Description: A tobacco container, made from bamboo internode, with ambahan, a metaphoric poem with seven-syllable lines using archaic Hanunoo vocabulary

Size: No information available.

Origin: Hanunoo-Mangyan in the province of Oriental Mindoro

Inscription: The recording and learning of the ambahan / umbahan, a metaphoric poem with seven-syllable lines using archaic Hanunoo vocabulary, engraved on bamboo internodes and wooden objects such as luka (tobacco containers), is associated with the continuing tradition of alpha-syllabic script writing known as surat Mangyan. 

Description and Inscription: 

Gitgit (Violin) Hanunoo | Oriental Mindoro

The Northern Script of the Hanunoo-Mangyan or Latag and the Southern Script of the Buhid are known writing systems in Mindoro. The Mangyan script or surat Mangyan is associated with the recording and learning of the ambahan / umbahan and the courting patterns of the Hanunoo. Ambahan is a metaphoric poem with seven-syllable lines predominantly of archaic Hanunoo vocabulary. Its verses are often scribed on bamboo internodes and wooden objects such as luka (tobacco containers), apugan (lime containers), bayi (bows), musical instruments, and even on house beams. During social gathering, the ambahan is recited accompanied by musical instruments such as guitar, gitgit (fiddle or violin), and Jew’s/jaw’s harp. In 1993, Ginaw Bilog (1953–2003), a Hanunoo Poet from Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro was conferred the Manlilikha ng Bayan award for the preservation of the surat Mangyan and the ambahan.

Description: The Laguna copper plate was discovered around 1986 during dredging operations in the Lumbang River, which drains into the Laguna de Bay. It was believed that this copperplate is unique in the archaeological record of the Philippines but is similar in shape to plates found in Java and Bali. 

Size: The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI) is described as measuring 17.5 centimeters in height, 30.5 centimeters in width, and approximately 0.1 centimeter thick. This thinness is noteworthy, and the text mentions that the repoussé effect of the writing on the obverse side is pronounced on the reverse side. It is also mentioned that the LCI differs from similar artifacts from India and Indonesia in terms of thickness and the ability to be engraved on both sides. 

Origin: The copperplate was accidentally discovered in the Lumbang River, which drains into the Laguna de Bay in the Philippines. It was subsequently acquired by the National Museum of the Philippines and registered under the accession number 1990-B-1. 

Inscription: Antoon Postma, a Dutch expert in ancient Philippine scripts and Mangyan writing, was involved in the translation of the LCI. The LCI was noted to bear similarities to the ancient Indonesian script called Kavi. It also mentioned that the LCI contained a date from the ancient Sanskrit calendar, and this prompted collaboration with another Dutch expert, Dr. Johann de Casparis, who specialized in ancient Indonesia.

Description: September 24, 2008.  The National Museum team conducted an archaeological excavation at the San Ignacio Church Ruins in Intramuros, Manila aiming to develop the area into an ecclesiastical museum. The most significant discovery from this excavation was the Intramuros Pot Shard, found 140 centimeters below the church's brick floor.

This shard featured an ancient inscription, making it a unique discovery in Philippine archaeology. The inscription on the Intramuros Pot Shard was later deciphered by Mrs. Esperanza B. Gatbonton, a Cultural Heritage Advocate. She tentatively translated it as "pa-la-ki," which can be interpreted as "a-la-ke" or "alay kay." This artifact was particularly important because it provided evidence of one of the earliest forms of writing used by native Filipinos.

Prior to this discovery, there were only a few other artifacts with ancient inscriptions in the Philippines, including the Laguna copper plate (900 AD), Butuan ivory seal (9th to 12th centuries), Butuan silver strip (14th to 15th centuries), and the Calatagan pot (15th century).

