Mabuhay Mabuhay Mabuhay is a Filipino greeting, usually expressed as "Mabuhay!", in the imperative form of "life", thus, "Live!", from the root word "buhay" (life). 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". 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.
Kia kaha a strong rope made from coconut fibres and used for lashing canoes, weapons, and buildings together. The phrase is used in several different contexts. It is a term of comfort or solace (an equivalent of "be strong - my thoughts are with you"), or (less often) it can serve a similar function to 'kia ora' - an interjection during a speech to indicate support or approval (similar to "hear! hear!"). It is sometimes seen used as a valediction at the bottom of messages. The phrase "Kia kaha" is prominently used in New Zealand's most famous military song, the Marching Song