Mythology

Most of us, if not all, are familiar with the popularized Western myths. In fact, it would be a bit
surprising if at this point you haven’t at least heard of the gods and goddesses once worshipped by the
Egyptians, the Greeks, and/or the Romans. Even the Norse myths of Thor the thunder god might ring
bells. Though while all of these myths are highly fascinating and worth studying once over, there is
definitely more obscure folklore out there, even in countries where the religion might have quashed out
the remains of mythological belief.

Philippines mythology contains the same elements found in most other myths: creation, monsters, and
beliefs. Though the Philippines is largely—if not wholly—Westernized and Christianized, there are still
superstitions that most Filipinos and Filipinas have not relinquished. Certainly, most of the monsters are
still used as fairy tale fodder to scare the children (and in some cases, to make adults wary of their
surroundings).

Because of the numerous amounts of islands, the Philippines consist of diverse myths from each
province. While I would really love to explore the myths in every dialect, one term is not going to cover
all 175 dialects found in the country. So I’ll just be dabbling mostly in stuff I can translate.

How the World Came to Be (an ancient Visayan myth)

In the beginning, there was only water and sky. The Water Kingdom belonged to the god Maguayan,
who had a daughter named Lidagat. The Sky Kingdom belonged to Captan, who had a son named
Lihangin. To bring peace about their domains, Captan and Maguayan proposed that their children
marry. So this was done.

Lidagat and Lihangin had four children: 3 sons (Licalibutan, Liadlao, and Libulan) and a daughter (Lisuga).
Licalibutan had the body of hard rock, and he was strong and brave; Liadlao was made of gold and was
always so cheerful; Libulan had a copper body and was weak and timid; Lisuga was made of pure silver
and had a sweet and gentle disposition.

It came to be that the aging Lihangin and Lidagat soon passed away. Before he died, Lihangin gave his
eldest son Licalibutan control of the winds. But a long time had passed in peace, and Licalibutan became
greedy. He wanted more than just the winds at his beck and call. So he plotted against Captan, ruler of
the Sky.

After forcing his brothers to join in the plot, Licalibutan stormed at the gates of Captan’s realm and
attempted to invade. Almighty Captan, infuriated at this betrayal, summoned the forces of nature and
struck each of the brothers in turn. All of them tried to run, but to no avail, they were destroyed.
Licalibutan’s rock body shattered into pieces of varied size. The pieces fell into the water, and it later
became known as land.

Missing her brothers, kind and gentle Lisuga headed towards the heavens, only to be attacked by a
rampaging Captan, who also struck her dead. When the deed was done, the King of the Sky confronted
Maguayan about this attack. The Sea God was more patient and logical, and eased Captan’s mind. Soon
both gods began to despair at the loss of their grandchildren.
In honor of their grandchildren’s destruction, Maguayan and Captan set parts of their bodies into the
sky. Liadlao became what was now the sun, Libulan the moon, and Lisuga shone brightly as the stars.
Only the greedy Licalibutan remained where he was, for his wicked deeds deserved no honor. Instead, it
was decided that his body would become the support for Captan and Maguayan’s new offspring.

And in so doing, the two gods planted on the land a bamboo tree. From this tree’s hollow branch
emerged the first man (Sicalac) and the first woman (Sicabay). The two married and in turn had many
offspring.

Of course, while the ancient Filipino creation myth is the widely acknowledged version of the world’s
creation, there are still other versions from different dialects.

In Tagalog, the land’s creation was not so inclined to violence. In fact, it was a bird that spurred creation
on. Because the bird could find no land to rest its weary wings, it made the water rise towards the sky.
As a defense mechanism, the sky dropped pieces of land onto the water, to prevent it from rising up
again. And so the land was made, and the bird made its nest and produced children.

In Igorot, the Great Spirit Lumawig came down from the sky towards the unpopulated earth. He cut up
reeds in pairs and placed them in different regions. The regions became men and women who spoke
different languages. Lumawig helped the people in their early days and watched them prosper.

