In situ, you are called Sulu 
You are also called Sug,
a contraction of the old word Sulug,
which means "currents of the sea",
the sea now known to the world as Sulu Sea.
From your own tongue it comes,
not from others' mouths.
 
While you were also called Suluk or Solok,
your name will always take us back
to what is called the “tranquil
flowing current of the sea”,
which has the characteristics of
“travelling in the right path”.
And you are peaceful.
 
The Lannang called you Sulu,
a maritime polity recorded in Ming Shilu.
Around 1375, an Arab from Mecca,
Sayed Ali, called you Suluk.
He heard from the natives the word Sulug.
Ibn Majid in 1462 wrote it as Suluk
but didn’t claim the name comes from him.
 
Your Malay brethren know you as Suluk,
from Sulug (where g becomes k)
and from Sulu’ (where k changed
into a apostrophic symbol
as a glottal stopper).
That’s the nature of their tongue,
And that’s real and “birthtal”.
 
Your brethren from Banjarmasin
were calling you Banjar Kulan,
possibly from Kulaan, which means “close-knit”
in their native tongue.
You were a “Banjar Close-knit” then.
Every now and then your name changes 
into different kinds according to people’s ex situ understanding.
You’ve been called Karasikan, Kola and Kaling.
 
When the Spanish arrived
on your archipelago,
they named you Felicia,
which means “happy things or happy times”.
Does this mean
you were once a happy place
but not anymore now? And why not?
 
Purple Couch. 15 May 2017. 2:33PM.
I love you, peace. Let's sail together. Layag Sug!

On August 1 while visiting the Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, a palace complex which also serves as a museum and cultural center, we learned more about the region’s politics and history.  ​

​For travel and tour please contact the numbers and addresses:

FAUZIAH JELSON
Tedar Tours and Travel Sdn. Bhd
Managing Director
Mobile: +60168322339
 
Lot, No. 7, 1st Floor, Block C, Metro Town
88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Tel:  +6088389337
Fax:  +6088432830
Email: tedar_tours@yahoo.com
 
SALLMA ABDULLAH
Al Furqan Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd
Branch Manager
Mobile: +60193671919
Email: sallma@alfurqangroup.com
 
Lot 1-32A, 1st Floor, Star City North Complex, Jalan Asia City
88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Tel:  +6088268730
Fax:  +6088269730
Email: info.bki@alfurqangroup.com
 
PT. EDEN GEMILANG
Komplek Agave Raya,
Blok A1 LT. IV No.40 Kedoya Selatan,
Kebon Jeruk, Jakarta Barat 11520
Tel: +6221 5800815 / +6221 5807590
Fax: +6221 5828969
Mobile:  +62811999931(Serena)
Email: edengemilang@yahoo.com

One afternoon on 25 April 2016, I was with my old friend Prof. Nur Danial, sitting by the beach overlooking the Zamboanga side of the Sulu Sea. It was not too cold that day. I enjoyed the sea breeze touching my face and arms while conversing with Prof. Nur about creative writing for Tausug audiences. We talked about the idea to hold a poetry-reading session on a Tausug poem called Tarasul, which means a correspondence, a handwritten piece, a speech or spoken piece containing metaphorical words and expressions that are elusive.

Without hesitation, we decided to hold it at Dennis Coffee Garden in Block 2, Lot 8, San Jose Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City, because we thought poetry is best experienced with cups of deliciously brewed native coffee. My friend Marj Imran was to join us in this poetry session. Marj Imran is my high school classmate and our valedictorian. She and I already discussed the idea a few days before when I handed over to her my book ‘Sulug in Sabah’ with a message in Bahasa Sug - ‘mataud kahanungan ha gulangan’, which means ‘more peace in the wilderness’ in English. Her brother, my friend Atty. Adzlan Imran was also there and shared his insights during the discussion.

Girillia Tarasul or Poetry Guerrilla was to be the title of our poetry-reading activity that night.  The invitation I posted on my Facebook wall featured Prof Nur himself as the Tausug poet who has written many poems and short stories in Bahasa Sug using his pen name Lahir Batin. During the activity, friends from different backgrounds came to join us, including the author of ‘A Taste of Culture’, Tuan Hadji Alfrazer Ahalul.

Prior to this activity, I had been visiting Dennis Coffee Garden to share thoughts with many friends. Some of them were old friends, some I just met in person after befriending them on Facebook while campaigning for ‘Right to Hijab’ a few years back. 

Dennis Coffee Garden has been in my heart since it started its operation in Zamboanga City in 2015. Its branch in Jolo, Sulu has been known to me since 1994. It is perhaps the only coffee shop in town (or perhaps in the whole of the Philippines) that allows customers to order a half-cup of coffee. There, people enjoy their coffee alongside delicious Sulu pastries called Bangbang Sug.
 
During my recent stay in Zamboanga, I’d visit Dennis Coffee Garden almost every night.  I consider the place as my own Coffee University of Thoughts. It has become so familiar to me now that even if I close my eyes I could see every tiny details of its furniture and decors, even the light green and violet colors of its facade on a black-and-white photo, which I took through my smart phone.

