The Basahan script, also known as Guhit, Súrat Bikolnon, Surat Basahan, or Iskriturang Basahan/Guhit is an abugida or syllabic alphabet use to write Bikol languages prior to the Spanish conquest of the 1570s. The Basahan script originates from the Baybayin script and evolved from it.
Before the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, the Basahan script was the primary writing system. However, with the arrival of the Spanish, it gradually gave way to the Latin alphabet. Although its use declined over time, the Basahan script persisted to some extent until the mid-19th century and is still utilized today mainly for cultural and decorative purposes.The term “Basahan” finds its earliest documentation in the book “Vocabulario de la Lengua Bicol” authored by Marcos de Lisboa in 1628:
EN: “The a,b,c where they learn to read, which has fifteen consonant letters and three vowels, a,e,o.“
The script features three independent vowels (a, e/i, o/u) and fifteen consonants (ba, ka, da, ga, ha, la, ma, na, nga, pa, ra, sa, ta, wa, ya). This writing system can be categorized as an abugida due to its representation of syllables, wherein each sign denotes a consonant paired with a vowel.