A long hand broom being sold by a California-based tribal art shop online caught the attention of some Filipinos on social media.
Lawyer Emil Marañon on May 18 posted screengrabs of a webpage of Morgan Oakes Gallery which sells “authentic tribal art, decor, fashion and custom bases.”
The webpage featured a long, soft broom from the Philippines, which is said to have been made from reed and natural fibers in the 20th century.
It is being sold for US $575. US $1 is equivalent to P58 in today’s current exchange rate.
The broom has a space in the middle, indicating it is already worn out from usage.
Full soft brooms have bristles shaped like a triangle.
Over time, some bristles get loose from the handle due to constant usage, leaving the broom to appear like the one Marañon showed on social media.
“Who’s gonna tell them white people???” he wrote on the X (formerly Twitter) platform with a rolling-on-the-floor laughing emoji.
Who’s gonna tell them white people??? 🤣 pic.twitter.com/kCSBfZLhPM
— Emil (@13thFool) May 18, 2024
His post has earned 4,700 likes, 1,000 reposts and over 80 comments on the replies thread.
“20th-century naman daw, lol,” an online user commented, referring to the broom’s steep price.
“It’s vintage, hence the price po!” another X user exclaimed.
Others wondered if they should also sell their Filipino household items.
“Ampagkakaminahal? Is this my pagyaman opportunity? Sell rich people aesthetic Pinoy things?” another X user said.
“Perfect daw kasi ‘yung pagkakahati sa gitna. Maitabi na nga mga used walis tambo namin,” commented another Pinoy.
“I think I could sell my almaciga-hardened rag from 1995,” quipped another online user with a laughing emoji.
Some said that if a soft broom reaches such a state, it should be thrown out already as it can no longer effectively gather as much dust as before.
“‘Pag ganito na ‘yung walis, tinatapon na,” an online user commented to Marañon’s post.
“G***, ‘di na ‘to magagamit pangwalis eh,” another Pinoy wrote.
In Filipino households, there are two types of cleaning brooms that families use. One is the hard broom or the “walis tingting” while the other is the soft broom or the “walis tambo.”
The “walis tambo” is used for indoor cleaning, while the “walis ringing” is used outdoors to sweep large particles such as fallen leaves.
Although these types of brooms are also available in other countries, the soft broom is popular in Asia because the plants used for its bristles are more abundant there.
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