Mabuhay


Mabuhay is a Filipino greeting, usually expressed as Mabuhay!, in the imperative form of life, thus, Live!, from the root word buhay.

Meaning

The phrase carries various meanings including "long live", "may you live", "cheers", "welcome", and "hurrah". It is thus analogous to Aloha, Talofa and Kia Ora in fellow Austronesian languages, Hawaiian, Samoan and Māori; the Romance language expression “Vive, Viva”, the Hindustani suffix Zindabad, and the Japanese exclamation Banzai.

Usage

The expression is mostly used for toasts during gatherings and parties, and is used as a cry of adulation towards individuals or concepts at rallies and political conferences. A more modern appropriation of the greeting is its use 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.
"Mabuhay" is also the name of the inflight magazine published by Philippine Airlines.

Examples

Viva

Alternatively, the Spanish equivalent Viva is used in almost exclusively religious contexts, specifically in shouts of praise directed at a patron saint or to God during fiestas and assemblies