Palm over chest: Bill pushing for ‘new, safe’ Filipino gesture of respect filed in Senate

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Richard Gordon has filed a bill that seeks to create a “new Filipino gesture” of goodwill, reverence and praise to be used by Filipino citizens while following protocols for health.

Under Gordon’s Senate Bill No. 2043, a “new and safe gesture of respect, goodwill, and praise shall be observed and performed through the simple act of gracefully laying the palm of the right hand over the center of one’s chest while simultaneously lowering the head.”

In the bill’s explanatory note, Gordon said the new normal brought by the pandemic should not be the end of Filipino hospitality and goodwill but rather an enhancement of these Filipino characteristics.

“We Filipinos are known for our hospitality and goodwill. We always take our time to give a cheerful greeting to the people we know, from a simple handshake to a homely ‘beso-beso.’ In the same light, we also like to show our affection and praise to those who deserve it, may it be a pat on the back, a high-five, or even a hug with our arms wide-open,” he said.

“Unfortunately, the pandemic has changed a lot of our ways and we must now adjust to the ‘new normal,’ one where limited social contact is needed if we are to protect not just ourselves but also everyone about us,” he added.

Citing “numerous studies,” the senator noted that respiratory viruses, especially COVID-19, “can be passed by shaking hands and other physical [contacts].”

“Thus we must resort to other ways to greet one another or to show our affection, respect, and praise to the people around us,” he said.

If enacted into law, the measure would also require all government agencies and instrumentalities to “allocate their respective resources for information dissemination and to encourage the practice of the new gesture.”

Only last month, the House of Representatives approved a similar measure.

READ: Bill institutionalizing ‘new, safe’ Filipino gesture of respect OK’d in House

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