Have you ever felt unsure or confused about what to do in social situations when you want to know the right and proper way to do something? There are many tips, depending on the kind of social occasion. The ones given below should prove helpful for many of them. Good manners convey not only breeding but also respect for self and respect for others.
● Close female friends may hug and kiss each other on the cheeks when they meet.
● For those who do not fall under that category, consider the following: greet the eldest or most important person first.
● A firm, brief, and confident handshake, with a warm smile, is the standard greeting. Avoid pumping the other person’s hand or giving a “wilted” and weak handshake or “fingershake.”
● It has become a habit among Filipinos to have “beso-beso” (buss or kiss on the cheek) not only among women but even between a man and woman. A younger person should wait to be bussed or kissed by an older woman; a woman who is junior in status, waits for the woman with a higher status to buss or kiss her. If the latter does not initiate, a friendly handshake suffices. A man always waits for a woman to give him her cheek. A young woman waits for an older man or a man with stature to initiate the manner of greeting.
● Maintain eye contact during the greeting. Avoid shaking the hand of a person while looking at another.
● Filipinos are very particular about titles and positions. Always address a person with his profession (i.e., Dr., Atty., Engineer, Architect, etc.) followed by the surname. Even past and present positions are appended to the surname of the person (i.e., Secretary, USEC, ASEC, Justice, Chief Justice, Judge, etc.) Never call a person by his first name or nickname unless invited to do so.
Mind your Manners, Part 2
Mind your Manners, Part 3
Mind your Manners, Part 4
Mind your Manners, Part 5