ng mga pabo) into Baybayin! Also, the translation of the mysterious RA sound is finally discussed!

Lastly, to purchase the Baybayin Turkey-Day greeting card, just click here! (available only this week!)

Stay up,

Cyph

Giving thanks, getting turkey

2009-11-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago, I made this typography poster, experimenting with brush styles and trying to fake a 3d look:

So, using similar methods for the type, and with the American holiday of Thanksgiving day coming up, I wanted to make a Baybayin greeting card I could give out to friends. And here we have it:

It reads "Maligayang araw ng mga pabo!!!", or literally, "Happy day of turkeys!!!" I opted for "happy turkey day" rather than "Happy thanksgiving"... I'm not exactly sure why, but I guess it was just funny at the time. That, or I didn't want to let my hand-turkey drawing go to waste.

SO, I'll be special sending these out to family and loved ones, BUT, if YOU want one, just send me $5, which will cover the envelope, printing and shipping, to me and I'll be sure to send you one :-D

edit: SOLD OUT

Stay up,

~cyph

Spoken Word Sunday: They Say...

2009-11-22T11:14:00.001-08:00

At the risk of losing fans of The Bathala Project, I'll opt for flexing some honest expression. Finally, after what seems like forever, an original spoken word piece of mine: They Say...

Like many Second-generation Filipino Americans, I was raised Catholic; and like many of my own generation, I would later become a skeptic...

Before you start debating and soap boxing your opinions, know this; I believe that there's no empirical proof that a god doesn't exist, however I also believe there's no empirical proof that a god does exist. This piece is about keeping an open mind, and to look past what you've been told to find what you find true to yourself. The word "Bathala" itself means the "supreme being", and was the name that the ancient Filipino people used for their god, before the Spanish came and replaced it with the word "Dios".

Stay up,

Cyph

The count is up...

2009-11-19T18:24:00.001-08:00

Sometime last week I posted that if at least 50 people chimed in, regarding hosting a live video web-chat to have a free Baybayin consultation/translation/QA session, I'd do it. And how many people chimed in throughout my different avenues of communication??? The total number is... *drum roll*

8 replies.

Well, that's that...

Lately I've been trying to post more regularly, but I would rather concentrate on putting together a nice Baybayin piece for you all to see rather than just posting random schlop. So peace out for now, tune in Sunday for a new Spoken Word Sunday feature!

Stay up,

Cyph

Flirts With Shirts

2009-11-18T01:39:00.000-08:00

Humpday. Let's take a break from Baybayin bombin' for a second.

My path in art has been a rather erratic one; graffiti vandalism, stencil art, photo manipulation, vector art, graphic design, acrylic paintings, and every once in a while... t-shirts. I remember the very first time I ever saw a shirt being "custom designed" was when a 4-yr old version of myself gleefully brought home my cub-scout shirt-kit: an orange polo and an iron-on-patch of the cub scouts logo. My grandfather would happily iron on my cub-scout patch onto that husky pumpkin-orange polo shirt of mine... it was magical.

Later down the road in high school, one of my cousins would be the first on the block to bootleg Nike shirts and Reebok tees for himself by printing out their logos onto iron-on print-out sheets. Printable iron-on sheets was new at the time, so it was kind of a big deal. Forget that they were just logo-tees, they looked pretty legit! Around 2003, I very much wanted to buy an "I *heart* Hip Hop" shirt, but could never find one of the right font or heart shape to my liking. But what I did have was a grip of white tees, a printer, and some iron-on print sheets...

No, I did not intend for it to look grunge-ish with the type, that's just how it looks like after 6 years of existence... and sadly, it's been lowered to undershirt status. But every now and then, it sees sunlight. The next year, when I joined the Purdue Filipino Association, I was of few members that had access to Photoshop at the time and thus became the designated graphics guy. The 2004-2005 PFA shirts would then come to fruition:

Horrible... but it was cool at the time. The next year, I would redeem myself with the 2005-2006 PFA baseball shirt (aka 3/4 length sleeve shirt):

I would later learn that a different opacity of the same color is still charged as 2-colors...

Later on the same year, word through the bamboo would travel and I would later get picked up to do the Asian Student Union Board's first logo design and shirt design as well, to commemorate ASUB's "spring olympics"... which I never attended. Also, this shirt is the cleanest one too, as it's always been too small and thus never worn.

I graduated from Purdue in 2006, so that was the end of the student organization shirt designs... or so I thought. Earlier this year, as my work with Baybayin education throughout the Fil-Am collegiate community would build, I'd try my crack at it once again with Indiana University's FSA shirts:

And lastly, my most previous efforts came to realization earlier this week for The Boxing Club at UCLA:

People always ask if I'm ever going to put my Baybayin work on clothes, and I always tell them that the market isn't there... but it is. Baybayin can be stylized into abstract beautiful goodness, or it can be turned into the next trendy-eye sore. My main issue is this: I have ideas, but I feel like I'm not quite as articulate with design as I'd like to be to fully express and present something I'd be proud to show. I'm not going to sell any piece that I'm not proud of, regardless how many people claim to love it... My latest shirts, the UCLA boxing tee and the I.U. FSA shirts show me that I'm making good progress, and I'm almost there... almost... f*cking almost. But oddly enough, I'm satisfied that I'm unsatisfied; it shows that my taste is still clear enough to tell when my own work isn't where I'd like to be. And thus... I fear the day when I'm in love with my own shit.