Dennis to Greeks means ‘god of wine’, while to the Turks it means ‘sea’ (they spell it  ‘Deniz’). These meanings coincide with the idea of crossing the legendary Sulu Sea and becoming the den of coffee and thoughts in Zamboanga City. Since expanding in Zamboanga, Dennis has slowly become not just a coffee haven in this southern side of the archipelago but also a place where Tausugs can proudly embrace their identity and where non-Tausugs can experience the warmth of Tausug culture.
 
With its furniture and interiors carefully crafted by skilled Tausug artisans, Dennis captures the pride of Sulu. Visiting the place, one could catch a glimpse of the history, culture, tradition, customs, arts, music and social world of the people of the Sulu archipelago.
 
I can easily relate to the thought of Raz Itum, a Tausug musician-lyricist who posted this line in his Facebook wall on 22 April 2016: “Time will come when everyone in my tribe will declare themselves as Tausug instead of being Filipino. The gap is fast widening.”
 
He pointed out that “The Filipino identity might soon become a point of question followed by crisis and ultimately, amnesia. Filipinos are more divided now in almost all aspects and axes of society - values, income, perspective and life goals. The resulting difference is slowly compounding towards indifference which slowly kills patriotism and soon, humanity.
 
He ended his post with the short statement of prayer, “Thank God, I still am and ever will be, Tausug.”
​
The thoughts shared by Tuan Hadji Alfrazer Ahalul while chewing his mama’  (betel-nut) reminded me of something from the past--that the Sulu archipelago once had its own self-government and statehood.  Hadji Al, as he is known to me and other friends, is the in-charge of Dennis. He shared to me how Dennis started as a coffee ambassador in the past. The venture was started by an eight-year-old girl, Ubbaisa from Patikul, who was born in 1920s. Ubbaisa spent her childhood near the village with lumbaan or pasuhan kura’, a horse racing field. As a young girl, she started picking coffee berries in their backyards.
 
As the first child, she was taught the knowledge of coffee by her mother. She came to learn how to prepare coffee after boiling, grinding and filtering them with a piece of cloth, and then serving them to both local and Japanese horse racers and coffee enthusiasts before the Second World War. Back then, she didn’t see the need to commercialize their coffee, as it had been part of their culture to drink coffee every day. It took time and a lot of effort to establish Dennis and get it to where it is now.
 
Today, Dennis Coffee Garden is not just Zamboanga’s best place to enjoy coffee but also the city’s best place to experience authentic Sulu culture and tradition. With a staff of young people from different religious background wearing light green and violet uniforms to represent diversity, Dennis continually makes me proud as a Tausug.  
 
And one thing that makes me smile is the fact that behind this amazing kahawa sug venture is a woman. True as what everyone here believes: ‘misan biyadiin kusug sin usug, aun pikilan sin babai’. No matter how powerful a man is, there’s always a woman’s thought behind him.  
 
To Grandmother Ubbaisa who started it all, to my mother, and to all mothers out there on this special day, may you continue to be strong for your families and those you love. And may you continue to succeed in whatever venture you’re doing right now. Happy Mothers’ Day!
 
I love you, peace! Let’s sail together. Layag Sug!

Here's the video of the Tausug song "Tibuuka Na", which we've all been waiting for years.

​Please help spread the word by sharing the video to your friends and relatives. :) 
​
​"Tibuuka Na" is part of  “Langan Atay”, an album made up of Suluk/Tausug songs.

The album represents music from Sabah ethnic and Philippine South tribes. It contains 9 songs sung by Nikki Bacolod (Philippines), Diya and Eima (Philippines), Min Yasmin and Julfekar (Malaysia).

Produced by Julfekar (Julfekar Music Malaysia), the album will be distributed this year in both Malaysia and Philippines. The songs are composed by Julfekar with lyrics by Nelson Dino and Julfekar. Among the songs in the album are the following:

1. Tibuuka Na Nikki.B feat. Min Yasmin
2. Isuk Atay Nikki Bacolod.
3. Masi Malasa Diya.
4. Janji Diya feat. Julfekar.
5. Waktu Limabay Nur-Eima.
6. Nur Sahayaku Nur-Eima feat. Min Yasmin
7. Lunaas Kabuhi Min Yasmin
8. Ampuna Na Julfekar.
9. Sukud Manusia Julfekar.

For more info, contact:

Julfekar Music.
Email : julfekar@yahoo.com.
Contact : +60163443449                                                                   

TIBUUKA NA
Min Yasmin & Nikki Bacolod
Composed by: Julfekar
Lyrics by: Nelson Dino
Label : Julfekar Music / MillenniumArt. 

Kasilasa ku kayimu di’ mabiy
kublit jantung ku lasa ayari

Panumtum atay tara in maghati
labi tumtum ku kayimu makasi

Atay ku himuun yari ra kaw di
halaum pikilan ku ra in lingkat mu

Tuhan tabanga na aku
tibuuka na in lasa in

Tuhan dunguga ba aku
in lasa ku ini kaniya
Kaniya ra.

