City High

Baguio City National High School
w:Baguio City National High School

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Ellipsis of Baguio City National High School.


PGH

Philippine General Hospital
w:Philippine General Hospital

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine General Hospital.


service water

(Philippines) water that is provided for free to customers in restaurants


BuCor

Bureau of Corrections
w:Bureau of Corrections (Philippines)

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Bureau of Corrections.


Communications Group

Presidential Communications Group
w:Presidential Communications Group

(Philippines) Ellipsis of Presidential Communications Group.


NAMRIA

w:National Mapping and Resource Information Authority

(Philippines) Acronym of National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.


MIAA

w:Manila International Airport Authority

(Philippines) Acronym of Manila International Airport Authority.


MARINA

Maritime Industry Authority
w:Maritime Industry Authority

(Philippines, nautical) Acronym of Maritime Industry Authority.


RGC

(Philippines) Initialism of registered guidance counselor.


UAAP

w:University Athletic Association of the Philippines

(Philippines) Initialism of University Athletic Association of the Philippines.


FEU

Far Eastern University
w:Far Eastern University

(Philippines) Initialism of Far Eastern University.


TNVS

transportation network vehicle service#English

(Philippines) Initialism of transportation network vehicle service.


transportation network vehicle service

en-noun

transportation network vehicle service (plural transportation network vehicle services)

transportation network vehicle services (plural)
TNVS (alternative)

(Philippines) an e-hailing and/or ridesharing service


Summer Capital of the Philippines

the Summer Capital of the Philippines (canonical)

(Philippines) Nickname for Baguio: a city in Benguet, Philippines.


Salad Bowl of the Philippines

the Salad Bowl of the Philippines (canonical)


City of Pines

From city + of + pines, due to the prevalence of pine trees there.


City of Fines

A reference to the alleged abundance of fines and fees being collected by the Baguio government. A pun of City of Pines.

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, derogatory) Derogatory name for Baguio: a city in Benguet, Philippines.


BAWADI

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Abbreviation of Baguio Water District.


BWD

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio) Abbreviation of Baguio Water District.


Cathed

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Abbreviation of Baguio Cathedral.


UNP

University of Northern Philippines
w:University of Northern Philippines

(Philippines) Initialism of University of Northern Philippines.


DWCB

Divine Word College of Bangued
w:Divine Word College of Bangued

(Philippines) Initialism of Divine Word College of Bangued.


DWCL

Divine Word College of Laoag
w:Divine Word College of Laoag

(Philippines) Initialism of Divine Word College of Laoag.


DWCV

Divine Word College of Vigan
w:Divine Word College of Vigan

(Philippines) Initialism of Divine Word College of Vigan.


DMMMSU

w:Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University

(Philippines) Initialism of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University.


MMSU

Mariano Marcos State University
w:Mariano Marcos State University

(Philippines) Initialism of Mariano Marcos State University.


NVSU

Nueva Vizcaya State University
w:Nueva Vizcaya State University

(Philippines) Initialism of Nueva Vizcaya State University.


KOJC

Kingdom of Jesus Christ
w:Kingdom of Jesus Christ (church)

(Philippines) Initialism of Kingdom of Jesus Christ.


NMIA

New Manila International Airport
w:New Manila International Airport

(Philippines) Initialism of New Manila International Airport.


Gov. Pack

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Abbreviation of Governor Pack Road.


Gov Pack

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Alternative spelling of Gov. Pack.


pony boy

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio) a horsekeeper


T. Camp

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Abbreviation of Teachers Camp.


T Camp

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Alternative spelling of T. Camp.


PSAU

w:Pampanga State Agricultural University

(Philippines) Initialism of Pampanga State Agricultural University.


PhilSCA

w:Philippine State College of Aeronautics

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Philippine State College of Aeronautics.


Basa Air Base

Cesar Basa Air Base
w:Cesar Basa Air Base

(Philippines) Ellipsis of Cesar Basa Air Base.


last last

last last week

last last minute

the preceding minute before the last minute

last last hour

last last day

last last month

last last year

last last Christmas

(Philippines) Relating to the preceding time before the previous time.


JPE

(Philippines, Philippine politics) Initialism of Juan Ponce Enrile.


TOTGA

the one that got away
the one that got away#English

(Philippines, slang) Acronym of the one that got away.


momma juice

(Philippines, chiefly Cordillera, colloquial) spit with chewed momma, reddish in color


MAPEH

physical education
physical education#English

(Philippines, education) Acronym of music, arts, physical education, & health.


flash disk

flash disks (plural)
flash disc (alternative)
flashdisk (alternative)

(Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore) A flash drive.


Chinese-Filipino

From Chinese (adjective) + Filipino (adjective).

com

(Philippines) Alternative form of Filipino-Chinese.


