Dictionary

five-six en · NOUN

Etymology

From the high interest rate given, i.e. when ₱5 is borrowed, ₱6 must be returned.

Meanings

1. (Philippines, informal, uncountable) A moneylending scheme stereotypically associated with Indian nationals, especially Punjabis, in the Philippines.
   • Hapless citizens borrow money from five-six money lenders ('borrowing at high rates of interest', i.e. borrowing five thousand and returning six ... ). 2010, Andy Kirkpatrick, The Routledge Handbook of World Englishes, Routledge, →ISBN, page 253:
   • Despite their number and their assimilationist proclivities, Filipino Punjabis are sometimes pejoratively called 'five-six Indians'. 2006, Brij V. Lal, Peter Reeves, Rajesh Rai, The Encyclopedia of the Indian Diaspora:
   • One of their most notorious loan arrangements is the "five-six” scheme, that is, for every five pesos borrowed, six must be returned. Usually daily payment is demanded from the first day of the loan, although sometimes payment falls due at the ... 1991, Dimitri A. Germidis, Denis Kessler, Rachel Meghir, Financial Systems and Development: What Role for the Formal and Informal Financial Sectors?, OECD:
   • Hapless citizens borrow money from five-six money lenders, e.g. borrowing five thousand and returning six within a month or even a week. 2005, Maria Lourdes S. Bautista, Linguistic Society of the Philippines, Linguistics and language education in the Philippines and beyond: a festschrift in honor of Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista:

Forms