There are efforts to reinvigorate the use of Surat Buhid.[2] Buhid script use varies across Northern (Bansud area) and Southern Buhid (Bongabong) communities.[3]
Structure
The Buhid script has 18 independent characters; 15 are consonants and 3 vowels. As an abugida, there are additional diacritic vowels. Consonants have an inherent /a/ vowel. The other two vowels are indicated by a diacritic above (for /i/) or below (for /u/) the consonant. Depending on the consonant, ligatures are formed, changing the shape of the consonant-vowel combination.[4] Vowels at the beginning of syllables are represented by their own, independent characters. Syllables ending in a consonant are written without the final consonant.[5]
Buhid syllables
vowels
consonants
independent
dependent
ᝀ
a
ᝃ
ka
ᝄ
ga
ᝅ
nga
ᝆ
ta
ᝇ
da
ᝈ
na
ᝉ
pa
ᝊ
ba
ᝋ
ma
ᝌ
ya
ᝍ
ra
ᝎ
la
ᝏ
wa
ᝐ
sa
ᝑ
ha
ᝁ
i
ᝒ
i
ᝃ + ᝒ
ᝃᝒ
ki
ᝄ + ᝒ
ᝄᝒ
gi
ᝅ + ᝒ
ᝅᝒ
ngi
ᝆ + ᝒ
ᝆᝒ
ti
ᝇ + ᝒ
ᝇᝒ
di
ᝈ + ᝒ
ᝈᝒ
ni
ᝉ + ᝒ
ᝉᝒ
pi
ᝊ + ᝒ
ᝊᝒ
bi
ᝋ + ᝒ
ᝋᝒ
mi
ᝌ + ᝒ
ᝌᝒ
yi
ᝍ + ᝒ
ᝍᝒ
ri
ᝎ + ᝒ
ᝎᝒ
li
ᝏ + ᝒ
ᝏᝒ
wi
ᝐ + ᝒ
ᝐᝒ
si
ᝑᝒ + ᝒ
ᝑᝒ
hi
ᝂ
u
ᝓ
u
ᝃ + ᝓ
ᝃᝓ
ku
ᝄ + ᝓ
ᝄᝓ
gu
ᝅ + ᝓ
ᝅᝓ
ngu
ᝆ + ᝓ
ᝆᝓ
tu
ᝇ + ᝓ
ᝇᝓ
du
ᝈ + ᝓ
ᝈᝓ
nu
ᝉ + ᝓ
ᝉᝓ
pu
ᝊ + ᝓ
ᝊ ᝓ
bu
ᝋ + ᝓ
ᝋᝓ
mu
ᝌ + ᝓ
ᝌᝓ
yu
ᝍ + ᝓ
ᝍᝓ
ru
ᝎ + ᝓ
ᝎᝓ
lu
ᝏ + ᝓ
ᝏᝓ
wi
ᝐ + ᝓ
ᝐᝓ
su
ᝑ + ᝓ
ᝑᝓ
hi
The letter order of the Buhid alphabet Buhid, is based on phonetic principles that consider both the manner and place of articulation of the consonants and vowels they represent.
Buhid writing makes use of single ᜵ and double ᜶danda punctuation marks.[4]