Halaum sin manis mu
in lasa ku ini kayimu ra...

Above is the cover of my e-book, Sulug in Sabah, released through e-sentral.com. In case you want to secure a copy, please click this link. You may also message the author in case you want a hard copy. Thank you for the support. 

​The Suluks have always been somewhat misunderstood as a people. To the outside world whose insights are based mostly on information gathered from occasional coverage in newspapers and other media, they are a barbaric race, prone to committing acts of brutality and senseless aggression.

In Sabah, even though they are legally natives, the Suluks are still seen today as sort of enemies of the society, stereotyped as potential troublemakers. For these reasons, they are regarded as “outsiders” by many Sabahans and Malaysians.

In this book we get to closely examine the truth about the Suluks and how they really are in real day-to-day life. Through the eyes of ordinary Suluks, we get a glimpse of the everyday struggles of a people. We uncover their dreams and aspirations.

We also get to look closely at the roles the Suluks played politically, historically, and economically in the development of Sabah. We also get to understand what roles they play in shaping the future of Sabahan society.

By examining the Suluks more objectively, we can develop a platform for harmonious co-existence among Malaysians, and ensure the active participation of the Suluks in the local communities. I believe this book is rather timely and particularly relevant.

At the moment, Sabah is beset with issues concerning undocumented immigrants, many of them Suluks and of Suluk origin. Through this book we get to see another side of this often neglected and misunderstood ethnic group, looking at them as artisans, politicians, poets, musicians and business people.
We get to familiarise ourselves with their food, religious belief, culture, and traditions. We get to see the kind of social activities that bind them together. The aim is for the readers to acquire a better understanding of the Suluks in order to strengthen the foundations of a multi-ethnic country that Malaysia is.

There are Suluk personalities whose immense contributions in history have yet to be given due recognition. This book sheds some light into their achievements, not with the intent of glorifying them as individuals, but rather to emphasize what Suluks are capable of and their future potential social contribution to Sabah and to Malaysia. 

The Suluks’ sense of connection with their past has always been strong. Although spread out geographically around neighbouring islands such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, they are connected by the sea.

The Suluks in Sabah have ties to their brethren in the Sulu archipelago, an area now politically administered by the Republic of the Philippines. Despite having different citizenships, they are inevitably one ethnic group.

An Islamic liberation war in the 1970s had a lot of impact on the lives of Suluks in the Philippines. The suffering thereafter led to their influx to Sabah to seek better lives, away from all vestiges of war. Many of these Suluks are now in Malaysia as undocumented immigrants.

There had never been any formal education offered to them in the past. Recently however, the Malaysian government initiated programs that would allow them to seek alternative education and thus a better life prospect for the future.

I sincerely hope this book will encourage more Malaysians to be more objective and understanding. After all, we are one in this vast archipelago; one regardless of beliefs, citizenship, and nationality. Our future is shared, determined by the contributions of every individual in this country — Suluks included.

Finally, I hope this book will serve as a compass, a guide for the future. By examining the history, the culture, way of life and the connections of Suluks in Sabah to the Suluks of the Sulu archipelago, we can surely pave the way for a brighter future that is freer, more progressive and unhampered by political issues that seem to threaten us continually in the present.

Nelson Dino
16 August 2015
​Sunday
 
It was in high school when folklores and folktales piqued my interest. I was young and had no knowledge whatsoever about how important they were in the everyday lives of my people.  There in the jungle of Sulu, the cradle of the Sulu Sultanate which reigned in our majestic past, I had the chance of listening to the chants of the manglulugu’ or chanter. I was not interested  with the somewhat indistinguishable words but the melancholic melody.

I’d feel at peace listening to the melodious voices of traditional singers as every beat would hit my heart. Later I learned that the singing is called lugu’. I became interested to know more about it so I talked to my grandfather, then to the elders I came across with. I continued bugging my uncles, aunts and even the friendly neighbourhood chap.

I knew about folklore or folk tale in my English literature class, but I never knew what they were called in Bahasa Sug or Tausug language. Since then I have wanted to look for more. Lugu’ enthralled me to a point that I began looking for other classical forms of art, something similar to Lugu but easier to understand and much more lively. I spent my vacation in the jungle of Pasil one summer. There an old man told me about Kissa, a traditional narrative. Much to my surprise, Kissa is an equivalent of folkloric narrative.

My consultation with elders on the culture and tradition of the people of Sulu archipelago led me to believe that we didn’t develop a culture of writing down these narratives. What we had was just basically oral tradition. The narratives were passed down to reciters or chanters from one generation to another.

