By: Sachiko Sasaki
Culture is way of living. It is also a path of believing that something or someone exist. You will know that it is a culture as long as a group of people agree with the idea of it and apply it with their daily basis. Culture is very significant, because I believe that culture represents what type of nationality and people we are by observing its knowledge, habit, manners, values, beliefs, law, etc. People could be aware what nationality we are and what country we were born and raised to. One of the examples of this is being a Filipino. There are a lot of amazing yet weird different types of cultures and practices that makes Filipinos totally unique.
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| Photo Credit: cherrymangos.blogspot.com |
Filipinos appreciates and gives importance to their practices and traditions despite the fact that some of their practices these days are just inherited from the colonizers of the Philippines before, these are the Spanish, American and Japanese people. There are also some practices that came from the ideas of the Filipino ancestors. There are two magnificent examples that I will tell and show you about Filipino cultures that Filipino people still applies it right now. These are the 'Pagmamano' and 'Po and Opo'. Pagmamano is simply a gesture while Po and Opo are the noun words. Pagmamano is a practice of Filipino people to show respect to the elderly, same goes to saying Po and Opo to the elderly. Po is a polite word often used together with the sentence or statement whenever you are talking to someone that is older than you, while Opo is a nice and polite way to say 'yes' in terms of Filipino language. Filipinos are known as being hospitality and respectful type of people because of their delightful characteristics. Such as being kind, friendly and generous to their families, friends and to the people that they do not know as well.
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| Retrieved from: http://www.mommypracticality.com/2013/08/teaching-good-manners-and-values-to-children.html |
PO AND OPO
I am a half Filipino and half Japanese 16 year old girl that is more fluent of being a Filipino rather than being a Japanese. I was born and raised in the Philippines, that is why I have adopted the Filipino type of attitude from what I have seen, heard and experienced from the people that was around me. Since I am living with my Mom here in the Philippines, I am with my Mom's family side as well and we have a provincial type of family. My family respect each other by treating and caing each other right. Especially doing pagmamano and saying po and opo to each and everyone to our family members. That is why I learned to apply these practices in my daily life with my family and friends that are always around me. Whenever I talk to someone older than me and especially to strangers, I talk to them with respect by adding Po and Opo on my statements, and of course the tone of how I speak should sound nice and sweet so that they would not misunderstood the feelings that I am trying to express and wont offend them.
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| Retrieved from: http://definitelyfilipino.com/blog/2013/05/wag-nang-mag-opo-part-ii/ |
PAGMAMANO
In Pagmamano, I usually do this every time I arrive from school to my house or from church to home and every time I visit my Lola's (Grandmother's) house as well. As soon as I get in to the house, I do this pagmamano to them by gently striking my Mom and my Lols's right hand onto my forehead as a sign for respect then they would eventually say "Kaawaan ka ng Diyos" which means "May God have mercy on you" in English. For me, this tradition is beautiful and very appropriate for the youth because it is basically asking for God's blessing and guidance.
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| Retrieved from: http://tekapnoy.blogspot.com/2008/01/respecting-elders.html?m=1 |
Filipino people is rich in customs and traditions because modern Filipinos still apply it on their daily lives and make the most out of it and in my opinion that shows the real spirit of being a Filipino. How about you? Do you also do pagmamano and say po and opo to the elders? What do you think of the Filipino's cultures and practices?
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| Retrieved from: http://cherryblossoms24.deviantart.com/art/APH-The-Many-Philippines-256657245 |
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