What's a PHILTRUM?
By Toni
@toniganzon (82000)
Philippines
August 17, 2026 6:33am CST
Didn't know there is such a term for that groove on our upper lip until I came across the word philtrum.
Have you heard of it?
Here's something funny that we all believed when we were kids.
We have this mythical human-like creature we called "tumawo" that is said to live in large trees. They can sometimes be walking among us and the only way to identify if one is a "tumawo" is when we don't see any groove on his or her upper lip!
We would check people's upper lip each and every single time then to know if they're humans or a mythical creature pretending to be one of us!
6 people like this
6 responses
@moffittjc (128590)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Aug
That’s a very interesting story with the mythical creatures! Did you ever find a tumawo? Lol
I couldn’t remember the word, but I was aware there was a name for that part of our lips.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (82000)
• Philippines
17 Aug
Now you won't forget it maybe.
And no, I haven't really found one! 
We usually stared at the lips of beautiful men and women. Coz our elders said tumawos are said to be perfectly beautiful.
We usually stared at the lips of beautiful men and women. Coz our elders said tumawos are said to be perfectly beautiful. 1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128590)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Aug
@toniganzon I like to stare at the lips of beautiful women. I like kissing them even more!
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (22547)
• United States
18 Aug
I didn't know that. That's a silly myth.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (82000)
• Philippines
17 Aug
Not a common word at all. But at least now you know.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (82000)
• Philippines
17 Aug
Yeah, it isn't the most common word in the world and we tend to neglect that groove on our upper lip.
1 person likes this
