Meet Pinoy’s supernatural creatures

Wake-uppers:

Seen: The nine contestants of the Scariest Halloween Costume 2016. The contestants dressed in movie-inspired Halloween outfits, like Valang, Medusa and other evil dead characters. (Nicole Khim Smith of Tan Model Agency who dressed as the horror bride: 'I'll bring you to hell!')

Scene: The Philippines’ Kylie Verzosa, a model from Baguio City, is proclaimed Miss International 2016. The green swimsuit of Miss International 2016 was the creation of  Boholano fashion icon Mikee Andrei.

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The month of November is always associated with ghouls and spooks since it starts with our observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day.

Since Halloween, which dates back to Celtic ritual thousands years ago, is just around the corner, all things related to the occasion have been sprouting up.

Today, Halloween has evolved into a celebration characterized by child- friendly activities, such as costumes, trick-or-treating, et al.

Last Friday, some people started wearing fearsome costumes and masks to scare the spirits away. The Scariest Halloween Costume contest held at the Island City Mall featured mostly foreign supernatural creatures like Valang, Medusa and a horror bride. The gory scenes where the creature attacks victims are truly heart pounding and scary. There are no cheap scare tactics — only inventive and effective products of creativity.

 I’ve missed those years when Pinoy evil and winged creatures roamed around the mall for us to know our own supernatural creatures. 

Our country has no shortage of supernatural creatures in our local folklore. Meet some of them:

Kalag (Ghosts)-  The restless spirit of a dead person. These ghosts are said to be victims of injustice an or those who have unfinished business. A kalag appears as the mere of silhouette of a person.

Strange noises and infamous headless apparitions of priests and nuns are reported to be seen at the Old Capitol Building.  Until now, some guards and employees swear to hearing strange noises and disturbing shouts. It is believed that the headless ghosts and noises are from the priests and prisoners beheaded during World War II.

Thousands of people of various ages flock to the cemeteries as early as Oct. 31 for the traditional yearly visit to tombs, in loving remembrance of the their departed loved ones.  –Leo Udtohan/Chronicle

In Dampas, Tagbilaran City, the tragedy that took place early January where a family died has contributed to its haunted reputation. Strange sights and sounds are reported at the crime scene. 

Ungo (Monsters)-Refer to any harmful supernatural creature that looks horrifying. There are two kinds of monsters:  wakwak (a bird-like creature with the sound of “wak wak wak”) and kikik (a bird-like creature which is the advanced party of the usikan or sorcerer).

Engkanto – The engkantos are usually described as blond, good-looking, taller than ordinary humans, have high-bridged nose and no philtrum or medial cleft.  They live in large trees, abandoned houses and other places.

In 2002, Toting, a videographer of the then MYK Studio went to Dauis to take video of a lot for sale for his boss’ possible client. The place had trees and tall grasses. When they returned to the office to play the video, the place had many small houses and some unidentified people.

Some residents in Barangay Can-omay in Antequera town testified that Tubod Dako is a dwelling place of the engkantos. The large stone is said to be a palace. In Inabanga town, the Macaban City is known as the place of engkantos.

The balite tree in Cogon is also a big house of an engkanto. The heirs of Ingking, Udtohan, Espejo and Pamaong donated the lot for a wet market. When the bulldozer driver had to create a new road, he saw a large house that he had to change direction. That explained why the road on Tabacco Street going to Pamaong Street is not straight.

The Binayran Road in Barangay Dampas is said to be the most haunted road in Tagbilaran City. Drivers have reported everything from strangely dressed wanderers, to ghosts, to phantom vehicles that chase them to its end.

However, there malevolent engkantos who can take control of a human body. Last month, several students in Sagbayan and Ubay were allegedly possessed by the engkantos. 

White Lady- The white lady is a type of a female ghost dressed in all white reportedly seen in rural areas and associated with some local legend of tragedy.  The poorly lit Mansasa street with huge trees near Mansasa Elem. School has been known to be the home of supernatural beings. A lot of people avoid driving and passing by in this street.  A white lady who hails tricycles in the middle of the night, rides for a short while, and then mysteriously disappears. There are some reported white lady apparitions at Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School, Tagbilaran City Central Elem. School, the old Divine Word College and University of Bohol S&T Building.  The black and red ladies are the less popular version of the white lady.

Agta- The agtas are tree dwelling, cigar smoking giants!  Agta or kapre is normally described as having a strong smell that would attract human attention.  According to folks, there is agta sighting near Barangay Guinobatan before going to Bien Unido. At night time, someone can see a lit cigar at the mahogany tree.

