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Tao Po
“Tao po” is a greeting of respect commonly used in Filipino culture. The meaning of this phrase may vary given the context of the sentence; however, in most scenarios it can be loosely translated to “Is there anybody home?” In the Filipino culture, it is a common practice to say this phrase whenever a person calls for somebody inside a house or while knocking at the door.

History
The use of the phrase “tao po” dates back to the pre-colonial times in the Philippines.

Early Filipinos believed that malicious spirits, such as aswangs and engakantos, freely roamed out in the open. This is why when a Filipino knocks on another’s door, they have to say “Tao po ako!” — literally meaning, “I am human” — to identify and declare himself human and not some supernatural creature who otherwise could not speak a human language.

Filipinos back then also usually lived in nipa huts, or also known as bahay-kubo, which had neither peepholes or door knockers. Saying “tao po ako!” thus became customary for Filipinos to alert the homeowners of their presence at their doorstep.

Over the years, the phrase “tao po ako” has eventually been shortened to “tao po.”

Filipinos at present still say, “Tao po!” when arriving at a person’s house, but, unlike the original phrase’s connotation, the utterance of this phrase now means “anybody home?” or “a person is at the gate.”

Superstitiousness
The superstitious roots of the phrase “Tao Po” is not unfounded as Filipinos are known to be superstitious people even before the Spanish came. In History of the Filipino People, Filipino historian Gregorio F. Zaide remarks:

“Being superstitious, [pre-colonial] Filipinos read omens in the appearance of crows, crocodiles, and birds. Comets they believed to be a harbinger of bad luck like famine, epidemic, or war. Likewise, the howling of a dog or the falling of a tree at night was an omen of death. Sneezing before the start of a journey also foretold death or an accident along the way.”

Respect
“Tao Po” is known to be often said before a person enters a house, but it is also a way for asking for permission to be invited onto the premises. M.C. Canlas points out that this expression of respect is rooted in the Filipino proverb: “Madaling maging tao, mahirap magpakatao.” (English translation: “It is easy to be a man. It is difficult to be human.”) In the Filipino culture, respect for the other is evidently considered a highly esteemed virtue.

Common Usage
“Tao Po” is a very flexible phrase that can be interpreted differently in various contexts. As such, there are multiple ways that this can be used in a sentence. “Tao Po? May Tao po ba dito” (Is there anybody home?”) “Tao Po? Kamusta?” (Is there anybody home? How are you!) “Tao Po! Mamasko po!” ( Hello! We are going carolling here) In this example “Tao Po” is interpreted as a form of greeting like “hello.”

Related Phrases

 * 1) “Tabi, Tabi Po”
 * 2) “Puwera Usog”