Malabon Citys Satan over St. Michael Statue

When I heard this story, I became interested. As well as feared of course. Satan - stepping over St. Michael?! It's kinda funny to think. I thought the creator just sculpted it by mistake, but if it was a mistake, then why he made it that way?

. . . And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old Serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceived the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him . . .
-------Revelations 12:7-9

The verse is describing a war in heaven about how St. Michael the Archangel defeated Satan. That's the bases of all the famous paintings and statues of St. Michael picturing his boldness and strength, symbolizing the power of light over darkness. However, in a tomb in Malabon City, instead depicting the original scene, it was opposite. The statue shows a peculiar and dislikable position of the two. Like what I said - Satan was stepping over St. Michael.

Well, there are reasons why the owner wanted it that way. Actually, he was a religious person and has that thinking-out-of-the-box mind to symbolize and extend his sympathy to mankind. He even put somewhat like a short script of a play beside his tomb.

This statue was featured in some television shows in the Philippines. Rated K of ABS-CBN Channel 2 hosted by Ms. Korina Sanchez featured it.

By the way, the HE I'm talking about is the one buried in the tomb. Just read the whole article so you'll understand why I'm refering to him.

The Story

The person buried in the tomb is Don Simeon Bernardo of Barangay Concepcion. One reason that brought this story here in urban legend is the belief, and also the rumor of many people that this person was a satanist which, in fact, he isn't.

According to his grandson, Don Simeon was a religious man, and a very prayerful person. He also expressly wished to have the statue placed over his tomb as symbolism and as reminder that the society was continuously and slowly being engulfed by darkness, and that the devil is winning against goodness, and people is forgetting and setting God aside of their lives. Well, making the statue as his reminder, I can say, it was successful.

Behind Don Simeon Bernardo's becoming popular and bizarre statue, he also had a very sad story. He suffered a bitter life in Spanish Regime here in the Philippines. He was accused by being a filibusterer, and then put him in prison in Fort Santiago. He was also tortured their mercilessly, like some of the Katipunero's . They also made him believed that God doesn't exist and they indocrinated the belief of his children. Don Simeon died in 1934.[a]

Maybe that's the reason why he ordered to have the image.

Like what I said above, there was a script-like thing beside it (located in the left side if you are facing the tomb). This was supposed to be a dialogue if Lucifer (Satan) and St. Michael are talking with each other.

LUCIFER: Bakit ka nakikialam sa kaharian ko dito sa lupa(,) ay hindi na kayo kundi ako ang hari, ako ang nagturo kay Eva at Adan kaya nagkaroon ng sangkatauhan. SAN MIGUEL: Ang lupa at langit ay gawa ng aking Panginoon, kaya hanggang dito ang aming kapangyarihan. LUCIFER: Bulaan(g) hambog, kung ano ang ibig ko(,) siya ritong masusunod at hindi ang ibig mo - digmaan, arihan, dayaan, sugal, (at) lahat ng layaw ng katawan naibibigay ko sa tao, pati mga alagad ng mga Panginoon mo, napapasunod ko, ano pa ang ginagawa mo rito? SAN MIGUEL (SA SARILI): Panginoon kong nasa langit nasaan ang kapangyarihan Mo? SAN MIGUEL: Tao, tulungan ninyo ako na labanan ang kasamaan, pairalin ang katarungan at pagibig sa kapwa, iwasan ang kasakiman sa salapi at kapangyarihan na pinagmumulan ng ligalig. [b]

LUCIFER: Why were you intruding my kingdom here on earth, which you're not the ruler anymore? I am the one who taught Eve and Adam, that's why mankind emerge. SAN MIGUEL (Saint Michael): The heaven and earth was both created by our Lord, so our powers even reaches here. LUCIFER: Arrogant liar! What I wanted here should be obeyed, and not what you like. War, wealth, fraud, gambling, and all the bodily comforts - I can gave it to every mankind. I can even make your Lord's servants obey me. So what are you doing here? SAN MIGUEL (TO HIMSELF): Oh my Lord God in heaven, where is Your power? SAN MIGUEL: Human, help me fight the evil, let peace exist, and love your neigbors, avoid greediness to wealth and the power coming from bodily wants.

Many believed that the passage was taken from the bible, but back in his time (Spanish Era), commoners were not allowed by friars to hold a bible. Well, prettilly obvious that it has no basis in the bible - no verse.

