Mano po is similar to the act of bowing in other Asian cultures.
Respect is also reflected in how people speak to one another. In my community, young people refer to older friends and family members as "Nong" for men and "Nang" for women. My host sister refers to her cousin as Nang despite being younger by only a few weeks! In many areas of the country, people refer to women as "Ate" (ah-tay), meaning "sister,” or "Kuya" (koo-yah) for men, meaning “brother.” These familial terms are used not only at home, but in public, too. I use "Nang" or "Ate" when I buy food from women at my market, or "Nong" and "Kuya" for bus drivers and shop owners. This use of family names gives a sense that everyone in my community is part of one big family!
Family Nicknames
One of my favorite features of Filipino family life is nicknames. Parents and friends commonly give nicknames to children that stick around for life! Almost everyone has a nickname tied to something funny they did or said as a child. Many people’s nicknames are also related to their physical appearance (height, weight or facial features), or are a play-on-words of their given name.
My host brother is named Nathan, but his family calls him “Bingo” because he was the first grandson in the family. When I asked how they decided on the nickname, my host parents said, “It is because we won the jackpot!” One of my neighbors goes by “Bea,” a shortened version of her full name, Judy Beatrice. Names are sometimes based on physical appearances, too.