Mestizo de Español

en-noun

Mestizo de Espan̄ol (plural Mestizos de Español)

Mestizo de Espan̄ol (canonical)
Mestizos de Español (plural)
mestizo de español (alternative)
mestizo de Español (alternative)
mestizo de espanol (alternative misspelling)
mestizo de Espanol (alternative misspelling)

From Philippine Spanish mestizo de español, from mestizo (“mixed”) + de (“of”) + español (“Spanish”).

com

Coordinate term: Mestiza de Español (female)

(Philippines, historical, dated) A person of mixed Spanish Filipino and ethnic Austronesian Filipino ancestry (especially during the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines).


Spanish mestizo

en-noun

Spanish mestizo (plural Spanish mestizos)

Spanish mestizos (plural)
Spanish Mestizo (alternative)

See Spanish + mestizo (“mixed”). Calque of Spanish mestizo español or mestizo de español.

Coordinate term: Spanish mestiza (female)

(Philippines, historical) A person of mixed ethnic Spanish Filipino and Austronesian Filipino ancestry.


PAOCC

(Philippines) Acronym of Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission.


Rice Bowl of the Philippines

the Rice Bowl of the Philippines (canonical)

(Philippines) A nickname for Nueva Ecija.


NTF-ELCAC

w:National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict

(Philippines) Acronym of National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.


NBSB

(Philippines, slang) Initialism of no boyfriend since birth.


NGSB

(Philippines, slang) Initialism of no girlfriend since birth.


give chance to

en-verb

give chance to (third-person singular simple present gives chance to, present participle giving chance to, simple past gave chance to, past participle given chance to)

gives chance to (present singular third-person)
giving chance to (participle present)
gave chance to (past)
given chance to (participle past)

(transitive, Philippines, Kenya, chiefly imperative) To give (someone or something) a chance.


Ninoy Aquino Day

(Philippines) A national non-working holiday in the Philippines observed annually on August 21 commemorating the assassination of former senator, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr.


Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
w:Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.


taipao

en-noun

taipao (usually uncountable, plural taipaos)

Borrowed from Cantonese 大包 (daai⁶ baau¹).

bor+

(Philippines) large Chinese steamed stuffed bun


CFEZ

w:Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone

(Philippines) Acronym of Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone.


Bonifacio Day

(Philippines) A national holiday commemorating Andrés Bonifacio.


CFZ

Clark Freeport Zone
w:Clark Freeport Zone

(Philippines) Acronym of Clark Freeport Zone.


CSEZ

Clark Special Economic Zone
w:Clark Special Economic Zone

(Philippines) Acronym of Clark Special Economic Zone.


USAFFE

w:United States Army Forces in the Far East

(Philippines, US, historical) Acronym of United States Army Forces in the Far East.


BCDA

w:Bases Conversion and Development Authority

(Philippines) Acronym of Bases Conversion and Development Authority.


MCAC

Metro Clark Advisory Council
Metro Clark Advisory Council#English

(Philippines) Acronym of Metro Clark Advisory Council.


PEZA

Philippine Economic Zone Authority
w:Philippine Economic Zone Authority

(Philippines) Acronym of Philippine Economic Zone Authority.


economic plunder

(Philippines) The embezzlement of public funds.


nuisance candidate

en-noun

nuisance candidate (plural nuisance candidates)

(US, Philippines, politics, law) A candidate for election meant to present the election process as a mockery or disrepute or to cause confusion among voters (e.g. via similarity of names of candidates)


time first

(Philippines, slang) Ellipsis of time out first.


Quad Committee

QuadComm (alternative)
Quadcomm (alternative)
Quad comm (alternative)
Quadcom (alternative)
quad com (alternative)

(Philippines, Philippine politics) A collection of four committees of the House of Representatives, namely the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts.


Day of Valor

(Philippines) A national holiday in the Philippines on April 9th, equivalent to Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in many Commonwealth countries.


UV Express

UV Express (countable and uncountable, plural UV Expresses)

Genericized trademark of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) from an ellipsis of UV Express, which the initial letters are itself an initialism of utility vehicle.

(Philippines, road transport) a shared taxi public transport service (typically using an SUV, van, or minivan)

(Philippines, colloquial) a licensed vehicle (typically an SUV, van, or minivan) plying the UV Express Service of the LTFRB


ConCom

Abbreviation of consultative committee. Coined on December 7, 2016, after Former President Rodrigo Duterte signed Philippine Executive Order No. 10, s. 2016.

(Philippines, Philippine politics) A committee that reviews the Philippine 1987 Constitution for charter change.

Philippine Executive Order 10
Rodrigo Duterte


CHED

Commission on Higher Education
w:Commission on Higher Education

(Philippines) Acronym of Commission on Higher Education.


