Abbreviations

Filipinos are absolutely fond of abbreviations. After 8 months in the Philippines, I have learnt how to find my way through documents riddled with abbreviations. An example: “In 1993, the DENR issued DAO 2 which contained the guidelines for the recognition of ADs. Successful IP claimants were issued a CADC to their AD. In 1997, the Philippine government passed the IPRA law. With the passing of IPRA, NCIP was established and took over the AD claims from DENR. CADCs could now be converted to CADTs. Successful CADT claimants are expected to draw an ADSDPP for the management of their AD. NCIP then empowers the BTC and MTC to implement the ADSDPP.”

It’s not only government agencies that like to use abbreviations, by the way. Kissing in public, for instance, is popularly called ‘PDA’, ‘Public Display of Affection’… Office personnel have a specific term for doing nothing while seeming very busy. It’s called ‘AIDS’, ‘As If Doing Something’…