Maria Karamot

Her story was known in the province of Zambales. This was a folklore, however some people claim that they saw her in the shore till now.

Maria Karamot was born with mortal parents, Juan and Juana, and was snatched by the waves of the sea when she was seven years old. When she came back years after to her lonely parents who often wait by the shore, she was already transformed into a mermaid - a beautiful mermaid with long black hair, a set brown eyes, and tail of bangus (milkfish). However, she cannot remember her origin anymore. The reason was because of the King of the Fish - a bangus, who dealt with Juan in exchange of regular milkfish to them.

She often rose to surface of the sea admiring the beauty of the land. As the King of Fishes notices her sadness, he grant her with wish. Maria wished to walk on earth, but in one condition, that she can acquire feet every full moon. Then as she arrive in the pampang (shore), she met Ramon - secretly was a siokoy (merman) sent by King of Fishes. Then they became lovers and had one child - a boy. One night she saw many fishermen gathering in the net, and saw her child being hit by the paddles then was killed. Because of that, she avenged her child and drowns fishermen. Till now, it was still believed that she is the reason of death in the sea.

Story

[Taken from Internet:]

Once, there lived beside the sea a couple named Juan (Hu'wan) and Juana (Hu'wana). For a long time they were childless. When Juana was at last with child, they were quite happy. But in her pregnancy, Juana would become very restless if she did not have bangus (milkfish) to eat every day. So one afternoon, when Juan failed to catch any milkfish, he became very sad. Suddenly, Juan heard his name called. He was greatly surprised when he looked down and saw a shiny milkfish wearing a crown. The milkfish identified himself as the King of Fishes and he asked Juan, "Why do you fish only for milkfish?" Juan told him the reason, and his sorrow at the moment. The King of Fishes pitied Juan and promised, "I’ll give you plenty of milkfish everyday. But in return, you are to deliver your coming child to me when it turns seven years old." Because it was already getting dark and since milkfish was becoming scarce that season, Juan finally agreed. The King of Fishes was true to his word. Even after Juana had given birth, Juan continued to bring home milkfish from the sea. Their child was a lovely girl with very black hair. They loved her and were very happy with her. They called her Maria. When Maria turned seven, Juan went to see the King of Fishes and begged him: "Have pity on us. Can’t you possibly release me from my promise? We love Maria very much, and we can’t bear to part with her." But the King of Fishes was firm, saying, "A promise is a promise." With a heavy heart, Juan went home. Since that day, the couple and Maria never went near the sea. But one day, while Juan was on the farm and Juana was doing the laundry in the river, there came a big wonderful boat. The people immediately flocked to the shore to see it. Maria was alone at the time and was looking out the window. She became curious and joined the rest on the shore. While she was watching the wonderful boat, a big wave rushed up and dragged her to the sea. Immediately, the neighbors told her parents of the incident. Juan and Juana ran to the shore but they were too late. Maria was gone! Every evening after that, the couple would stand by the shore and stare at the deep. They kept hoping that Maria would return. Years passed and still they failed to see her. But one moonlight night, there appeared before the old couple a lovely creature. She had very long black hair, but — while half of her body was that of a beautiful girl, the other half was that of a milkfish. Then they knew that it was Maria, now a mermaid. Maria grew up to be a very beautiful woman with long black hair and expressive set of brown eyes. She cannot remember that she once was human for the King of Fishes took away all trace of her memory when she was taken suddenly many years ago. She grew up with other mermaids of her kind at the bottom of the sea who took care of raising her as their own. But every full moon she would rise up to the surface to admire the beauty of the earth which she found herself unexplainably drawn into. The King of Fishes noticed Maria's restlessness and tried to cheer her up by promising to grant whatever wish she wanted. "I would like to be able to walk like the humans," she asked in earnest. The King of Fishes replied, "I will grant your request to walk like the humans but only while the moon is full." And so it was that Maria was able to walk on the "pampang" during full moon. It was during one of her walks that she stumbled upon a young man who was walking alone in the night. She was not aware of her nakedness and the man was surprised to see her. He didn't seem to mind her nakedness too but instead asked her who she was, and where she was going. That was the start of the friendship between Maria and her male acquaintance whose name she later discovered as Ramon. Unbeknownst to her, he was in fact, a siokoy - a male sea creature (merman) sent by the King of Fishes. Their friendship quickly blossomed into a romantic relationship and not long afterward, Maria conceived and gave birth to a healthy baby boy who looked very much like his father. They were very happy and would often swim together especially on bright moonlit nights. Maria forgot her sadness and was completely happy. One night when the full moon was incredibly bright yellow in color, Maria was aghast to see a crowd of fishermen gathering around a huge fishnet where to their surprise they have caught a most amazing creature - a boy covered with fish scales and terribly distraught. Maria hid herself behind the bushes where she saw the fishermen lift their prize catch to the shore. To her great shock and horror, they started to hit the creature with their paddles and sticks until the poor thing stopped moving. Maria saw everything but cannot believe what happened. They killed her little boy. Sometime at midnight, the people of the small fishing village were awakened by an eerie wailing coming from out of the sea. It was so haunting and spine-tingling that nary a soul was able to get to sleep for the rest of the night. The following morning, the villagers were shocked to discover the lifeless body of one of the fishermen along the seashore. His body bore scratch marks all over. He apparently drowned the night before while relieving himself after a drinking session with his friends. Thus the legend began of Maria Karamot as she was henceforth known because her victims bore scratch marks in their bodies. Every now and then, the sea will claim its next drowning victim for no logical explanation. Sometimes, excursionists and out-of-town vacationers will for no reason become the next unwitting victim of the pristine and inviting sea that carries with it the sorrows and pains of a grieving mother still trying to understand why her child was taken away from her. --------- Edgar Millan

