Pagmamano

A scene that may seem rather peculiar to the foreign traveller is when Filipino children come up to their parents or grandparents upon arriving home or seeing them, and instead of greeting them with a hug or a kiss, they take the elder’s hand and places the back of it to their forehead. This gesture is known as pagmamano. It is an act of respect, usually done to someone either older or a person of the religious order (usually a priest). It is usually accompanied by saying ‘mano po’, mano meaning ‘hand’ in Spanish and po, a particle in Filipino speech used to express respect. This saying is used to ask for the elder’s hand, followed by a slight bow and the act of touching the hand to the forehead. People do this action as if to receive the elder’s blessing, to which they would normally reply, ‘God bless you’. Pagmamano is like the Filipino counterpart to Japan’s bowing and Spain’s double cheek kiss.