The flight from Manila, Philippines took only +2hrs. with a stop-over at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah - the nearest Malaysian city to the Philippines.

Incidentally, "Kota" means city whereas "Kina" [China] "balu" [widow]. Therefore, the city of Kota Kinabalu was named after a Chinese widow since Malaysia has a substantial number of Chinese.

But in the Philippines, we have a city in a muslim territory called Cota-bato [rock]& it's near Sabah, Malaysia.

Inshort, some words in Malaysia & the Philippines are similar since we're from the same stock - the Malay race.