The Doctrina Christiana is the earliest printed book in Tagalog and is the among the first books printed and published in the Philippines. The unique surviving copy in the US Library of Congress is irreplaceable and priceless. It bears witness not only to the endeavours of the Spanish colonizers to convert the local people to Christianity, but also to the existence of written language in Tagalog (the language of Manila) in the local script in 1593 C.E. It is of unique historical and linguistic significance for the people of the Philippines, Spain (from where the author and authorizers came from) and China (whose techniques and people physically produced the book). The book is also among the oldest attestation of possible correspondences of Philippine scripts to other Southeast Asian and Indian scripts. Thus, it can be said that its printing represents a crucial period in Philippine and Asian history, embodying the meeting of cultures, worldviews, technology and languages.
You are here: Home / Registers / Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Española y Tagala (Christian Doctrine in Spanish and Tagalog), Manila, 1593 (2024)