Tabo: The Toilet Paper Alternative in the Philippines

[quik1987]

 

[ricerocket1]

ha ha ha first i was like this dude just misspelled taboo...then i read the whole thing...%!$!? ha ha ha funny stuff...i was born in the motherland (P.I) wentback for the first time since i was 6...first thing i asked was where's the toilet paper but they didn't have the working toilet though so you gottasplash water to the bowl in order for it to go down...im coming back this december and i bought them a brand new toilet!!!

 

[j671]

Originally Posted by the north west

This isn't only in the Philippines

true

 

[mateen cleaves]

yea i wouldnt do that

 

[sole trooper]

hahahahahahaa

 

[apollo xxxiii]

Real talk: Me and my parents have been living in Canada for a while now and they still use the tabo.

 

[mrslight]

when I went to visit family in Nicaragua they had a little shed in the back of the house or at the farms with a hole in the ground.

 

[bamez]

just get a bidet attachment on your toilet. its great

 

[doosta45]

Originally Posted by Dirtylicious

...only in the provinces

yep

my ex's parents were born in the Philippines and they had a tabo in one of their three bathrooms. one day i told my ex i had to !#*! and she thought itwould be funny to tell me to go to the one with the tabo. upon entering, i noticed the bucket of water and no toilet paper in site. i figured i drop this logand ask for toilet paper when im done.

i ask where the toilet paper, she tell me i got to use the tabo, im like the hell is that, she like the bucket ofwater. i THOUGHT about it, but was lilke nah get me that toilet paper yo.

they only kept that in there when her cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc from the philippines came through.

 

[king au]

I live in canada, and i got lots of filipino friends but when i go to their house and see this in their bath/rest/comfort/washroom i go from giving themhandshakes to daps.

 

[send one]

i go from giving them handshakes to daps.

 

[The_Isomotion31]

some of these responses literally having me dying over here.


for the record I have used one before. didn't know exactly how to do it though. I heart toilet paper.

 

[dyzzle]

bidet + toilet paper =

i'm filipino but i dont know how to use that...

 

[stick]

Originally Posted by proper english

yea i don't understand this whole tabo thing.. my cousin was bron here and he stay using one of those.. dude is talking about sticking his finger up there to get extra clean.
:gasface

But,

 

[wallyhopp]

unless its a plumbing issue, i would do a combo of both. water splash+ TP.

around my way, many mexicans have a bad tendency to put their used TP in the trashbin.. Having seen that, i would definetly say this water tabo method isbetter when plumbing is an issue.

 

[gully gabe]

Originally Posted by quik1987

this gif get me every time......
i will stick to toilet paper...dont want to feel my crap in my hand

 

[Thats My Word]

 

[westcoastsfinest]

the tabo FTW...still use it

 

[marionthebarberian]

Originally Posted by MrsLight

when I went to visit family in Nicaragua they had a little shed in the back of the house or at the farms with a hole in the ground.

i prefer this..because its usually quite and peaceful in the back..and you dont have to worry about putting in work and having the toilet overflow.

 

[jlab0ch0]

My parents used to make fun of me for NOT doing this. I'm pro-choice!

 

[sdfbheat]

I'll pass.....

*Cam* "go get ya wet wipes" *Cam*

 

[androoow]

Tabo for the W and L

 

[klipschorn]

Originally Posted by MR MONDAY NIIGHT

Originally Posted by Tetsujin23

What is a tabo? Pronounced tah-bow, a close translation to English would be a water dipper. In the Philippines, it is what one uses in place of toilet paper, and for many tourists may be an item of confusion. Toilet paper is available here, but you will typically find a large pail or timba (tim-bah) sitting in the corner of your friend's restroom as well as in many public restrooms. Don't let this frighten you because now you will know what it is and you are going to know how to use it after reading this article! The tabo is basically equivalent to a manual bidet. If you are visiting the Philippines for any length of time, learning how to use one can save you a lot of embarrassment. First off, let us discuss a Philippine toilet. Some flush, some you flush with the tabo. Some have seats, while others are just the bowl.

Are you wondering what to do if there is just a bowl and you need to have a bowel movement? No fear, because you are going to get your answer here. First of all, you do not sit on the bowl, you basically perch on the edge of it, and no worries about getting your clothes soiled, see that hook on the bathroom door? That is for you to hang your underwear and pants on. Yes, you just take them off to keep them tidy. Before you start, make sure the timba or pail that the tabo is floating in has plenty of water. If not, just turn on the spigot and let it fill while you do your business. Now perch with both feet (shoes or sandals on of course) on the edge of the bowl and squat and do your business. Now that you're done with that, we will use the tabo.

Okay this might be a little scary or seem gross the first few times you do it, but to a culture that uses the tabo every day, using only toilet paper seems quite disgusting and less than sanitary. Dip your tabo in the water to fill it up. Now, many people like to get a little soap on

http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/khloe kardashian


their hand to use for the cleansing. Use one hand and slowly dump plenty of water on your buttocks from behind and above your buttocks while still perched on the toilet and use the other hand by reaching around and giving your buttocks a good quick up and down scrub. Repeat until you feel clean. When you are done, if you have a bit of tissue with you, pat dry and wash your hands well. It is not too bad at all, and after doing it a few times and realizing how clean and fresh you feel- you will not want to go back to using just toilet paper again. Do not forget to dip water with the tabo to flush the toilet until the water is clear again.

I am an American, born and raised and moved to the Philippines at 30 and I can guarantee you that you will feel much cleaner after you have gotten used to cleansing in this manner. If we have toilet paper in our house, I typically only use it to dab any water from the rim of the toilet, because I have not learned how to perch well so still sit on just the rim, don't worry, I keep a bottle of disinfectant spray in our bathroom, or as we call it here the "comfort room" or C.R. I also use the tissue to pat dry at the end.

Now you have learned to use the tabo and do not have to worry about asking someone how to clean yourself or where the toilet paper is. I hope this guide has been useful to all my world travelers, and by the way, the Philippines is not the only country that has alternatives to cleaning your buttocks after using the restroom. Hope to see future visitors to this beautiful and hospitable country leave comments if this article was helpful for you. I will be working on more guides for you as time permits. Happy travels! One last minute tip; always carry some loose pesos with you, as some restrooms are pay restrooms.

dudes dipping their hands in crap? no thanks.

I also assume your hands go no where near that area when you're in the shower neither.

 

[ac4three]

 

[xxlil ryanxx]

I personally can't do it...but my dad still does. He says he prefers it