root word: babaw
mababaw
shallow
kababawan
shallowness
This word became prominent in the news in September 2015 when Filipina Broadway star Lea Salonga appeared to use it to describe the popular AlDub craze, which began sweeping the Philippine Islands in July.
The majority of Aldub fans reflect the majority of the citizens of the Philippines who are poor (compared to the top 1% of the nation) and “low class” (compared to those who can afford to watch a “higher standard of entertainment” like Broadway shows in which Lea Salonga has starred).
The incident created the first-ever known massive wave of open criticism directed towards Ms. Salonga, who until then had been considered an irreproachable saint who could do no wrong in the field of Philippine entertainment. Many remembered how she herself during the start of her career appeared on such shows as That’s Entertainment, which was similar in format and “class” to the mass-oriented Eat Bulaga television show on which the AlDub mania started.
Lea Salonga herself was born into the elitist class of the Philippines, which is known for looking down on the masa (mass of people comprising the majority of the Philippines, which is still a relatively poor country) who are derided for not being able to speak “proper” American- or British-accented English and are good only for serving the rich elite, among other such condescending notions.
