Is compile the right word here? Is this not an interpreter?
The widespread belief that compilation and interpretation are mutually exclusive is unfortunate, as is the artificial distinction between 'compiling' and 'transpiling' we sometimes hear, because these misconceptions show that programmers today are a bit confused about the essence of how programs actually run. It's a pity we don't have more cultural interest in such things, because mastering those notions can really improve software engineering.
(edit: to the GP's point, PHP does contain a compiler within it, because it translates source to bytecode as part of execution, but that's an implementation detail. As a product it is strictly an interpreter)