‘Tokhang’ blazes through as PH 2018 ‘Word of the Year’

Policemen conduct an “Oplan Tokhang” operation last year in the Cebu City village of Duljo Fatima where pushers use children as drug couriers. —TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS

The word “Tokhang” is this year’s Salita ng Taon (Word of the Year), the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) and University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman announced.

Out of 11 nominated words, Tokhang won first place as declared on Friday in a conference titled, “Sawikaan 2018: Pambansang Kumperensiya sa Salita ng Taon.”

Tokhang was the Philippine National Police’s door-to-door campaign to urge drug users to surrender for rehabilitation. This was related to President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to eliminate the entry of illegal drugs in the country.

Meanwhile, the word Dengvaxia placed third while Fake News landed in second place. Other nominated words were Dilawan, Federalismo, Quo Warranto, TRAIN, Resibo, DDS, Foodie and Troll.

The Sawikaan is a project of the Filipinas Institute of Translation which was supported by the Office of the Chancellor of UP Diliman, UP Diliman Information Office and KWF./ac