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The Highly Respectful Filipinos: Mano Po Tradition

One of the most prominent traits of Filipinos is that they are very respectful people, especially when they are with the elders who are immensely praised and admired in the Philippines. Filipinos, being a tight-knit family, highly value respect because having respect for another person indicates that the relationship between them consists of a safe and loving foundation. The prevalence of being a respectful individual in the Philippines engendered the existence of a multitude of traditions that all serve as indications of being virtuous to others. These traditions come in many different forms with some being identifiable through the words used when speaking to elderly people, while others can be seen through one’s acts directed towards the elderly people. A notable tradition universally done by Filipinos is the act of doing “mano po”.

In Spanish, mano means ‘hand’, and when mano po is translated in English, this means “your hand, please”. Pagmamano, or the act of doing mano po, is carried out by taking an elder’s hand while bowing down slightly to bring your forehead to the touch of the back of the elder’s hand. Pagmamano is done whenever an individual sees an elder for the first time in a day, or when one enters a house of another person for a gathering. While there is no strict age requirement and limit to this traditional act, Pagmamano is being usually exercised towards those who are two or more generations older. Filipinos simply say mano po to initiate the gesture, and in return they verbally or silently receive the blessing of the person they are showing their respect to. While oftentimes this act is done to simply receive the blessing of an elderly, there are also instances wherein it is being done to ask for a gift from them, especially during the holiday season. Therefore, during Christmas or other special occasions, when one initiates the action of mano po, the elders are normally expected to provide a small token as a gift to him/her.

The tradition of doing mano po in the Philippines may be identified as the equivalent of the tradition of bowing in Japan, as well as the tradition of double cheek kissing in Spain, which are both gestures that demonstrate respect and are used to greet other people. Through these formed traditions, we are able to see how cultures from different countries develop differently and uniquely in comparison to one another.