No more mano po, handshakes under House bill

MANILA, Philippines — A measure seeking to institutionalize a new Filipino gesture of respect and praise, replacing the mano and handshake under the new normal, has been approved by the House of Representatives.

The plenary approved on second reading House Bill 8149, or the proposed “Bating Pilipino Para sa Kalusugan Act,” which aims to reduce physical contact and prevent transmission of disease.

The bill, authored by Marikina City Rep. Bayani Fernando, proposes a new gesture wherein the palm of the right hand would be laid over the chest while simultaneously lowering the head, with eyes either closed or cast down.

Fernando, former Marikina mayor and chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority, said the placing of hand over chest is a universal gesture of good faith coming from the heart, while a nod is a traditional Filipino gesture of respect.

He said the medical profession has established that the traditional, well-meaning and innocent gesture of handshake transmits diseases and is a risk to one’s health.

The measure covers Filipino citizens and all other persons in the Philippines.

All government agencies and instrumentalities are mandated to allocate resources for information dissemination and encourage the practice of the new gesture.