By the way, if you wanted to visit, the Malabon Municipal Cemetery, which is connected to Caloocan Public Cemetery, is located at Barangay Tugatog, Malabon City and Sangandaan, Caloocan City. It's one ride from Monumento to Sangandaan.

The Rumor

Aside of the rumor that Don Simeon Bernardo was a satanist which is not true, there are also rumors pointing to the supernatural ability of the devil statue.

Some people claimed that the image was originally small, but it seemed that it was growing each year.

Well, the main reason why this rumor sprouted is that in late 1970's the original was replaced by the one we see now. The first was actually smaller, and it was replaced because people destroyed it.

They also claimed that the devil statue moves at night and terrorizes people. That's why it was put in prison. (Hehehe ...)

Definitely NOT TRUE. People hate the structure because of its frightening look. Thus, people may intentionally throw rocks just to destroy it. And maybe this rumor emerged because of some tricky imagination, and perhaps just to scare drug addicts or some bad guys there who still wander over the place even at night. The cemetery is in the middle of the city.

The statue changes position. What I mean is, St. Michael sometimes on the top of Satan, and vice versa.

I don't know how to explain that. My professor told me this rumor - he's from Malabon. They said that in some circumstances, goodness prevail over evil, then goes back if the latter prevail over the former.

Source:
a. http://www.lakadpilipinas.com/2012/10/tugatog-city-demon-of-malabon-cemetery.html
b. http://www.mymalabon.net/2010/10/heres-unusual-reminder-at-tugatog.html
c. http://thehorrortree.blogspot.com/2013/02/simeon-bernardos-tomb.html

Hell is ... Real?

Well, for Christians like me, we believe it is real. I don't know if others do believe as well. By the way, have you watched this Filipino documentary (from a Christian Channel) discussing everything about hell? I have watched it once when I was still in secondary school.

I don't mean by putting the videos here that it was an urban legend. Actually, I have read an UL story claiming they made a hole from surface to hell accidentally.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5


Part 6

Village in Manila City Bears The Mark Of The Beast

I didn't know there's a Barangay (Village) in Metro Manila that bears the number 666 as its official name. As the news below says, that its the only barangay in the Philippines which has the mark of the beast.

By the way, this isn't an urban legend. I just wanted to share this news I found in internet.

The News

[Taken from a News Website: October 31, 2012, 10:10pm]