While I was not an inheritor of the skills of chanting nor did one single member of my family engage in this art, my mom is good in singing lullabies or langan and my dad is good in reciting poems or tarasul.
Well, perhaps I had inherited a bit of both and I realized that I could learn to write. I wanted to write, and the least I could do was to record those chants. It never materialized. I lacked resources. I didn’t even own a tape recorder then.
​
Today young Sulus lack the interest in continuing these oral traditions and a way to preserve some of these performances is to document them. Folklore or Kissa is the Sulus’ eternal culture thriving in their consciousness as well as sub consciousness, either directly or not. They are expressions of ideas and values. The stories may be constantly changing because of the way they are retold or passed from ear to ear.
​
Although the stories keep past events alive as they describe the lives of the people then, keeping the old names of certain places and events that happen in the mundane or historical ones are a step towards preserving them. But most importantly, we need to write.

In cosmopolitan Jolo, people are raised to the culture of coffee breaks. Everywhere there’s overflowing native coffee, abundant as sunshine over the Sulu Sea.



Here, it is not unusual for people to order coffee in half servings. “Tunga’ basu kahawa hadja in kaku” (mine just a half-glass of coffee) is quite a trend for those who are on budget or simply don’t want to drink too much. One amazing fact is that there are two types of establishments that are most prevalent in Sulu: coffee shops and pawnshops. Obviously, people here have money for coffee but have to pawn gold for everything else.



The word “kahawa” is believed to have come from the Arabic word “qahwah”, which in English means “coffee”. Kahawa is known for its energizing effects. While medical studies say that drinking coffee causes anxiety and jittery behavior, in Sulu, the opposite is in effect. People get anxious if they cannot drink coffee within a day.



Tausugs are addicted to coffee. They love to make coffee and serve coffee every day either in their homes, at work, or in their farms. Tausugs serve coffee at the end of every meal, normally with dessert, the bangbang (Tausug sweets and delicacies).


A year ago my Filmmaker friends visited Jolo to film Tausug women coffee growers. The “Bansil Sisters” as they have been called after their abduction in the jungle of Jolo last 22 June 2013, were working on a documentary focusing on Tausug farmers, who still harvest great-tasting coffee despite hardships and threats of violence in Sulu.  

The documentary is entitled Kahawa Armalite. “While it is thriving as one of the famous coffee in the world, the ‘Kahawa Sug’, or the Sulu coffee is yet to be introduced to the international market”. The sisters described Kahawa Armalite as “a journey of farmers and evolution of coffee in war-torn Sulu and how coffee farmers manage to adapt and survive up to recent times, left with no choice but to ‘armalite’-pick their coffee beans in order to survive.” Armalite picking means the harvesting of green and red coffee beans in perilous times, in this case picking both ripe and unripe beans only to salvage the harvest.

I know this for a fact. As a Tausug I have witnessed Tausug women farmers in Luuk picking their coffee with armalites slung on their shoulders. Rifles are needed to protect them from wild beasts in the coffee jungle of Jolo, which is also an operation ground for both Philippine troops and freedom fighters.

It is a tradition of the Tausugs to serve coffee during Ramadhan breaks. I worried about the fate of the sisters in the hands of kidnappers but sought comfort with this thought in mind. I thought that time---Perhaps they are experiencing this coffee ritual, perhaps they fasted while in captivity, perhaps they are also drinking coffee for both their sahur (pre-dawn meal) and buka’ (breaking of their fasting).

I was so happy that they were released in 20 February 2014, after eight months of captivity. Linda and Nadjoua Bansil went to Jolo accompanied by Yazir Rajim, also a coffee enthusiast and author of “Kakaun Sug: Beyond Recipes”. This upcoming book featuring Tausug food, customs and traditions will be published soon.

Sulu coffee tradition comes from deep roots. On the other hand, owning an armalite in Sulu is also part of the Sulu culture, and though baffling as it may seem, locals think of it as  better than having a wife. Some even risk their own lives just to own an armalite. Orlando de Guzman’s documentary “Sulu Gun Culture” in Luuk, attempts to discuss some salient points around this culture. (I contributed my voice for the voiceover of this film.)

Owning an armalite is more a necessity than luxury in this part of the world. One needs an armalite for protection during war, or in the absence of war, for the protection of peace. But it’s good to note that, despite having to struggle through a generation of war while facing the barrel of an armalite, Tausugs still very much enjoy a sip of coffee. This only goes to show that indeed Tausugs are a Kahawarista!


PS. If you are in Manila don’t forget to try Kahawa Sug (Sulu Coffee) and to eat Bangbang Sug (Sulu desserts and pastries) at Dulang Restaurant off Ermita Street, Manila. I frequent this place when I was there in October last year. It is just near UP Manila. Books about Sulu and others are also available in this quaint bookshop, just a block away- visit Solidaridad Bookstore near the restaurant. Visit here: http://www.bubblews.com/?referral=538f21546c8a79.99947921

or  http://www.bubblews.com/news/3649911-jolo-kahawarista-armalite.

By Neldy Jolo
22 February 2014

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Pre-Spanish Philippines is known to have used an ancient writing system called Baybayin. This was noted by both Spanish priest Pedro Chirino in his book Relación de las islas Filipinas in 1604 and historian Antonio de Morga in his book Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas in 1609. However, none of these sources mention the origin of the Baybayin or of the place where it was first discovered.

