History of the Tabo

WRITTEN BY FRANCESA JANA SANTIAGO

How can something so ordinary be so versatile and historically significant? That’s right! We’re talking about the Tabo. To Filipinos of today, the Tabo is more than just a tool for cleaning your butt; It’s an all-purpose household object utilized in bathing, hand washing and chores such as cleaning the floor or gardening. But during the Spanish colonial era, the Tabo wasn’t used for toilet matters or even those other mentioned activities. Back then, it was made out of a coconut shell attached to a long bamboo and was only used to conserve water which was commonly a scarce resource. 

Essentially, the Tabo demonstrates the Filipinos’ value with cleanliness and it’s only recently that it was relegated to the bathroom. The modern Tabo is a part of the Americans’ introduction of plastic to the Filipinos. Since then, it’s been mass-produced and sold everywhere from the market stalls to even department stores, both in the Philippines and in Filipino areas of America! So the next time you see your house’s Tabo, make sure to give it a thumbs up because Tabo culture is Filipino culture! And just like the Filipino, it’s adaptable wherever it goes.

Speaking of which, check out One Down’s original series “BREAKING THE TABO”, where we talk real sh*t about controversial topics on Filipino culture! You can also support our work through our Patreon.