Filipinos are known for being very polite. This is very evident in the way most of us communicate. Our upbringing taught us to recognize age, hierarchy, order in the family, title, and job position, when communicating. Our voice tone varies and depends on who we are talking to. The tone of voice and loudness may be low when talking to someone we should be respectful of.
A Pinoy may talk to his Nanay (mother) using an entirely different tone from when talking to a friend. A confident and loud voice may be seen as disrespect.
Aside from the tone of voice, we also consciously add the term Po at the end of our sentences. Examples are, “Excuse me, po.” or “Thank you, po.”
Po is a polite expression. We have been taught by our parents to use it when we talk to someone older, stronger, or more powerful than us. We also use Opo, which is equivalent to ‘Yes”, when answering. A person, especially a kid or someone young, who answers a plain Oo (another term for Yes) may be seen as disrespectful and has not been properly trained by the parents.
Even when we get older, we still feel the need to talk with Po and Opo, so don’t be surprised if you hear a Filipino end a sentence with Po or answer you with Opo. We just want to show our respect.
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