Dalaga ang punong-abala.

Because Filipino often puts the predicate first.

In this sentence:

• dalaga = the predicate
• ang punong-abala = the topic or subject-like part

So the sentence structure is normal Filipino word order for this kind of statement. English usually prefers The organizer is a young unmarried woman, but Filipino commonly says it in the order Dalaga ang punong-abala.

A more English-like order is also possible:

• Ang punong-abala ay dalaga.

That version is also correct, but it sounds more formal or marked.

Ang is a topic marker. It marks punong-abala as the main thing being talked about.

In many beginner explanations, ang is sometimes translated as the, but that is not its full job. Here, it is telling you that the organizer/host is the topic of the sentence.

So in:

• Dalaga ang punong-abala

the phrase ang punong-abala is the part being identified or described.

There is no separate word for is in this sentence, and that is completely normal in Filipino.

In present-time equational or descriptive sentences, Filipino often leaves out the copula that English needs. So:

• Dalaga ang punong-abala

  naturally means:

• The organizer is a young unmarried woman.

If you use ay, as in Ang punong-abala ay dalaga, that does not work exactly like English is. It is better thought of as a marker used in this sentence pattern, especially when the topic comes first.

It can behave like either, depending on how you look at it.

Basically, dalaga is a word for a young unmarried woman. In English, that idea can be expressed with a noun phrase such as a maiden or an unmarried young woman, or sometimes more loosely with an adjective-like description such as single or young depending on context.

In this sentence, dalaga is the predicate, describing what the punong-abala is. So even if you think of it as a noun lexically, it functions like a predicate complement here.

Dalaga usually refers to a young woman who is unmarried.

Important nuance:

• it is not the usual word for a little girl
• it often carries a cultural sense of maiden, young lady, or single young woman
• depending on context, it can sound neutral, traditional, or slightly old-fashioned in English translation

So if you already know the general meaning, it is still useful to remember that dalaga is more specific than just female or girl.

Punong-abala refers to the person who is mainly responsible for an event, gathering, or activity.

Depending on context, it can mean:

• host
• hostess
• organizer
• person in charge
• sometimes something close to master of ceremonies

It is a fairly fixed expression, so it is best to learn it as one vocabulary item.

The hyphen is part of the standard written form of this compound word.

It comes from:

• puno = head/chief
• -ng = linker
• abala = busy, occupied, concern

Together, the compound developed the meaning chief person handling the activity, or more naturally, host/organizer.

For a learner, the safest approach is to treat punong-abala as a single established word.

No. In punong-abala, it does not mean tree.

The base form puno can have different meanings in Filipino depending on context. In this compound, it means something like head, chief, or main.

So punong-abala is not related to a literal tree. It means the person who is chiefly occupied with managing the event or activity.

Yes, absolutely.

Both of these are correct:

• Dalaga ang punong-abala.
• Ang punong-abala ay dalaga.

The difference is mostly in style and sentence structure:

• Dalaga ang punong-abala = more common predicate-first pattern
• Ang punong-abala ay dalaga = more formal, more explicit, sometimes more bookish

So if you are speaking naturally, the first version is very normal.

By itself, punong-abala is not specifically masculine or feminine. It simply refers to the organizer or host.

The gender information in this sentence comes from dalaga, which tells you that the person is a young unmarried woman.

So:

• punong-abala = gender-neutral role
• dalaga = tells you the person is female

In this sentence, it is understood as singular because there is no plural marker such as mga.

So:

• ang punong-abala = the organizer / the host (singular)
• ang mga punong-abala or mga punong-abala = the organizers / hosts (plural), depending on the structure

Also, dalaga here naturally points to one person unless the sentence is changed to show plurality.

No. This is a non-verbal sentence.

There is no action verb here. Instead, the sentence is built by linking:

• a predicate: dalaga
• a topic phrase: ang punong-abala

This kind of sentence is very common in Filipino. It is one reason Filipino sentence structure can feel different from English, because English usually expects a visible verb like is.