An Interview with Nico Puertollano

Nico PuertollanoWith so much history and a large population tied to the language, its always perplexed me why there isn’t more work on Alibata, an ancient writing script of the Philippines. Also known as Baybayin, I had referenced this writing in a previous post revealing some of its history and displaying my work with the language. While I’ve studied it throughout the past few years, working to better understand and experiment with the language and typeface, many times I have wished to see other artists who work with the script and apply a modern style to the historic font in order to garner the respect of the design world today.

Meet Nico Puertollano, an artist hailing from Mandaluyong City of the Philippines with his upbringing in New York City. .....Continue reading

Alibata – the lost language of the Philippines

Alibata Type ExperimentThe Philippines is a country with a very rich and diverse culture. With over 7,000 islands settled in the Pacific ocean in Southeast Asia, it has been a port utilized for trade and a pit stop for countries exploring the open waters. It is the country’s accessible and convenient location that has also subjected it to imperialism, being used as a strategic post for political advances. The US of A, Japan, and Spain are countries who have all had their slices of the Philippine pie, the latter ruling the 3rd world country for nearly 300 years, all of which has contributed to reshaping the culture of Filipinos. The influence of its colonizers can be seen in much of the Philippine culture today – foods have similarities to Spanish dishes, dialects carry the same phonetics as the Spanish and Malay languages, and .....Continue reading