SOFAD

Scout Official for a Day
Scout Official for a Day#English

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio) Acronym of Scout Official for a Day.


Scout Official for a Day

tlb

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio and Benguet)

SOFAD (alternative)
Scouts Official For-A-Day (alternative)

An annual event wherein members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Girl Scouts of the Philippines hold positions in local government for a day.


carindery

(Philippines, slang) Synonym of carinderia.


Mapeh

(Philippines, education) Alternative letter-case form of MAPEH.


K to 12

(Philippines, education) Alternative form of K-12.


trisem

(Philippines, education, informal) Synonym of trimester.


ComSec

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Committee Secretary.


comsec

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-comsec.wav

(Philippines, Internet slang, colloquial) Abbreviation of comment section.


NAMFREL

w:National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections

(Philippines) Acronym of National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections.


find your height

(Philippines, colloquial) to line up by height; to queue up by height


Con-Con

constitutional convention
w:constitutional convention

(Philippines, politics) Abbreviation of constitutional convention.


Con-Ass

constituent assembly
w:constituent assembly

(Philippines, Philippine politics) Abbreviation of constituent assembly.

constitutional assembly
w:constitutional assembly

(Philippines, Philippine politics) Abbreviation of constitutional assembly.


NHCP

w:National Historical Commission of the Philippines

(Philippines) Initialism of National Historical Commission of the Philippines.


NHA

National Housing Authority
w:National Housing Authority

(Philippines) Initialism of National Housing Authority.


NegOcc

Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental#English

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Negros Occidental.


MisOcc

Misamis Occidental
Misamis Occidental#English

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Misamis Occidental.


MisOr

Misamis Oriental
Misamis Oriental#English

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Misamis Oriental.


ACJC

Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ#English

(Philippines) Initialism of Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.


Metrobank

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company.


acads

(Philippines) Clipping of academics (“academia”).


chicken mami

From chicken + mami, from a partial calque of Hokkien 雞肉麵 /鸡肉面 (koe-mah-mī, “chicken noodles”). See also Hokkien 雞肉 /鸡肉 (koe-mah).

pclq

(Philippines) a mami soup dish of noodles and chicken meat


beef mami

From beef + mami, from a partial calque of Hokkien 牛肉麵 /牛肉面 (gû-mah-mī, “beef noodles”). See also Hokkien 牛肉 (gû-mah).

(Philippines) a mami soup dish of noodles and beef


pork mami

From pork + mami, from a partial calque of Hokkien 豬肉麵 /猪肉面 (ti-mah-mī, “pork noodles”). See also Hokkien 豬肉 /猪肉 (ti-mah).

(Philippines) a mami soup dish of noodles and pork


instant mami

From instant + mami, the latter from Hokkien 肉麵 /肉面 (mah-mī).

One brought two boxes of instant mami noodles.

2003, Ma. Romina M. Gonzalez, Welostit and Other Stories, page 51:

When her awaited bus arrives, she passes up instant mami noodles for a chance to dip her hand in a box of old shoes.

2008, Priscelina Patajo-Legasto, Philippine Studies: Have We Gone Beyond St. Louis?, page 369:

A new era came in the 90's when the Generation Y (Gen Y), born in the mid-70's to mid-80's, started trickling into the urban development craze with the booming of malls and instant products from instant mami to instant coffee to instant beauty.

2013, Ed S. Teovisio, The 8 Streams of Confluent Learning to Personal Effectiveness, page 22:

(Philippines) An instant noodle soup dish that is popular in the Philippines and abroad, consisting of pre-cooked noodles with a packet of soup, seasoning, and oil that can be prepared by adding hot water.


pancit mami

From pancit + mami, both ultimately from Hokkien.

In the open market of competition, that diploma is no good. It cannot buy a cup of coffee or a bowl of pancit mami.

1952, Philippine Review - Volume 2, page 6:

Behind the U.P. infirmary was a little kiosko called Bobbie's, where we could sign for sandwiches, soft drinks, pancit mami, if we didn't have money.

1985, Nick Joaquin, Doy Laurel in Profile: A Philippine Political Odyssey, page 75:

Should you ever go abroad, don't ever make the mistake to order pancit mami in a Chinese restaurant . This is because this steaming soup of rice noodles mixed with slices of beef or chicken is a con- coction of Chinese cooks here and is unknown to Chinese cooks abroad.

1985, Ike Suarez, “Odds and Ends”, in National Mid-week, volume 1, page 35:

(Philippines) mami (A traditional Filipino noodle soup made with egg noodles and usually including a variety of ingredients such as chicken, pork, or beef, along with vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and green onions.)


gimong

“We must all take care of our faith for this will lead us to eternity,” Bendico said in a homily during a welcome mass held May 29 at the gymnasium of the Saint Louis High School-Philex, in this town’s Sitio Padcal, Brgy. Camp 3. “So let us exercise our faith in our gimong, as this enables us to become agents of communion, participation, and mission.” A gimong is a basic ecclesial community (BEC) or a sub-parish. Sitio Padcal’s Sto. Niño (of Prague) Parish, for instance, has 13 gimongs, while Kabayan, another Benguet town, has 22.

