Pasig River Monster

I've been searching for stories and/or legends about Pasig River, but I found nothing. When I open my E-mail account, I stumbled upon a message of a contributor, and luckily the story she sent was about Pasig River Monster.

As brief introduction to the Pasig river, it is a river in the Philippines that connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. Stretching for 25 kilometres (15.5 mi), it is lined by Metro Manila on each side. Its major tributaries are the Marikina River and San Juan River.

The Story

[Contributed June 18, 2012:]

Syokoy Caught in Pasig RiverBy: Jomara Merano This story was told by my mother every time I asked her to tell creepy stories whenever I and my sister feel so. I know that this is true and thus I believe in them--- these creatures. My mother said it was around November 1981. She was then pregnant to my eldest brother that time and they lived in San Joaquin Pasig (Pasig is a city now). One of their neighbor told the other neighbor that there was someone caught from the river. Because of curiosity, my mother along with her husband and their neighbors rushed to the Municipal Hall. When they get there, my mother's husband forewarned my mother not to look because she might "paglihian" whatever she might saw. But my mother insisted. There were many people inside the municipal hall which were also curious about the creature. They forced inside the hall. Then, about 2 feet away from the jail, my mother had a glimpse from the creature. She described it as a little child about 10 years old with green skin. It's a slight of blacky, maybe because the creature was out of the water for several hours. It has full big black eyes like it wore goggles. The creature just stand there inside the jail with it's hands holding the metal bars. My mother said the creature was scared, shocked and also wondering of many people surrounding him. After that, my mother's husband insisted to go home and so they do go home. The next day, the neighbors told my mother that the creature was gone. They also wanted to see the creature. But the police officer told them that the creature was taken by someone saying that it was their child. There are other stories that it was thrown back to the river by the order of the mayor in afraid that something might happen to them if they still keep it around. It was published in the newspapers but were also vanished quickly in the light. I searched google to find something about it but there was none.

As she described the monster caught in the river, one thing rose in my mind - a kappa.

Kappa [left] (or sometimes called Kawataro meaning river-boy), in Japanese folklore, was a humanoid, resembling a little child, and with scaly and reptilian-skinned (just like that of a turtle) monster. Their skin is usually color green, and sometimes yellow. Like the monster above, this creature also live in rivers.

While Siyokoys are mermen, sea creatures that have a human form and scaled bodies. The Siyokoy is the male counterpart of the Sirena. It is usually depicted with green scaly skin, ears resembling fish fins, having fishtail or scaled legs, and webbed feet. They could also have long, green tentacles. They drown mortals for food. They could have gill slits colored brown or green.

Although both would look like the same in imagination, what made me think it was a kappa is . . . She described it as a little child about 10 years old with green skin. That's her description.

By the way, before I end this discussion, the author also wanted to know if someone knows the same story as hers. She would also like to know it like me.

Source:
Contributed by: Jomara Merano
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasig_River
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_(folklore)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siyokoy#Siyokoy

January 24, 1998 Aswang News in Caloocan City

Lung ailment, not aswang killed baby, says doc ASWANG, in the city? Not really. The Caloocan City police assured terrorized residents of Dagat-Dagatan yesterday that the area is not infested with aswang, the human flesh-eating creature of Philippine folklore. The statement came following reports that an old female aswang devoured a newborn baby boy residing in the area early Wednesday morning. Police investigators clarified that the immediate cause of the death of three-week-old Dave Nagawa is broncho-pneumonia, the inflammation of the lungs. Dave was found by her mother Leonor already stiff at around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday inside their house at Block 39, Lot 7, Sabalo Street, Kaunlaran Village, Dagat-Dagatan. Leonor, 21, said she could not explain why her baby's mouth and nose were oozing with blood. Lumps were also found in Dave's head, neck and left shoulder. "We were shocked; he [Dave] was a healthy baby. He did not even get sick from the day he was born," Leonor said. Her husband Edwin added that Leonor had even played with Dave the night before he died. "But when we woke up early [Wednesday] morning, he [Dave] was already stiff," he said. The baby's death remained a mystery because the couple has yet to receive the death certificates, inflaming the superstitious beliefs of the neighbors, most of whom hailed from the allegedly aswang-infested provinces in southern Philippines. But some' neighbors claimed having proof. A girl alleged seeing a fierce-looking old woman at the roof of the Nagawa's house during the early morning that Dave died. Reports quoted a certain Roselle Echano, nine, as describing the old woman as having very long hair, wrinkled skin and reddish, glowering eyes. These descriptions aptly fit the portrayal of the supernatural being in Philippine folklore. Moreover, when some neighbors scaled thereof, they reportedly discovered blood-stains that led to a small opening in the couple's room. "The aswang could have sucked the baby's blood," the neighbors said. Leonor herself recalled that their neighbors used to say during her pregnancy that an old woman was frequently seen on their roof every night. "But I did not buy it, I thought it was all hearsay," she said. Still, intense terror gripped the residents that barangay tanods kept watch the night after the incident occurred. So intense it failed to escape media attention. Too intense that city police chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao ordered his investigators to "verify" and present feedback on the incident. Investigators Senior Police Officer I Romeo Onte and Police Officer I Joel Aquino dug into the mystery only to find out that nothing mysterious surrounded the baby's death. The policemen discovered . that Dave di'ed.of naturals causes, particularly of broncho-pneumonia, as verified by' Caloocan City Medical Officer 4 Dr. Isidore Ayson. Ayson furthered that the lung disease caused the baby's bleeding. Aquino said the Nagawal couple also "verbally denounced" the reports, claiming that their son was not a victim of a "witch." Moreover, a certain Rodelia Echano, 14, the victim's neighbor and probably Roselle's sister, said that she saw not an old woman but a big cat on the roof of the couple at around 2 a.m. Wednesday. End of the story? Not quite. Some Dagat-Dagatan residents just refuse to bury the issue, claiming that there is indeed an aswang in the area. Not a few residents have been buying extra garlic, the alleged aswang repellent. Sharon Lansangan, 15, the victim's aunt, is sure that her nephew was killed by the aswang which lingered about on their roof. "Before Dave died, I heard noise on the roof. It could not be a cat or anything as it squeaked 'ik, ik, ik' [the "patented" sound of the aswang]," she said.