Stay up,

Cyph

Translation Tuesday: Filipino Pride

2009-11-17T00:26:00.001-08:00

A very common request I get is how to translate "Filipino Pride" (or some iteration of it) into Baybayin (Alibata). In today's exciting episode of Translation Tuesday, we'll learn how to write out "pride"...

You might notice I kinda had the sniffles in this video... I got a fun little project soon to be posted up, hopefully finished by this week. It'll be something to ring in the holiday cheer!

Stay up,

~cyph

Man of my word...

2009-11-16T16:16:00.000-08:00

Give these 2-3 days to ship...

Translation Tuesday tomorrow!

Stay up,

Cyph

We win, I lose...

2009-11-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

Betting on Cotto sounded reasonable at the time...

Spoken word sunday returns next week with a piece of my own (finally). Reply to me by Friday to get this live video chat Baybayin/Alibata consultation session crackin!

Stay up,

~Cyph

XOXO

2009-11-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

An older piece from the vault, the "Yakap" card:

Yakap means "Hug" in Tagalog. When I was a toddler, I recall my mother telling me that 5 hugs a day keeps a heart healthy. So before I'd fall asleep, I'd try to make sure I'd get my 5 hugs in... somewhere along the line, I guess I forgot about that.

The characters "Ya-Ka-P" were used, however back then, the way I stylized my P's were pretty funky; kinda looks like a Ta character... ah well, "It was cool at the time." This piece was done on card stock, painted with spray paint and acrylic brush. I made it as either a birthday or a happy-graduation card for someone dear. I bring this all up because for this Thanksgiving, I'm trying to clutch together a special design to be given (and if you ask nicely, maybe for you to purchase!).

Stay up,

Cyph

Basically...

2009-11-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

Good lookin out to the homie Roderick for putting me on to this!

Hahahahaha... my friends and family know which one I fall under, but do you?

Stay up,

Cyph

btw, it IS Free Swag Thursday, so stay up on both Twitter and Facebook for your chance to win! Previous winners need not apply...

Death March

2009-11-11T14:22:00.001-08:00

In honor of Veterans Day and those that served; specifically for those in WW2 and had either experienced or had comrades fall to the Bataan death march.

Stay up,

~Cyph

Translation Tuesday: Aimee

2009-11-10T01:11:00.001-08:00

I forgot to go over a major point in the video, the lack of disambiguation between an "E" or "I" sound, and between an "O" or "U" sound. Traditional Baybayin is a very bare-bones writing system, which when taken to its most literal sounds in context to modern pronunciation, can not fully express all the sounds found in a spoken language. Ancient Tagalog was pronounced slightly differently than what we hear today, such that the differences between the "O" and "U" sound (and "E" to "I" sound) weren't as separated as they are today. Thus, the same diacritic indicators (kudlits) are used to express E-and-I and O-and-U...

In the video, I mentioned "E-Mi" would make a good phonetic estimation for "Aimee" (Amy), though I was pronouncing it as "Eh-Meh". Really, I was pronouncing the "Mi/Me" character strictly as "Me" (Meh), forgetting to mention that this can also be pronounced as "Mi" (Mee). It's also a very close translation to the sound of "-Mee" in the name "Aimee". Vice versa, the same characters used to express "E-Mi" (Eh-Mee) also also be read as "I-Me" (Ee-Meh).

With this in mind, I really do think that "E-Y-Mi" (Ey-Mee) is the closest phonetic estimation to Aimee; however, this is of the few times I'd actually rather opt for a traditional, cross-kudlit-less translation, simply because nothing much is really lost or gained by including the "Y" sound. There are times when a cross kudlit could completely change the meaning of a word, as is the case with "Pata" (tired) and "Patay" (to kill). This isn't one of them.

Stay up,

~cyph

Spoken Word Sunday: Abet Speaks

2009-11-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

So... I know this isn't a "real" Spoken Word Sunday post, as it isn't an original piece of my own or even captured by my own camera. But, for my lack of activity, I pull other talent to the spot light. Abet isn't new to the Spoken Word Sunday series, so you know she's quality! Check out her latest piece, Superwoman & Vulnerabilities

Aside from the goodness above, she recently dropped a fresh original melody that's been stuck in my head for a minute... sorry if it gets stuck in your head too!

Stay up!

~cyph

I see I.D.

2009-11-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

New video ID using the updated logo:

Pretty simple, and yes, I know the soundless space in the beginning is wierd, but keep in mind I always have some kinda instrumental music playing in the back at the end of my videos anyways. The font is Helvetica NT medium and Bold, made in Adobe After Effects cs4. 10 secs in length.

Stay up,

Cyph

edit: Now in Vimeo glory!

That New New'

2009-11-05T01:22:00.000-08:00

The "logo" that I've been using to represent The Bathala Project was never intended to be a logo at all. It was actually a tattoo design for a lovely young Filipina out in the U.K. who wished to have "Bahala Na" tattooed. A couple of days later, I sent her this:

Which later got refined to this:

And, out of laziness to script something of my own, made it into this:

It might be pretty and all, but as a logo, it fails at several things:

It's too detailed, such that at very small scale, the detail is lost.
For an artist that openly uses the cross-kudlit, writing "Bahala" instead of "Bathala" is rather inconsistent of myself.
Because Baybayin is generally not a recognizable shape, if presented on a piece of paper, the viewer may not know which way is right side up

So, after a couple of failed ideas, I finally present to you all the new logo for The Bathala Project:

Mono-weight line to match the accompanying monoweight text (Helvetica and Gotham), simple "two color" contrast, recognizable circle geometry, and an overall modern aesthetic to communicate what it is I do with Baybayin; ancient script with modern styling.

Word.

