This Friday morning, my sister and I decided to go to our barangay hall for our National ID appointment. We woke up at 6:30 am and arrived at our destination at 6:45 am. When we arrived there, the queue line was not long, but I noticed something while waiting for my turn.

Most of the helpers in the barangay were over 50 years old. Some of them were the Lolo in the entrance who checked if people brought the requirements with them, the Lola who guided us where to go next, and another Lolo at the exit gate.

As I talked with the Lolo in the entrance and the Lola that guided us, I used "po and opo." The typical way of Filipinos when talking to  elders and I also slightly bowed my head to show respect.

Aside from them, there some elders who needed help on the process because they were not informed much/knowledgeable enough with the process. So when I saw an elder beside me who was confused, I helped him with respect and courtesy, as the helpers in the barangay hall lacked.

After all the process, my sister and I finally went home holding a piece of paper containing our QR code for our National ID.

The simple action I did towards the elders in the barangay hall was related to Confucian teaching, the Li. Its second concept, the code of proper conduct. It is where relationships between people have a defined attitude towards each other. It is a norm of proper social behavior,  and it influenced the public by serving as a guide such as respecting elders.

Although in our country, this kind of practice has been rooted since then. It is good to know that our Asian neighbors also have this practice rooted in their philosophy on respecting elders.

Thank you!