Animals

1. Iro

   Dog

   Usage

   Stray dogs are common. A bite carries a rabies risk — go to a clinic immediately

2. Iring

   Cat

   Usage

   Cebuano says "iring", not Tagalog "pusa" — use iring in the Visayas

3. Langgam

   Bird

   Usage

   Careful — the same spelling means "ant" in Tagalog. In Cebuano it is a bird

4. Isda

   Fish

   Usage

   Used at the market and in eateries alike. "Isda nga sinugba" is grilled fish

5. Iho

   Shark

   Usage

   Comes up in dive briefings, and on the Oslob whale shark tours

6. Kabayo

   Horse

   Usage

   Comes up where horse riding is offered, such as around the Chocolate Hills in Bohol

7. Baka

   Cow

   Usage

   Means both the animal and beef — handy for checking what meat is in a dish

8. Kabaw

   Water buffalo

   Usage

   The buffalo working the rice fields. Formally "karabaw", but everyone says kabaw. They often block country roads

9. Baboy

   Pig

   Usage

   The same word covers pork. The famous roast pig is "lechon baboy"

10. Manok

    Chicken

    Usage

    Both the bird and the meat. The famous grilled chicken is "manok nga inasal"

11. Itik

    Duck

    Usage

    The duck whose eggs become "balut", the boiled fertilised egg snack

12. Kanding

    Goat

    Usage

    Cebuano says "kanding", not Tagalog "kambing". It is what goes into goat kaldereta

13. Karnero

    Sheep

    Usage

    Sheep are rare in the Philippines — you will meet this word mostly in church and Bible stories

14. Unggoy

    Monkey

    Usage

    The long-tailed macaque. Literary Cebuano also says "amo". Keep hold of your bag and food around them

15. Bitin

    Snake

    Usage

    Cebuano says "bitin", not Tagalog "ahas". Keep your distance if you meet one on a trek

16. Buaya

    Crocodile

    Usage

    Wild ones live in Mindanao and Palawan estuaries; you will also see them at crocodile farms

17. Bao

    Turtle

    Usage

    Cebuano says "bao", not Tagalog "pagong". The sea turtles at Apo Island and Moalboal are bao too

18. Baki

    Frog

    Usage

    Cebuano says "baki", not Tagalog "palaka". They are loud on rainy-season nights

19. Tiki

    House gecko

    Usage

    The little gecko on your guesthouse wall. Harmless, and it eats mosquitoes. Tagalog calls it "butiki"

20. Tuko

    Tokay gecko

    Usage

    The big gecko that shouts "to-ko" at night — the name is its call. It bites hard, so do not handle it

21. Halo

    Monitor lizard

    Usage

    A metre-long monitor lizard seen in rural scrub and on the islands. It is protected — leave it alone

22. Ilaga

    Rat

    Usage

    Cebuano says "ilaga", not Tagalog "daga". Use it to report one to the front desk

23. Kuneho

    Rabbit

    Usage

    From Spanish "conejo". You will meet them as pets or at small petting zoos

24. Kabog

    Fruit bat

    Usage

    The big fruit bats that stream out at dusk; Bohol has bat caves. Small bats are "kulaknit"

25. Lamok

    Mosquito

    Usage

    The dengue carrier. "Daghan kaayo og lamok" means "there are so many mosquitoes" — use it when asking for a net or repellent

26. Uk-ok

    Cockroach

    Usage

    The Cebuano word. "Ipis" is understood too. Use it to report one at your guesthouse

27. Hulmigas

    Ant

    Usage

    From Spanish "hormiga". Tagalog "langgam" means ant, but Cebuano "langgam" means bird — do not mix them up

28. Putyukan

    Bee

    Usage

    The honeybee. If you are allergic, say "Alerdyi ko sa putyukan"

29. Lawa-lawa

    Spider

    Usage

    Cebuano says "lawa-lawa", not Tagalog "gagamba". The same word covers the web

30. Ulahipan

    Centipede

    Usage

    A painful bite. They come indoors after rain — shake out your shoes before putting them on

31. Alibangbang

    Butterfly

    Usage

    Cebuano says "alibangbang", not Tagalog "paruparo". Bohol has butterfly gardens

32. Langaw

    Fly

    Usage

    Common at markets and food stalls — the word to use when they are on the food

33. Dikya

    Jellyfish

    Usage

    Their sting hurts. Before swimming, ask "Naa bay dikya?" — are there jellyfish?

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