'balita' likely originates from Malay/Indonesian, specifically the word 'berita', where the root 'beri' means 'to give' and the form 'berita' came to mean 'that which is given (information)'.

'berita' in Malay/Indonesian (meaning 'news') was adopted into neighboring Philippine languages and became 'balita' in Tagalog/Filipino; over time the form and pronunciation adjusted to local phonology, resulting in the modern Filipino word 'balita'.

Initially it carried the sense of 'that which is given' (information) and over time it stabilized to the current primary meaning 'news' or 'report'.