Demons and evils roam around the Island City Mall for this

 year's scariest Halloween costumes.  –Leo Udtohan/Chronicle 

Tikbalang-The tikbalang appears to be the local counterpart of the mythological centaur. Its upper body is that of a horse, its lower body that of man. Tikbalang nests in the forests and caves.  In Bohol, while the candidates of Miss Trinidad 2002 had their pictorial near the Batunghay Cave, a tikbalang appeared to a barangay kagawad and a person with a third eye. The village councilman said he was surprised to see the tikbalang since he heard about them from his grandfather many years ago. He said his lolo told him that someone can tame a tikbalang when you snatch one of its golden hair. Once you get the golden hair, you get to ask anything you want the tikbalang to do.

Duwende- The duwendes are small people who live in small hills, rivers, shrubs, houses and other places. The duwende is probably the cousin of many other creatures such as dwarf, elf and leprechaun. In Antequera town, people often see tudtud (dwarf-like creatures) in rivers, woods and fields.

Tiyanak- The origin of the tiyanak is unclear but some sources said they are aborted fetuses from mother’s womb who took revenge of not giving them birth, or babies who died before receiving baptism.  The tiyanak can also be the offspring of a woman and a demon.

Most tiyanaks are said to live in forests. If they see a human, they transform into what looks like a normal baby. When the person notices the tiyanak and comes near to take a look at it, the tiyanak changes back to its true form and eats its prey.

Residents near the balite tree near Alsa Baso in Mansasa, Tagbilaran, reported of tiyanak sightings.  A few residents also in Dao District near the transmitter of DYTR seen or heard the tiyanak.

The mantiyanak is the mother who died while pregnant, while a tiyanak is the ghost of the unborn child.

Aurelio Romero Gahit, popular known as “Ondoy Kalag” shared his encounter with the mantiyanak in 1993.  The mantiyanak stirred the villages of Taloto and Booy that people heard the mantiyanak singing lullabies to her baby, causing hair-raising chills and making them trembled in fear. 

Ondoy Kalag who was at the Victoria Memorial Park saw the woman floating in the air. He lost his nerve at the sight of the mantiyanak.

“She appeared to me,” he said. He went to see a Catholic priest and he was told to pray at the grave of the person. After praying, the spirit was gone.

Manananggal- Is one of the most famous mythical creatures in the Philippines.  Many people believe that this creature transforms only by night, half-bat and half-human, and is afraid of the daylight. They would prey on pregnant women using its elongated tongue to snatch the baby from its mother.

The manananggal transforms with the help of a lana (coconut oil) and chants the oracion (Walay Hesus ug Maria or There is no Jesus and Mary) to severe its upper torso, and leave its lower torso.

Some faith healers said that somewhere in Doljo town, in Panglao town, is the resting place of the manananggals who take a rest from a long flight from Mindanao.

However, contrary to what we heard, manananggal has small wings that flip faster with glowing red eyes, sharp teeth and very long fingernails.

Horror Bride/Leo Udtohan

Angkay, a businessman from Tagbilaran City, said he saw mananangal when he brought some tobacco in Samar. Since the Elf canter was filled with tobacco, Angkay and his two friends had to stay at the top of the vehicle. The driver had tied them to secure them from falling down since the travel would take them three to five hours. When they arrived in a town known for kababalaghan, they saw flying creatures that looked like birds. Upon a closer look, they were manananggals.  Angkay said the manananggal is not exclusively female. When the mananggals had to attack them, his friend said an oracion (prayer) and they bounced back as if there was a protection shield. The manananggals disappeared but they came back with stones to throw at them.

Wuwug-It is a self-segmenting viscera-sucker. It separates at the neck and the wingless head hovers off with its entrails dangling in the air, leaving the body behind. A wuwug produces the sound ‘wooohhh wooohhhh.” Wowie, a resident of Barangay Sal-ing in Balilihan town had a close encounter with a wuwug.

He said he went home after attending a village disco that he heard an unfamiliar sound. And when he looked up at the sky, he saw a head floating. He run and hid in coconut tree.

Sigbin- Whether or not you believe in the sigbin, you probably heard that Panglao Island is home of this mythical creature. These sigbins are said to have bring wealth to their owners, as well as allowed them to possess special knowledge in the mystic arts.  Sigbin eats uling (coal) and squash.  The sigbin walks backward with its head behind its knees; it almost looks like a wallaby or kangaroo. They are believed to be fast runners.

Santelmo- The Santelmo or the St. Elmo's Fire is a small fire and staring the fire it turns into a skull.  Filipinos believe that when a man dies while the rain pours, his spirit will stay where the body has been found and eventually his spirit will turn into the so called Santelmo. We would light a candle when there is a corpse found along the streets to release the spirit from its captivity from the real world.

Tambaluslus- Smaller than the agta, they have wide protruding lips like an ape. The creature’s name is derived from this feature which is referred to as ‘luslus’ which means ‘loose and hanging’. Once his lips touch your forehead, you will be in “mino,” the state of being lost as a result of enhancement. The only way to escape it is to take off your clothes and wear them upside-down.

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