In this article, I will attempt to trace the roots of this ancient writing system as well as its connection with the "Luntar," a lost ancient Tausug script.  I will also detail our own efforts to reconstruct the Luntar using characters from the Baybayin.

Baybayin in Tagalog can either mean “to trace” or “to spell”. Its root word, baybay, means “spelling”. Spaniards called Baybayin “Tagalog letters” while Bikolanos called it Basahan. To the Tausug, Basahan or Bassahan means a “place to read”, “manner of reading”, or “will be reading”. A piece of literature is called Babassahun. Basahan or Bassahan comes from the word Bassa, which means “to read”.

Baybayin was used generally to write poetry, diaries, and other personal writings. Historians debate about the extensiveness of its use or the extent of literacy among natives during pre-Spanish times. Historian William Henry Scott argued that no literacy was generally achieved by natives in those times, and that no historical record of any writing system currently exists. He cited evidences where Datus from the 1590s could not sign affidavits and where witnesses could not sign oaths in the 1620s.  

Ferdinand Magellan’s chronicler Antonio Pigafetta wrote that Visayans were not literate in 1521. However, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who became the first governor of the Philippines in the 1500s, refuted this. In his writings, Legazpi reported that Visayans used a system of letters and characters, which they learned from the Malays.

Legaspi’s claim was supported a century later by Jesuit historian Francisco Ignacio Alcina, who wrote that Visayans had a system of writing they learned from Tagalogs, who, in turn, learned it from the Borneans. He called this system of writing the “moro writing”.

At least five theories about the origin of Baybayin have been brought up by scholars David Diringer, Fletcher Garner, and Isaac Taylor. Baybayin, according to them, may have come from other Asian ancient writing systems such as the Kawi Script from Java, Pallava Script from Sumatra, Lontara Script from Sulawesi, Assamese Script from Bengal, and Cham Script from Champa.

One alternative theory raised is that this system of writing could have come from Sulus or Tausugs because Sulu was at the height of its civi-cultural as well as political-economic power in the 1500s. In addition, much of ancient Borneo, whom Legazpi attributed as origin of the Tagalog writing form, was inhabited by Tausugs in those times.

Dean Paul Rodriguez Versoza of the University of Manila proposed to change Baybayin into "Alibata" in 1914. He explained this in a book entitled Pangbansang Titik nang Pilipinas, which was published in 1939. He coined Alibata from the first three letters of Arabic characters; Alif, Ba, Ta’, which was widely known in Mindanao and Sulu Archipelago in ancient times.

Many historians, however, do not agree with Dean Versoza. Among them was historian/scholar Paul Morrow, who contended that the term Alibata has no connection with the ancient writing system in the archipelago. To Morrow, Alibata is totally a modern creation and absolutely has no relationship with the Baybayin.

Spanish priests in the 1500s relied heavily on the Baybayin in their evangelisation of natives. Father Francisco Lopez introduced Doctrina Cristiana in Ilocano. The book, which was an early record of Roman Catholic catechism, was published in 1621 using the Tagalog form of Baybayin. Over time, however, Baybayin was slowly abandoned by people until it finally disappeared from use.

Tausug historian Samuel K. Tan wrote that one of the first written literatures of Sulus or Tausugs was called Luntar, or Sulu annals.  Dr. Najeeb M. Saleeby in his book, The Moro Problem, recalled being given access to a library of ancient books by the Sultan of Sulu. Most of the the books were religious manuscripts and books on law and magic. “There was no book on religion, law, or history in the possession of Datu Ali that I could not get, and the Sultan of Sulu placed his precious Luntar in my hands,” wrote Dr. Saleeby.

The Luntar was known as the ancient writing system of the Tausugs, aside from Sulat or Surat Sug. Sulat Sug, also called Jawi in the Malay world, are Arabic characters used in writing letters in Bahasa Sug. Luntar was believed to have been used in writing poetry, individual and personal historical accounts, and biographies.

sSome scholars believe that the use of the Luntar was practiced even before the advent of Islam in the 7th or 9th century in the Sulu Archipelago. However very few evidences of its use exist; much of it is believed to have been lost during the first burning of Jolo by the Spanish armada in the 16th century.

The Spaniards destroyed evidences of Tausug writings; perhaps they did so not only to terrorize the natives but also to bury ancient Tausug symbols of civilization. Even after coercive and brutal attacks on Sulu and Mindanao, the Spaniards still couldn’t contain the natives. Out of frustration, the Spaniards burned cities, along with them valuable pieces of literature of ancient Suluks.

Luntar means “tossing words from mouth” or literally “by word of mouth and speaking”. Tausugs wrote on both leaves and bamboo slits. Historian Paul Morrow wrote that pre-Hispanic writing tools were called panulat. Pānulat, panunulat or manulat is a Tausug word which means “writer” and panulasulat means “how it is being written” or “presentation of writing”. Hipanulat means “tool used to write”, from the word sulat which means “to write a letter.”

