Tabo: The Toilet Paper Alternative in the Philippines: What is it and How to Use It

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 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.