~cyph

Cheat Sheet

2009-11-03T14:27:00.001-08:00

Finally uploaded a Baybayin character reference sheet for all to download. Click here to download!

Sample of what it looks like...

A link will, from now on, always be available on the right side of the page. Hopefully this can get you guys started off right!

Stay up,

~cyph

Translation Tuesday: Mabuhay

2009-11-02T22:24:00.000-08:00

I hope I can keep up with making this a weekly web video series...

I've been meaning to start this a long time ago, but it's only till recently that more and more people are emailing me with Baybayin translation requests, slowly making the production of tutorial videos a necessity. I'm always willing to go to conferences, festivals and other forums to present and educate about Baybayin history and methods. That's actually what the Bathala Project is mostly about; education through proliferation. However, lately I've been getting e-mails/messages asking me to translate-this or translate-that with neither a formal introduction or a "please & thank you".

Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime.

Usually with these e-mails, I'll first inquire if they're requesting me to do a commissioned piece for them (ala custom name cards, digital prints, canvas pieces, etc). But I'll always include telling them which characters for their translations to use, hoping that by showing them the break-down process, they could figure out for themselves how to translate their desired word into Baybayin. I know it can seem daunting if nobody has explained it to you before, and failure is always an option, as evidenced in my short story in the video. Still, some persist and reply back to me along the lines of "I DON'T WANT TO BUY ANYTHING JUST TRANSLATE IT FOR ME." Yeesh...

So, I hope doing these tutorial videos can weed out translation fiends and help build an online, interactive community to educate and interact with each other. I'm not sure how I'm going to make these videos interactive yet. Maybe I'll ask people to post up videos of their own translations and we'll have a translation critique session? Who knows...

Stay up,

Cyph

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T12:09:00.003-07:00

A quick word for all you ghouls and gals from yours truly:

Stay up,

~cyph

Freaky Friday

2009-10-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year, once again, when people can dress up in ridiculous costumes and nobody would mind. Even though it seems to be that way all year around in front of Hollywood and Highland, for the rest of America (and participating countries), Halloween is usually their costume dress-up day of choice. Aside from joining the candy collection coalition or going to sexy Halloween parties, some people like to get a good fright off of a nice horror flick.

Personally, I've never gotten too much of a rise from horror flicks since I was 12. The only thing that really shocks me is when the movies have SUDDEN shock bits. So, I've been more prone to going to horror flicks to enjoy the gore. Though not all gore flicks are horror films, they seem to flirt (f*ck) with each other quite often. A favorite of mine is Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror...

So, continuing with my entire "What if Baybayin was still an active mainstream writing system?" campaign, I bring to you, the Philippine-release Planet Terror ad-poster, Planeta Ng Kilabot

Comparison to Original:

Honestly, I'm not even sure if "Planeta ng kilabot" is a correct translation, but I'm just making due with what tagalog-english dictionaries are telling me. The tagline reads "Walang kayong pagasa dito", or "You all shouldn't be here." Some of you may recognize that phrase as the first line from Bambu's song, Pull It Back. The model is my friend, brother in rhyme, fellow Wise Intellect, Stimey. He kinda got a zombie lookin thing going on while keepin it gangsta. Though I could EASILY make this as a poster and print, I think Trademark might be an issue? Unless I have some disambiguating fine print on the poster; that might work. If you're interested, let me know by either leaving a comment here, on twitter or facebook, and I'll consider sending some out.

Be safe, play safe, and stay up.

~cyph

Smokin' Mama

2009-10-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

Since Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor album cover, the entire floating in black space with clouds/smoke/galaxies floating around thing has been done hundreds of times over, but still, some people continue to make it fresh and interesting.

I'm on a late pass.

That's the Ma symbol written in glowy light strips. Don't expect to see too many more of these however, but I'm still digging the general style and see potential. The little sprinkles are actually numbers, letters and general roman characters as if they're being derived from the Baybayin Ma character, and slowly settle down to comprise the MA roman characters. I'll probably end up turning this into a print, and if it sells well at a festival/booth, I'll consider adding it to the online shop.

Stay up,

~cyph

Accented Identity

2009-10-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, after posting up my video interview with Baybayin.com, someone pointed out that I was pronouncing "Bathala" wrong as I was saying the "Th" sound in an English manner. Really, it's said as "bat-ha-la" (Soft a-). So, with this in mind, I give you, Ba-T-Ha-La: (click for full size)

Baybayin Modern Print font by Nordenx, expect to see more designs using his fonts in the near future, that is until I finally create my own. With this piece, it's just big, bold, modern design on Baybayin. Scattered about is my last name, written in Baybayin, as if to say that's me still trying to wrap my head around the big picture of "Bathala". My last name characters are a PS brush, which I first tested in this design:

Anyways, expect to see the BATHALA available as an 8x10 print in the shop very soon.

Stay up,

~cyph

Irrelevant

2009-10-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

Some recent non-Baybayin works...

Far East Movement DVD concept

I imagine this must feel nice

Espada Boxing

Put your face on

Green monster

Stay up,

~cyph

Indiana Banga

2009-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

A while back I submitted a design for IU's Filipino Student Association's shirts and jackets. Today, via the Indiana University Filipino Student Association's website (IU FSA):

Today Carlos and Marisa picked up the new Filipino Student Association t-shirts just in time for the Filipino Americans Coming Together (FACT) Conference at the University of Illinois!

A big thank you to David Lazaro for creating the coat of armor design and X-Printwear for the great print job!