Almost a month ago, a 21-year-old man committed suicide by hanging from a balete tree located in a compound where the Barangay 666 Hall is located. Stories recounted by witnesses revealed that prior to the man’s suicide, the man named “Angelito” used to talk every night to someone unseen, who allegedly lives underneath the small fig tree. But in an interview with MB Research, “Diablo” just dismissed such stories as fictional, citing that “Angelito” had earlier been diagnosed with a mental disorder, which probably led to his self-murder. “Diablo” also doesn’t believe in ghost stories, even if his village has long been synonymous with the mark of the devil. “Diablo” is Felix “Mac” P. Macapagal, the incumbent chairman of Barangay 666, Zone 72 in Ermita, Manila. Macapagal has been fondly tagged “Mac Diablo” because he has long been serving as head of Barangay 666 since he was first elected in 1989. He has lived in this residential community since the 1970s, during his growing-up years, and in his recollection, he has never experienced any frightening incidents in his bailiwick. The number 666 is specifically mentioned in the Holy Bible’s Book of Revelation as the mark of the beast. Chapter 13:18 of Revelation quotes: “a certain wisdom is needed here; with a little ingenuity, anyone can calculate the number of the beast, for it is a number that stands for a certain man. The man’s number is six hundred sixty-six.” “It forced all men, small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to accept a stamped image on their right hand or their forehead. Moreover, it did not allow a man to buy or sell anything unless he was first marked with the name of the beast or with the number that stood for its name,” Revelation 13:16-17 further states. Macapagal said that there is nothing special or extraordinary with their barangay, aside from coincidentally having the beast’s mark. He emphatically clarified that no beast has ever existed in their area. “We are not like the other cities that have names for their barangay. In Manila, number is the basis for every barangay. It’s just a coincidence that our barangay is 666,” said Macapagal. He noted that Ermita has four other barangays aside from 666, which are 667, 668, 669 and 670. Out of around 42,000 barangays in the Philippines, National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) official Fernando Regalado certified that it is the only village in the country that bears the name 666. Officer Arlene Ramos of the Department of Interior and Local Government-National Barangay Operations Office (DILG-NBOO) affirmed that even if the National Capital Region (NCR) still has cities with numbers as name, it is only Manila that has the unique Barangay 666. “Our barangay is 666, many are scared, but we don’t believe in it because we don’t feel that 666 is unlucky. Actually, it seems lucky because we never get sick and my body is doing good,” said Macapagal. Located at the heart of Manila, the nation’s capital, Barangay 666 covers a large land area, where an estimated 1,400 people live in houses and condominiums. The compound, where their barangay hall stands is a 10-minute walking distance from the Manila City Hall. It also houses a small school for the children. Interestingly, Barangay 666’s jurisdiction includes famous landmarks in Manila like the Rizal Park, Qurino Grandstand, United Nations Avenue, Padre Burgos Street, Manila Ocean Park, and even the United States embassy. “What we’re talking about are the primary duties of the barangay, which is what we are doing. Like the business permit clearance, there has to be a barangay chairman who will give it. So even if it’s a national park, which is under the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), there is still a barangay that manages it,” said Macapagal. NPDC Marketing and Events Specialist Florizza Buclatin confirmed in a separate interview Macapagal’s statements that as for the coverage of the entire Rizal Park, Barangay 666 starts from Taft Avenue, to the Relief Map of the Philippines, leading to all the parks, gardens and other attractions, to the famed ‘Kilometer Zero’ and execution site of Jose Rizal, up to Quirino Grandstand and Manila Ocean Park. Barangay 666 also covers various government offices in the vicinity, like NPDC, the Department of Tourism (DOT), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the National Library and the National Museum. Macapagal and Buclatin clarified, though, that management of barangay officials only comes in terms of small issues and affairs, like minor feuds among people within the area that need to be settled first at the barangay level. “If there are barangay matters that they can’t handle, it will be brought to us, like disputes of the guards, which should be taken care first by the barangay [officials],” said Macapagal. But ghost stories in the area and offices covered by Barangay 666 remain to take the spotlight in the village. Buclatin said that although she hasn’t experienced anything unusual yet, stories, like toilets suddenly flushing without someone using it, seem to take over most of their scary conversations inside their workplace. Allan Mangahas, janitor of the National Library, in another interview, seconded Buclatin’s claims that many students had told her about eerie tales like seeing ghosts inside the reading room and comfort rooms of the library. Mangahas added that sometimes, he is afraid when left alone at the ground floor, but he clarified that “it still depends on the people’s strong faith, because [even if I’m scared,] I haven’t experienced anything.” However, Macapagal insisted that such stories are only for kids and should not be considered anymore by adults. He added that ghost stories were used back then just to convince the young ones to sleep early at night. Divina Villacarlos, lady guard of the National Museum, also believed that there are no ghosts, since she hasn’t experienced yet such supernatural beings. She said that as a security guard, she has been assigned to different floors of the museums, but she has never seen anything scary. Macapagal revealed there are other things that seem scarier than ghosts or beasts in the barangay. “Those live ones are whom we have to be afraid of, since dead people can no longer come back,” said Macapagal, as he noted the increasing number of snatchers, holduppers, and riding-in-tandem gangs in the metropolis. He also mentioned the problems of increasing street children in his barangay, especially now with the onset of the holiday season. With proper coordination of the police force and social workers, Macapagal said they can continuously cope with the different issues in their community. Macapagal also boasted one ‘special’ landmark in their barangay, aside from the usual markers found at the Rizal Park. “We have the Luneta Hotel, a century-old hotel, which is being renovated. It is perhaps the only building in the Philippines which has a unique structure fixed at the exterior walls of the building,” he said pointing at the winged lizard and monkey-like structures built as part of the hotel’s designs. According to the chairman’s research, a Spanish architect-engineer had built the hotel, which is now being preserved by the government. “We think that there is someone protecting the building. Nobody has ever been hurt every time an accident occurs in the area, specifically when the designs are damaged or suddenly falls. That’s why we think Luneta Hotel is unique,” said Macapagal. Meanwhile, Macapagal no longer aims to change the name of his barangay. “Our barangay is happy, even if it is 666. It will be tedious to have it changed because it will have to undergo Congress. Since it is destined to become our [barangay] number, we have already accepted it [though] we are not devils,” Macapagal said.

