@carlo- I think Filipino are just too concerned with titles

@markku- I know you don’t call me Tita. haha.

Seriously though, a lot of non-Tagalog Filipinos are not used to using “po” and “opo,” especially those who grew up in their native province. In my case, I learned to use them because I basically grew up in Manila, though I still speak good Cebuano. I don’t think it automatically follows that failure to use “po” and “opo” suggests lack of politeness. In this case, the cliche “actions speak louder than words” holds very true.

I believe that using those words doesn’t denote politeness nor respect. It simply is something Filipinos were used to.

Just my two cents

@jane- i don’t even know how to use mano.

@yoru- aww that’s okay. Whatever you feel comfortable. But I always feel bloggers are equal

@jozzua- haha you and rico are so guilty of saying “po”

Of course, I’m one of the people guilty of this, and you have reminded me many times not to do that because you jokingly said, it makes you feel old.

I now realize that… I’ve come to say “PO” and “OPO” now to everyone I want to be polite to those I respect.

Pagbiyan mo na lang PO ako kung ganun PO ako.

“Ma’am” and “sir” are a protocol in the military and so I’ve grown to call almost everyone I meet “Ma’am” instead of “Miss” or “manang” or “ate”. And I also get used to being called “Ma’am”.

In my new job, not everyone calls me “Ma’am” anymore, some address me by my nick and some “Miss Mitch”. The funny and quite irritating thing though is when your superiors call you “Ma’am”. I mean, please, I already find it pa-cute when they call you “Miss” instead of your given name.

With you, Ms. Noemi, I don’t ever think I could call you “Noemi” without the honorific. ;^^

Finally I got myself to bloghop.

First, I’d like to thank you for coming to my site always (at least my MBL shows your face always). I hope there is something that you find of value to YOU.

Regarding your post, I remember my mom. We were raised having English as the mother tongue so “yes, ma’am” and “yes, sir” are the common communication respect for the elder or someone in office. I learned Tagalog when I finally got into first grade in a public school (no private school experience here),

My parents are disciplinarians. I’ve often heard her remark when she hears someone talking to someone older without the ‘po’ and/or ‘opo’ that probably the said person is from the Visayas, generalizing the trait. My husband, thought he lived his whole life in Manila, earned the same comment from my mom. His mom is from Leyte. He now knows how to use po and opo out of not wanting to offend others.

Here in San Pedro, the locals (those who lived their lives here) are VERY respectful in terms of addressing someone. You will often hear vendors call EVERYONE ‘ate’ or ‘kuya’ even if they are much younger. A senior citizen woman who is a neighbor calls me ‘ate’ offering her husband’s trike service, so it’s still more of servant to customer relationship and respect.

I believe that calling someone on a first-name basis is rather sweet. It denotes closeness. It’s easy to see by one’s utterance if he or she is disrespectful or not but sometimes, it’s better not to offend so it’s still safer to address ma’am or sir unless, like in your case, you let it be known you don’t like it.

I’d rather be called by my name too. My nick is fine too since in the blogosphere ‘C5′ is just me and no one else. I share the name, though, with mere non-humans: a bomb and a hiway.