A Kapampangan Valentine concert, organized by the Center for Kapampangan Studies, featured local artists and singers on Valentine’s Day – February 14, 2024 at Plaza San Jose, Holy Angel University.
Alongside this was the launching of the Kulitan App series, starting with the KulitanPad, that was developed by a group of Computer Science seniors.
The said event commenced with Mr. Robby Tantingco, Director of Center for Kapampangan Studies, giving his opening remarks. He stated that the goal of this app is to make an effort to those people who are having a hard time learning to speak and write Kapampangan instead of making fun or mocking them.
Furthermore, Tantingco also mentioned that the app will pave the way for Kapampangan language preservation, as well as promote the orthography of the Kapampangan writing system.
According to Erl Joshua Vergara, lead developer of Team Amanu, together with Winston Adam Lejarde, Angelica Marie Tanglao, and Arianne Dayle Yandan, the Kulitan App started as a thesis proposal because the team realized there are no available applications on the internet for Kapampangan dictionaries.
Yandan afterwards introduced the features of the first two launched apps, first, the KulitanPad, which is a tool used to write Kulitan in the simplest form through the use of the Kulitan keyboard. Second, the KulitanReader allows the user to read and translate Kulitan scripts to English alphabet counterparts.
Meanwhile, the other app of the Kulitan App series namely Amanu: A Kapampangan Dictionary that will feature Kapampangan to English word translations and vice versa, will launch on HAU’s Founder’s Day, March 08, 2024.
Kulitan is one of the indigenous writing systems of the Philippines and is used to write Kapampangan, a language spoken mainly in Pampanga in Central Luzon and its surrounding municipalities such as Tarlac.
Valentine Concert
With the theme “Poesya and Polosa: Kapampangan Valentine Concert,” CKS also invited Kapampangan singers namely John Eric Irinco, Shane Kim Lumanog, Melissa Anggara, and the duo, Caila and Aira.
Kapampangan poets, namely Alvin “Bertung Isponga” Ignacio, Martin Luis Siopongco, Raemi de Guzman, and Niño Joseph Aloba, likewise provided performances.
Before the event ended, Ms. Myra Lopez awarded Certificate of Appreciation to Team Amanu for their hard work and passion in keeping our “amanung sisuan” alive and remembered.
News by Clare Patrice Sanchez