Source:
http://www.margarita-station.com/newsclippings/nc98_1a.html

A Friend's Hidden Secret

My parents brought me to our province in Mindanao from Luzon when I was still a baby. We lived together with my grandparents. My father went abroad for a job, and didn't come back anymore. Shortly, after my father sent a depressing letter to my mother, she also decided to go abroad for a job. So, I grew up there with no parents but with my grandparents. I have no siblings, I'm their only child. Our house in the province is quite big, but I don't consider us wealthy. We have neighbors, however, unlike in urban cities, there's a wide distance between houses. They were comparable to a traditional Filipino Bahay-kubo (hut) with plants surrounding the house. I had a friend there, and his name is Bryan. I was older than him. His family was a friend of ours since they arrived in our province. His father works in our family as mandayagay (coconut climber). Because they were the nearest neighbor we had, we often play with his sister named Catherine. Even though we have electricity, we don't have PSP, computer, cellphone or any gadgets there. Thus, the only way we can enjoy ourselves is through playing traditional Filipino games, like patintero, luksong-baka and luksong-tinik. I admit that we also play games only for girls, like piko and bahay-bahayan. Aside of it, we can also go to fishponds, rivers, and beaches which are very near to our home. I can say living in the province is much more enjoying than living in urban city. It's seldom to feel bored there. An unexpected death happened to their father. No one knows the reason why. It was a sudden death. He was still strong the day before his death. Some say it was caused by pasma, some say a kind of disease. Years later, my mother decided to bring me to Metro Manila. She wanted me to finish my studies there. Since then, I never visited my province. I have no news about my childhood friends. My uncle went home to our province. When he came back, I asked him what do it look like now. Of course, I didn't forget to ask him about my friends too. As we talked about Bryan and Catherine, I asked him if he knows the reason of their father's death. Well he answered me yes. He told me everything about him, and how did he actually died. It was a silent afternoon in the fishponds. It was almost 6 o'clock pm. There was a family living there. Dado (not his real name) was cuddling his son inside their house to make it sleep. As the child slept, he laid him to the cradle, and went out to cook rice. His wife was out to buy something in the village. Minutes later, the child suddenly cried very loud. He was wondering why, so he left what he was cooking and went inside the house to check what's happening. As he arrived to the baby, he saw a black cat hanging in the cradle. The cat was reaching the child inside it. It looked at him with a blazing red eyes. Afraid of what he saw, he took immediately his bolo to kill the animal. But because the cat was in the cradle, he was afraid that he might strike his child instead. So he used the blunt side of the bolo. Then, he smashed it in its back. The feline rushed out through the window, bleeding. Dado chased the cat to kill it. As he get closer to the animal, he smashed it again, and created another wound on its back. Then, it ran much faster. He decided to let it go, then he heard suddenly the sound, "wak wak wak". Upon hearing it, he thought of an aswang. Hence, he went back faster to his house thinking someone will get his baby. On the next day, Bryan's father died. They were thinking pasma as the cause of his death. The day before he died, he was watching over the coconut flesh he was fuming with fire. There was a pouring rain that time. Combining the heat caused by fuming the coconut and being soaked by rain may cause pasma. When they prepared the body for a wake, upon changing its clothes, they saw two swelling straight wounds at its back. They wondered where did he acquire those injury. Dado heard of the wounds behind him, and told his experience the day before his death about the cat that he struck at the back two times. Of course, people just believed on the story without knowing the reality. If it was true, I can't believe I played with his children.

Aswang in Antipolo City

I know it's too late to post an article for Holy Week. I didn't find any source of any story about the aswangs in Antipolo during those days. The said city south of Luzon was rumored to be the most popular place for aswang sighting especially during the Holy Week. Well, according to legend, during the three days of Jesus Christ's death, the forces of evil is very strong. Monsters and bad spirits rose from there realm to plague human beings.

I found a story in the internet about an aswang living in Antipolo.

