Puti ang liwanag sa talyer.

Because Filipino often puts the predicate first and the topic after it.

So in Puti ang liwanag sa talyer:

• puti = the predicate, describing a quality
• ang liwanag sa talyer = the topic, the thing being talked about

A very literal English-style unpacking would be something like:

• White is the light in the workshop

But in normal English, we say:

• The light in the workshop is white

No. Filipino often leaves out the verb to be in simple descriptive sentences.

So:

• Puti ang liwanag sa talyer
  means the same idea as
• The light in the workshop is white

There is no separate word that has to mean is in this kind of sentence.

Ang marks the topic of the sentence.

Here, ang liwanag sa talyer is the topic: it is the thing being identified or described.

It is sometimes tempting to think of ang as English the, and sometimes that works in translation, but it is not exactly the same. Its main job is grammatical: it marks the noun phrase that the sentence is centered on.

Because puti and liwanag are not forming a single noun phrase here.

This sentence is a full clause:

• Puti = predicate
• ang liwanag = topic

If you wanted to say white light as one phrase, then you would use a linker:

• puting liwanag

So compare:

• puting liwanag = white light
• Puti ang liwanag = The light is white

That is an important difference.

Sa is a location marker. In this sentence, sa talyer means in the workshop or at the workshop, depending on context.

So:

• sa = in / at / to / on, depending on context
• talyer = workshop, repair shop, or similar place

Here it tells you where the light is being referred to.

In practice, it is understood as part of the idea the light in the workshop, though location phrases in Filipino can sometimes feel a bit flexible.

So the most natural understanding is:

• ang liwanag sa talyer = the light in the workshop

That said, the sentence also naturally implies the setting of the whole statement, so English speakers may feel both ideas at once.

Yes. That is also correct.

Compare:

• Puti ang liwanag sa talyer
• Ang liwanag sa talyer ay puti

Both mean basically the same thing.

The difference is mainly in structure:

• Puti ang liwanag sa talyer = predicate-first, very common in Filipino
• Ang liwanag sa talyer ay puti = topic-first with ay, often a bit more formal, careful, or emphatic

This is a very common learner question.

• liwanag usually means light, brightness, or illumination
• ilaw often means a light source, lamp, light fixture, or light in a more concrete sense

So in this sentence, liwanag refers more to the light itself as brightness or illumination, not necessarily the lamp or bulb.

If you were talking about the actual light fixture, ilaw might be more natural.

Puti is the basic word for white.

Maputi can also refer to something white, but it often has a nuance like:

• whitish
• rather white
• pale
• fair-complexioned

So if you are simply identifying the color as white, puti is the straightforward choice.

Yes. Talyer is a normal word in Filipino, especially for a workshop or repair shop.

Depending on context, it can refer to places like:

• an auto repair shop
• a machine shop
• a workshop space

It is a borrowed word, but it is well established in everyday usage.