As mentioned earlier, theories on the origin of the Baybayin are varied: from Kawi of Java, Pallava of Sumatra, Lontara of Sulawesi, Assamese of Bengal and Cham of Champa. Other historians wrote that the Tagalogs and the Visayans learned the Baybayin from Borneans.

If Baybayin was learned by Visayans from the Tagalogs, and if the Tagalogs learned it from Borneans, it is highly possible that the lost original script for the Baybayin is the Luntar, which came from the Sulu Archipelago and Borneo. (It should be noted that some Borneans in the early 15th century, before the invasion of the Spaniards, were also known as Sulus, Sulugs, Suluks, Tausugs or people of Sulu Archipelago and Borneo.)

LUNTARSUG:

Inspired by the rich history of the Baybayin and its connection with the Luntar, I and Tausug artist/author Asree Sug set off to reconstruct and develop a modern version of the Luntar using the Baybayin as basis. We call this writing system the LUNTARSUG. This reconstruction effort started in February 2011 at Sandakan, with the goals of preserving a lost ancient script and achieving renewal of Sulu heritage.

Luntarsug has the basic set of characters from Baybayin and/or Alibata as well as a few more, which we added to suit the modern spelling of words according to the English alphabet. These new characters are; ja, za, ra, fa, patay, sangka’ and baris. We call these characters “asreeneldy”. Asree Sug designed fonts around them as well.

We plan to discuss further about the Luntarsug in a book which we will publish later. The book is entitled Sejarah Sulug dan Teori Likusantara: Kepulauan Sulu sebelum muncul nama Philippines or Sulug History and Likusantara Theory: Sulu Archipelago before the existence of the name Philippines. In this book, we will discuss about pre-Spanish Philippines as it formed part of the Sulu Archipelago.

Luntarsug is a system of writing (atulan pagsulat) that has twenty one (21) characters; three (3) vowels and eighteen (18) consonants. It has its own individual characters (sulatan) and alphabet (sunudsulat). We call Luntarsug characters batangsulat and the additional characters batangsunu’. The batangsulat, which we named asreeneldy, are also called “jafaraza.” The batangsunu’ are patay (sound stopper), sangka’ (glottal stop), and baris (slide line).

The stopping symbol used in Luntarsug is a caret, which appears like an inverted v (^). This stopping symbol is called patay. The glottal stopper, which is called sangka’, is a small curl-like diacritic placed above a character. It is influenced by the Arabic dammah symbol (و). The sliding line, which we call baris, is used to determine how a character should sound: i (read as /iy/| if the baris appears above a character (baris ha taas), u (read as /uw/) if the baris appears below a character (baris ha baba). The sound /ah/ is the standard sound of each character.

The vowel sounds of the Luntarsug are based on the three sounds of the Sulu vocal sounds, namely, a, i, and u. These three sounds are believed to be from the ilmu kabatinan, which is considered mystic knowledge in Sulu. Ilmu kabatinan is known as the “three alifs”. According to ancient Sulus, these three alifs can neither be destroyed nor exterminated. The three (3) vowels in Luntarsug are called tingugtuw, while the eighteen (18) consonants are called tingugpurna’. 

Based on our study of the Sulu language, Asree Sug and I theorize that the word luntar came from the word luntad, which in turn was derived from the two words lun (roll) and tadtad (chop into pieces). Luntar may have become known later from liyun tiyadtad, tiyadtad liyun, luntadtad, lun tiyadtad and tiyadtad paglunun. Over time tadtad may have evolved from tad to tar.

On 1st July 2013, at the first regular session of the Sixteenth Regular Congress, Honorable Congressman Leopoldo N. Bataoil filed House Bill 160, also known as the “National Script Act of 2011”. This bill was intended to provide for the protection and conservation of native Philippine scripts, previously categorized under the umbrella term “Baybayin Scripts”. In this bill he listed eight written languages that are considered major, among them the Luntarsug or modern Tausug script.

Ancient script researcher from Zamboanga City, Jefrey Rosales Ramos, who learned of the Luntarsug writing system and studied it, sent us this message just recently: “Assalamu Alaykum. I would like to ask your and Asree Sug’s permission to use the Luntarsug chart. I would like to learn Luntarsug since I live in Region 9 and I descended from diverse ethnic tribes. Learning and actually using indigenous writing systems in my arts help me as I advocate for their use and for better appreciation of culture and history. I am hoping for your positive reply.”

I exchanged conversations with him. He understood that Luntarsug is a reconstructed script. Asree Sug and I are very happy to spread the use of Luntarsug. I am honoured that Brother Jefrey Rosales Ramos made banner designs with the phrases “Layag Sug” and “Neldy Jolo” in Luntarsug. I personally thanked him for this.

SOURCES :

1.       Morrow, Paul. "Baybayin - The Ancient Script of the Philippines." Baybayin, The Ancient Script of the Philippines. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

2.       H.R. 160, 16th Cong. (2013) (unenacted). An Act Providing for the Protection and Conservation of the Baybayin, and Declaring Baybayin as the National Script of the Philippines.