The Story

Ever since she had arrived with her father in Antipolo several years earlier, Rosa had always been shy and retiring. Pleasant and respectful, certainly, but never outward-going or even overly communicative. Her father blamed himself, as fathers always do, believing that because her mother had died giving birth to her, he as a man had been unable to endow her with those innately-feminine social skills that other young women here seemed to possess in such abundance. Still, as she had now reached the age when certain other aspects of her personality and appearance had begun to attract the attention of the local youths, soon she may no longer be her father’s responsibility anyway. Also, as she was training to be a midwife, it would not be long before she would be self-sufficient financially too. How time had flown, he mused – it seemed only yesterday that she had still been just a girl, tightly holding his hand when they had disembarked from the train that had taken them far from their previous home in a small rural village where nothing much ever happened to the ceaseless bustle and clamour of the big city - Antipolo. Yet even here, shadows of the past, and ancient irrational fears, still linger. Tonight, Rosa would be going to the home of Maria, a friend, and staying with her overnight until her brother arrived there from overseas, where he would remain until Maria, now seven months pregnant, gave birth to her child. Prior to then, Maria had been living with her sister, but she had moved out that morning to live thereafter in a different area of the city in order to be nearer her new job, which left Maria alone in the house that they had been sharing. But what was so problematic about Maria living alone in their house now? She was a healthy, perfectly capable woman, and it was only for one night after all. The explanation was a single word – and the word was ‘manananggal’. ... And so, before evening had chance to fall, Rosa was setting off on foot, walking swiftly through a series of fields that offered the speediest pathway to her friend’s house, and thus avoiding the hideously congested thorough fares whose traffic belched smoke and noise unceasingly. In contrast, only a single car drove past as she walked along this lonely rural route. However, every step that she took was being matched by someone – or, rather, something far less welcome, and infinitely more terrifying. True, it looked like a young woman right now, but not for much longer would it do so. The manananggal – for that is indeed what it was - came to a large group of tall trees whose shadows amalgamated and coalesced like a wide black pool, hidden completely from view. Stepping into this pool of shadows, the manananggal took off its human clothes and hid them in some bushes. Then an incredible transformation took place. Its human face’s complexion blanched to a ghostly pallor, a pair of long sharp fangs grew downwards until they protruded from its half-closed mouth, which lengthened until it resembled the jaws of some malign reptile, and emerging from their tip, flickering evilly, was a slender red fork-tipped tongue, closely resembling that of some vile serpent. But most terrible of all were its eyes. Gone were its round blue human irises, and in their stead was a pair of vertical golden slits, each one containing an even thinner black slit. But if, somehow, anyone had been watching all of this, not even that latter dramatic change of form would have prepared them for the horrifying climax to this unholy metamorphosis. Without any prior warning, a dark horizontal ring spontaneously encircled the creature’s still-human waist. Then, a mere instant later, incredibly, the top half of the manananggal’s body - everything from its waist upwards - abruptly separated from its lower half. And as it did so, a pair of splits appeared in the skin concealing its shoulder blades, and out of these splits unfurled a pair of very large, dark, bat-like wings, whose flapping leathery pinions carried it aloft into the air, leaving behind the creature’s lower body half and legs, standing there as lifeless as the bottom portion of a tailor’s dummy in a shop window, but completely hidden from sight amid the shadows of the trees. It is always imperative for a manananggal to locate a secure hiding place for its lower half, because if anyone finds it while the manananggal is away, they can kill this vampire merely by sprinkling salt or smearing sand, garlic, or ash upon the lower half’s open edge, or by burning it entirely. For when the manananggal returns, if it cannot rejoin its two halves to become whole again it dies. By now, the sky was growing dark, and the grotesque half-manananggal flew swiftly on to the home of Maria. But would it find her still alone – had it arrived in time? It soon had its answer – in the form of a series of strange cries, sounding just like ‘tik-tik’, which were being given voice to by a small owl-like bird sitting on the roof. At a casual glance, it could have been mistaken for a real owl, but a closer look would have revealed that its fine feathers were actually hairs, not plumes, and its eyes glowed an infernal red. This was the manananggal’s hellish familiar or lookout, the tiktik, named after its cries - which confirmed to the manananggal that the house’s occupant was still alone. The manananggal’s tongue thrashed like a veritable serpent, and two golden drops of venom drooled from its jaws. Now, just one more transformation was needed. Its human half-body became amorphous as it hovered just outside the house, remoulding itself into a new form, one that included a fairly long, repulsively-wrinkled body, and two slender hind legs with three toes on each foot, together with the large wings that remained unchanged from its previous incarnation. Its elongate head possessed a pair of huge glowing ovoid eyes, a red slit-like mouth, and, most bizarre of all, an extremely lengthy, slender proboscis that emerged from its large black nose, and undulated sinuously in front of its malevolent face. As expected, the doors and windows were all tightly closed, and a roaring fire in the hearth prevented any possibility of entering down the chimney. But like all vampires, the manananggal was not bereft of ways in which to enter a seemingly impenetrable, unbreachable building. The roof was thatched, and it did not take the manananggal long to burrow through a weak patch of thatching until it had forced its way into the top storey of the house. Silently it flitted downstairs, its acute sense of smell confirming that Maria was there, and not in any of the bedrooms as it had initially anticipated. Sure enough, there she was, sitting in a large chair close to the fire, where, no doubt lulled by its comforting warmth, she had fallen asleep – and so had never seen that the bottle of special protective plant oil standing on a shelf close by was bubbling and frothing, warning of the manananggal’s presence. The manananggal was now on the floor, and was stealthily walking towards her on its two legs, its large wings folded up and held over its back. Its serpentine proboscis flickered and twitched incessantly. Already it could smell and even taste in the air the scent of its prey – Maria’s unborn baby! After just a few moments, the manananggal was squatting directly in front of Maria, on the floor at her feet. On account of her size and the very advanced stage of her pregnancy, Maria was wearing only a large maternity dress with no uncomfortable underwear to grip tightly. Slowly, the manananggal’s long proboscis rose upwards, cautiously, ensuring that it did not wake Maria as it gradually moved up between her calves and thighs, steadily approaching her vagina, which would in turn lead directly to her baby inside her womb. And once the proboscis reached the baby, it would apply its suckered tip to the helpless foetus and drain it not only of blood but also of its very life force until it died, murdered within its own mother’s body by a foul creature of nightmare. Had the foetus been smaller, just a few weeks old, the manananggal would have sucked it out entirely and consumed it. Just a few more centimetres and its proboscis would be there, and then... But before it could even contemplate that, the still of the night was abruptly broken by a series of very loud ‘tik-tik’ cries directly overhead. It was the manananggal’s familiar – something was wrong, somebody must be approaching the house! The manananggal’s proboscis retracted instantly, but at the same moment Maria awoke, the tiktik’s cries having shaken her out of her deep warmth-induced slumber. Her eyes opened, and the first thing that she saw was a hideous rat-like horror on the ground at her feet. But even as she stared at it, it began to shuffle off on its two legs and a large pair of bat-like wings opened up above its back. Involuntarily, Maria snapped open her mouth and screamed at the top of her voice, over and over again, shrieking and howling with uncontrollable hysterical terror and horror at what she had seen - what she knew to be a manananggal! Then she saw the table nearby, and the large box on it, which had been left there by her sister that very morning. They had both joked about it at the time, especially about some of its bizarre contents, never believing that these would ever be needed – but they were sorely needed now. For what the box contained was a wide selection of items guaranteed, at least according to traditional Filipino lore, to dispel manananggals. But surely this was all just superstition – wasn’t it? Yet the manananggal was only too real, so perhaps these assorted objects’ power would be too. Quickly, Maria opened the box and tipped its contents out on the table. They were certainly an extraordinarily diverse, eclectic assemblage. A red pouch full of ginger and coins. The dried penis of a horse. A faded photograph of her grandmother. A bag of salt. A whip fabricated from the somewhat desiccated tail of a stingray. A long silver dagger. Scrabbling among them, she grabbed the bag of salt and hurled its contents over the retreating manananggal, which let forth an ear-splitting screech as its skin began to burn and sizzle where the salt had landed upon it. Raising its head, its eyes glowing in fury, the manananggal turned around, and then stepped forward towards her, its red mouth open wide in hissing rage. Swiftly, Maria snatched up the horse penis in one hand and her grandmother’s photo in the other, and brandished them towards the approaching vampire. Instantly, it stopped in its tracks, its golden eyes now flashing in panic, because phallic objects and images of elderly women are items that, for reasons long since lost in the mists of bygone ages, induce outright terror in the minds of all manananggals. It opened its wings fully, in an attempt to fly up and away from the frightening objects, but as it did so, Maria began thrashing at it with the stingray-tail whip, hoping that its sharp barbs would pierce the manananggal’s skin - already blistered and raw from the effects of the salt. Just as she did so, however, a loud beating was heard upon the main door. Rosa! She’d arrived at last! Why had it taken her so long? Maria shouted out, just to make sure that it was indeed Rosa – but it wasn’t. It was her brother, Juan! Maria raced to the door, unbolted it, hauled it open, and dragged a startled Juan inside. Without saying a word, she pointed at the manananggal, flapping overhead, and handed him the silver dagger, because if he could stab this loathsome entity with a weapon fashioned from silver, it would die. But even as Juan grasped the dagger, the manananggal had spotted an escape route. In the rush to get Juan inside, Maria hadn’t closed the door! In the space of a second, the manananggal had flown through the still-ajar door and out – onwards and away into the night sky, accompanied by the tiktik, and free to attempt further attacks elsewhere. But at least the nightmare for Maria and her unborn child was over (although her brother swiftly placed a circle of protective coins from the red pouch on the floor all around her as she sat back on the chair, just in case). Juan had managed to catch an earlier train, which was why he was here tonight, and not the following morning as expected - but as Rosa had never appeared, that was just as well. The manananggal flew back to the group of trees where it had concealed its lower half. When it reached them, it transformed back into its human upper half, which then settled upon its lower, and united with it at once, becoming a whole woman again. Afterwards, it swiftly dressed itself in the human clothes that it had originally been wearing but which it had concealed with its lower half earlier that evening. Then back towards the city walked Rosa – for the manananggal and Rosa were, of course, one and the same entity. ... When the original Rosa, the real daughter of her father, was four years old, one hot febrile night a manananggal had surreptitiously found its way into her bedroom while she was asleep, and had silently drained her of her life force until she was dead. Then, once again without making even the faintest of sounds, it had stripped Rosa’s clothes from her small cold body, which it had then devoured entirely, before shape-shifting itself into an exact likeness of her when alive, then dressing itself in her clothes. And no-one, not even Rosa’s own father, had ever suspected that anything was amiss. Or at least, not until, down through the years, an inordinate number of pregnant women in their village and others nearby had suffered miscarriages, given birth to stillborn babies, and in some cases had even experienced what had appeared to be an unexplained total reabsorbing of the foetus while still only a few weeks old. Eventually, suspicious fingers had begun to point towards the withdrawn, uncommunicative, secretive Rosa. And even though her father had angrily denounced all such accusations, pointing out that they had lived together ever since Rosa’s birth – it was not as if Rosa had been adopted by him and was therefore of unknown origin, or had even been separated from him for any length of time – finally he had decided that they should move far away, which is what had brought them to Antipolo. But once again, miscarriages and stillborn babies had lately been occurring with increasing frequency in areas of the city close to theirs, and sometimes near to their own home. However, the city was far bigger than their village, and Rosa knew that the number of cases overall was too small to attract unwelcome attention. So she would be safe, and would remain undetected here for a long time, assuaging her bloodlust without fear of discovery. Back home, Rosa sat in her room, getting ready for dinner with her father downstairs. Her father – she smiled as those words entered her mind. Even at the heights of her bloodlusts, her father was the one human figure that had always remained inviolate, never at risk of being attacked by her, because as a child and even as a teenager she had depended entirely upon him to protect her physically from those who had grown suspicious, and also to dispel rumours that might otherwise have led to formal investigations. Of course, now that she was no longer a teenager, now that she was a grown woman soon to qualify as a midwife – and trembling with something akin to erotic ecstasy at the thought of the unchallenged access that this job would give her to pregnant women! – from now on she would be able to stand up for herself. Her father would no longer be invaluable, or even valuable. On the contrary, he was now entirely disposable. And as she reflected upon this, her face glimmered with a pale, unearthly glow, as for just the briefest of instants her eyes became golden vertical slits, and a pair of long venom-dripping fangs momentarily materialised. Then, the voice of her father called up to her, to tell her that dinner was now ready. Instantaneously, her face became that of his obedient daughter Rosa again, except for the faintest of smiles that lingered as she stood up. After all, she speculated, tonight would be as good a time as any to bring this charade to an end, and the death of her father would appear to anyone examining his body to have been caused by nothing more dramatic than a massive heart attack. The shock of her father’s sudden, unexpected demise would even very conveniently explain why she hadn’t gone to Maria’s house that evening as promised. She walked out of her bedroom, closed the door, and walked along the landing towards the stairs. Yes, it was time... Downstairs, her father stood motionless, willing his mind and his heart to accept what must be done. A few minutes earlier, he had received a phone-call from a near-hysterical Maria, who, with her brother Juan’s help, had somehow managed to convey what had happened with the manananggal, and that they fervently hoped all was well with Rosa, as she had never arrived at Maria’s house. When he put the phone down, Rosa’s father was ashen and shaking. He knew very well that Rosa had set out, because a friend driving by in his car had happened to see her walking through the fields not far from Maria’s house. Yet when Rosa had unexpectedly arrived back home only a few hours later, she had gone straight to her room without even speaking, let alone explaining why she hadn’t stayed at Maria’s. He had naturally assumed that she would explain everything at dinner, but the horrific news from Maria had driven all other thoughts from his mind – all other thoughts but one, that is. So, it had indeed begun again, and closer to home in every sense this time than ever before. After all, Maria was a good friend. How could it be? It cannot be, surely – and yet, it must be. No longer was there any other explanation. No longer could there be any further attempt to brush aside such events as mere coincidences. He glanced at an open drawer in his writing desk, then looked down at his hand, at what he had taken out of that drawer and was now holding, which gleamed brightly even in the evening’s subdued light. It was a long slender dagger, with a razor-sharp blade. A silver dagger. He stood in the shadows at the foot of the stairs, and waited. Yes, it was time...