2017 June 4, PR, “In Philex, Bishop Bendico tells youth to care for environment”, in Amianan Balita Ngayon:

4 Tribes, 12 Gimongs, 68 young people, 3 days in 1 City. This is how we described the summer Youth Camp held in St. Joseph Parish in Dagupan City of Tabuk Kalinga. In line with the 2017 Pastoral Theme “Communion of Communities”, the Bukal ng Tipan Youth Unit facilitated an experience of Community with the different tribes among young people who desire to become one with Christ and with one another. Amidst the conflicts in their place, these young people proved that communion is possible in their tribes. Before the camp ended, the youth community chose their Gimong (chapel) representatives who will comprise their Parish Youth Council.

2017 June 21, “Youth Summer Engagement 2017”, in Bukal ng Tipan:

The gimong of Taba-ao celebrated today the 50th feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the titular of the community chapel. The gimong was instrumental in the building up of other gimongs at least 5 of them. It started with the solemn celebration of the Mass, Fr. Rolly Buyagan, diocesan administrator as presider and homilist with Fr. Raymond Songyap, the pastor of San Isidro Parish of Abatan, then a sumptouos feast lunch was served followed by a program, interrupted by the native dances. Interesting element was the presentation of the history of the birth and formation of the gimong and the 50 years of journey of faith.

2024 June 10, Diocese of Baguio-CURIA, Facebook:

(Catholicism, Philippines, chiefly Cordillera) A chapel that is under the jurisdiction of a parish, typically in rural areas.


Blend of apologist + Tagalog diyes (“ten”).

blend

(Internet slang, Philippines) apologist (one who speaks or writes in defense of a faith)


sinadobo

(Philippines) a menu consisting of fried rice and adobo


foodtrip

foodtrips (plural)
food trip (alternative)

(Philippines, slang) Indulgence for food, especially craved ones.

(Philippines, literally) A trip to explore for food, usually at a restaurant.


lowbat

en-adj

lowbat (comparative more lowbat, superlative most lowbat)

more lowbat (comparative)
most lowbat (superlative)

(Philippines, colloquial) low energy; sleepy


champorado

champorados (plural)
champurado (alternative)

Borrowed from Mexican Spanish champurrado. Compare Tagalog tsampurado, Cebuano sampurado, Bikol Central tsampurado.

bor+

(Philippines) champorado (a sweet chocolate rice porridge in Philippine cuisine)


bacsilog

baconsilog (alternative)
Bacon Silog (alternative)
baksilog (alternative)

(Philippines) a meal of bacon with fried rice and fried egg


spamsilog

spamsilogs (plural)
Spamsilog (alternative)
Spam Silog (alternative)
Spam silog (alternative)

(Philippines) a meal of spam luncheon meat with fried rice and fried egg


cornsilog

cornsilogs (plural)
cornedbeefsilog (alternative)
Corned Beef Silog (alternative)
cornbeefsilog (alternative)
Corn Beef Silog (alternative)

(Philippines) a meal of corned beef with fried rice and fried egg


chicsilog

chicsilogs (plural)
chicksilog (alternative)
Chick Silog (alternative)
Chick-silog (alternative)
Chicken Silog (alternative)
Chicken silog (alternative)
chicken silog (alternative)
chiksilog (alternative)
Chik Silog (alternative)
chixsilog (alternative)
Chix Silog (alternative)

(Philippines) a meal of chicken with fried rice and fried egg


Dutertegarch

Blend of Duterte + oligarch, after Rodrigo Duterte.

But while Duterte wants to “kill” these two oligarchs, he’s open to the entry of another oligarch, Manny Villar’s Prime Water, to replace Manila Water and Maynilad. Prime Water currently has concessions in several provinces but the transition from Maynilad and Manila Water to Prime Water would make Villar the “water supply king,” the latest Dutertegarch.

2020 April 7, Perry Diaz, “Rise of the Dutertegarchs”, in Philippine Sentinel:

Dutertegarchs in politics

2021 July 27, “Dutertegarchs”, in IBON Foundation:

Philippine leader solidifies new class of ‘Dutertegarchs’ that has prospered from state deals and concessions during his tenure

2022 February 10, Jason Castaneda, “Duterte’s oligarchs enriched in waning days of his rule”, in Asia Times:

(Philippines, Philippine politics, neologism) An oligarch who is associated with and benefits from the Duterte administration and its economic policies.


janitor fish

en-noun

janitor fish (plural janitor fish or janitor fishes)

janitor fish (plural)
janitor fishes (plural)

From janitor + fish, coined by the Filipino locals and as well as the aquarium fish enthusiasts for its ability to clean aquaria by eating algae & fish excrements.