3.       Wade, Geoff. “On the Possible Cham Origin of the Philippine Scripts.” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. http://www.questia.com/read/1G1-14443483/on-the-possible-cham-origin-of-the-philippine-scripts.

4.       Santos, Hector (1995). “Literacy in Pre-Hispanic Philippines.”

5.       Saleeby, Najeeb (1870). “The Moro problem; an academic discussion of the history and solution of the problem of the government of the Moros of the Philippine Islands.”

6.       Tan, Samuel K (1987). “The History of the Philippines.” Pg9.

7.       Blog of Indio Bravo: http://indiohistorian.tumblr.com/post/13097309564/baybayin-the-lost-filipino-script-part-1-the.

QUOTES:


1.       “…and the Sultan of Sulu placed his precious Luntar in my hands.”
                            -          Dr. Najeeb Saleeby, the Moro Problem, 1870.

 
2.       “The second form of Tausug written literature is the luntar, which is known to Tausug scholars or leaders as a brief historical account of the sultanate.”
                            -          Dr. Sameul K. Tan, History of the Philippines, 1987.

 
3.       “The sad fact is that most forms of indigenous art in the Philippines were abandoned wherever the Spanish influence was strong and only exist today in the regions that were out of reach of the Spanish empire.”
                             -          Paul Morrow, Canadian Baybayin Expert.

 
4.       “…an art which was communicated to them from the Tagalogs, and the latter learned it from the Borneans who came from the great island of Borneo to Manila...From these Borneans the Tagalogs learned their characters, and from them the Visayans, so they call them Moro characters or letters because the Moros taught them…”
                            -          Francisco Ignacio Alcina, 1668

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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

Neldy Jolo is an author, photographer, researcher, blogger, and former university lecturer. He has consulted on historical research projects and has been a speaker in local and international conferences and dialogues on related topics including Sulu history, language, culture, and etc. A Sulu language expert, he’s been involved in the development of his mother tongue whilst freelancing as a translator and language consultant. He speaks different languages; English, Malay, Binisaya and Tagalog. He can be contacted at nsd.neldy@gmail.com and https://www.facebook.com/neldy.jolo.

Arikulay Arata Wata made a banner of Layag Sug. I love this banner. He posted in Iranaon languages, "Pekababayaan aken giyaya iplalis o manga pagari tano sa Solog a "Layag Sug!". Seketano peman na antonaa i ipelalis? So sinta o Kasila. Mkkkkkkkkkkkk… Neldy Jolo kataya so banner.” Shaiya Pandapat said, "Opama na mga pipiya so mga Isulogen mkkkk..." Aydow, salamat nari Arata Wata. Mapiya ini a banner.  I have written a poem about this. Samantha also wrote about it separately. These are the poems. 

  
LAYAG SUG IS MY LIFE

What is Layag Sug? 
How come you're not answering?
Why are you asking?
For me to know
Why, isn’t it to bully me?
No. I'm just plainly asking.
Why is it so hard for you to answer?
I don’t know why the question arises now.
I suddenly realized I don't know the meaning of it.
Aha, for you what is it?
What is Layag Sug?
Is it a signature on every statement you make? 
Or a line you share with someone?
It's a signature on every statement 
It is also a line I share to make Sulu familiar with people today
So what is Layag Sug?
What do you think?
I don't know, a Sulu boat?
What do you think?
You can share what it is so we could explore
I will give you my meaning
After you give your interpretation of it
You're not answering, are you?
Just say so if you're not
I don't have the entire night waiting
Layag Sug is about my life
About my longing for independence for my beloved homeland Sulu
Literally, it means Sulu Sail!
That’s Layag Sug seen through my lens of thought
And my experience in life!

This poem was drawn from a conversation with Sulu Gypsy over a year ago.
12:44AM, 9 March 2013, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. Let Us All Save Peace. Layag Sug!

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

LAYAG SUG

I have not seen this sea, which you 
speak of so fondly every once in a while.

but I'd notice the slowed-down 
breathing, the long pause
when you tell stories of old people 
that died, of brave men that once 
sailed with their boats
to cross vast continents
and trade, and then sail again 
for home where they’d find wives and 
children waiting for their return.

You are still out there sailing 
tonight, and I am here 
hoping you'd reach home soon.
I know where that home is.
But you have to fight to get there.
I could wait for centuries
and be still until 
you're home finally. Don't fret.  
Sail, love, wherever that sea 
with its raging current  
takes you.

And when you reach shore one day,
You'll find me there standing,
waiting for you.

(This piece was made by Samantha when I challenged her to write 
something about Layag Sug a few weeks ago.
I am posting with her permission.)

I am a proud Muslim who descended from the Sulu archipelago. I am a Sulug by blood and heritage. 

I was called “Moro” by the Spaniards as well as my Muslim brethren in Southeast Asia like Manila, Aceh, Melaka and Brunei. I find this term both unflattering and derogatory. To Spaniards who first coined the word, it meant, “pirates,” “traitors,” “juramentado,” “enslavers,” “cruel” and “uncivilized.” 