I'll be honest; yellow wasn't what I had in mind, as yellow and black are quite close to Purdue colors (gold and black), and IU being our rival school... well.. hehe. I designed the back of the shirt. The idea behind the shirt design was to make a graphic symbol that represented both an academic atmosphere, with some Filipino heritage. Coat of arms, as it seems, is a common theme amongst older universities, and using the shape of a Philippine warrior shield I thought would have some cultural resonance. On the left of the shield is a stylized form of "Pilipino" in Baybayin, on the right is IU's school logo. The griffin flourishes in the back pay tribute to ibong adarna and the Philippine eagle, both birds representative of Filipino culture and history. IU's traditional colors are cream and crimson, so here's how it would've looked like as so:

But perhaps the yellow is to help better represent this year's MAFA theme, the sun and stars of the Philippines, which are also yellow? Anyways... if you're a college student in the midwest and would like to check these shirts out in person, learn about Filipino culture, mingle and swerve with some fly pinoys and pinays, then be sure to come through the FACT Conference (FOR FREE!) It's at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Check out the BakitWhy.com article for more info!

Stay up,

~cyph

P.O.W.E.R. Up

2009-10-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday, I went to the P.O.W.E.R. event up in Fresno in support for the relief fund raising event for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. Together with different fil-am orgs from Fresno state and neighboring schools, alongside the local community, held in the FilAm community center, the whole event was full of love and support... I've never held central cali in any regard, but after last weekend, they truly burrowed a spot in my heart for them.

This short video shows the jist of my trip: Left Saturday night, crashed at my cousin's place in Bakersfield. Sunday morning left Bakersfield, rolled through some ridiculous fog, and arrived at the POWER event in Fresno. Saw performances, sold some prints, then blazed on back to angel city.

Pictures, on the other hand, tell detail. On the way up, saw this gnarly gas station called "Gas War"... looked kind of sketchy though.

Sunday morning, Bakersfield to Fresno.

Setting up shop

The homie Marc, who was my main connect and invited me up to the event. Much love, bruddah! Sick DJ too!

Saw big homie doing some spoken word... I was starting to get the ITCH. hahaha...

Mahal

The set up committee were so accomodating, they even fed a brotha! And this... listen, I've never actually ate diniguan that I've cared for. However, after this weekend... I've a reason to crave the "chocolate meat". THIS RIGHT HERE? They actually USE MEAT! This was like, cubed meat and cartilage. FANCY!

The source

The claim. For the record, I would like to verify; it is true.

Performances

The host did a bang up job at keeping the party rockin and informed. Good job!

Oh, this girl... RIDICULOUSLY cute. When she saw my Bahaghari (Rainbow) piece, she was nagging her mom to buy it for her. This was toddler-level nagging, mind you, so you should only imagine what this little tyke was like! And with puppy dog eyes like hers, guess what she went home with?

UC Merced came through to represent and support!

When it was all said and done, the long drive home...

Thanks to Bakersfield, I am now aware that Texaco gas stations still exist

It was a great event, the group was so very accomodating, open and was on this level of "niceness" that I wasn't accustomed to... Next time I drive up to the Bay, I might actually slow down in the middle and catch some vibes...

Stay up,

~cyph

Fresno Fresh

2009-10-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

To all the peoples that attended the POWER event at the Fil Am community center in Fresno, thank you very much for your support! Pictures and videos coming soon, but after that long drive home, I'll leave it to the homie Murs to express how I'm feelin...

But Fresno is cool too I guess...

In the meantime as you wait for me to post up pictures, feel free to check the gallery, the youtube account, or hit me on facebook or twitter. I stay connected, bruddah.

Stay up,

~cyph

Nothing Special...

2009-10-15T17:36:00.001-07:00

Just messing around with my new butterfly and star brushes...

Stay up,

~cyph

City Kids

2009-10-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Had the chance to interview Rommel and Pia of the Urban Bata art crew at the USC Mabuhay Festival 2009. Both are VERY talented visual artists, real cool peoples, so check out their interview and head on over to Urban Bata to peep the steez cause it's the bees knees.

CENTRAL CALI! I'll be in Fresno this weekend October 18th for the POWER (Pilipino Organizations Working for Emergency Relief) festival, slangin prints at my booth and giving out free Baybayin name tags. Fall through!

Stay up,

Cyph

Just because...

2009-10-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

I can.

Stay up,

~cyph

My-Boo-High

2009-10-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

First of all, SPOKEN WORD SUNDAY IS BACK! (for now that is) Check out The Aesthetics Crew doin their damn thing at the Tuesday Night Cafe open mic in downtown L.A.:

The Mabuhay Festival was pretty chill. And by chill, I mean I forgot to bring a jacket because I assumed that Fall season would arrive on Filipino Time. Pics:

The Boof'

Shared with these guys (Artist interview coming soon):

PSTGear.com had a nice set up there too

M. Peezy

The Sammy army is growing!

Catchin swag:

Some cool performances. The one I caught on camera was the self proclaimed Freshest Filipino himself, Roscoe Umali:

Roscoe knows who runs it, so why don't you?

And of course, met up with the home Jonny Hustle (aka Jon de CashFlow aka Jon De Castro)

Later that night, stopped by the Bordello bar in downtown L.A. (which is in the middle of some dope graff yards!) and saw some cabaret burlesque for the first time in my life. To describe it, I will post a photo I took of one of the dancers shooting a fireball from her nipple:

The word, "awesome", never seemed so appropriate.

New projects, new ideas, new philosophies, new events. Next up I'll be finally stomping around central cali next weekend out in Fresno.

STAY UP!

