Let’s just say that this misconception has definitely been perpetuated by bad education and a lack of knowledge of pre-colonial and even colonial practices. There are so many reasons as to why the tradition of pagmamano, or bless is actually a precolonial tradition.
1. Despite the Spanish word for “hand” or “mano”, the tradition is unique to societies mostly within maritime Southeast Asia. It is not only practiced in the Philippines but is also seen in neighboring Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The tradition is called sungkem or salim in Indonesia and salam in Malaysia. The fact that this gesture is common among these nations shows common ancestry and a shared history of trade and contact. You could argue that this gesture originated from Arab traders based on the name it's given in Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Pagmamano in the Philippines, Pagmamano (in Tagalog), also goes by Amin in Cebuano, Siklod in Kapampangan, Siyom in Maranao. This honoring gesture is done to elders in the family.
- Salim or sungkem, a gesture in Indonesia done towards elders. It is practiced mainly by Islamic groups as well as in Bali.
- Salam in Malaysia is done to elders. The hand of the elder goes to the forehead of the younger person.
2. The Spanish literally recorded the gesture being practiced by natives upon their arrival and within the early colonial period.
Fr. Pedro Chirino, Relacion de Islas Filipinas (1604)
"Of the civilities, terms of courtesy, and good breeding among the Filipinos. Chapter XVI...As among them it is not courtesy to remain standing before a person whom they respect, they seat themselves upon the ground, or rather on their heel-bones. Seated in this way, with head uncovered and the potong thrown like a towel over the left shoulder, they talk with their superiors. The mode of salutation upon entering or meeting anyone is as follows: They draw the body together and make a low reverence, raising one or both hands to the face, and placing them upon the cheeks; they next sit down waiting for the question that may be put to them, for it is considered bad manners to speak before one is spoken to."
Fr. Juan de San Antonio, Cronicas (1738)
"422. The natives of these islands employ innumerable other elegancies and courtesies, now in actions, now in words, now in names and titles, which they apply to themselves; these are various according to the difference of the provinces, and are too numerous to mention, for they are ceremonial, and they value their ceremonies highly. No one will pass in front of another, without asking permission, and in order to pass, he doubles the whole body with the most profound bow, at the same time lifting one foot in the air, and doubling the knee and lifting both hands to the face. If one has to talk to any person of higher rank, he shows all reverence and squats down [pone en cuclillas], with raised face, and waits thus, until he is asked his reason for coming; for to speak without being questioned would be a point of bad breeding."
It should be worth noting the Spanish were meticulous note-takers when it came to exploring their colonies. It’s how we know so much about pre-colonial customs. Also, note how the Spanish chroniclers never stated here that they “taught the natives to do it to priests to be subservient.” The gesture they saw was based on their observations of the native's interactions with one another.
- Tagalog and Visayan nobles as shown in the Boxer Codex. These people illustrated most likely practiced the more ancient form of mano po as written about by Spanish explorers.
3. If the Spanish introduced the gesture to the Philippines, then it would make logical sense that all the other former Spanish colonies would still practice it, or it would even exist throughout their colonies. Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Argentina would even have this practice. But looking at their cultures and their histories, it seems that this gesture in Latin America is nonexistent. The closest similarity would be kissing the ring of the pope in the Catholic tradition, but even then, it is still a different practice from what is seen in the Philippines.
- It’s also interesting to note that Mexicans and Filipinos make up quite an immigrant population in the United States, so there is most likely a lot of cross-cultural exchange going on. Given their shared colonial past, you would think that this specific gesture would be one of the ways that they see common ground by now. But it shows that the pagmamano gesture is foreign to Latin Americans.
4. Logic also follows that this tradition would exist in Spain. Again, there are no recorded instances of this specific practice existing in Spain. Hypothetically, it may have been part of al-Andalus when Spain was ruled by Muslims who might have practiced this gesture.
And even if it did at some point, why didn’t Spanish people in the 16th century practice it anymore? What would make the new Catholic monarchs of Spain want to continue this “Islamic” practice in their domain when they were already making plans to get rid of Muslims in the kingdom? And furthermore, when the Spanish recorded the gesture, why didn’t they liken it to anything they practiced back home?
All the evidence of this practice goes back to contact and trade with the rest of maritime Southeast Asia, and cements the idea that the mano gesture goes back to the arrival of Spanish people to the Philippines.
- Spaniards engaging in sandugo with the datu of Bohol.
