On a vibrant evening at Makilala restaurant located on Church Street in downtown Toronto, second-generation Filipinos gathered for a sold-out Harana Night event. The evening aimed to inspire participants through love songs while teaching them the ancient script of Baybayin. This script, which predates Spanish colonization in the 1600s, has seen a revival among Filipinos eager to reconnect with their heritage.
Attendees were excited to learn the strokes and nuances of Baybayin. Among them was Chrisia Rayos, who was born in Dubai and raised in Canada. "I didn’t grow up in the Philippines, so for me, any way I could learn Tagalog or anything related to the Philippines, I want to get into it," she expressed to OMNI News. Her husband, Dennis Ngo, echoed her sentiments, stating, "I just like learning more about my wife’s culture." This demonstrates a concerted effort within the community to embrace and understand their Filipino roots.
Kat Daaca, the organizer of the Baybayin workshops, has been conducting these sessions across various North American cities for two years. She chose the love song theme because she noticed a deep yearning among participants—a desire to connect not only with others but also with their own identities. "We’ve come to this time where it’s not cool to be yearning, or we’re all being nonchalant, and I think we’re taking that back," Daaca explained. She emphasized that the theme of Harana Night represents a collective reclamation of this yearning that is inherently Filipino, as expressed through love songs.
"I think Baybayin is such a wonderful tool for us to access other parts of self-identity and reclamation of culture," Daaca noted.
Daaca clarified that the goal of the event was to encourage participation rather than strive for perfection. "There tends to be a lot of shame and guilt around not knowing our culture, not knowing the language, and the writing system is a part of that. I want to be the living example that you are Filipino enough to participate," she stated. Her own journey of learning Baybayin, despite not being fluent in Tagalog, reinforces her message that cultural engagement is attainable for everyone.
Feedback from participants highlighted the desire for more events like Harana Night in Toronto. Dennis Ngo reflected on the importance of passing cultural knowledge to future generations, saying, "For me, the more I know about it, the more our kids are going to know about it. I want to make sure that our kids don’t forget where their roots are and they appreciate their mother’s side of the family as well." This sentiment reveals a commitment to preserving and celebrating Filipino culture within families, ensuring that the next generation remains connected to their heritage through language and tradition.
