pagpapanumbalik ... why is 'pa' repeated? why is -num- used? I u

hmm ... your question is very interesting: Maybe the prefix is "pagpa" (a prefix I did not know yet) ... and then "pagpapa" could be a future form ... balik is an UM-verb ... and so the past would be bumalik ... but this is NOT numbalik ... I have asked my filippino friends for help ... they told me: Pagpapanumbalik is to restore - restoration - like turn back times Pagpapanumbalik sa dating hugis. (Whatever that means) ? So obviously this form exists .... this is the only positive thing to say about the whole matter. But of course, they dont give any explanations. Maybe some Tagalog native speakers will be able to solve the problem ...

“Págpapanumbalik” is a noun that means “the process of restoring”. The repetition of the “pa” is not a result of conjugation as it might seem to be. Yes, the root word is “balík” (return). “Pagpapanumbalik” and the other words related to "restoration" are normally used for non-material things, especially those having to do with health and faith/religion.Manumbalik (to restore) – nanumbalik, nanunumbalik, manunumbalikKailangan mo munang mágpahinga ng mga isang buwán para manumbalik ang kalusugan mo/iyong kalusugan. = Meanwhile you need to rest for about a month to restore your health.Panunumbalik (restoration) Ang panunumbalik ng kaniyáng pananámpalataya sa Diyos ay ikinatuwâ ng kaniyáng iná. = The restoration of her faith in God made her mother happy.Ang pagpapanumbalik ng kaniyáng lakás makatápos/matapos ang kaniyáng operasyón ay inábot/umabot ng dalawáng linggó. = The process of restoring his strength after his operation took two weeks. Those words are not so commonly used now, especially by the younger generations. Often, the more common words like “bumalík”, “makabalík”, and “pagbabalík” are used in their place. With Taglish, you’ll hear “ma-restore”, “ma-recover”, or “maka-recover” instead.