Tao Po! / I am a human being!

Tao po directly translates to ‘human’ for the word tao, and po indicates respect (there is no English equivalent). “I am a human being” is the more common translation from Tagalog. This phrase is the polite way of requesting permission to enter a person’s home or private interior in the Philippines, similar to the gesture of knocking on a door.

Growing up in the Philippines, I accepted that this was a traditional courtesy when you are visiting someone. You say it to both check if somebody is home, as well as to let any potential people know that you are near. When considering the direct translation to English and how it has been recontextualized, I wondered: Do we have to assert this fact, that one is a human being?

It was then revealed to me that the use of the phrase Tao po! precedes the Spanish invasion of the Philippines. People would exclaim it from the outer fences of a person’s property (often gated to fend off intruders). Announcing oneself as a human being confirmed that the visitor is a person and is safe to invite inside. This was a superstitious measure to identify if the being trying to enter is an animal or supernatural. Only humans have the ability to utter the phrase.

The phrase has evolved into something less literal within the last century, as it has become a greeting in that it is used to signal recognition. Tao po is now akin to how Canadians (and many cultures outside of Canada) state “knock-knock,” which can sometimes be accompanied by the physical act of knocking on a door. The original intention of the phrase is now buried within history.

I still sometimes call out Tao po! when visiting others who understand the language—but muted in my mind is its literal translation. In brief moments while waiting for a response, I reflect on my own existence. -Christopher Dela Cruz.  Tao Po!/I am human is a collaboration between Christopher Dela Cruz and Midi Onodera

Christopher Dela Cruz is a Philippine-born, Scarborough-based artist whose works investigate the sociotechnical relationships between objects, identities, and aural cultures. His interdisciplinary practice is composed primarily of sound, electronics, kinetics, sculpture, and technology. Dela Cruz explores deconstructing sonic signatures within acoustic landscapes and objects and examines the function of technology within the realms of interculturality. Dela Cruz has exhibited and performed in public and commercial galleries, as well as contributions to internationally exhibited works. Dela Cruz currently works in Scarborough as the ACM Technician for the Department of Arts, Culture, Media in the University of Toronto, and the Audio Director of Festival Italiano di Johnny Lombardi at CHIN Radio/TV International.