Sources:
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/379526/manila-barangay-bears-the-mark-of-the-beast#.UNNBaJGxNk4

666 in Cabanatuan

News

[Taken from a Social Networking Site:]

(Edited) This is a forwarded message, pakibasa po, at paki sabi sa lahat ng inyong mga kakilala o kaibigan at kapamilya ... (please read, and pass this to all the people you know, your friends and your family.) Godbless PTL! Meron na po lihim na natatakan ng 666 dito malapit sa Cabanatuan,!!!(There were people secretly been marked with 666 in Cabanatuan) Daming nag patatak, kasi tatanggap sila ng 50,000 kada buwan, (Many people are induced to have the seal because they will recieve P50,000 every month.) Message to galing Nueva Ecija,... (Message from Nueva Ecija) please be aware... wag na wag mag papatatak cause it means... (Never be sealed.) ASURANCE TO HELL, be watchful and pray... Posted by Kwentong Mula sa Malikhaing Kaisipan (Kababalaghan,Pantasya O Hiwaga) May 2, 2012

---

[Taken from a Text Message:]

Pakipasa po sa lahat ng contacts niyo.(Pass this to all your contacts.) Godbless PTL! Meron na po lihim na natatakan ng 666 dito malapit sa Cabanatuan. Dami nagpatatak kasi tatanggap silang P50,000 kada buwan. Text yan from Nueva Ecija. Please, pass to all Christians na magpray. Wag na wag magpatatak, cause it means, assurance of destination in HELL.(There were people secretly been marked with 666 here near Cabanatuan. Many were induced to be sealed, because all of them will receive P50,000 per month. This is the text message from Nueva Ecija. Please, pass to all Christians to pray. Don't be imprinted, cause it means, assurance of destination in Hell. From: Pastor Tabigne of KJB Light Baptist Church, Abulug, Cag.

---

[Taken from Internet:]

MERON DAW NAGAGANAP NA LIHIM NA TATAKAN MALAPIT SA CABANATUAN NG NUMBER NA 666 AT MADAMI NA RAW ANG NAGPATATAK DAHIL MAY PANGAKO NA TATANGGAP SILA NG 50,000.00 KADA BUWAN. MGA KABABAYAN KO ALAMIN NINYO KUNG ANO ANG 666 YAN AY TATAK NG ANTI-CHRIST AT YAN AY MAY SUMPA NA KAPALIT MULA SA DIYOS. SINO MAN ANG MATATAKAN NITO AY LALABAS ANG MABAHO AT NAKAKADIRI NA SUGAT AT YAN ANG PARUSA AT SUMPA GALING SA DIYOS. REVEALTION 13:16-18. AT PAGADTING NG 'JUDGMENT NG PANGINOONG HESUS KAHIT HANAPIN NINYO ANG KAMATAYAN DI NA DARATING SA INYO. YAN ANG PASAPORTE NG TAO NA MAY TATAK NA 666 PAPUNTA SA IMPYERNO - ANG DAIGDIG NG MGA PATAY, NA LUGAR DIN NG WALANG KATAPUSAN NA PARUSA AT WALANG KATAPUSAN NA PAGKASUNOG. NAKARATING NA AKO DOON NG MAMATAY AKO NG 1970 DAHIL SA RAPTURED APPENDEX. BINALIK LANG AKO NG DIYOS PARA MAGING SAKSI NA TOTOO ANG "HELL O IMPYERNO."HUWAG NINYO GAWING BIRO BIRO ANG HELL AT 666 DAHIL YAN ANG MAY IMPLICATIONS KALIGTASAN NG INYONG KALULUWA AT ESPIRITU. They said, there was a secret sealing place for the number 666 near Cabanatuan, and many people had been sealed for a promise that they will receive P50,000.00 every month. My dear people, please know what 666 means, that is a mark of anti-Christ and it also contain a curse from God. Whoever will be marked with this, foul and horrible wounds will appear in your skin and that's the punishment and it come from God. Revelations 13:16-18. And when the time the judgement of our Lord Jesus Christ, whatever you'll do to find death, it will resist you. That'll be the passport of mankind sealed with 666 towards hell - the world of dead and also the world of eternal punishment and everlasting fire. I once been there, when I died 1970 because of raptured appendix. God sent me back as witness that hell or inferno is real. Don't make funny of hell and 666 because that will be your implication for safety of you soul and spirit.