In Mindanao, the moon and the stars were the result of a single spinster woman. In the days when the
sky was so close to the ground, a spinster woman came out of her home to pound rice. Rice is pounded
by taking a mortar and smashing the bundle of grains on top of a hide placed on the ground. Before the
spinster began her work, she unhooked her glittering beads from her neck and untangled her crescent
comb from her hair. She hung these on the sky and began to pound. Each time she raised her mortar up,
however, the end of the mortar hit the sky, which recoiled upwards. It came to the point where the sky
floated up so high that the spinster’s possessions were lost to her. At night, we can still all see it: the
crescent comb-shaped moon and the glittering bead-like stars are still shining in the night sky.

Clearing Things Up

To help give you a better sense of why these stories are what they are, here are just a few explanations
for things:

Lihangit and Lidagat – Taking the “Li” prefix out of their names, “hangit” can be derived from hangin,
which means “air”, and dagat is “sea.” Which makes sense for Lihangit to be the son of the Sky God,
while Lidagat is the daughter of the Sea God.

Licalibutan, Liadlao, Libulan, and Lisuga – Again, take the “Li” prefix out, and calibutan means “world,”
adlao means “day,” bulan means “moon,” and suga means “light.” Licalibutan became the land, and
thus part of the world, Liadlao turned into the sun, Libulan became the moon, and Lisuga turned into
the stars in the sky.

Land masses – If you notice, in the stories I’ve summarized, everything began with the sky and the sea.
The land had to be created. Because of the way the Philippines itself is arranged, most myths explain the
reason for the scattered islands. Whether it’s by a giant falling into pieces or the sky raining land onto
the sea.
People and races – I didn’t add so much of this in my summaries, but I do want to mention the myths
about the humans a bit. What I happen to like about having read these creation myths is the fact that
they explain not only how the world came about, but also how the different ethnic peoples came about.
It may be because those in the Philippines did not start as one entire country speaking the same
language. So that had to be explained (the gods separated them out of punishment or out of necessity).
The concept of races was also an amusing bit of reading, though, again, I will leave you the choice to find
that bit of information.

References

John Maurice Miller, Philippines Folklore Stories (Boston: Ginn and Company, 1904), pp. 57-64

Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg and Comopany, 1916), pp. 99-101, 124

The Gods and Goddesses

Again, just like the creation myths, gods and goddesses vary from region to region. I’ve mentioned a few
in the creation stories, but I actually want to discuss a few different ones this time (though, in some
cases, they can be linked to the creation gods from the previous lesson).

The Tagalog “Pantheon”

Below, I have listed the major Pantheon gods and goddesses. This may or may not include the Diwata,
who were believed to have been gods in ancient times. Now, the term “diwata” refers to mythical
creatures akin to fairies and nymphs (and in some cases, demons), but we’ll get to that in a later lesson.

Bathala

Bathala, or Bathalang Maykapal (or any other spelling variations), is the head honcho of the gods in the
Tagalog myths. There are definitely counterparts in the other dialects, and you might recognize him as
Captan/Kaptan from the Visayan creation myth. Bathala reigns supreme in the heavens, though his
beginnings were not necessarily so set.

In his story, Bathala was more known to have ruled over the barren Earth, while two other gods
(brothers, perhaps)—Ulilang Kaluluwa (a snake living in the clouds) and Galang Kaluluwa (the winged
wanderer)—ruled the skies. None of the three knew each other, and when Ulilang met with Bathala,
tempers ran high. In a violent duel, Bathala emerged as the victor, and Ulilang was killed, giving Bathala
control of the heavens. Galang, the more good-natured of the sky rulers, became Bathala’s best friend,
and after the sky wanderer’s illness—leading to an ultimate death—Bathala ruled supreme. The god is
know

n to have married a mortal woman, and from her sprang three of his powerful offspring: Apolaki (God of
War and Guardian of the Sun), Mayari (Goddess of the Moon), and Tala (Goddess of the Stars).
Apolaki and Mayari

I’m putting these two together for a reason. Apolaki is also known as Adlaw (remember Liadlaw?), and
he holds dominion over the sun. His sister, Mayari (whose Visayan equivalent is Bulan), rules over the
moon, and is known to be the most beautiful goddess in Bathala’s kingdom.