~cyph

Gods and Tsunami's

2009-10-09T16:13:00.001-07:00

A year or two ago, a tsunami hit the coast of China. A couple of months after, Rev. Tom Honey gave his thoughts about the role of a god in a world of tsunamis, wars and disasters at the TED conference. Though his delivery can sound like a church sermon (he's a reverend after all...), the points he made reflect much of the core beliefs (or lack thereof) of The Bathala Project. And with Typhoon Ondoy and the recent tsunami destruction, this powerful speech has regained its relevance to bring up a question and point that have eternally beckoned us all.

Pontificating and pondering is all good, but what we need now is action. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10TH at USC from 3pm to 8pm is THE MABUHAY FESTIVAL benefit concert to support relief aid in the Philippines from Typhoon Ondoy. Fall through, enjoy the food, performances, booths (specifically mine :-D) and your dollars spent will help re-construction efforts in the P.I. (via ASKI inc). Come through!

Stay up,

~cyph

Amateur Operations

2009-10-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

Some people ask me where I get my stock images from for the composition pieces that I do.

The first go-to place for me is the stock-exchange. It's free, good resolution (for being free) and has a large database. However, the premium account (the one you pay for) definetly has the better library and often times I won't find the right angle or crop; Plan B - DeviantArt. Looking for good stock photos on DeviantArt is like trying to find a blond hair in a haystack. Unless you're looking for stocks of naked people looking sad and depressed, often times it's hard to find what you're looking for, and anything relevant to the search parameters you entered.

Plan C, which requires me to actually get off my butt, is actually the best option; shoot my own stock photos.

I'm lucky to have cousins, friends and loved ones that are willing to help me out and pose for me. Every photo session gets more and more refined as I learn more about what I need and what I'll do with the picture. I used to shoot hundreds and hope to get an idea by the time I'm done. Now, I'd shoot around a hundred or less with a more refined idea of what I'll do at the end. And of course, none of this would be possible without my girlfriend of (almost) 1 year, my baby, the Lumix LX-3:

Wide angle lens, RAW format capable, HD video, all in a compact black matte steel body. And to those that wonder what my photo-studio looks like... well...

It's an amateur operation over here at The Bathala Project, but we turn feces into fertilizer and make roses grow from concrete; or at least I try to.

THE MABUHAY FESTIVAL in 2 days! Come through USC on October 10th noon time to attend the benefit concert for Typhoon Ondoy, and stop by my booth to cop some swag and say wassup!

Stay up,

~Cyph

The Baybayin Collegiate Series - California

2009-10-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Ever since the Baybayin City Series, I've been wanting to revisit this style of Baybayin stylization, but could never settle on a single subject. Until recently, my attention has been averted to helping some of the Fil-Am student organizations at the local universities around Los Angeles; to my fellow midwestern college kids, let me tell you that the diversity out here is different. In the mid-west, your Fil-Am student organization is considered strong if you have 40 active members. In California, you're considered small if you have 70.

Think about that.

It's very interesting to see the differences in dynamics and social gatherings between the two groups. While in the mid-west, though the organizations are much smaller, they are also very tight-knit and supportive in solidarity. Very intimate, and can easily become your second family. In the west coast, with larger organizations, the activities a crew can achieve and set up are quite profound on their own. Also, they have more man-power to utilize as far as set up, clean up, fund raising and communications/networking goes...

Purdue Filipino Association (+ friends) circa Spring 2005ish

About half of UCR's Katipunan, circa Fall 2007ish

So, to celebrate Filipino History Month and pay homage to the local Fil-Am student org community, I've revamped the Baybayin City Series and present to you, The Baybayin Collegiate Series - California

Colors portrayed in this first run are (from Top to Bottom): USC, UCLA, Cal State and CSUN.

I'm open to more universities color ways, but don't know who to do. Leave a comment and let me know. PRINTS of the USC colorway will be available at The Mabuhay Festival this Saturday on October 10th! Fall through and catch that trojan steez.

Stay up,

Cyph

Cliff Notes

2009-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

MUCH love and thanks to the USC Troy Philippines crew for inviting me to give a presentation about Baybayin writing and host a mini-workshop! I feel blessed to be able to touch the academic youth and for every opportunity I get to give back to the collegiate community from where I learned Baybayin from.

To all USC Troy Phi members visiting the site, here are a few of the pieces that I introduced during the presentation. Some of these pieces were on slides which I didn't have time to go further into. Click the pictures to follow them to the articles for a more in-depth explanation of their development and meaning:

The God Loves Ugly masks

Bahaghari (Rainbow)

The Bansa Canvas

The Baybayin City Series

The Barrio Fiesta Menu Redesign

Baybayin Stylin concept piece

The Swerte Vodka Ad Campaign

The California Pinoy Board

Ako-Siya

The Mahal Heart

Some of these pieces will be available at the Mabuhay Festival for sale as prints, with a percentage of the proceeds going to Ondoy Relief. But if you can't wait, you can always check the shop, or look at more pieces in the gallery. Also you can check some of the Spoken Word Sunday videos too. I'm well accessible, if you have any questions, you can get me by email (Bathala1@gmail.com), Facebook and Twitter. I stay connected, homeh.

Stay up, stay strong, fight on.

