Netizens share scary experiences after 'tao po' tweet goes viral

MANILA, Philippines – Did you know that the seemingly harmless practice of saying “tao po” everytime we knock on doors has a hair-raising origin?

Palanca award-winning writer Jerry Gracio’s explained the eerie origin of the phrase in a tweet that has quickly gone viral in several social media sites. Recounting his recent conversation with his partner, Gracio said that the phrase actually came from a superstition involving unwelcome visitors. “Tao po”, a phrase commonly uttered by Filipinos when knocking on doors, is said to indicate that a human and not a supernatural being wants to enter the house.

Kanina, he tells me: "Kagabi, may kumatok, madaling araw."

I had to tell him, "H'wag mo bubuksan ang pinto. Alam mo ba kung ba't pag kumakakatok nagsasabi ng 'tawo' or 'tao po'?"

"Bakit?" he asks.

"Para malaman ng nasa loob ng bahay na tao ang kumakatok at hindi engkanto."

— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) March 23, 2021

Kanina, he tells me: "Kagabi, may kumatok, madaling araw."

I had to tell him, "H'wag mo bubuksan ang pinto. Alam mo ba kung ba't pag kumakakatok nagsasabi ng 'tawo' or 'tao po'?"

"Bakit?" he asks.

"Para malaman ng nasa loob ng bahay na tao ang kumakatok at hindi engkanto."

Gracio’s anecdote is further supported by a 2018 entry of Philippine historian Ambeth Ocampo in his newspaper column “Looking Back”. According to Ocampo, the practice dates back to Spanish times.

Ocampo explained: “Doors then had no peekholes as we have today, so before opening the door to let the ‘knocker’ in, one had to make sure it was not a wild animal, which couldn’t speak and identify itself as ‘tao’ (human).”

“Our ancestors also believed that many dangers lurked outside the safety of their homes, so doors were not opened to ‘aswang,’ elementals and evil spirits that, like animals, could not say ‘Tao po!’ to trick the household into letting them in,” he added.

Although many were surprised, several netizens agreed with Gracio’s anecdote saying that the same belief has been passed down to them by their grandparents. Many even shared their personal scary experiences.

Here are some of them:

Naalala ko nung bata pa ko, may kumatok sa kwarto ng ate ko ng 3x, binuksan nya walang tao. Then she asked us kinabukasan kung sino yung kumatok, walang sumagot. Nagalit tita ko, sabi nya bat daw binuksan. Masama daw yung 3x na katok, means nanunundo daw yun. Now wala na ate ko.

— Sunflower (@winzeiyo) March 25, 2021

(2) wala na daw yung pinsan nya, and pangalan ng lola ko yung sinasabi bago nawalan ng hininga, ang kwento ng tumawag sabi daw ng pinsan ng lola ko, "Ida, ako 'to, buksan mo 'tong pinto. Ida, ida.."

— Menchie (@maichardlungs) March 25, 2021

no'ng bata pa ako, naranasan ko 'to sa dati naming bahay. sa sala kami natutulog and nando'n din 'yong main door. ang weird kasi no'ng binuksan ko 'yong pinto, wala namang tao o kahit na ano, may ilaw kami sa labas ng bahay aT MAY ANINO NG MALAKING TAO

may gate kami.

— Irth Laggui (@irthralgia) March 24, 2021

Tsinempuhan ko na pagtunog ay sabay bukas ng pinto. Nagulat ako sir kasi pucha walang tao. Sinabihan ako ng senior ko na wag na daw ulitin yun at bantayan ko ang pasyente ko. Malamang ay nanunundo daw iyun ng pasyente. Ang nakakakilabot. Eksaktong 3am iyin.

— Rudolph Franz (@aircanda) March 24, 2021

Same! Had an experience din, I was in hs. Galing pa ako sa cr, then may kumatok sa main door. Tapos tumakbo na ako papasok sa kwarto. Bakit? Kasi Yung pinto namin, screen door tapos tsaka lang Yun wooden door namin. Ang kumatok ng 3 times, ang rinig ko sa wooden door.

— Chuchaypop-Closing.(finishing pending orders) (@ChuchayPOP) March 25, 2021

I had this experience this Feb lng. Sa province, usually yung CR is nasa labas. It was 12MN nung umihi ako ng biglang may sumitsit. As in parang nasa tabi ko lang at akala ko kapated ko. When I checked his room, andon nmn sya tulog. Dun nagtayuan balahibo ko sa batok.

— 𝓓𝓮𝔁𝓽𝓮𝓻 (@Dexter_Magno) March 25, 2021

Grabe 15 mins na ata yun na may katok, di ko binilang intervals. Pero nung narealize kong tingnan sa bottom ng pinto for anino, gagi wala. Clear. Kinilabutan na ako. Hanggang ngayon goosebumps talaga. Nakakakilabot. Kinaumagahan, naglagay kami ng asin at barya sa pinto&bintana.

— NOW!!!#StopBullshittingPh (@ANNEsoTiredOf) March 25, 2021

Wala pa akong maalala. Di ko na nga rin maalala kung kay Plasencia ko nabasa itong tao po origin.

Common story ang mga katok sa pinto.
One time, I was in Bacolod, staying in a seminary for training. Alone in the room, i heard a voice outside calling me: "Jerry, let's go." --

— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) March 24, 2021

— Mini, The Summit Express