Mangyan Ambahan:
Mangyan Ambahan:
Wisdom for Our Filipino Soul
Wisdom for Our Filipino Soul
A Documentary by Chiara Cox and the Mangyan Heritage Center
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Evelyn Mandac documentary screening and masterclass in NYC.
A Documentary by Chiara Cox and the Mangyan Heritage Center
This film is a deep dive into one of the few surviving ancient Filipino writing systems—the Hanunuo Mangyan script. As one of only four pre-10th-century scripts still in use, it remains an essential part of Mangyan culture through the ambahan—beautiful sung poetry that shares wisdom across generations. Chiara’s documentary brings this unique tradition to life through interviews and stories, revealing its enduring impact on Filipino heritage and the global diaspora.
There is very little recognition, let alone praise, for people who are working to revive their traditional or emerging scripts.
An endangered or emerging alphabet is almost always a symptom of a marginalized or suppressed community—a group of people who are routinely dismissed or discriminated against by their neighbors and, often, by the regional or national government.
If such a group, or an individual, tries to promote their script, at best they will be ignored; at worst, much worse things may happen. We know of at least four people who have been assassinated for trying to create or revive a script for their people, and others have been arrested or exiled.
Endangered Alphabets has therefore set up an awards ceremony for people and organizations engaged in such activities who deserve recognition. We don’t have any funds we can give them; we can only give them an award—but that award shows them that they are not working in isolation and darkness. It offers encouragement such as they may not otherwise get—and it also shows whoever is opposing them that out in the broad world, others are watching and applauding.
~ Tim Brookes, Founder, the Endangered Alphabets Project ~
For other awardees, please visit: World Endangered Writing Day 2025 Awards
An endangered or emerging alphabet is almost always a symptom of a marginalized or suppressed community—a group of people who are routinely dismissed or discriminated against by their neighbors and, often, by the regional or national government.
If such a group, or an individual, tries to promote their script, at best they will be ignored; at worst, much worse things may happen. We know of at least four people who have been assassinated for trying to create or revive a script for their people, and others have been arrested or exiled.
Endangered Alphabets has therefore set up an awards ceremony for people and organizations engaged in such activities who deserve recognition. We don’t have any funds we can give them; we can only give them an award—but that award shows them that they are not working in isolation and darkness. It offers encouragement such as they may not otherwise get—and it also shows whoever is opposing them that out in the broad world, others are watching and applauding.
~ Tim Brookes, Founder, the Endangered Alphabets Project ~
For other awardees, please visit: World Endangered Writing Day 2025 Awards
Chiara Cox: "I am honoured to be receiving this award from Tim Brookes, Founder of the Endangered Alphabets Project and am humbled to be one of three Filipinos in a lineup of nine awards. I dedicate this to the people who have worked and are currently working to keep the Hanunuo Mangyan writing system and ambahan (sung poetry) alive. I would like to thank everyone who has entrusted me with this work, connected the dots for me, or given me the space to screen it. Most of all, to the Mangyan Heritage Center: Emily Lorenzo Catapang, Quint D Fansler, Lolita Fansler, Resti R. Pitogo, Uyan Daay, Ezekiel Postmal - there would not be a documentary without you. Here is a Hanunuo Mangyan poem about the responsibility we have to the land that sustains life and how we can enrich the legacy of our ancestors."
Press Coverage
Press Coverage
Bamboo whispers and a Mangyan state of mind - Manila Bulletin, 10 November 2024.
Keeping Mangyan heritage alive through 'Mangyan Ambahan: Wisdom for our Filipino Soul' - Headstart ANC 24/7, 13 November 2024.
World Endangered Writing Day and New Documentary and Script Revitalization Work in the Philippines - Positively Filipino, 5 January 2024.
The North American Premiere at Richland Library
The North American Premiere at Richland Library
A discussion will be held afterwards with the video producer Chiara Cox and local Filipino Americans Che and Eric Vejerano who lived and worked as volunteers in Mindoro with the Mangyan tribe.
The Philippine Premiere at Arthaland Century Pacific Tower
The Philippine Premiere at Arthaland Century Pacific Tower
The Virtual World Premiere hosted by SOAS University of London
The Virtual World Premiere hosted by SOAS University of London
On World Endangered Writing Day 2025, "Mangyan Ambahan: Indigenous Wisdom for the Filipino” will be presented by Chiara Cox and the Mangyan Heritage Center hosted by Cristina Juan SOAS University of London in partnership with Greg Nedved of the National Museum of Language, and moderated by Tim Brookes of the Endangered Alphabets Project.
Podcast link here: https://fluency.consulting/2025/04/10/s5e9-the-soul-of-the-mangyan-ambahan/
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