Later they used this same term to refer to the people of Mindanao, Palawan, and Sulu collectively. At first I objected it, but after years of resistance, I got tired and accepted it. I even allowed its use in reference to my nation. Until today I am still using it and in fact I am now very proud of it. Is it right to continue using it? my friends ask me sometimes. Why don’t I use the geographical names Mindanao and Sulu archipelago to refer to my nation? Why should I accept the term Bangsamoro Nation? My friends tell me it sounds awkward too, because it literally means a “Nation of Moro Nation”.

I tell them that my Muslim brother Salah Jubair in his widely distributed book, “Bangsamoro: A Nation Under Endless Tyranny”, already dropped the word “nation” in the book’s second edition “for brevity and more importantly to do away with the technical confusion arising out of it. Bangsamoro is literally translated into "Moro nation" and therefore to retain it is redundant”.  

He even emphasized, “Alas! This was a monumental error; for the name Moro symbolizes national identity, power and belief in one true God. Today this error is being set right.” To set it right, the Moro or Bangsamoro would be governed by the Bangsamoro Basic Law that will be established and executed by the Bangsamoro Government. That government, which awkwardly means “Nation of Moro Government” if translated literally, will be set up very soon. 

My Muslim brother Salah Jubair, whom I am extremely proud of, continues, “A nation is reborn in the Moro. Though centuries older than the Filipino nation in the North, it is long-lost in the debris and fame of the past. It last reasserted its identity decades after the entry of America. But it was not to claim past glory, rather, it was to unshackle the gory image put on it by colonialism. That the Moro is a nation under endless tyranny is a premise that his book tries to narrate and explain - and hopefully will prove.” 

“All the monikers assigned to the natives, Indio, Moro, and Filipino were given by the Spaniards. History should credit them for giving us all these names, either out of hatred or by reason of similarities, or by force of circumstances, or by all of the above.” In short Brother Jubair is asking us to embrace the word Moro, adopt it as our own and build an identity around it, regardless of the painful history and meaning behind it.

This is an issue, which is crucial to many of us now, because the Philippine Government is almost close to sealing a deal with my brethren, the people of Mindanao and Sulu. They call it Bangsamoro Framework Agreement as you must already know. They say it is uncertain if this agreement will indeed pave the way for peace or bring in more conflicts instead.

Fr. Jun Mercado, a cardinal and peace advocate in Mindanao, in an article published in gmanetwork.com on February 19, 2014, listed ten crucial issues regarding the above agreement. The first one relates to the term “Bangsamoro”.  

 “The first understanding that needs to be put in the ‘right place’ is the very use of the word - ‘Bangsamoro’.” Fr. Mercado explains. “The FAB and its Annexes use the word Bangsamoro in three levels: Bangsamoro as Identity; Bangsamoro as Territory; and Bangsamoro as Government. All the three levels are NOT merely historical or romantic concepts.  They are all political and sensitive concepts or political constructs.  If these are NOT handled properly, they can be the proverbial ‘kink’ in the whole peace agreement.”

Why Bangsamoro? Now they have to come up with some definition of the term, because everyone knows this as a Spanish construct.

Prof. Dr. Clem Bascar, the author of the book, “Sulu Sultanate: The Unconquered Kingdom” in his article, “Moro sub-state - An American concept”, explained that “the term Moro has no indigenous dialectal or linguistic roots. In short, it’s entirely a Spanish lingual invention,  used to refer to all the inhabitants of Mindanao and Sulu when they first set their foreign feet on the shores of these two ancient monarchial territories to conquer, colonize, and Christianize as early as 1578. As a matter of historical truth, before the coming of the Spaniards, there was no Moro inhabitant to speak of in Mindanao and Sulu.” 

I wonder what Brother Jubiar has to say. I am curious about what he thinks. He might launch a new edition of his book, and I wonder if he will continue to use Bangsamoro. The title seems to speak of things to come. “Bangsamoro: Under Endless Tyranny”. A friend of mine asked, “How can a nation free itself of endless tyranny if the name it continually bears is tyrannical in the first place?” I’ll wait for Brother Jubair’s response. 

By the way, the name Salah Jubair could mean either “advise to pray” or “good guidance” in Arabic.  Salah means righteousness, goodness, peace, bowing, homage, worship and prayer. Jubair means “counsels”.

The free online dictionary defines counsels as “the act of exchanging opinions and ideas; consultation and advice or guidance, especially as solicited from a knowledgeable person.” Brother Salah Jubair is a knowledgeable person whom every one of us shall solicit advice from regarding the good ends of the cause for self-determination and freedom.

Now as a Tausug, I revere the elders and respect the wisdom of those that came before me. I advise everyone to stop asking and just follow what esteemed Brother Salah Jubair says. Never mind if in the Malay language, the word “Salah” means wrong or mistake. 

I don’t want to do anything wrong or commit a mistake though, so ahead, let me say this: Forgive me Ya Allah. Forgive us all for the mistakes we made and are about to make.