In lieu of handshakes, placing your right hand on your chest and bowing ever so slightly may soon be the “Filipino gesture of goodwill,” thanks to the recently passed House Bill 8149 or the “Bating Filipino Para Sa Kalusugan Act.”
The House bill makes the gesture the official alternative to handshake amid a pandemic when health protocols prohibit the usual tactile greetings.
Lawmakers voted 212 to 1 to pass the bill, with one abstention.
Marikina City Rep. Bayani Fernando, the author of the bill, breaks down the meaning of the proposed gesture: placing the hand over the chest is a universal gesture of good faith coming from the heart, while a slight bow is a traditional Filipino gesture of respect.
The bill covers all Filipinos as well as other persons in the country. All government agencies and instrumentalities are mandated to allocate their respective resources towards information dissemination to encourage Filipinos to practice the new gesture.