Information

Cabanatuan is a first class, partially urban city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is considered the commercial, industrial and educational hub of the province. The city lies in the middle of the province, surrounded by six other municipalities.

Being one of the urbanized city in the north of Metro Manila, their culture there is different compared to Metro Manila, especially the main dialect used there is not Filipino (or Tagalog).

By the way, the message above is not real. If it happens to be real, then why didn't it spread in Metro Manila? Is it exclusive to Cabanatuan people?

666 is not a simple subject, it is known world wide. It is very complicated, and hard to explain. We don't even know where will it rise or begin.

The last version is much more interesting than the former. The writer mentioned the verse Revelations 13:16-18:

(16) It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, (17) so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

(18) This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.

The verse is about the reason and cause why people will be attracted to have the seal imprinted on them.

Another thing about the last version, he/she said he had been in hell. Well, many people will just ignore it and take it seriously. Actually, even I will not believe on it. Perhaps the person who published it in internet may had heard or read it from an old letter, because it says there:

NAKARATING NA AKO DOON NG MAMATAY AKO NG 1970 DAHIL SA RAPTURED APPENDEX.
I once been there, when I died 1970 because of raptured appendix.

It says there, he died 1970, the time when computer is not freely used by all people for social networking sites.

Source:

http://noozly.com/topic/cabanatuan
https://www.facebook.com/KMSMK/posts/427641373929987
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabanatuan
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+13%3A16-18&version=NIV

Tide is the devil's detergent

Proctor and Gamble (P&G) was one of the largest multinational company that has business in the Philippines until now. They are the manufacturer of Tide, Ariel, Safeguard, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, and many others.

Despite their good image in the public, someone would still put stain on their name. There was this urban legend that circulated in 1980s that somehow made a great impact to the people. It was said that the Proctor and Gamble was a profit-generating ar of a Satanist group. People were told that the moon-and-stars logo found on the boxes of P&G products was the symbol of the Anti-Christ. The number of the Beast, "666," was supposed to be hidden in the logo.

Legend

Legend has it, that the earnings of Procter and Gamble were supposed to be used for the world domination of demon worshippers, or to support a Church of Satan. There were also emails asserting that the so-called "owner" of P&G had appeared in a US talk show (Oprah Winfrey's, Sally Jesse Raphael, Phil Donahue, or Merv Griffin's) and admitted that "a large portion of his profits from Procter & Gamble Products goes to support [the] Satanic Church." The email even gives details on how one could obtain a transcript of the said show. The catch? There was no such episode in any of the shows mentioned. Moreover, P&G is a publicly help entity. Thus, it's not owned by a single person.

Here's one of the e-mails:

PLEASE MAKE A DIFFERENCE The President of Procter & gamble appeared on the Phil Donahue Show on March 1, 1994. He announced that due to the openness of our society, he was coming out of the closet about his association with the church of Satan. He stated that a large portion of his profits from Procter & Gamble Products goes to support this satanic church. When asked by Donahue if stating this on t.v. would hurt his business, he replied, "THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH CHRISTIANS IN THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE."

Fact

First of all, the president of the Proctor and Gamble is NOT a Satanist NOR his company a supporter of the Church of Satan. Aside of that, the Phil Donahue Show was aired 1994, which is 14 years later than 1980 when the urban legend rose. The president of P&G never had been in the said show nor did he say such thing.

The company has a lot of competitors in the first place. Some of these competitors or one of them fought for market share unethically. They create such demonic and scandalous rumor just to disparage the goodwill of the company. However, they didn't won the fight.

In an August 1, 1990 Chicago Sun Times article, it was revealed that P&G sued a Kansas-based couple, James and Linda Newton of Parsons, "for allegedly making statements and distributing literature stating that P&G supported the Church of Satan." Then, in 2007, P&G was awarded $19 million in its lawsuit against Amway (a company that manufactures consumer products) distributors who allegedly spread the story.


Actually, there were also other urban legends with similar subject that came up from no where. One example is Liz Claiborne (in 1990) - a designer, who, according to rumor, admitted in Oprah show that 40% of her company's profit is given to the Church of Satan. This rumor was wholly false.

Sources:
http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/41192/urban-legends-that-drove-pinoys-crazy
Snopes.com