THE LEGEND OF WALIS TAMBO




In the southern part of Luzon there is a small town known for its vast field of phragmites reed or also known as talahib and coconut trees it is the Walis town. Coconut is their primary source of income; Walis people produce oil, vinegar, walis ting-ting, and lumber from it, and use its leaves for walls, roofs and designs. The houses’ roofs were commonly made of coconuts leaves with various patterns of weave and some were thatched roofs made of talahib but mostly made of coconut leaves; however talahib are mostly considered as weeds. As coconut is considered a tree of life every single part of it is being used, particularly its ting-ting being used as walis to clean the houses’ backyard and its inside. Their houses were elevated and have bamboo flooring. It cleans the house efficiently. The town became a more prosperous place in southern Luzon under the leadership of Ambo or also called Tatang Ambo.

As time went by as Walis town became a producer of various coconut products across the country their houses became more modern and made of concrete and metals as their roof. Now the Talahib (phragmites reed) have completely no purpose to the town. Walisian people gathered regarding the non stop growing vast and faster of the talahib in the marshes and it reached the community’ backyard, plantation and farm land.



“ What are we going to do with these talahib? My plants are all dying,...