Edgar Millan is a native of Olongapo City and presently residing in Leamington, Ontario with his wife Gemma. He graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1990 finishing B.S. Agriculture. He migrated to Canada in 1995 and presently works as a production manager for a Belgian company involved with biological systems. He is an aspiring freelance writer who with his wife is active in church and volunteers in worthwhile activities in their community. He is presently writing a collection of short stories and poems for future publication. Edgar is one of the three ZambalesForum (ZF2) discussion group moderators.

* I don't know who actually was the author of the story above. I found another source that Russel Quinto was the writer of the same story.

Actually, not only the people of Zambales claim they saw a mermaid in the sea. Well, the large part of the Philippines is water, so it is normal for people to hallucinate or make stories about sea-creatures in their place. And even, explaining mysteries in the water connecting it to some monsters in the sea, which might not exist.

Sources:
http://www.angelfire.com/on4/zambalesforum/maria_karamot.htm
http://members.enchantedfolk.com/isabellasart/blog/cat/general *
[Picture from:]
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADeEe8WVsTxcRgWjBudi_TtLXSsBJnfvKR9tXiDZLBDXklAcrbeEpPmedpl3tndGCOqBvohkGEMkxj69JAY60IfpouKJqKO-9Sbvxa6n7oVrWzTfXdE-50IwDYRWLb86_QufFeGoUR0Q/s1600/zeemeermin.jpg

Mermaid in the Philippines

Philippines is an archipelago, with 7,107 islands, covering 115,831 square miles. Obviously, the country is surrounded by water - the South China Sea or the West Philippine Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Philippine Sea and the Sulu Sea. Actually, by looking the map of the country, you'll notice that the widest area covering the nation is water, not the land itself. Well, it is also obvious that the people here believe in sirena (siren; mermaid) and siyokoy (merman). That's why, there are urban legends connected with the sea.

Stories

[Taken from Internet:]

It was believed by the folk that when a mermaid is captured (and held captive), it results in a big flood. After "Ondoy," it is said that more people went to the Manila Aquarium than usual to check whether a mermaid was, indeed, in one of the display tanks. Two friends who regularly go to Dumaguete, and one who lives there, also relate that when the seaside city went underwater from heavy rains four years ago, fishermen up and down the coast marched angrily to the Silliman Marine Science lab armed with oars. They were soon joined by farmers carrying pitchforks, whose farms had been inundated. They demanded the release of the mermaid that the marine biologists had purportedly been keeping in a tank (for study?). Poor director Alcala of the marine science department had to rush to the scene in his pajamas to open the tank area! Only then would the folk believe that there was no mermaid imprisoned there. In Dagupan, Pangasinan, a mermaid statue with a fountain used to be in front of the old City Hall until it was torn down during a remodeling. "Mermaids were part of our childhood and our history," says Norma Liongoren. "The rivers criss-crossing Dagupan were said to be her tears. The sirena was the bogey we were frightened with to make us obey." One of the Hundred Islands of Alaminos was the location of the first "Jezebel" movie (which has had many incarnations). A mermaid statue still exists there. Legends about mermaids are prevalent all over the Philippines. As in Angono, sightings are still reported-of a mermaid with long hair, perched on a rock, luring sailors and swimmers with her singing, then drowning them. (The dugong, says John I. Teodoro, with its hairy body, looks very much like a fat mermaid.) A science (?) education (?) building under construction had a glass dome, it was rumored, to become the tank for a sirena. This was a news in yahoo.com by Gilda Cordero-Fernando in Manila/Philippine Daily Inquirer | Asia News Network – Sun, Dec 18, 2011 Here she summarized the urban legends about the mermaids captured here in the country.