The Intramuros Pot Shard was found in association with Ming Dynasty ceramics dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries A.D. The excavation was a collaborative effort between the Intramuros Administration and the Cultural Properties and Archaeology Divisions of the National Museum. This discovery marked a significant milestone in Philippine archaeology, shedding light on the early writing systems and cultural history of the native Filipinos. The excavation yielded a total of 500 archaeological artifacts, with the Pot Shard with its inscription being the most notable find, contributing to our understanding of the country's past.

Size: Butuan Metal Paleograph, a unique artifact measuring 17.8 by 1.3 cm 

Description: The Butuan Metal Paleograph is a slender metal strip with inscriptions that measures 17.8 by 1.3 centimeters. It dates back to the 14th–15th century, offering a glimpse into a period of trade and cultural exchange. The inscriptions, influenced by Hindu-Buddhist culture, provide valuable evidence of early writing in the Philippines. This unique artifact was declared a National Cultural Treasure in 2010 and is now on display at the National Museum of the Philippines. 

Origin: Butuan Metal Paleograph was initially in the possession of Mr. Proceso Gonzales, the city engineer of Butuan, and was later donated to the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) by Mr. Leony Benedicto. Unfortunately, the archaeological context of the artifact was destroyed by treasure hunters, and its provenance is based on the Butuan City engineer's office report. 

Inscription: The Butuan Metal Paleograph features inscriptions that were initially unknown. The inscriptions on the metal strip are associated with its relative age, dating to the 14th–15th century, known as the Age of Contact and Trade. The passage mentions that similar wooden coffin burials containing artificially deformed human skulls have been found in the vicinity of Butuan, and inscribed metal strips were used as epitaphs in such burials. The script on the artifact is suggested to be of Javanese origin, used from the 12th to the 15th centuries, with Hindu-Buddhist influences. It is considered a significant find and evidence of early writing in the Philippines. 

Size: No information found

Description: One of the three pre-Hispanic writing systems still in use in the Philippines is the Hanunóo script, sometimes referred to as Sulat Mangyan and ambahan by the locals of Mindoro. Has 48-character Hanunuo-Mangyan indigenous syllabaries, which are used for communication and to preserve their traditional chanted poetry

Origin: Notion in Indic Origin, introduced in Mangyan Culture in 12th to 13th centuries which is currently Indonesia.

Inscription: Baybayin Mangyan Syllabic Script is a digitised form of what is traditionally carved characters, characters’ shapes, sizes and weights have been made uniform in order to present a neat and elegant printed appearance.

There are three distinct classes of song-poems: ambahan, urukay, and adahiyo. 

Size: 4cm in diameter; 6cm in length

Description: Butuan Ivory Seal, is a National Cultural Treasure (NCT) found in a prehistoric shell midden site in Ambangan, Butuan City, dated to the 10th-13th century. It is made of ivory, and measures 6 cm in length and 4 cm in diameter. It features an engraved ancient inscription on its matrix, suggesting its utilization as a documentary stamp for transactions. Along with other archaeological evidence, the seal corroborates the city’s importance as a trading center.

Origin: Ambangan Site, Butuan City

Inscription: Dutch anthropologist Antoon Postma identified the script as of early Javanese or stylized Kawi that reads “But-ban”, whereas Gijsbertus de Casparis, a Dutch scholar in ancient Indonesian scripts, deciphered it as “But-wan”. Both transliterations refer to Butuan, the current name of the city where the ivory seal was found. 

Size: 12 cm in height,  20.2 cm body width, 14.8 cm. rim diameter, and 872 g weight. 

Description: It is a clay ellipsoid container with everted syllabic writings carved along its shoulder.

Origin: Calatagan, Batangas

Inscription: Quentin Oropilla, a physician and independent scholar of Philippine paleography, asserted that the inscriptions were part of an Austronesian ritual prayer of offering, a family of languages from which all Central Philippine languages evolved, including Tagalog, Ilocano, and Bisaya. For decoding the inscription, Philippine literature expert Ramon Guillermo and anthropologist Myfel Paluga developed a method combining paleography and cryptography. Their discoveries resulted in a deciphered text combining Visayan and Javanese languages, which they believe represents a charm or spells.