The janitor fish infestation that has plagued Marikina River and Laguna de Bay has also spread to Mindanao, and is now threatening to run riot across the delicately balanced ecosystem of Asia’s largest marshland, the Agusan Marsh in Agusan del Sur.

2006 June 6, Mike Baños, “Janitor fish threatens Asia's largest marshland”, in Philstar.com:

(Philippines) pleco, pleco fish or plec: Any of several South & Central American fish, of the family Loricariidae.


dirty finger

(Philippines) middle finger (obscene gesture)


adosilog

adosilogs (plural)
adobosilog (alternative)
Adobo Silog (alternative)

(Philippines) a meal of adobo with fried rice and fried egg


National Heroes Day

(Philippines) A public holiday in the Philippines celebrated annually on the last Monday of August as a tribute to Filipino heroes.


langit point

From Tagalog langit (“sky, heavens”) + point.

(Philippines, in the plural, slang, humorous) A hypothetical point system that determines whether a person will go to heaven or hell.


Steady Eddie

(Philippines, Philippine politics) Fidel Ramos, 12ᵗʰ President of the Philippines


GCQ

community quarantine
community quarantine#English

(Philippines) Initialism of general community quarantine.

COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines


MGCQ

(Philippines) Initialism of modified general community quarantine.


ECQ

(Philippines) Initialism of enhanced community quarantine.


MECQ

(Philippines) Initialism of modified enhanced community quarantine.


ligtas point

From Tagalog ligtas (“safe; salvation”) + point.

com

(Philippines, chiefly in the plural, slang, humorous) Synonym of langit point.


sisilog

sisilogs (plural)
sisigsilog (alternative)
Sisig Silog (alternative)

(Philippines) a meal of sisig with fried rice and fried egg


bisteksilog

(Philippines) a meal of beefsteak with fried rice and fried egg


Yolly

(Philippines) A diminutive of the female given name Yolanda.


ConCon

(Philippines) Abbreviation of constitutional convention.


ChaCha

(Philippines) Abbreviation of charter change.


PCAU

Philippine Civil Affairs Unit
Philippine Civil Affairs Unit#English

(Philippines, historical) Initialism of Philippine Civil Affairs Unit.


FPJ

(Philippines) Initialism of Fernando Poe Jr., a Filipino action star.


arroz caldo

en-noun

arroz caldo (countable and uncountable, plural arroz caldos)

Borrowed from Spanish arroz caldo (“rice broth”). Compare Tagalog aroskaldo. See also Spanish arroz caldoso.

bor+

(Philippines) arroz caldo (Filipino rice porridge casserole rice and chicken gruel)


Don Hen

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Clipping of Don Henrico's: a restaurant in Baguio, Benguet, Philippines.


Notre

Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital
Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital#English

(Philippines, chiefly Baguio, colloquial) Ellipsis of Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital: a hospital in Baguio, Benguet, Philippines.


Pot Cor

(Philippines, colloquial) Clipping of Potato Corner, a franchised french fries food stall.


Jhun

Clipping of Junior with insertion of ⟨h⟩.

(Philippines) A diminutive of the male given name Junior


Jhunjhun

Reduplication of Jhun, which is a clipping of Junior with insertion of ⟨h⟩.


textmate

→ Cebuano: teksmet

→ Tagalog: teksmeyt

(Philippines) Someone, usually a friend, who one frequently communicates using text messages.


hi-way

hi-ways (plural)
hi'way (alternative)
hiway (alternative)
hi way (alternative)

(US, Canada, Australia, Philippines) Abbreviation of highway.


chance passenger

en-noun

chance passenger (plural chance passengers)

a passenger of public transport that has a ticket but with a different schedule than the desired departure schedule

a walk-in passenger of public transport, i.e. without a ticket beforehand


caiñgin

(Philippines) Alternative form of caingin.


suahe

suahe (countable and uncountable, plural suahes)

Borrowed from Hokkien 沙蝦 /沙虾 (soa-hê, literally “sand shrimp”). Compare Tagalog suwahe.

bor+

(Philippines) greasyback shrimp; sand shrimp (Metapenaeus ensis)


kilikili power

From Tagalog kilikili (“armpit”) + power.