[For the whole story Click Here ... ]

Source:
http://karlshuker.blogspot.com/2012/04/aswangs-of-antipolo-vampire-demons-of.html

Aswang in Panay Island

Panay Island consisted the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz and Iloilo. The famous Aswang was said to be living in this part of the archipelago. Capiz was known for the flying vampires - manananggal, and Maria Labo was said to originate from this province. While in Iloilo, Tiniente Gimo is popular. Aklan and Antique was also known with this vampiric creatures. People living there, especially in Capiz, were superstitious. They even still put garlic, or anything that can repel these notorious creatures, on there doors or windows.

Ilonggos were famous with their soft dialect. They even say, when Ilonggos were angry, instead of yelling at you, they seemed not, as if they're talking to you normally. So how did these soft spoken people became renowned of scary beings? Well, at day, aswangs look simple, friendly and kind, opposite to what they were at night. Do you think they were just disguising? Hiding something inside? I'm afraid its not the reason why.

Encounter Stories

The Aswang Family by: Pitbuller This particular story happened when my mother was still in college. My mom was invited by one of her college roommates to spend their vacation at her house near a beach. It was a typical but nice two-level house in the province. Made of nipa, it was quite spacious with a nice deck on the upper level. The bedrooms of course were located on the second floor and to get to bathroom, you had to cross all the way to the other side of the second floor. When they arrived at her friend's house, my mom noticed that her friend's parents looked sick. They were both lying on the bed and they barely moved as if they really looked like they only had a few days to live. My mom politely greeted them and then she and her friend went to their room. She freshened up at the bathroom and then she unpacked her things. What was weird was, at a dusk, she saw her friend's parents walking along the coastline. My mom was of course stunned because she was sure that they really looked weak and sick when she first saw the couple a few hours ago. So she asked her friend if it was okay for her parents to be out like that. But her friend simply said that her parents were just getting some fresh air outside. According to my momm what was puzzling was, the couple actually looked so much more energetic than they were a few hours ago. So after dinner, my mom and her friend decided to go to bed. They went up to their rooms on the second floor and began to sleep. Sometime during the night or early morning, my mom suddenly woke up with the urge to go to the bathroom. She decided to not wake her friend up and proceed to go to the bathroom herself. Indeed it was so dark so my mom got her flashlight and began to slowly walk towards the bathroom. And to get to the bathroom, she had to pass by the room of her friend's parents. My mom noticed that the door was slightly opened. She peeked inside and what she saw truly frightened her. The old couple was nowhere to be seen. Their window was opened and my mom was positive that the room was empty because of the moonlight passing through the windows. Though my mom was frightened, she still went to the bathroom to relieve herself then made her way back to their room and slept. The next day my mom was still pretty shaken up but decided no to let them know how she felt. She was, of course, having her doubts already about her friend's family. At breakfast, she saw that her friend's parents looked sick and pale again, as if they have a terminal disease in their bodies. Her friend's mother slowly stood up and went to the kitchen. She opened a cupboard and got a small pot inside it that was covered with a white cloth. Then she scooped out some of the contents to a small plate and slowly placed the pot back inside the cupboard. She then offered my mom the contents of it at the dining table. When my mother looked at the plate, what she saw made stomach turn! They looked white intestines or some type of meat. Politely, my mom asked the woman what the food was, but the woman simply said that it was just an ulam (dish) and that my mom should try it. However, she turned down the offer and went straight to her room to pack her things. She said goodbye to her friend, with an excuse that she needed to go home quickly. My mom waited for passing bus and got on it. On the way home, the bus conductor asked my mom, Galing ka ba doon sa bahay nina ******? my mom said yes and told her strange experience in that house to the conductor. Then the conductor said that the family that my mom visited was well known around the area as ferocious Aswangs. My mom was of course totally frightened with conductor's revelation. When she got home finally, my grandmother was really angry at her, and scolded her for going to such place without my grandma's permission. It is common knowledge in our province in Iloilo that aswnags will offer one human flesh if they would like him or her to turn you into aswang. Probably her friend's parents were fond of my mom so they had attempted to turn her into like one of them. And I'm so happy that my mom was able to escape that creepy family.

The story above is a good example of kinds and themes of stories about the Aswangs in Panay. They mainly focus on the experiences of people who were not familiar of villages in Panay. That, for example, a visitor from the city together with his friend went to his family for a vacation. However, the family turns to be a clan of Aswang. Tiniente Gimo's story is the best example of this kind of tales.

Information

Most of the popular tabloid stories are about mysterious things, and one of their main settings was the island of Panay. They often focus on issues which brought fears in the hearts of people. Whenever they hear the place Panay, they would likely conclude that this is the home of Aswang. Not only tabloid stories contribute the fear, but also those published books about them (like that one above), and tales that are passed on by generations to generations.

This belief of Filipinos about Panay Island brought its place as one of the famous and undying urban legends in the Philippines. If this will persist and no one will create conclusions to disprove the existence of Aswang, discriminations and fear will always dwell in everyone's hearts. But I think, beliefs for this monsters will never be destroyed, it will just change.

Me, myself, don't even know if this monster do exist. My parents and grandparents often tell me they were true, that if God, angels, and demons are real, so do Aswangs are.

See Also:

Tiniente Gimo (under Conclusions)

Source:
True Philippine Ghost Stories. PSICOM Publishing Inc.

Tiniente Gimo, the First Aswang

Why did I forgot this famous tale from Iloilo? It was so long since I started my blog, but then I forgot to make an article about Tiniente Gimo. I heard about him in my childhood days, of course, from my grand parents.

Who is Tiniente Gimo

He was called Tiniente (Spanish word which means Lieutenant) because he was actually a Tiniente del Barrio, or what Filipinos, in the present day, refer as the Barangay Chairman, of Dueñas in Iloilo. He may also be a leader of the family of Aswang from which he acquired the title.

Because of the legend about him, many stories made him a antagonist as the blood-sucking villain, a leader of a group and/or clan of Aswangs. Perhaps, the effect of this tales created a bad image to every people, and versions of his story was created.

Actually, there were stories from internet that tell about the experience of their grandparents in his village, that they were certain they were ghoul-vampires, and many more.