According to one myth (generally believed to be Pampangan), when Bathala passed away, he did not
designate the Earth to any of his children. Apolaki and Mayari both fought over the Earth’s dominion;
the sun god wanted to be the sole ruler, but the goddess of the moon wanted an equal share. This
resulted in a ferocious battle, Apolaki taking out one of his sister’s eyes. Regretting his actions, he
conceded and ruled the earth with Mayari, only they would rule at different times. In the day, it was
Apolaki’s moment, and at night, Mayari shone in the sky (though her luminescence is dimmer, due to
the loss of one eye).

Tala

Not much is said about Tala as the daughter of Bathala, only that she ruled the stars (and is usually
referred to as the “evening and morning star”). There are, however, varied accounts of her origination.
One myth tells us that she is not the daughter of Bathala, but in fact the child of moon goddess Buan
(probably a variation of “Bulan”). It is said that Tala warns her mother of sun god Arao’s (Adlaw)
rampage, and only when the sun is gone is it safe for Buan to bring forth the stars in the sky.

Amihan

The bird of legend is said to be the first creature inhabiting the universe, and has been linked to the
saving of Earth’s first humans: Malakas (“strong”) and Maganda (“beautiful”). While this name is
particularly not used in the Tagalog creation myth about the bird who stirred up the waters and the
heavens, I believe there may be a correlation.

The Marias

Maria Cacao, Maria Makiling, and Maria Sinukuan are mountain goddesses (or fairies) with their own
separate jurisdictions. The most famous of the three, Maria Makiling, is the guardian of Mount Makiling,
located in Laguna. The mountain is said to resemble the profile of a woman, perhaps of Maria herself.
Maria Cacao watches over Mount Lantoy in Cebu, and it is said that her domain houses the Cacao
plants, a useful ingredient in most Filipino chocolate delicacies. Lastly, Maria Sinukuan holds dominion
over Mount Arayat in Pampanga. There, she is said to bring forth bountiful harvests from the mountain’s
fruit trees.

Bakunawa

“Moon eater” Bakunawa is most akin to that of a gigantic sea serpent or dragon, and is said to

obe the god of the underworld. Bakunawa is apparently a major cause of the eclipse, for he swallows
the moon at that time.
According to some accounts, Bathala and Bakunawa are mortal enemies. In ancient times, it was
believed that Bathala created seven moons to light up the night sky. Enchanted by the beauty of the
seven moons, Bakunawa leapt from the sea and swallowed the moons, angering the king of the gods. To
keep the giant serpent from swallowing the moons whole, people in the ancient villages would bang
their pots and pans noisily outside their homes, in hopes of scaring Bakunawa into spitting the moons
back out.

Post-Spanish Philippines

In time, the gods and goddesses’ roles, names, and myths changed to better fit a more Spanish and
Christian influence. Because of the Spaniard settlements on the islands of the Philippines, missionaries
of the time have worked to assimilate the idea of Bathala and the major gods into a monotheistic
principle, with saints as the lesser divinities. The missionaries may have been successful, but even then,
some of the Filipino culture is steeped with allusions to the gods and goddesses of old.

I have included a more comprehensive list of Visayan, Bicolon, and Tagalog gods and goddesses in a
separate page if you would like to take a look at them and see the similarities among those of its
Western mythological counterparts. For a longer list, you might want to check this link out.

References:

F. Landa Jocano, Outline of Philippine Mythology (Centro Escolar University Research and Development
Center, 1969)

Creatures and Monsters

Like the number of gods in the Philippines pantheon, the amount of creatures that fill Filipino folklore is
numerous. From the myths retold by the separate townsfolk of different dialects, you will find that the
creatures serve similar roles as its Western counterparts. There are many, many creatures that I would
love to discuss, but the most important ones belong to one specific group, a group that encompasses
monsters very similar to our western, Transylvanian friends.

The Aswang – Vampires of the Philippines

The Aswang are, by far, the most prolific monsters in Filipino folklore. In fact, the term “aswang” itself
refers to various types of creatures that belong to this group. According to Spanish colonizers in the 16th
century, the Aswang are the most feared monsters amongst the mythological creatures of the
Philippines.