(Philippines, slang, humorous) foul underarm smell; smelly armpit odor


riding in tandem

en-noun

riding in tandem (plural riding in tandems)

(Philippines) Two or more people on a motorcycle who perform drive-by shootings.


intram

(Philippines, chiefly in the plural) Clipping of intramural.


burger steak

burger steak (countable and uncountable, plural burger steaks)


Marilaque Highway

Blend of Marikina + Rizal + Laguna + Quezon, an acronym for the areas it traverses.

blend

Marikina–Infanta Highway
w:Marikina–Infanta Highway

(Philippines) Marikina–Infanta Highway (a road in the Philippines)


CICM

Initialism of Latin Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (“Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary”).

m+

(Philippines, colloquial, derogatory) Initialism of can I collect money, due to the alleged high cost of studying in a CICM school.


one heart, one soul

sign of the cross
sign of the cross#English

(Philippines, Catholicism) A saying that is said in every prayer, before the sign of the cross.


condo building

(US, Canada, Philippines) Synonym of condominium (“a building or complex of buildings that provides multiple residential units”).


Pobla

(Philippines, colloquial, somewhat proscribed) Clipping of Poblacion.


maintenance medicine

en-noun

maintenance medicine (countable and uncountable, plural maintenance medicines)

(Philippines, medicine) Medication taken long-term to treat a chronic condition.


illustration board

illustration board (plural illustration boards)

/ʔɪ.lʊsˌt̪ɾeɪ̯.ʃon ˈbɔɹd̪/

(Philippines) paperboard (a thick paper or thin cardboard)


OR/CR

Initialism of official receipt and certificate of registration, the two most important documents when owning a vehicle.

(Philippines) Initialism of official receipt/certificate of registration.


ORCR

(Philippines) Alternative form of OR/CR.


SBMA

The traffic rules in SBMA are super strict.


senior high

senior high (countable and uncountable, plural senior highs)

senior highs (plural)
sen high (alternative)
sen. high (alternative)

senior high school
senior high school#English

(Philippines, education) Ellipsis of senior high school.


HELE

(Philippines, education) Initialism of home economics and livelihood education.


(Philippines, education, historical) kindergarten to fourth year or grade 10 of junior high school.


K to 10

(Philippines, education, historical) Alternative form of K-10.


hi way

(Philippines) Alternative spelling of hi-way.


hiway

(US, Philippines) Alternative spelling of hi-way.


mosquito press

Likened by Ferdinand Marcos to mosquitoes because the alternative press can be an irritation, yet not too deadly, and can be swatted down with ease.

(Philippines, historical) The alternative press from media, student, religious, and workers' sectors critical against Ferdinand Marcos at the time when he ordered the closure of newspapers, radio, and television networks.


sando bag

sando bags (plural)
sandobag (alternative)

(Philippines) a shopping bag with two handles so as to be shaped like a sando sleeveless undershirt (usually a plastic bag, cloth bag, etc.)


SRNH

Strong Republic Nautical Highway#English

(Philippines) Initialism of Strong Republic Nautical Highway.


pedestrian lane

pedestrian lane (plural pedestrian lanes)

(Philippines) A pedestrian crossing or crosswalk


for a while

(Philippines, formal) Ellipsis of please wait for a while.


form 137

(Philippines, education) Former name of school form 10


school form 10

school form 10s (plural)
SF 10 (alternative)

(Philippines, education) A document containing all academic records and grades of a student from elementary school to senior high school.


(Philippines, education) Abbreviation of school form 10.


(Philippines, education) Abbreviation of form 137, the old name of school form 10.


SIRV

(Philippines) Initialism of special investor's resident visa.


SoKor

(Philippines) Abbreviation of South Korea: a country in East Asia.


daing na bangus

Atoy’s and Tuding’s serve basically the same fried stuff, in the tradition of roadside eateries serving all-day Pinoy breakfast. Aside from the pork chop, there’s also beef tapa, pork tocino, and daing na bangus.

2014 November, Claude Tayag, Mary Ann Quioc, “Chop-chop—a tale of two Laguna pork chop kings”, in Linamnam: Eating One’s Way Around the Philippines, 2nd edition, Mandaluyong: Anvil Publishing, →ISBN, “Southern Tagalog” section, page 115:

For another staple, daing na bangus, milkfish is relieved of its bones, splayed and soaked in vinegar overnight for tenderness, then crisped in a pan. You can eat the flesh with a spoon.

2018 March 12, Ligaya Mishan, “Filipino Food Finds a Place in the American Mainstream”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2018-03-12:

There are many options for $9.95, each served with a choice of salad and a side of good rice. I went with daing na bangus because it seemed the most off-the-beaten-path and, if I’m honest, it’s fun to say.

2019 January 11, Adam Wilcox, “Boodle fights and milkfish at a Filipino cafe”, in Democrat and Chronicle, volume 187, number 11, Rochester, N.Y., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3C, column 1:


last mile school

last mile school (plural last mile schools)

(Philippines, education) A school geographically isolated or in a disadvantaged or conflict area.