The Story

One of the teniente's daughters studied in a university in the city. During a break, this daughter invited two of her classmates to come to her hometown for a visit. The young ladies agreed, excited at the prospect of going to a town they had never visited before. They were greeted with enthusiasm by the teniente's family and as was customary in the Philippines, a small party was prepared. The lady visitors were fed and entertained. As the night grew deeper, one of the young ladies asked (let's call her Juana) what the sleeping arrangements would be. Gimo's daughter said that the visitors would be sharing a room with her. And so off to bed they went. Because they were in a small town, no big beds were available so they all agreed to sleep on mats on the floor. Juana slept in the middle, tucked in between Gimo's daughter and their friend. The two girls soon drifted off to sleep but Juana found that tired as she was, she just couldn't bring herself to sleep. Filipinos refer to this feeling as 'namamahay', which is when your body and mind are still in the process of adjusting to a new environment and thus cannot perform a certain routine. This was what prevented Juana from sleeping. It was also what kept her alive. The party went on outside even as the night deepened but to Juana, instead of fading away, the noise just seemed to get a little bit louder. She heard more people coming, being greeted, there were sounds of suppressed laughter, soft giggles and whispers. "Must be the party for tomorrow," she thought. "They're really throwing a big one." Since she couldn't sleep anyway, Juana decided to get up and take a peek at the activities through the window. When she lifted the cover, what she saw stirred fear in her heart. On the clearing not far from the house, people were gathered together in a circle – a few women were busy cutting spices and vegetables, some men were talking and drinking while others were sharpening knives. There were children as well. And there, through the shrubs, more people were coming. In the middle of the circle was a fire and over the fire was a larger-than-usual iron cauldron. If these people were going to cook, they were going to cook something big – bigger than a full-grown chicken or a goat. Just then, Juana heard Teniente Gimo's voice just on the other side of the wall, talking to another man. "So which one is it?" the man asked. "The one in the middle and the other one's on the right," Teniente Gimo said. "Okay. I'll bring three or four along in case there's a struggle." "Let's just hit her on the head. Keep her quiet that way." "True." "And bring the sack to carry her with. We'll take care of the other one." Juana didn't need to hear any more just to understand what the two men were discussing. The 'one in the middle' they were referring to was her! The fire and the iron cauldron, all those vegetables and spices the women were preparing, the sack… they intended to butcher her and her friend! Juana's survival instinct kicked in. She debated for a while on whether to wake up her friend or not but the men were coming up the stairs and if her friend woke up suddenly, there's no telling what she would say or do. They could both be in bad trouble if she delayed for another second. Juana hurried back to the sleeping girls on the floor, pushed Gimo's daughter towards the middle, lay on the girl's right and covered everyone's head with the wide blanket. That way, the heads were hidden underneath. She tried to calm herself to prevent from shaking. Soon the door opened slowly and noiselessly. Juana didn't know how many men came for Teniente Gimo's daughter that night. All she felt and heard were soft footsteps, a few whispers and a loud thud as they hit the young girl on the head. They were very quiet, as if they were used to doing what they did. They didn't even wake up her friend, who was sleeping so soundly just an arm's length away from Juana. Teniente Gimo's daughter lay moaning next to her. The men quickly wrapped the bleeding girl in the sack and carried her away. After the men had left the room, Juana got up, tried to wake her friend for the last time, failed and decided to go at it alone. She opened the window across the one facing the clearing where they were presently beating the body inside the sack and carefully but fearfully climbed down. As soon as her bare feet touched solid ground, Juana began to run. She didn't care where she was passing through – all she knew was that the main road was in that direction. She hadn't gotten far when she heard shouts and screams from the group. They had opened the sack and found out the terrible mistake they made. Enraged, Teniente Gimo cried for everyone to check the house, find the girl, THE girl they wanted, she who was supposed to be in the middle, she who was supposed to be in the sack, she who was supposed to be the one they should be prepping tonight, she whose throat they should have slit. Behind her, Juana heard the commotion and simply assumed that people were now climbing the stairs, opening the door to the daughter's room and finding that only one was left behind and the other had run away. It would only be a matter of time before they found out where she was headed. So Juana kept on running over the grass, the rocks, the pebbles that cut her feet, the sharp thorns of the shrubs and the slimy dead things underneath her. But those who were in pursuit of her were men – grown men, men taller than she, with longer legs, with strength stolen from the other men and women they had slaughtered before her poor friend. As the men with the torches began to gain on her, Juana felt panic rise from her legs to her heart, threatening to turn her legs to stone. She could never outrun these men and if she could hide, where? They probably knew this area very well and could find her easily. But right in front of her, a tree stood. It was tall enough but not so tall that she couldn't climb it and it looked strong, with a thick truck and even thicker leaves. Juana had no memory of how she managed to climb the tree that night but there she cowered, shaking, mouthing prayers for the Virgin to protect her, to please not let them see her, hear her, smell her. The voices grew nearer and so did the footfalls. Not only the men came in pursuit. There were a few women as well, some of them holding torches, some gripping a thick tree branch and others, still holding on to the knives they used to cut the onions and the tomatoes. Light from the torches illuminated the branches and the leaves of the tree as the mob passed underneath her. If one of them ever looked up… But no one did. The crowd of angry men and women who tried to come after her came and went. They couldn't find her. A few hours later, which seemed an eternity to Juana, they came back again, walking this time, tired and hungry, their torches fading but they came a few feet away, no longer passing under Juana's tree. Although the crowd had gone, Juana stayed hidden in the tree. She waited for the dark sky to turn gray and very carefully, painfully climbed down. No one was in sight and she was too far away to actually hear anything from where Teniente Gimo's hut stood. Besides, it was morning and if they did party on last night, they would be too full and tired to care today. Juana brushed the thought of her other friend, the one she left behind, away and began to run again, towards the main road. At this point, I no longer remember how Juana got help. Maybe she stopped a passing bus or jeepney or maybe a person with a good soul came across the fearful girl with the wild eyes. But she did get help and she did find her way home, safe and alive. She never went back to the town of Dueñas, not even to see if the tree that saved her life still stood. As for Teniente Gimo and his clan of aswangs, it is said that the incident devastated him. It was his own beloved daughter after all. They packed up and abbandoned their home and moved someplace else. Where he and his family are now is only whispered about and whether they are still hunting and luring human prey, it can only be guessed at. Who knows? They could be in your town.

Another version, which is more brief than the latter, and more known by everyone:

Tiniente Gimo's daughter Maria (not her real name) brought his two friends, Jean and Melay (not also there real names) from the city to visit her hometown and her family. They accepted them warmly and served them with foods, as if there was a celebration. The two loved the food and ask them what kind of dish it is. But they answered them with only a smile. After hours passed full of chattering, they decided to sleep. But because the house is small and there's only one room for everyone, Tiniente Gimo told Maria and her friends to sleep in the bed room, while they will sleep in the living room. Like other girls, when they are together, they don't sleep right away. Maria borrowed the accessories of Jean, and wear them till they went to sleep. Tiniente Gimo targeted Jean that night, and the only thing he could familiarize who among of them is Jean, is her necklace. However, Maria weared the necklace of Jean that time. He sneaked unto the bed room to kill her. He hit the head not knowing it was his daughter, and brought her in the kitchen. He chopped her to pieces, and cooked her in a pot. Tiniente Gimo discovered who he had eaten when morning came. No one knows what happened to Jean and Melay after that. Maybe they lived to tell the story of Tiniente Gimo.

As you notice, both tales almost have similar flow of story. In which, there was these two women, who were friends of the daughter of Tiniente Gimo, came in the province with her for vacation or the like, and was killed by the tiniente or his whole clan. Some sources tell that they were teachers from a school, not students. Aside of it, the movie Shake, Rattle and Roll, potrayed by Manilyn Reynes, had almost the same story as above.

Conclusions

Many reasonable explanations emerged about the legend of Tiniente Gimo. One is about his political career. His enemy invented a kind of story that rose people's fear.

Another is about the kind of disease they called Dystonia de Panay (scientifically named torsion dystonia-parkinsonism), Ilonggo called it Lubag. This is a rare musco-skeletal disease found only in Panay, in which the victim will be twist involuntarily. Maybe, the appearance of them in this position made them look like an Aswang, and this might be Tiniente Gimo's disease that time. This same reason can be used to explain the Aswang.