~cyph

Ituloy Ang Laban

2009-09-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

THE BAYBAYIN COLLEGIATE SERIES is allllllmost done, and prints of the university color-ways will be available at my booth at the 3rd Annual USC Mabuhay Festival Benefit Concert on October 10th. I heard proceeds are going to the Ondoy Typhoon Relief in the Philippines, so it's all for a good cause! Plus check the line-up of lovely talent in the flyer:

That's wassup! Hit up USC Troy Phi for more info, and check the video below of the Troy Phi crew showin love to The Bathala Project and droppin info about the festival:

Stay up,

~cyph

I Love College

2009-09-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the USC Mabuhay festival this month, and in honor of my first collegiate festival, I'll be premiering a specific colorway of the new, Baybayin Collegiate Series - California. If you recall the Baybayin City Series, this is similar, only the color ways in this series will be specific to a couple of select colleges in southern California at first...

Here's a sneak peak:

Ituloy Ang Laban.

~cyph

Too Big Tubig

2009-09-27T09:59:00.001-07:00

Though the typhoon is over, the wake of Typhoon Ondoy remains. To give you an idea, Hurricane Katrina left 380mm of water, and Ondoy dumped 410mm.

So what can people outside of the Philippines do to help and support? We can send financial aid. Check the following links to for ways to donate to the Philippines:

Salvation Army Philippines Online
Red Cross Philippines online
Red Cross Philippines (via snail-mail)

Financial-aid in Tagalog would be "Abuloy". So let's send it.

"Abuloy"

Stay strong, stay up.

~cyph

Polka Dot Pinay

2009-09-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Polka dots are still cool for girls, yeah?

Though I never remember polka dots being cool for guys, there's something distinctly feminine about polka dots. Maybe it's the circle being a traditional symbol for the womb? For mother earth? For her boobs? Regardless, I thought I could use the circles of a polka dot pattern as an inspiration for a Baybayin rendering. In the sketch (done on Engineering paper; I ain't lyin) you could see various drafts where I've written the word "Babae" (girl), and one attempt at writing the phonetic version of "Polka dot".

Couple of hours later, finally came out with a dainty and spaced out Babae Baybayin Polkadot pattern (Say that 5 times really fast...)

Who knows... maybe this might turn into an actual garment in the future?

STAY UP!

~cyph

Introducing: Manila Ryce

2009-09-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Had the chance to interview visual artist, Manila Ryce during the 2009 Festival for Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) in San Pedro, CA. Manila Ryce talks about his art style, subject of choice, and a look at some of his projects. You can check out his works at JWHarrison.com

You can hit Manila Ryce at his website, on facebook, twitter, and watch him drop knowledge on youtube. The man does it all!

Stay up,

~cyph

The Nine Point Sun

2009-09-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

'yall Filipino rappers might have to change up your lyrics when talkin about that 8-point sun, 'cause that's soon to be old school:

Quoted from The Inquirer:

MANILA, Philippines—The bicameral conference has approved the addition of a ninth ray to the sun in the Philippine flag to represent the Muslim people.

The flag’s current eight-ray sun represents the eight provinces that first rose in rebellion against Spanish colonial rule in 1896—Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna and Batangas.

Sen. Richard Gordon, primary author of the Ninth Ray Bill, defended the major alteration to the Philippine flag. He said it was a big step toward “reuniting the country.”

The Senate and the House of Representatives approved the proposal on Tuesday during the bicameral conference which met to reconcile the two chambers’ proposed amendments to the Flag and Heraldic Code.

The conference ironed out the differences between Senate Bill No. 3307 and House Bill No. 6424.

SB 3307 proposes amendments to Republic Act No. 8491, otherwise known as “An Act Prescribing the Code of the National Flag, Anthem, Motto, Coat-of-Arms and Other Heraldic Items and Devices of the Philippines.”

Included in the bill is Gordon’s proposal to add a ninth ray to the sun “to acknowledge the courage, bravery and integrity of Muslim Filipinos who fought for the nation’s independence.”

In a statement, Gordon lauded the approval of the ninth ray, saying that it would foster greater unity among Filipinos regardless of religion.

“We are a country that has had a conflict with our Muslim brothers for the last so many decades. I think this is a big step towards reuniting our country, recognizing the contributions of our fellow countrymen, the Filipino Muslims. We should recognize their deeds in our country,” he said.

Aside from Gordon, present during the bicam were Senate majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Representatives Del de Guzman, chairman of the House panel, Ma. Carissa Coscoluella, Salvador Escudero III and Roman Romulo.

9 points! That's 3 3-point shots! That's wassup.

Stay up,

~cyph

Introducing: Christian Cabuay

2009-09-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday yall. Here's a bit of video candy for ya: I had the chance to interview Christian Cabuay of Baybayin.com and PinoyTattoos.com during the 2009 Festival for Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) in San Pedro, CA. This brotha has been holding it down in the online Baybayin game for a minute; longer than me I believe. In the interview, Cabuay drops knowledge about how he was introduced to Baybayin, how long he's been up, and a bit of insight on his personal writing style.

He also recently released an informational booklet on Baybayin writing, which can be found at Baybayin.com

Stay up,

~cyph

FPAC 2009

2009-09-14T17:31:00.001-07:00

Pictures from the weekend; it's my first festival as an artist, as I'm more familiar with the conference circuit. It was great. Day 1:

The booth:

Big Virg from Backroom Podcast Radio:

Bakit Why? Dahil kasi!

This lovely sista bought each colorway of the Ako-Siya prints! Much love!

Johnny Hussle and Ms. Stacey

Pronto

Mr. Geologic Prometheus Brown

Luv MC showin some love!

Bad Ass Zar of Pnoy Apparel came through the booth. Apparently, it was one of his friends that won the auction bid for the California-Pnoy board. Big ups!!

Dave of Beatrock!

The afterset... you've heard rumors and hear say, and lets just leave it at that!