SBFZ

Subic Bay Freeport Zone
w:Subic Bay Freeport Zone

(Philippines) Initialism of Subic Bay Freeport Zone.


PDIC

w:Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation.


sen high

(Philippines, education) Abbreviation of senior high school.


IPRA

w:Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act of 1997

(Philippines) Acronym of Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act.


CBAO

(Philippines) Acronym of City Buildings and Architecture Office


PITX

w:Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.


pubmat

(Philippines, marketing, colloquial) A poster or any kind of promotional material for use by companies or organizations.


camaron rebosado

camaron rebosado (plural camaron rebosado)

camaron rebosado (plural)
camaron rebozado (alternative)

Borrowed from Spanish camarón rebozado (“battered shrimp”). Compare Tagalog kamaron rebosado.

bor+

(Philippines) A Filipino deep-fried battered shrimp dish


CBCP

w:Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines

(Philippines) Initialism of Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.


card giving

(Philippines, education) An occurrence wherein teachers give a student's report card to their parents/guardians, as well as other academic information.


flag ceremony

flag ceremonies (plural)
flag cem (alternative)
flagcem (alternative)

(Philippines, education) A reoccurring gathering of all students at a school at the start of a schoolday, wherein the Pambansang Awit, Panunumpa, Panata, and other local pledges and hymns are performed. Some schools also add prayers, announcements, and morning exercises.


flag cem

(Philippines) Abbreviation of flag ceremony.


trifocalization

From trifocal + -ization. Can also be analyzed as tri- + focalization.

(Philippines, education) The division of the Philippine education system into three distinct levels of governance and management by the Department of Education for basic education, TESDA for technical-vocational education and training, and CHED for higher education.


form 138

(Philippines, education) Former name of school form 9


NoKor

(Philippines) Abbreviation of North Korea: a country in East Asia.


TechVoc

(Philippines, education) Abbreviation of technical-vocational livelihood, a track in senior high school.


(Philippines, education) Abbreviation of form 138, the old name of school form 9.


(Philippines, education) Abbreviation of form 138, the old name of school form 10.


school form 9

school form 9s (plural)
SF 9 (alternative)

(Philippines, education) A document used by the Department of Education to record a student's academic progress, attendance, and other important details throughout the school year.


food for the gods

(Philippines) A Filipino pastry dessert similar to the American dessert bar, of uncertain origin.


street parliamentarian

en-noun

street parliamentarian (plural street parliamentarians)

(Philippines) A member of a resistance movement characterized by street protests.


IMCC

Iligan Medical Center College
w:Iligan Medical Center College

(Philippines) Initialism of Iligan Medical Center College.


RMN

Radio Mindanao Network
w:Radio Mindanao Network

(Philippines, broadcasting) Initialism of Radio Mindanao Network.


covered court

(Philippines, basketball) A basketball court under a roof.


(Philippines, education) Abbreviation of school form 9.


barangay hall

(Philippines) The seat of government for a barangay, the lowest elected administrative division of the Philippines, below that of a city or municipality.


MTCMC

w:Mother Teresa of Calcutta Medical Center

(Philippines) Initialism of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Medical Center.


UCCP

w:United Church of Christ in the Philippines

(Philippines, Christianity) Initialism of United Church of Christ in the Philippines.


half-bath

half-baths (plural)
half bath (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-half bath.wav

/ˌhɐf ˈbɐːθ/

[…] suction force which the thoracic cavity exerts upon the venous blood, the half bath is one of choice and found preference in patient with less robust natural constitution and particularly in those with cardiac weakness and in elderly persons suffering from sclerosis of the coronary arteries. The first baths are […]

1937, Bureau of Health, Commonwealth of the Philippines, Monthly Bulletin of the Philippine Health Service, volumes 17-18, Bureau of Printing, page 595:

(Philippines) A short bath where the head, especially the hair, is kept dry (especially a shower bath at night before sleep)


information drive

information drive (plural information drives)

WHEREAS, a stronger information drive should be conducted to inform the consumers about the chemicals used in shoe production, and which are present in finished shoes; manufacturers should also include hazard warnings on products that contain hazardous substances;

2009 October 7, Miriam Defensor Santiago, “Senate Resolution No. 1399”, in 14th Congress, Senate of the Philippines:

In spite of the [Bureau of Internal Revenue's] information drive, however, majority of Filipinos look at taxes as a necessary evil, or something to be avoided and evaded whenever possible, rather than an act of patriotism.

2016 April 18, Raul J. Palabrica, “Difficulties in tax compliance”, in Inquirer News:

"This is not an attack on the tobacco industry, rather, a public service information drive which factually and accurately describes the health consequences of smoking," Treñas said.

2014 April 4, Dennis Carcamo, “Solon revives anti-smoking bill”, in The Philippine Star:

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Central Visayas attributes the low number of recorded violations among business establishments in Cebu to its information drive on business compliance.

