Mabuhay (lit. 'to live') is a Filipino greeting, usually expressed as Mabuhay!, which means "long live!". The term is also occasionally used for toasts during celebrations to mean "cheers". It is similar to the Hawaiʻian expression "aloha".[1] It is used in the local hospitality industry to welcome guests, a practice rooted in a 1993 campaign launched by restaurateur Rod Ongpauco to more uniquely welcome foreign visitors to the Philippines.[2]
Mabuhay is also the name of the inflight magazine published by flag-carrier, Philippine Airlines, as well as its frequent-flyer program.
Historical
editThe word itself has been recorded as a salutation at least early as 1930, when General Douglas MacArthur was sent off amid shouts of “Mabuhay!”[3] In 1941, the Rotarian noted local chapters using it in conveying well wishes to the service organisation.[4] In February 1973, a big cloth sign saying “Mabuhay, Maj. Bob Peel”[5] welcomed released North Vietnam prisoner-of-war, U.S. airman Robert D. Peel, as he stopped by the country as part of Operation Homecoming.[6]
Current usage
editThe word is otherwise used in its more traditional form as a cheer, especially during celebrations in a variety of contexts:
- “Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! Mabuhay ang Repúblika!”
(“Long live the Philippines! Long live the Republic!”) - “Mabuhay ang Pangulo!”
(“Long live the President!”) - “Mabuhay ang bagong kasál!”
(“Long live the newlyweds!”)
Viva
editThe Spanish equivalent Viva is a special use case, as it is today almost always found in religious contexts. It is specifically part of acclamations directed to a patron saint or God during community feast days and assemblies (e.g., “¡Viva, Señor Santo Niño!” “¡Viva, Poóng Jesús Nazareno!”)[citation needed]
Cognates
editA number of other Philippine languages have phrases that are cognates of “Mabuhay”. The Bisayan languages, for example, use the term "Mabuhi",[7] while Kapampangans have the phrase "Luid ka".[8]
See also
editReferences
edit
- ^ Lee, Jonathan H. X. (October 16, 2014). Southeast Asian Diaspora in the United States: Memories and Visions, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-4438-6979-9. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
- ^ Luna, Luis (May 13, 1995). "Welcome Rotonda to have new name". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
- ^ "General Macarthur was given a tremendous send-off... He left amid shouts of 'Mabuhay', the tagalog equivalent of 'viva'". Oxford English Dictionary. Kingsport (Tennessee) Times. September 19, 1930. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ "So, as we were wont to say out there, 'Mabuhay Rotary', meaning not only 'Good-by', but 'May good fortune attend Rotary.'". Oxford English Dictionary. Rotarian. April 1941. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ "Mrs. Adrian gave the major a big cloth sign which said 'Mabuhay, Maj. Bob Peel.'". Oxford English Dictionary. Press-Courier (Oxnard, California). February 17, 1973. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ "Robert D. Peel". Veteran Tributes. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
Lt Peel served as an F-105 pilot with the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB from May 1, 1965, until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam while on temporary duty to Southeast Asia on May 31, 1965. After spending 2,815 days in captivity, Maj Peel was released during Operation Homecoming on February 12, 1973.
- ^ Jarque Loop, Honey (July 21, 2011). "Mabuhi Cebu, Mabuhay Philippines, Viva España!". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ De Jesus, Andrea (May 28, 2015). "'Luid Ka, Pampanga!' starts airing on CLTV36". SunStar Pampanga. Retrieved April 23, 2023.