Ms. Camile Velasco

Phatrick and Mc Camile

Ms. EyeASage and her lovely hype-mistress

Deep foundation killed the set!

FPAC Day 2:

At the community walls, I was originally trying to piece out some Baybayin, but it wasn't working right... I think if instead of dividing the colors into blocks and just doing a top-down color fade I coulda made it work, but by the time I realized this, I was already running out of paint...

So I just bombed over myself!

Wouldn't you like to know who this is...

UCR Katipunan representin!

NATIVE GUNS REUNION!

How Sama-Sama L.A. settles theire internal disputes:

Winding down with the PAN artists:

Overall, FPAC was incredible! My first time as an artist at a festival, the love I received was amazing! It was great to talk to people who shared similar ideas, had their own styles and unique takes on their heritage, and it was overall lovely. Got loads of videos that I'll post up soon, so be on the look out!

PRINTS that were for sale on FPAC will be available soon online! So stay up!

and much love.

~cyph

Mamaya Na...

2009-09-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Much love to the people of FPAC, the contributors, volunteers, promoters, vendors, performers, artists, and the community that came through! I'm happily exhausted after a weekend of chopping it up with the community, network swervin, bustin random freestyles, soakin up some game, and givin out so many daps till my arm felt like it was about to fall off!

PICTURES SOON, until then, be sure to check out the gallery and browse the site!

Stay up,

cyph

Free Swaggin'

2009-09-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

FREE SWAG THURSDAY is BACK! To participate, simply follow The Bathala Project on either Twitter or Facebook, and keep an eye out for the Free Swag Thursday quiz question; first person to answer correctly wins some free Baybayin stylin' goodies that you know and love.

This week, FST winners will receive Mahal Prints as shown here:

But if you have neither a Twitter or Facebook and are too lazy to follow, but live in the Los Angeles area (or around it), you can come through to purchase the Mahal prints (and many more other prints) at the Festival for Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC) this Saturday (9/12) and Sunday (9/13), at Pt. Fermin Park - 807 Paseo Del Mar in San Pedro. Also there will be Rex Navarrete, Geologic of the Blue Scholars, Supreme Soul, AJ Rafael, many of your favorite Fil-Am artists, food, fun and lots of cool stuff to see, do, eat and purchase... it's gon be crackin!

Check the event line up, as presented by Mr. Bambu:

Stay up,

~cyph

The Buff Monster...

2009-09-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

This is ridiculous, sad, and just an overall bummer. As quoted from the Ironlak post:

Saber's legendary LA River piece buffed.

This is a massive bummer. There is no denying the relevance of this piece in the history of graffiti and it's removal has caused mass debate (no pun intended).

READ MORE:

SABER's legendary LA River piece is now a true part of history: CLICK.

A one-year, $837,000 contract, funded by the Recovery Act: CLICK.

Via: KNOWNGALLERY.COM

As a former writer and a avid fan of graffiti art, this really hurts the heart. Saber's piece was a monument as to the drive of a man on a mission; what can one man do to make the biggest piece of artwork with so many obstacles in his way, and still come out on top? A 20-year-old Saber completed this incredible feat in one month, having survived the random encounters with cops, bums, gang bangers and security. This isn't just some big ass roll-over, the Saber L.A. river was a PIECE; A MASTERPIECE...

But the city needs a villain; one with many names and many faces, so that it can battle forever with limitless funds. Taking away the Saber piece, maybe they thought they slain a giant, when in reality they made it a martyr. There will be paint on the streets. I think once the word hits the streets, the writers will reply in turn.

Stay up,

Cyph

After the party's the afterparty

2009-09-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Festival for Philippine Arts and Culture on Sept 12-13 in San Pedro. THE BATHALA PROJECT will be at the PAN Pavilion, fall through!

The FPAC After party, Sept. 12 at club Social in Hollywood. Shirt The Kids L.A.!

Stay up,

~cyph

Mallow-Blaster

2009-09-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

EyeASage aka Rocky Rivera aka Ms. Krish dropped her music video for MRSHMLO today. Check this west coast lady's swag, and try not to drown in it:

MRSHMLO from Mikhail Shapiro on Vimeo.

And while we're on the subject of hiphop, found this dope short-documentary about the Fil-Am community in Hip Hop, directed by Mark Redondo Villegas.

Hip hop don't stop.
Stay up,

~cyph

I got 99 problems...

2009-08-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

and this b*tch is one:

Meet my sister's puppy, Sprinkles. I thought it'd be funny to cut into this little poop factory the Baybayin characters for dog, "Aso". I find it hilarious, but that's just me. I also figured it'd be easier to do in Photoshop rather than real life. In real life, poop would probably be flowing out of the holes, messing up her cute, short fur. But it's all good, me and Sprinks stay G.

Stay up,

Cyph

City Smoke

2009-08-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

The veil of smoke that looms over Northeast L.A. from the 110. It's been said that nobody really cares about the seasonal fires that we get, except for those that are affected by it. But with the fires so close to home, I can only begin to worry.

NORTH EAST LOS ANGELINOS - Stay alert of all evacuation notices, check the L.A. Times website constantly for updates and notices. Don't try to just wait it out if your area is a potential burn zone.

STAY STRONG, L.A.

and stay up.

~cyph

Lasting Love

2009-08-27T13:49:00.001-07:00

I only have about 6 of these left, and they'll all be available for purchase at this coming FPAC (September 12-13).

Stop by the PAN pavillion and chop it up!

Stay up,

~cyph

Apl.de.Ap - "Mama Filipina"

2009-08-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

Not my favorite Pinoy Emcee, but def one that represents with a big mic. Check out the PnoyApparel Barong tee that Apl is rockin!

