Weird Filipino Hygiene Facts

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The Philippines, located near the equator, experiences harsh weather conditions, especially the infamous tropical heat. This heat naturally makes our skin crave for something cool and wet. Water. And as such, bathing is a natural pastime for many Filipinos. But modern bathrooms are a recent invention, so where did Filipinos go to have their business or a good ol’ scrubbing of their bodies? You’ll be surprised to learn more about it!

The Spaniards hated our love for bathing

The river was a source of living for many Filipinos... and also a place to do whatever business they have to do.

During the pre-colonial period, Fr. Pedro Chirino wrote down his observations of the bathing habits of pre-colonial Filipinos, to the point of admonishment. There, he described pre-colonial Filipinos as hygiene lovers who love to bathe in hot springs, rivers and other bodies of water.

“They bathe at all hours indiscriminately, for pleasure and cleanliness…” Pedro Chirino (1556-1635)

Fr. Chirino also noted down subtle cleaning habits, such as keeping jars filled with water near the porch so if a stranger or anyone from the household enters with muddy or dirtied feet, they could use the water inside the jar to clean their feet. Nifty, right?

Interestingly enough, soaps or shampoo that we know of today have not been invented yet. Such chemical products are yet to be created until the 19th century. Yet, Filipinos at the time used sesame oil to wash their hair - an effective substitute for well-known brands such as Pantene and Creamsilk.

The word ‘kubeta’ came from the system of collecting night soil

The word ‘kubeta’ was derived from the Spanish word, cubeta, meaning pail or bucket. Oddly enough, the practice of collecting human excretion only came with the arrival of the Americans during the early 20th century when they instituted sanitation reforms to improve the health and welfare of Manila and other cities at the time.

Despite the existence of plumbing, not everyone can afford to build modern toilets at the time, which makes us pretty lucky, if you think about it...

Soon, outhouses were erected for Filipinos to do their business on, containing a place to sit on and a hole so whatever comes out falls into the bucket. Every night, local authorities would pass by houses to collect the excreta to be used as fertilizers.

References

Ocampo, A. (2013). Baths in 16th-century Philippines. Inquirer. Retrieved from Baths in 16th-century Philippines | Inquirer Opinion

Filipina Architect Magazine. (2020). Pail Closet_Cubeta. Filipina Architect Magazine. Retrieved from Pail Closet_Cubeta - Filipina Architect Magazine

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