User:Angelie77721/sandbox

Mano po (Filipino Gesture)

Mano po or pagmamano is a Filipino’s sign of respect towards elders. This is usually performed by the younger generation towards the older generation. The younger one will be the one to initiate the gesture by stretching out their hand and saying “mano po” to  the elder. The elder usually acknowledges them by placing their hand on top of the outstretched hand. Then the younger one will bend their back to lightly kiss the top of the elder’s hand.

Asking for “mano po” doing the act of pagmamano is asking for the elders blessing. In Filipino society, elders are highly respected for their old age which is related to wisdom and experience. It is a form of humbling for the younger generations to show their respect and admiration towards the elder. It is usually done during gatherings, you would usually mano the host of the gathering and all older family and even new acquaintances. Not greeting an elder, especially the host would be disrespectful and is “bastos.”

Pagmamano dates as far back as the pre-colonial times and is a custom that is also used in neighboring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. The Philippines has a very rich culture mixing both Eastern and Western cultures that came from centuries of colonization. The term “mano po” comes from the spanish word “mano” which means hand, and “po” is a usual term used by Filipinos at the end of the sentence to show respect towards someone older or with more authority. Adding “po” to the end of a sentence is also a way of humbling and a sign of respect.

As Filipinos value family relationships and respect very much. Filipinos also have terms that they use to address specific people in society. “Ate” is a term used to call an older sister or older female cousin, even an elder female without biological or lawful relations to you. “Kuya” has the same use as “ate” except it refers to an older brother or older male cousin. “Auntie” or “tita” is used to address an aunt, mom’s friends, and a friend’s mom. “Uncle” or “tito” is the same, except it is directed towards males. Filipinos have more terms like lola, lolo, ninang, ninong, ma’am, sir, etc. which are all honorifics used towards older people. Having specific terms to address older people or people with a higher societal standing shows the amount of respect Filipinos have towards their elders or people that are more capable. Although Asian countries show high regard towards their elders, it’s not the same as in the Philippines where we have a gesture for it.

References

Anza, P. (2012, February 18). Filipino culture: Showing respect to ELDERS - Owlcation - education. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://owlcation.com/humanities/Filipino-Culture-Showing-Respect-To-Elders

Diep, N. (2019, November 12). Mano or Pagmamano - An "honoring gesture" in Filipino culture. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://vovworld.vn/en-US/cultural-rendezvous/mano-or-pagmamano-an-honoring-gesture-in-filipino-culture-800534.vov

Habito, C. (2017, December 26). 'Mano po' and other treasures. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://opinion.inquirer.net/109755/mano-po-treasures

Mayol, P. (2020, October 04). The historical treasure of "mano po" and why we do it. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://skiptheflip.com/the-historical-treasure-of-mano-po-and-why-we-do-it/