Bato

Bato is a word in Philippine languages such as Tagalog and Cebuano that means stone or rock. It is cognate with the Indonesian-Malay batu and reflects a shared Austronesian linguistic heritage. In addition to its lexical use, bato appears in place names, personal names, and cultural expressions across the Philippines.

Geography and names: In the Philippines, two municipalities carry the name Bato. Bato, Camarines Sur is located in the Bicol Region, while Bato, Catanduanes is a municipal government area on Catanduanes island. The term also appears in other localities and as a component of longer place names.

People and culture: The nickname Bato is associated with Ronald dela Rosa, a prominent Filipino law-enforcement official who served as chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018. The name has also become part of everyday discourse in the Philippines due to his public profile. In Filipino culture, the phrase Bato, bato, pik is a traditional children’s game similar to rock-paper-scissors, with bato representing a rock in the gesture.

Usage: Beyond geography and nicknames, bato functions as a common surname or short-form given name in some contexts within the Philippines and among Filipino communities abroad. Its usage as a basic noun contrasts with its presence in place names and popular culture, illustrating the versatility of a simple term rooted in everyday language.