In the beginning of time, snakes were believed not to possess venom as they do now. For which reason, they were not feared nor respected. They were often shoved away and killed. Given their undignified state, they longed to be protected in some way or another to dissuade man and beast alike from murdering them by numbers.
Thus, one day the golden cobra or ulupong the undisputed king of snakes prayed and asked for some form of safeguard from Bathala for their kinds. At first, Bathala ignored his request.
One day, the God (Bathala) descended to earth and brought with him venoms to give away to the snakes. The first to obtain the venom was the cobra that explains why its venom it the most lethal of all. Each one of the other snakes also obtained his share of venom, though in decreasing potency, except for the green snake or Dahong Palay, who was late in learning about the free distribution of venom.
When he came to the place where venoms have been giben out, the only thing left of the venom supply were drops of it remaining in the bamboo mug Bathala left hanging around the bark of a certain palm tree. In his earnest desire to possess venom like all other snakes, he took the mug over so that its remaining contents dropped out on the bark of the tree. There was just too little left to drink or even lick with his tongue. Had he arrived earlier, Bathala would have him drank the venom as did the other snakes. After circle below around the bark of the tree so he could at leasd wipe the green-colored venoms against his scaly skin.
It is not surprising that the green snake, as its name suggests, appears green all over owing to the green-colored venom it painted to its body. Though found on its skin, and not inside its mouth near the fangs as all other snakes do, the venom remains poisonous to those who bite or come in contact with its skin. Thus, it possesses a serious threat to those of its enemies who tried to attack him, and provided the necessary protection for the green snakes that came after him are born equipped with the venom on their skin, which along with their pair of sharp fangs elicits natural fear in everyone of us toward them, and commands our respect for their kinds for all times to come.