Merman / Mermaid Carcass Found on Beach Emailed photos purportedly show the carcass of a merman (or mermaid) washed up on a beach variously said to be located in Venda, South Africa; Cebu, The Philippines; Malaysia; and Fort Desoto Beach, Florida. Description: Viral images Circulating since: July 2006 Status: Fake Example: Email contributed by Anil R., Aug. 24, 2006: Fwd: FW: believe it or not Good morning all.............. THIS IS FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES SHORE OF SORSOGON. AND THIS IS FOR REAL, WE DO HAVE THIS KIND OF CREATURES IN THE PHILIPPINES. BELIEVE OR NOT ITS UP TO YOU!!!!! This creature was found along the shores of Sorsogon.

Mermaids were very controversial. No one knows the truth if they definitely live or they were just a product of imagination and folklore. Many say they're real but some says they don't. The AAH (Aquatic Ape hypothesis) is one explaining the origin of these creatures. That, some time in the past, some of our ancestors adopted the wet area than the dry ones. It also explains the possibility that some of our body parts were connected with them. Example, our hairless body, unlike the other terrestrial mammals, we're not covered with fur, just like the other mammals who evolved from aquatic ancestors, and even with dolphins and whales. There were many explanations, though I can't enumerate and explain them clearly.

Actually, their was this rumor from overseas, about the Discovery Channel's documentary concerning mermaids which was entitled Mermaid: The Body Found. It was a part of Animal Planet's Monster Week. Although, this is not connected to the legend I had posted above, still it deals with mermaid. This is for the sake of the other people who haven't heard or read the truth yet. [Click Here[1][2]]

Source:
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippine-urban-legends-093005285.html
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_merman_carcass.htm

Sigbins are the cure for AIDS

About

The Sigbin is a mythical creature that's more popular in Visayas and Mindanao. Old folks say that the sigbin walks backwards with its head tucked between its hind legs and that it "resembles a hornless goat, emits a very nauseating smell and possess a pair of very large ears which are capable of clapping like a pair of hands." They also say that it ventures out of its lair during Holy Week in order to "look for children that it will kill for the heart, which is made into an amulet." For some reason, the story about it being the cure for AIDS spread like wildfire in the late 1990s even if nobody really knew what a sigbin looked like. Some drawings actually make it look like a kangaroo.

Story

Rich government officials in Mindanao who lived in mansions or large estates were believed to be raising sigbins. They were accused of being too greedy to share the wealth with the people. The blood of the sigbin, its meat, or its oil was supposed to cure AIDS within seconds.

Fact

There are no words to explain just how ridiculous this story sounds and the fact that many people actually went sigbin hunting. Many hapless people who wanted to make a fortune by catching the animal that would cure AIDS were said to have been shown pictures of albino animals that the con men passed off as genuine sigbins. Many of those who wanted to try their luck at sigbin hunting were asked to pay a fee for the privilege of being part of the sigbin hunting group.

Sources:

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

The Robinson's Half-Human Half-Snake

The belief of a snake twin is very old, way back 17th century, when Fray Ignacio Francisco Alzina's 1668 "History of the Bisayan Islands" mentioned about it. Remember Amaya - the main character in GMA Channel 7's TV series entitled Amaya? The idea of snake twin of Amaya came from him.

While for Chinese, snake is a good-luck charm for businesses, that's the reason why some of them keep snakes in their house, more especially in bodega. Well, animals should be fed. (You'll know what I mean.)

What is it?

It is a supernatural being (definitely a monster) which is almost incredible but many people do believe it exist. No one knows the exact figure of what it truly look like (maybe similar to that picture above), just, they said, it is a Half-Human Half-Snake.

When did this happen?

This incident and/or urban legend became famous in the midst of '80s.

Where is it?

They said it dwells in a secret room (or in the basement, or over the building) of the Robinson's Galleria along EDSA, Ortigas.

Who owns it?

John Gokongwei, owner of Robinsons and Universal Robina Corporation, is said to be the father (some say, it is his pet only) of this creature. It is the twin brother of Robina Gokongwei, the daughter of John Gokongwei.

What makes it famous?

It became famous because of Alice Dixson, a popular actress in the Philippines during the late 80's and early 90's.

According to some news and information, the Robinson snake man has a spy cam that enables him to see beautiful woman who use the dressing room of the mall. If the Robinson Snakeman wants to get the girl to eat her or just to have fun, all he had to do is to click the switch button that commands the floor from the dressing room to open. Well Alice is very unfortunate that day because she used the wrong dressing room. Alice fell down the snakes dungeon and she is supposed to be eaten but she is able to escape.

Alice was questioned about this in a TV talk show, but while in the middle of conversation between her and the host, the show was cut abruptly for some reason. Then when it came back again, Alice was no where in the show any more. Now, whenever she is interviewed about this, she often keeps her silence. According to the news, Gokongwei family paid Alice Dixon a large amount of money just to keep her mouth quiet about the issue, and asked her to leave the country and go to Canada. The lawyer allegedly hired to settle the affair was Solicitor Frank Chavez.