Source:
http://jeminastories.blogspot.com/2008/09/tiniente-gimo.html
http://iloilocityboy.blogspot.com

San Juan, La Union Ghosts

[This past few days, I've been very busy with too many things, including my studies. That's why I can't search any other exciting and interesting urban legends in the Philippines, and post them here. Well, now I'm back. It's Christmas vacation. Perhaps, I will have a lot of time on focusing my favorite pastime.]

This urban legend have been famous for decades. Maybe some of you knew this one.

The town of San Juan, in the province of La Union, west of Luzon, is a fishing before the coming of Americans. It has a number of ghost legends, including a headless nun, smoking faceless man and a mysterious smiling white lady at the old tower. Most tales are said to have originated around this time and handed down to generations. It’s still a quiet town, but pompous cottages and mansions have popped along its shores.

Here's the ghost legends in the said province:

It was said that the nun was killed and beheaded by the Japanese in the old Hispanic convent, and her convent burned down. Till now the convent is still standing. If someone passes the ruins of the covenant on a full moon at midnight, an eerie bell tolls, signalling the approach of the nun from behind. First, you will feel a cool, creepy breeze. Then wavy long hair brushing against the nape. Looking behind, the victim would discover the spooky tale for himself.

Until the present day, the nun is still haunting the old ruins. No one knows why she's still there, but perhaps she wants to avenge her death.

The white lady is said to appear at midnight in the ruins of an old watch tower that dates to pre-Hispanic times, and is particularly likely to be seen by handsome young men.

It was peculiar, "a ghost who only appears on handsome brave youths". I wanted to laugh at it. Well, for those bored individual young man there, if you wanted to know if you're handsome, the only place you can go and find the answer out is in the Bell Tower in La Union. If she will appear, then you're definitely handsome. However, if you'll tell anybody about her appearance on you, no one will likely to believe. I wonder why she laughs????

Another myth is about the smoking faceless man.

Before the war, (perhaps the WWII) youths were used to smoke cigars in an abandoned man-hole at midnight. Once, a stranger came, face overshadowed by a straw hat, asking for light. When they lent a lit cigar, the man looked up to light his, showing a spine-chilling blank where a face should have been. The faceless man allegedly still shows up, though rarely, because he prefers unbranded, native tobacco to imported ones. Who could be that faceless pal???

[Taken from a Website:]

In 1582, San Juan was proclaimed a mission station under the authority of the Augustian Order, as recorded by the Nueva Segovia Bi-centennial souvenir booklet dated April 25, 1587. By 1586 the town had become the center of the parish, and was renamed San Juan by the Augustian Fathers after the Catholic Patron Saint of San Juan Bautista. The town boasted an Augustinian convent and a population of 6,000. Its first priest was Friar Agustin Niño. The center of the parish was subsequently transferred to Bauang, with San Juan sometimes being an out-station (visita) of Bauang and sometimes of Bacnotan. In 1707 the Church of St. John the Baptist was constructed at San Juan. In 1772, the mission station was placed under the authority of the Dominican Order. In 1807, San Juan was established as a parish in its own right. Pindangan Ruins this is the home of the headless stabbed priest whose sole ghost prowls at night, either carrying his severed head or searching for his head. Some report hearing his head calling out for his body to find it. Many say EVP's happen here all the time and the wind is known to whisper strange malediction to those that disrespect the location. Pasatsat is word rooted on the Pangasinense word satsat, meaning "to stab". Pasatsats are ghosts of people who died or were killed in the Second World War. Coffins during the time were so expensive, so the families of the dead wrapped the corpses in reed mats or icamen. The dead were buried in places other than cemeteries because tomb robberies were rampant during that era of extreme poverty. These ghosts usually show up in solitary paths and block passersby. To get rid of such a ghost, one needs to stab (hence pasatsat) the reed mat and unravel it, but doing so will show no presence of a corpse, although the mat will emit a noxious odor, much like that of putrid flesh. In 1898 during the latter days of the Philippine Revolution, the whole of San Juan was razed to the ground by a great fire. Many ghost from this period are said to roam the streets. The town of San Juan, La Union has a considerable amount of ghost encounters, sightings and many many paranormal monsters and legends, including a headless nun and a smiling white lady at the old tower. Another strange ghost is that of Devil Cigar Man or as many call him just the Devilman. In the months just before the war, young men from the town would all go around an abandoned man-hole, there they would smoke cigars and speak of the goings on of the day then one night at midnight something strange occurred. Once, a stranger came appearing strangely with his his long well combed black slicked and straight and braided beard is his most striking feature for his face is always overshadowed by a large brimmed straw hat, he came to them asking for light. When they lent a lit cigar, the man looked up to light his, showing a spine-chilling blank where a face should have been. The faceless Devil man allegedly still shows up, because he prefers unbranded, native tobacco to imported ones. And if you don't give him a light he will drag you straight to hell are strike you deaf and dumb on the spot. Another strange haunted tale is about finding the the Devilman's large brimmed straw hat. If by chance you see a straw hat of or hat of any type of hat or head gear on the side of the road by no means touch it. Because if you dare to do os of God forbid to put it on your head. To do so will bring you straight to hell. The tale of the strange ghost nun that was beheaded by the Japanese, and her convent burned down is a very weird ghost story. If someone passes the ruins of the covenant on a full moon at midnight, an eerie ghost bell tolls this is the signaling of the approach of the nun's ghost. One of the many tales tells that the old historical ruins of a Spanish convent were burned by the Japanese and a pious chaste nun was beheaded as an example for all to see. The old ruins of the covenant still stand. On some nights when an unfortunate person happens to pass by on a full moon at midnight, some spectral bell would toll from the netherworld. It supposedly signals the approach of the ghost nun who will slowly creep up on you from behind. They say she is looking for the man who killed her or his descendents to take her exacting revenge. Many say several daring people have died from fright others driven mad when being touched by her on the left shoulder. The white lady another ghosts not to be confused with the ghost nun or the Balete Drive specter, is said to appear at midnight in the ruins of an old watch tower that dates to pre-Hispanic times, and is particularly likely to be seen by many individuals. In recent times, she is often called the laughing white lady is said to have been showing herself periodically in the old historical ruins. The ghosts of this woman is said to appear often and her disguised appearance is said to be very frightening for she has no eyes. Only gaping sockets which glow with an erie spooky ghost light. Many report they hear her maniacal ghostly laughter and would rather run the see her eyeless ghosts. One of the hitchhiker stories tells of three boys who pick up a girl near a cemetery and take her to a party. this is very similar to the tales of Resurrection Mary in Chicago USA. On the way back, the girl complains of the cold and borrows a jacket. The girl disappears near the cemetery, and the boys find the jacket neatly folded on the headstone of her grave. Or that of a freshly dug up grave where the body has been pulled from the earth and partially eaten. Many believe her to be a real ghoul like creature. A ghoul is a folkloric monster associated with graveyards and consuming human flesh, often classified as undead. In another story, a male hitchhiker asks to be taken to a given address. When they arrive, the hitchhiker has disappeared, but it turns out that he used to live at that address and this is the anniversary of her death. Stories tell that this young disfigured man appears as if he was just in some terrible accident with blood on his clothes.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan,_La_Union
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghosts_in_Filipino_culture
http://www.philippinesinsider.com/myths-folklore-superstition/ghost-myths-of-san-juan-la-union/
http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/ghosthunting/phillipines.php

Aswang in Bulacan

Recently, Brgy. Balubad, Bulacan was covered in terror. Poultry and livestock animals were found dead. One of the owners of these animals was shocked seeing his animals with wounds. They were as if sucked by an unknown being. Rumor has it that an aswang was roaming in there place.

