Po and Opo
Ok, since I just appropriated material from one of the forums I visit regularly, I think I’ll do it again. The following is from a post of mine in thepinoy.com on the practice of saying Po and Opo as a sign of respect for Filipino elders. Po (or ho) is something you tag on to a sentence when addressing older Pinoys. Opo (or oho), a variation on oo - the Filipino word for “yes,” is also used when addressing elders.
Personally, as kids growing up in Manila, we were never taught to say “Po” or “Opo.” It was never really emphasized. I never even called my older sisters “Ate.” I called them by their first names. I did address my parents as “Papa” and “Mama.”
Now that I’m older, I’ve taught myself to say “Po” and “Opo” thanks mainly to the influence of my wife. I’ve had to learn to use them with my parents-in-law and other Filipino elders in general. In fact, I’ve started using them with my parents as awkward as it may have sounded in the beginning. They only deserve to be treated with that type of respect, whether or not they have instilled it in us.
Now what puzzles me (and irks me somewhat) is when folks, especially those in Filipino-run stores (I live in the States) who don’t look any younger than me and oftentimes look a few years older than me, address me with “Po,” “Ho,” and “Opo.” Now is this a presumption of age on their part or simply a sign of courtesy given to a customer, no matter what age?
August 9th, 2003 at 5:44 am
hi!i am a seminarian and i am thinking of writing an article concerning these topics; po and opo. It concerns me nowadays because seemingly the use of these words are not very common now to young children, simply because parents do not teach them anymore. I am speaking of my place in bulacan. Even my nephews and nieces are not using them when they speak to me or to older people. I am quite uncomfortable because i grew up having in mind that these words are use to show respect. Through the changing of times, seemingly people do not care anymore.
September 19th, 2003 at 3:26 am
based on my observations,the usage of po and opo depends on the closeness of a person to another. many people do not use po and opo when talking to their parents primarily because they are close to them. when we talk to other people (like teachers, uncles and aunties), we use those words. basically, the use of po and opo has evolved into a different function other than respect.