Abakada introduces children to animals in Tagalog/Filipino using the original Filipino alphabet.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ABAKADA Before today, the number of letters in the Filipino alphabet varied, having four sets of letters since the pre-colonial times. Spanish missionaries introduced the Latin alphabet and the Spanish language. In 1939, Lope K. Santos developed The Grammar of the National Language (Ang Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa), which contained the alphabet for the national language abakada, named after its first three letters, representing the sounds in the Tagalog language. The result was 20 letters (5 vowels and 15 consonants). Abakada remained the national language's alphabet from 1940 to 1976.
The current Filipino alphabet includes 8 letters from the Spanish alphabet: c, f, j, ñ, q, v, x, z. This alphabet was instituted in 1987 during the Aquino presidency.
Reference: "Phonology: The Sound of Language" is a chapter in The Tagalog Region: Lexicon of the Languages & Dialects (2009) by Fe Aldave Yap. Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino and UST Publishing House, Manila
Jocelyn “Joy” Francisco, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and writer and publisher of Little Yellow Jeepney. As a parent, Joy was inspired to write and self publish the book Little Yellow Jeepney and subsequent Filipino children’s books Oh My Kulay!, Isa, Dalawa, Tatlo...Ito Ay Obalo!, Abakada, and Pamilya Ko. The books are colorful and bright, with themes of family, food, and shapes, and include both English and Tagalog. The books introduce basic Filipinx language to help preserve the Filipinx culture and language, while reinforcing a sense of identity.
