THE ALC Group has sought the revival of “Pagmamano,” a unique Filipino tradition, to instill in the young the love for the parents and elderly as a way to push peace within the homes and leave no room for the culture of impunity such as road rage in the metropolis.
Edgard Cabangon, chairman of ALC Group which is in various businesses that range from hotels to banks and media, sounded the call for the restart of a campaign on “pagmamano” where the young put the hand of their parents and elders to their forehead as a sign of love and respect.
By teaching the young this long-held tradition within the homes, Cabangon said “a culture of peace within the homes will evolve and from there possibly transform weapons of war into implements for peace.”
Cabangon made the pitch for the Pagmamano advocacy during a plenary session held by the Global Peace Foundation last week. He said this unique Filipino tradition had been ingrained in the past but is now unfortunately going by the wayside.
The advocacy is seen to resonate with other business groups due to its far-reaching potential for teaching the young to respect their elders. One of the attendees at the conference, Ambassador Rey Catapang, went so far as to have the Pagmamano advocacy transformed into a party list for its potential.
Cabangon said that “when peace is no longer equated with the absence of war but with the love for harmony, all nations will have the so-called peace dividends where war materiel becomes agriculture implements, tanks become pipes for irrigation, and nuclear armaments are converted into energy plants.”
The message of Cabangon, which was well received by students and professionals who attended the symposium at Manila Prince Hotel last week, is expected to reverberate in the boards of corporations and student bodies as the revival of this very Filipino tradition could lead to soul-searching on why there are now road rages and why there is now a culture of impunity that transcends the nation.
“Each nation has a different way of greeting. There is the Eskimo nose rub, the head bow, the palms together, and the handshake. We Filipinos have a better way of greeting and it conveys love and respect: We take the hand of our elder, place it on our forehead and that’s it,” Cabangon said.
“This Filipino tradition is more than a greeting. It speaks of honor. It conveys love. It transmits hope. It echoes respect. With all these ingrained in that singular act, peace will be in our hearts,” he added.