2025 March 19, Jositte Ann Tista, “DTI information drive reduces business violations in Cebu”, in Philippine Information Agency:

(Philippines) information campaign; project by an organization to disseminate information


LCHS

Lanao Chung Hua School
w:Lanao Chung Hua School

(Philippines) Initialism of Lanao Chung Hua School.


ICENHS

Iligan City East National High School
w:Iligan City East National High School

(Philippines) Initialism of Iligan City East National High School.


PNOC

Philippine National Oil Company
w:Philippine National Oil Company

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine National Oil Company.


PHILSUCOM

Philippine Sugar Commission
w:Philippine Sugar Commission

(Philippines, historical) Abbreviation of Philippine Sugar Commission.


FTI

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Food Terminal Inc.


PhilHealth

w:Philippine Health Insurance Corporation

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.


PPCRV

w:Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting

(Philippines) Initialism of Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.


UMID

Unified Multi-Purpose ID
w:Unified Multi-Purpose ID

(Philippines) Acronym of Unified Multi-Purpose ID


OFBank

Overseas Filipino Bank
w:Overseas Filipino Bank

(Philippines, banking) Abbreviation of Overseas Filipino Bank.


RCBC

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
w:Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation

(Philippines, banking) Initialism of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation.


PBCOM

Philippine Bank of Communications
w:Philippine Bank of Communications

(Philippines, banking) Abbreviation of Philippine Bank of Communications.


NLEA

(Philippines, law enforcement, fiction) Acronym of National Law Enforcement Agency, a law enforcement agency that is commonly mentioned in the Philippine soap operas known as teleseryes.


quasi-judicial agency

quasi-judicial agency (plural quasi-judicial agencies)

(Philippines, law) An agency of the executive branch that exercises some judicial functions and before which a minimum of due process is required.


Philtranco

Philippine Transportation Company
w:Philtranco

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Philippine Transportation Company.


TransCo

National Transmission Corporation
w:National Transmission Corporation

(Philippines) Abbreviation of National Transmission Corporation.


YBLI

Yellow Bus Line Incorporated
w:Yellow Bus Line

(Philippines) Initialism of Yellow Bus Line Incorporated.


PSHS

Philippine Science High School System
w:Philippine Science High School System

(Philippines) Initialism of Philippine Science High School System.


VTI

Vallacar Transit Incorporated
w:Vallacar Transit

(Philippines) Initialism of Vallacar Transit Incorporated.


disinformation drive

disinformation drive (plural disinformation drives)


misinformation drive

misinformation drive (plural misinformation drives)


Palaro

(Philippines) Abbreviation of Palarong Pambansa (“National Games”).


DOTC

(Philippines, historical) Initialism of Department of Transportation and Communications.


frailocracy

Partial calque of Philippine Spanish frailocracia using -cracy.

pclq

(Philippines, historical) excessive and disproportionate socio-political-economic dominance of the Spanish Catholic friars over Spanish colonial Philippines, that was a constant target of criticism by the Filipino intelligentsia known as the ilustrados during the late 1800s


taoke

/ˈt̪ʰaʊ̯.kɛ/

Borrowed from Hokkien 頭家 /头家 (thâu-ke, “boss”). Doublet of towkay. Compare Tagalog taoke, Tausug tawki, Malay tauke, Indonesian tauke, Burmese ထောင်ကဲ (htaungkai:), Puyuma tawki, Rukai tawki, Sakizaya tawki.

bor+

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino) boss; owner (of a business entity such as shop, etc.); shop owner; shopkeeper; business owner; employer (especially a Chinese Filipino boss)

This mixing can be seen in the language of the text, which is replete that languages other than standard putonghua: there are Hokkien terms that will be unfamiliar to those who do not speak minnanhua, which is further characterized by the use of Philippine Chinese expressions (huanke for the huaqiao, tuadi for the residence certificate, tsut si a for mestizo, taoke for employer, sengdi for business, for instance); and there are Chinese-character phonetic transcriptions of Philippine languages (anim, pito, kamatis, kilo, boy, sarong), English (boxing; the words ultimatum, Asia, OK, and King Kong, and bye-bye appear in their original romanized form in the text), and Spanish (chiquito). Although Bai Ren is careful to provide parenthetical translations of these verbal transcriptions, there are some words that remain untranslated, as when Chen Shan at one point lets lose the invective putang-ina.

2007, Bai Ren 白刃, translated by Joaquin Sy 施華謹, Lagalag sa Nanyang 南洋漂流記 (Nanyang Piaoliuji), Diliman, Quezon City: The University of the Philippines Press, →ISBN:

(Philippines, Chinese Filipino) term of address for a business owner boss (especially a Chinese Filipino boss)