‘Shimenet’ Used by UST Students in Ibsen Performance, Goes Viral

The term “shimenet” seems to have taken on a life of its own after being uttered by Vice President Sara Duterte during a heated hearing in the House of Representatives regarding the 2025 proposed budget for the Office of the Vice President (OVP). During this hearing, Representative Arlene Brosas questioned VP Duterte about the OVP budget, particularly the controversial P125 million confidential funds, of which over P70 million has been flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) due to a lack of supporting documents. In response, Duterte unexpectedly used the term “shimeneth.”

Immediately, “shimeneth” trended on social media, with many people curious about its meaning. The term garnered public interest because it does not appear in any dictionary. For some, it seemed to indicate that Duterte might have resorted to using a nonsensical word amidst the tension of the hearing. Despite its unfamiliarity, the term quickly spread and was adopted by netizens in various contexts.

shimenet like pic.twitter.com/bWRZQjXM4o

— toybs / vic c 🍉 (@victoryliner) August 29, 2024

As “shimeneth” emerged as a viral term, it was met with criticism directed at Duterte. Many netizens expressed their disappointment with the Vice President’s response, especially since it was related to the scrutinized OVP budget. The term “shimeneth” became a symbol of what some saw as a lack of concrete answers to crucial issues facing her office.

The students of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) did not miss the opportunity to incorporate “shimeneth” into their script for a performance of scenes from Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People.” The inclusion of this term in their show highlighted their creativity and swift adaptation to current events in the country.

Hala shimeneth has been incorporated in the script of my UST students presenting scenes from Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People. pic.twitter.com/Osq8FXnXuA

— Tony La Viña (@tonylavs) August 29, 2024

In the end, “shimeneth” may be considered one of Vice President Sara Duterte’s notable contributions to the country’s linguistics this year. Although it lacks a clear definition, it has become a significant symbol of public reaction to issues of transparency and accountability in government. Despite being a “nonsense word,” “shimeneth” has become part of the national discourse, particularly in the context of politics and controversies in the country.