The Elderly And The Way They're Treated In Our Cultures

It's without a doubt that the population of the elderly, as of 2018, is increasing. As of 2018, the world's elderly population, 65 and over, is at 8.5%. By 2050, it is estimated that nearly a sixth of the world's population (17%) will be people aged 65 and over (US National Institutes of Health). Since this is an issue that is rising today in our world, a question that arises is, 'How are the elderly treated around the world?' These are some ways where the elderly are treated from where we come from.

Daniel and Rachel are Indonesians, while Renfred and I (Gerard) are Filipinos. We have noticed that in our cultures, the elderly are treated similarly. Since the Philippines and Indonesia are both located in Southeast Asia, the way we treat our elderly is basically the same.

1. Respectful Language

Whenever younger people address people from older generations, they tend to talk to them with formal language. Instead of using slang, they talk in a respectful, formal manner. In the Tagalog language from the Philippines, when a younger person talks to anyone older than them, they add an extra word at the end called 'po'

For example:

When saying thank you to someone else around the same age range:

"Salamat."

When saying thank you to someone older than them.

"Salamat, po."

The word 'po' does not have an exact meaning but it is added to the end of a phrase or a sentence to show respect towards the other person.

In Tagalog there is a respectful way of saying 'yes' as well. Informally, in Tagalog, the people say "Oo" (oh-oh), which is the same as saying "Yeah" or "Sure, man" in English. However, when a person talks formally to someone who is their senior, they change "Oo" to "Opo".

For example:

When talking informally,

"Oo, may bigas ako." ("Yeah, I have rice.")

When talking formally and/or to seniors,

"Opo, may bigas po ako." ("Yes, I do have rice.")

In Indonesian, there aren't any specific words that are used when speaking to the elderly. Formal language is always used as a sign of respect and acknowledging the dignity of the elderly.

When talking formally:

"Ini adalah kursi Anda."

When talking informally:

"Ini adalah kursimu."

Both sentences have the same meaning, This is your chair, however, Anda is more formal rather than adding -mu to the end of kursi, which means chair.

2. Kissing the hand

It is a custom in some Southeast Asian countries to "kiss the hand" of their relatives that are a lot older than them. The custom is seen in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

In the Philippines, since it is a dominantly Catholic country, children would go up to their parents and grandparents and ask for their hand so they can kiss it after Sunday mass. People also do it when greeting friends' parents or older relatives. It is a sign of respect that is passed down from generation to generation that emphasizes to give respect to elders through the action of hand kissing.

In Indonesia, not every household performs kissing the hand to elders. It is more common for Muslim people to kiss the hand of their parents or their grandparents or anyone older than them, contrary to the Philippines, where it isn't a matter of religion. Both Christians and Muslims in the Philippines kiss the hand of the elderly.

Sources:
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/worlds-older-population-grows-dramatically