News

[Taken from a News Website:]

‘Aswang’ sows fear in Bulacan RESIDENTS of a barangay in Bulacan, Bulacan now fear for their lives after a series of killings of their animals that some people believe are done by a nocturnal monster locally known as "aswang." Hog raisers in Barangay Balubad said they believe that a monster is the one responsible for the death of their swine. Mat Tansinsin, owner of four pigs that were found dead on the morning of September 8, said he was surprised when he saw his hogs lifeless with scratch and bite marks all over the body and with massive blood loss. A certain Benigno Dela Peña lost twenty four ducks to the ‘monster’ on the first day of the ‘aswangs’ attack’ and after a week another twelve ducks and six chickens. “Tanggal ang mga bituka ng kanilang mga alagang hayop ng aking nadatnan at ang ipinagtataka ko ay kung bakit wala man lang tumahol na mga aso sa mga oras na nilalapa ng ‘aswang’ o nilalang ang aking mga alaga,” (Intestines of my animals were taken apart when I found them. And what wonders me is, why dogs didn't bark at the time when aswang, or whatever kind of being it was, ate my animals.) Dela Peña said. Ason Mahinay, a resident of the place said the night before the livestock were found devoured, she saw a huge dog roaming around their barangay. A day after she saw a big cat. Sa aming lugar sa Bisaya, ‘pag ganyang pabagu-bago ng itsura ang isang hayop, may posibilidad na ito ay isang aswang, (In our town in Visayas, when an animal shape-shifts in different figures, there's a possibility that it was an aswang) she explained. The incident is now being investigated by the local police and the municipal agricultural office. Published : Monday, October 08, 2012 00:00 Written by : Manny Balbin

Some experts explain and speculate the reason of the animal deaths. They said that it wasn't an aswang who killed them, but a wild animal only. However, paranormal experts believe that it was definitely an aswang.

Sources:
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/provincial/39367-aswang-sows-fear-in-bulacan

The Aswang Phenomenon

The documentary was produced by High Banks Entertainment Ltd. It is about the famous Aswang in Philippine folklore.

Try to watch the documentary for a better understanding of what this creature is and where did they originated.

The Video

Click Here for more about aswang.

Source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ePhqoyLpXQ

Malacañang Palace

Malacañang Palace is the home of the President of Republic of the Philippines, the symbol of the nation, and also his/her official office. It is located at 1000 José P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila. The house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. In Spanish Era, it is also the home of Governor-General of the Philippines. It was purchased from a Spanish Aristocrat named Don Luis Rocha, and was purchased by a Spanish Colonel and again purchased by the state, thus became the home of the representatives of Spain in the Philippines.

Yes! It is true. The building was built since the Spanish time. So, it might be true that there is an unknown entity there. Then, what are they?

Male and female figures disappearing into walls. Pianos playing by themselves in the dead of night.

Empty chairs turning, heavy curtains parting, plates vanishing from where you put them. --- Philippine Daily Inquirer

Pres. Noynoy Aquino once said,

No one wants to live in Malacañang proper, because of the eerie environment.

Actually, he prefer to live in the other side of Pasig River - on Bahay Pangarap.

I don?t like the ambience of Malacañang Palace. There's this big balete tree in front [of the state entrance] ... And the guards say sometimes, the pianos start playing by themselves and someone is [heard] marching [down the hall].

Story

[Taken from a News Website:]

Strange things The strongman's son, Senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., narrated tales of ghostly goings-on during the family's 20-year stay in the Spanish-era Palace. There's no doubt about it, many strange things are really happening there, the senator told the Inquirer. Everybody who lived in the Palace, during and after [our stay], including the security and the staff?everybody has experienced something, he said. Eduardo Rozon, chief steward during the Marcos regime, and Bernardo Barcena Jr., a guard posted at the door to the private quarters of the then first family, vividly recall both frightening and hilarious encounters with the unknown in Malacañang. From their stories recounted to the Inquirer last week, it appeared that ghosts haunted not only the numerous state rooms but also the Marcoses? private quarters, and even the adjoining building known as Kalayaan Hall. The chandeliers clanked, the plates in the china room tinkled, and staff members felt their hair rising. The ghostly occurrences always happened in the wee hours?between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., when the Palace was quiet and deserted, according to both Bongbong Marcos and Barcena. During that witching hour, it was common for the staff to see figures appear at the Reception Hall, the massive corridor framed by pictures of all Philippine presidents, and the Ceremonial Hall, the biggest room in the Palace where the most important state functions are held and which served as balcony during the Spanish and American eras. Never their faces You just see them. You think they're your colleagues but they're not. And they always had their backs to us; we never saw their faces, said Barcena, who is now on his second term as barangay councilman in Bagong Nayon in Antipolo City, the housing project awarded by the Marcoses to their household staff. Barcena once walked up to who he thought was a colleague leaning on a panel in the Ceremonial Hall: I was just a few meters from him when he vanished. Frightened, Barcena hurried to tell his colleagues about the experience. Rozon, who supervised the Palace waiters, recalled one night when he was at the Reception Hall and noticed that the door to the Music Room was ajar. (A bedroom during the Spanish time, the Music Room has since been used by first ladies as a sitting room for important state guests.) Rozon said he wondered to his companion what would happen if the half-open door would suddenly close. Then the door did close! We ran downstairs! he said, laughing. Barcena swore that in the same room with no one else around, they heard the piano play and saw the first lady's chair turn by itself. Intrigued by the stories, Bongbong Marcos and his friends decided to go ghost hunting in the courtyard of the private quarters, which had a fountain in the middle. Knock, knock A friend reached for a doorknob, but the door opened before he could touch it. They scrambled upstairs, the senator recalled with a chuckle. It was also common for the family members to hear someone knocking on their doors, always at around 2 a.m. During the renovation of the Palace, Bongbong Marcos said, he used a room adjacent to the State Dining Room as his temporary quarters. (The State Dining Room, originally a ballroom during the Spanish and American times, has three Commonwealth-era chandeliers and 40 carved chairs around a long dining table. It is now where Cabinet meetings are held. Its large French mirrors were installed in 1877, according to the book Malacañan Palace, The Official Illustrated History.) Knocking awakened Bongbong Marcos one night, and when he opened his door, he saw no one there. Suddenly, one of the antique chairs stacked leaning against the dining table righted itself! I couldn't sleep anymore that night, he said. The ghosts also apparently liked telephones. The senator said his mother Imelda had been roused from sleep by the ringing of the phone in her bedroom, also during the wee hours. The next morning she would ask who called her at that time, and of course nobody did, he said. Rozon said the ringing phones even sparked quarrels among the guards, each suspecting his colleagues of pulling a prank. Seeing things It was President Marcos who reportedly kept seeing people who were not actually there. Coming home from school once, Bongbong Marcos and his two sisters were told by their father about an experience the previous night in the President?s Study, which once served as Quezon's bedroom. A household aide walked into his office past midnight, and Marcos ordered him to fetch something. When the aide did not return, Marcos asked the guard where he had gone. Sir, there is no one here, the guard said. Rozon told another version of that story of Marcos wondering why a household aide was still in his study well past midnight. He peered through his glasses to look closely at the aide, who disappeared into the wall, Rozon said. Bongbong Marcos said his sister Imee had also seen Quezon's ghost in one of the state rooms. Undersecretary Manolo Quezon of the Malacañang communications group recalled a story of how his grandfather's ghost paced the Palace during times of crisis. (But ?no one I have met, or heard this story from, ever described him as menacing, or cursing, the grandson said.) He said it was supposedly one of the reasons the Marcoses had the Palace reconstructed in 1979, doubling its original size. Another story from the current staff in the Palace is they sometimes see the lights on late at night in the Quezon Room (now the Executive Office) in Kalayaan Hall, he said. The ghosts may be the lost souls of people slain during World War II, Bongbong Marcos said, adding that the Japanese Army used Malacañang as headquarters and that people were killed in some of the rooms there. Father Brown et al. One person believed killed by Japanese troops was an American priest whose ghost has since haunted the Palace as ?Father Brown? and who, Bongbong Marcos said, was wont to wake dozing Palace guards with a variety of tricks. Then there is a Chinese manservant who has appeared to Palace staff and guests. Bongbong Marcos said a guest from Italy recounted being awakened by a Chinese servant at around 3 a.m. and told to attend Mass with the Marcoses. The first family asked around and was told that the ghost had been known to appear as early as the time of President Manuel Roxas. The ghosts are apparently a mischievous lot. Said Elmer Navarro, whose father Federico, now deceased, was a household aide during the Marcos years: The ghosts played tricks on him. When he put down the plates and turned away, they would be gone when he looked again. Then he would find the plates elsewhere. Barcena said he and his colleagues reported their experiences to their superiors, and were told, with a shrug: Those are house guests. Mr. Brown The most popular of the Palace ?guests? is the benevolent kapre said to inhabit the balete tree that makes President Aquino uncomfortable. Rozon, now 69, said the kapre had been known as Mr. Brown (perhaps confused with Father Brown) since Quezon?s time, but that some staff members also referred to him as Mr. Jones. Mr. Brown was not bad. He didn't harm people, Rozon said. The story goes that household aide Mariano Dacuso, now deceased, was relaxing and reading the papers in the Tea House (where a mosque now stands) when he found himself being lifted along with his chair. He was lifted almost to the ceiling so he told the kapre, Please put me down. Then he ran to us, Rozon said. Then there was a cabbie who got the scare of his life when he asked for a light and looked up to see the kapre chomping on a cigar. Shaking in fear, the cabbie ran to the quarters of the servants, who told him he had found Mr. Brown. Rozon also said that when the social secretary's staff worked overtime typing letters, they would hear someone else typing in the next room, which was empty. Whenever something mysterious happened, it was always blamed on Mr. Brown, he said. Elmer Navarro, who lived in the old servants? quarters as a child, said the kapre was feared even by the military. Sometimes, he recalled, ?you could see smoke wafting from the tree.? Bunye's story Ignacio 'Toting' Bunye, now a member of the Monetary Board, has his own story to tell: From Day One of my assumption as press secretary in 2002, I have been warned about creepy happenings in ... Malacañang. Not being the superstitious type, I readily dismissed such stories. But it is not uncommon to hear about various offices being blessed every now and then, supposedly to ward off any unwanted unearthly visitors. One senior official even had the windows and doors of his office plastered with small medallions of the Blessed Virgin as added insurance. And then it happened! One night after a late dinner at the Ceremonial Hall, I passed by my office to pick up some stuff before going home. It must have been past 9 [p.m.]. My office, at that time, was ... what used to be [Marcos?] bedroom. To reach it from the Ceremonial Hall, one passes through a series of doors and hallways, starting with the Music Room, then through the Ramos Room, another connecting room, and finally the Marcos bedroom. As I walked to my office, I had a funny feeling that somebody or something was following me. I could feel my hair rising and my heart ... [pounding] faster. In the still of the evening, the footsteps on the wooden floor were very audible. As soon as I reached my office, I locked the door behind me (as if it would have mattered). The Thing Bunye said the footsteps slowly but progressively moved closer. He continued: Then I heard the doorknob turn and I felt the slight push on the door. After a while the footsteps started to move away, but seemingly in circles. What I have heard is now happening to me! I quickly said three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys and three Glory Be's. Somehow, I felt emboldened and I decided to leave in a hurry. I told myself: Mr. Ghost, you can scare me but you cannot hurt me! My first view of The Thing from a distance was of a white-haired man wearing a dark suit. The Thing must have sensed my presence because he immediately turned around. He said: Toting, paano ba lumabas dito (How do you get out of here)? Secretary Raul Gonzalez seemed as relieved as I was. The then newly appointed justice secretary had followed me through the secret door and somehow had gotten lost in the Palace labyrinth. The two men later learned it was Gonzalez?s footsteps, and not those of a ghost, that Bunye had heard. Real or imagined, ghosts have the run of Malacañang, making it truly a place not for the faint-hearted.