Some funny projects coming soon... I laugh just thinking about em!

Stay up,

Cyph

Ako lang

2009-08-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

All around are them, him, her, "siya". But as society surrounds us and seemingly tries to define the bounds of which we are meant to be, it is up to the individual to stand out for their own self. "Ako" - I

I'll start making prints of this soon, available for purchase. The first place they'll be available at will be at my booth at FPAC, September 12-13, along with other prints and goods to check out..

Edit: 8/25/09
There will be three color-ways available. Here's a preview:

Stay up,

Cyph

Kasama Tayo

2009-08-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

What a weekend it's been thus far! The homie Luv MC lured me out to attend this "hiphop" workshop aaaall the way out in Carson, hosted by the Sama-Sama crew. It's hard to explain in words what exactly the workshop is, since it's so much more than just a hiphop writing workshop... It's a discussion group, it's an educational forum, and to some it's relief and therapy.

Met alot of cool peoples, some young and aspiring MC's/poets, tough kids, everyone humble as pie and down to dirt (earth). The discussions and activities were quite profound and forward thinking. I also finally got put on game as to what the heck Anak Bayan does by the brotha in the glasses! All this time of hearing about them...

Saturday I went over to Salakot Grill in L.A. to attend the Tayo Literary Magazine launch, and to display a couple of my canvas pieces. PRINTS coming soon!

The lovely co-directors, Ms. Melissa and Ms. Christine

Dope artists

Troy Phi representing!

I'm always surprised that even today, with google at your fingertips, how many people still don't know what Baybayin/Alibata is... so of course I had to put a few heads on game!

Hip-hop don't stop

And ofcourse, the BakitWhy crew... they're everywhere. Like ninjas. With cameras.

Great magazine, great workshop, great weekend. I'm exhausted, but I'm left hungry for more...

btw, for those that liked the spoken word bit I performed, here it is in Youtube glory:

Stay up!

~cyph

My bad... maybe.

2009-08-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

The more I was looking at this, and trying to re-read what I wrote in Baybayin, the more I had this sinking feeling in my gut... skepticism.

The lovely lady's name is "Charmaine", which was pronounced as "Shar-main"... The "Sh-" sound is one of several English soudns that doesn't translate well in Tagalog/Baybayin. As it's written in the picture, it reads along the lines of "S-ya-l-me-n", which I guess COULD work phonetically, but the "Sh-" sound isn't completely there. It's like saying "siyampu" instead of "shampoo", it's a phonetic estimation. It's not exactly wrong, but it's not exactly RIGHT.

My goodness, I'll be thinking of her name all night.. ^_^"

Pics from the Tayo Magazine Launch and the Sama-Sama "hip-hop" workshop coming soon!

Stay up,

~cyph

Confessions of a Shopaholic...

2009-08-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

Comp for a PSA-poster on Compulsive Shopping (aka shopaholic-ism). There's two versions, same image but different text: this one shows statistics regarding MALE compulsive shoppers, the other set is for women... who make up 80% of the compulsive shoppers demographic. :-o

Click for full size:

Close-up on the text. Click for full size:

I worked more on the main image (shoutout to Libby for posing her lovely self and using her own credit card!) than the actual layout of the text... which can be sorely seen. The statistics are from 2006-ish... when people still bought CD's. heh... Ah well. Remember, all you shopaholics, the mantra: "Do I need this?!"

Stay up,

~cyph

Week-ending

2009-08-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday afternoon, you might catch me here:

Saturday night you can DEF catch me here:

You can catch me kick some spoken word and auctioning off a couple of canvas pieces at the TAYO Literary Magazine launch party! Fall through and support the Asian-American youth and education!

Stay up,

~cyph

Got locked up...

2009-08-19T01:18:00.000-07:00

...'cause the style's straight DOPE. lol... j/k...

...but no, seriously.

~cyph

Over Seas

2009-08-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

"But I go over seas and I get over siezed" ~Mos Def

Some freshness from outside of the mainland by brothers that are from/live in the mainland...

Blue Scholars:

Blue Scholars - HI-808 (Official Music Video) from Blue Scholars on Vimeo.

Bambu:

STK_Bambu from filmefilms on Vimeo.

Jin... who made his music vid non-embeddable... still a good look though. Brotha lost weight!

Don't stop, Hip Hop.

~cyph

Speaking Word

2009-08-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

"Spoken Word", in the most literal sense of it. Click for full size.

A conceptual 2-page spread of a print-ad for ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Artists, Authors and Publishers). Mockin' up:

And the stock photo steez:

Gotham is the new Helvetica.

Stay up,

Cyph

Tayo Ako...

2009-08-13T15:31:00.001-07:00

You can catch me next week at the TAYO Literary Magazine launch party, rockin the open mic and selling a couple of select pieces from the canvas collection... New project to be revealed soon, though it's not necessarily Baybayin related, it's still a pretty neat project. Here's a hint: it's a tour guide to a place that's second on the right, straight on till morning...

Second, FREE SWAG THURSDAY IS BACK! Next week, be sure to follow either the Twitter or Facebook page for your chance to win some Free Swag! Just sent out 3 Mahal Posters to some late winners. So keep it locked.

Stay up,

Cyph

Left Angels

2009-08-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

Fresh text from PnoyApparel's twitter:

What is FPAC you might ask? This year will be the 18th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture... and guess who signed up for a display booth to showcase works and perform free translations???

Starts with "Bathala" and ends with "Project"... there's a "THE" somewhere too :-D

Stay UP,

~cyph