BANGSA vs. BALEN
Bangsa (Tagalog: bansâ) – “country” relative to other countries or states
Balén (Tagalog: báyan) – “town, nation” relative to one’s own community, such as one’s homeland or hometown. These words originate from the root word for “house” in their languages (Kpm: bale, Tgl: báhay) and the collective/locative suffix “-an”.