ESTOPA

This is an obscure Filipino word likely derived from the Spanish estofa.

Oakum is loose hemp or jute fibers that are treated with tar and used chiefly for caulking seams in wooden ships and as stuffing material.

The following is a verse from Isaiah 1:31 of the Holy Bible.

At ang malakas ay magiging parang taling estopa, at ang kaniyang gawa ay parang alipato; at kapuwa sila magliliyab, at walang papatay sa apoy. And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

The English word “tow” here refers to hemp fibers. The translator rendered it in Tagalog as “hemp rope” because there is a meaning for the word “tow” that is a rope used for towing or pulling.