Sources:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20101031-300680/Mr-Brown-lives-in-RPs-most-haunted-house-Palace
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacañan_Palace

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

What's in the river?

In Philippines, whenever someone was drowned in a river they often quote, there's a ghost over there., which was the cause of one's death. Some people may say, a monster dwells on it. Well, my grandma told me one reason why many people thought there's something on the river. The main reason is, the first ghost (or first individual) who died there, still haunts the place - the river.

Mga Sirena (Mermaids), mga Siyokoy (Mermans), mga Engkanto o Diwata (Fairies) and other unknown entities were the most usual cause of drownung in rivers. Even in Japan, they believe that Kappas are the reason why children disappear in rivers. They believe, those monsters snatch or kidnap children for some reason, perhaps, as food.

Back to Philippines, there are many ghost stories (or monster stories) subjecting rivers that kill people for unknown cause. I found a this story on a social networking site:

Naniniwala ba kayo sa mga ilog, sapa o break water na nangunguha ng buhay ng tao? Kamakailan, kung narinig ninyo po sa news. Ibinalitang may isang kabataan na namang nalun0d at namatay sa Bibit Falls, sa Antipolo. Yung nasabing Falls na yun, happens to be near in our place. Pero mahaba-habang akyatan at lakaran kung manggagaling pa samin. (Parang mountain-climbing lang..lol) dahil mabundok na banda ro0n. Medyo liblib at mapuno. Tanda ko di ko pa narating un nung high school kami, pero marami ak0ng classmate na madalas din dun at ung iba malapit dun mismo nakatira.. Sila naniniwalang ta0n-ta0n may kinukuha ung falls/ilog, kadalasan mga bata. May aksidenteng nalulunod at namamatay na tao sa falls na un. Eto pong ise-share ko e tungkol sa isang skulmate na sinasabing na-engkanto pagtapos nilang magpuntang magbabarkada sa falls na un. Kwento ito samin mismo ng mga kasama niya noong araw na yun bago siya nawala. Noong high school, nagulat na lang kami ng mabalitaan ung biglaang pagkamatay ng isang schoolmate namin. Weekend un, nagkayayaan silang magtotr0pa na maligo at magpicnic sa Falls. (Falls lang kasi tawag d2 samin nun) Habang andun daw sila, et0ng si Dhen (di nya po tunay na name ha) may nakitang pusang itim. Pinaglaruan at pinatay niya.. Yung ibang kaibigan niya sinuway sya pero dinedma na rin. Masaya daw sila nun habang naliligo sa falls, kumain at nagkuwentuhan. Wala naman daw kakaibang nangyari, biruan lang, usual na tawanan nilang magtotr0pa. Habang pauwi daw, tahimik na daw si Dhen. (Malayo kasi talaga ung falls na un kaya mahabang lakaran talaga bago sila makauwi) Kinakausap nila di naman daw kumikibo. Patuloy lang sa paglakad. Nakauwi na sila sa kanya-kanyang bahay tapos nung gabi din iy0n, nalaman nilang wala na ung kaibigan nila. Pagkauwi daw, nagpahinga tapos natulog lang si Dhen, di na nagising........ Pagtapos mabigla ng lahat ng kasama niyang mga tr0pa. Tinanung sila ng guardian ni Dhen anu bang nangyari? Kasama lang nila kanina......... Sinasabing, ung napatay niyang pusang itim ay isang engkanto. At ung kasama nilang umuwing Dhen ay katawan na lang ng saging.. *RIP skulmate*

Source:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MY-Ghost-Story/

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