There is no assurance if the story about Alice is real or not but the fact she is silent about the issue, makes you think, it is probably real. Alice Dixon never confirmed this story whenever she is interviewed about it.

Aside of Alice Dixson, is there any other incidents of women vanish suddenly without any reason?

Unfortunately, there is. According to my interviewees, there are two women became victim of this snake. The two are employees of the same mall.

Parents of the ladies came to the mall to know and find out where their daughters go, and why they didn't go home anymore. The mall's manager only said, Maybe they go with there boyfriends secretly and decided not to go home any more. But when they checked out the time cards of the two employees, they found out that the two didn't go out of there work yet.

Another rumor (circulated, '90s) has it that the real Rita Avila was dead and the one we know is only his double or a clone (just like Bongbong Marcos).

Where is it now?

Again, according to my interviewees, its now dead. So today, the mall is safe to go.

Where did the story originated?

I forgot to add what I discovered about where actually did this legend came from.

There was this similar story from Davao City. It spread first before the legend of Robinson Snake scared Metro Manila.

Legend has it, that there was this cursed pregnant woman who went to Davao City, expecting it to just vanish. She gave birth to twins. The other one is normal, while his twin brother was half-human half-snake. Their parents accepted them, even the latter was a monster. However, when it grew up, it was very gluttonous. It always find something to eat. But because the family owns a shopping mall in Davao, they imprisoned it to fitting rooms so that whoever enters on it will be victimized.

This story was almost (perhaps, wholly) identical to the Robinson Galleria Ortegas legend.

Maybe this similar legend from Davao City, which is miles away from Metro Manila, can disprove the existence of the monster.

Variations:

- The reason why the R of the Robinson's logo is in the shape of a snake.
- Instead of a spy cam installed in the fitting rooms, the mirrors there were actually one-way windows, from which the snake-man could view its prey before activating the trap door. (But in another urban legend, the one-way window was for the enjoyment of people watching on the other side.)
- An earlier story has it that the Gokongwei son, it was him who had a snake twin, not Robina herself.
- Mr. Lance Gokungwei, rumored to have scales in his arms.

Sources:
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2363214.aspx
http://www.gl3nnx.net/blog/urban-story/robinsons-galleria-snake-a-half-snake-half-human.htm
Roseann Coscolluela
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippine-urban-legends-093005285.html

A jellyfish attack causes a Luzon-wide blackout

Jellyfish is not actually a fish but a soft-bodied, stinging sea animal. Well, I think, explanation about what jellyfish is is not needed anymore.

By the way, the event really happened. It is true that jellyfishes caused a massive black out in the Philippines. What brought it here is the rumors.

The Story

On the night of December 10, 1999, most of Luzon's lights went out, especially NCR (National Capital Region) or more commonly known as Metro Manila. Some 40 million people abruptly lost power. Malls full of Christmas shoppers plunged into darkness. Holiday parties ground to a halt. President Joseph Estrada, meeting with senators at the time, endured a tense ten minutes before a generator restored the lights, while the public remained in the dark until the cause of the crisis was announced, and dealt with, the next day.

The reason of the black out is a large number of jellyfish (50 truck loads of jellyfishes) which was sucked in a cooling pipes of a coal-fired power plant, causing a cascading power failure.

The Rumor

Rumor has it that the jellyfish were giant mutant ones.

It was the height of President Joseph "Erap" Estrada's notoriety so a lot of people thought that another coup d' etat was brewing.

Some also thought it was the early manifestation of the Y2K Bug.

Sources:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/40th-anniversary/Jellyfish-The-Next-Kings-of-the-Sea.html?c=y&page=1
http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/41192/urban-legends-that-drove-pinoys-crazy

Cat - As the Main Ingredient of Siopao

Fact

Cat meat is eaten as part of uncommon cuisines of Cantonese in China, Vietnam, and some rural Swiss cultures. In desperate times, people of other areas have been known to resort to cooking and eating cats. Cat meat was eaten, for example, during the famine in the Siege of Leningrad. In 1996, a place that served cat meat was supposedly discovered by the Argentine press in a shanty town in Rosario, but in fact the meal had been set up by media from Buenos Aires.

Legend

In the Philippines, there is an urban legend (and also considered a joke) that some vendors use cat meat to make siopao (steamed bun), leading some Filipinos to name their pet cats "Siopao". The story tells that one of the restaurants in Quiapo, Manila City was caught throwing cut heads and body parts of street cats at the back. Some versions also said that they actually saw them cooking it. This urban legend began way back during the Japanese time when there was a scarcity of meat and lots of cats on the street.

Interpretation

The urban legend is just a kind of business technique of winning customers' favor over the said restaurant above, thus they told false stories circulated in the city.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taboo_food_and_drink#Cats
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippine-urban-legends-093005285.html