What They Look Like

“Aswang” normally apply to a number of creatures, namely female shapeshifters of some kind or other.
The Aswang usually gets interchanged with manananggals, tik-tiks, and wak-waks, but I will get to them
in a bit. Originally, Aswang are female ghouls, mostly described as vampire-like creatures that can
change shape at will. It is difficult to accurately describe what an Aswang looks like, because the
description varies from region to region. A few similarities do state that these shapeshifters normally
live as regular female townspeople, though shy, quiet, and mysterious. At night, Aswang take the forms
of pigs, birds, or dogs and feast upon human body parts (namely the liver and heart). The Aswang is said
to have bloodshot eyes, an indication of their staying up all night in search of victims.

Protection Against Them

Detecting and warding off Aswang can be done in a number of ways. People use a special bottle of oil
extract (from boiled and decanted coconut meat, mixed with plant stems) to determine if an Aswang is
nearby; the oil will boil or froth if the monster is nearby, and it will continue to do so until the Aswang
leaves. Among things that can ward off Aswang are silver, salt, ginger, and coins. The silver is believed to
have originated from western mythology, which makes sense considering the Aswang are closely linked
to lycanthropes—werewolves. Salt is used to burn their skin, as it is believed to be a purifying agent in
witchcraft. Ginger prevents the Aswang from arriving (much like garlic is generally believed to ward off
vampires), and the coins prevent the Aswang from lifting snatching you up into the air.

Similar Creatures

Now here’s a few descriptions of other “aswang.” Now, keep in mind, that when I say “aswang,” it
usually means the group of them, and not just the monster I’ve discussed above.

Amalanhig (Visayan) – These creatures are a mixture of zombies and vampires. The Amalanhig is an
aswang that rises from the dead, and feeds upon humans by biting their necks. Their canine fangs are
most prominent, and one can usually escape them by running in a zigzag direction or by climbing up a
tree. Due to the stiffness of the Amalanhig’s body, the monster can only walk in a straight direction, and
cannot climb trees. Bodies of water are also good hiding spots, since the Amalanhig is frightened of
them.

Manananggals (Visayan) – The most distinct quality that separates Manananggals from the Aswang is
that, in flight, it detaches itself from its human torso. Imagine just seeing half of the creature flying
above you. That’s practically enough to scare the wits out of a lot of people. In Tagalog, the term
“manananggal” translates to “one who separates itself”). In its disguise, the Manananggal takes the
form of an older, beautiful woman, sometimes described as having bloodshot eyes. This is also a
monster that can potentially turn its victims into Manananggals, usually through physical or
supernatural means.

Ekek/Ek Ek and the Wakwak/Wak Wak (Visayan) – These are bird-like humans, much like the
Manananggal, except they cannot sever their torsos from their body. These shapeshifting aswang
monsters turn into large birds or bats and prowls at night. The Ekek is named appropriately, because in
its attacking its victim, this monster produces an “ek-ek-ek” sound. In a similar manner, the Wakwak is
named for the sound it emits when it flies.
Sigbin (Visayan) – The Sigbin (or Sigben) are said to suck the blood out of its victims from the shadows.
The Sigbin are usually invisible to its victims, but the humans can usually tell a Sigbin’s presence from its
nauseating stench. This creature resembles that of a hornless goat, and is connected to the Aswang as a
type of familiar, not so much a similar creature.

The Other Monsters

Okay, now that I’ve discussed most of the Aswang, I’d also like to give a brief mention to the other
monsters that are said to roam the Philippine islands. Keep in mind, I’ve split them up into their Western
equivalents, so they’re organized.

Merfolk and Water Spirits

Sirena – This refers to the female mermaid, and an engkanto, meaning a “spirit/elf,” usually found
within nature. Like its namesake (most definitely stemming from the Greek mythology), the Sirena is a
half-human, half-fish creature that possesses a beautiful voice, attracting men into a watery grave.
Sound familiar? I wouldn’t put it past you.

Siyokoy – The Siyokoy are the male equivalents of merfolk, and are described to be more animalistic
than the Sirena. In fact, the Siyokoy is even described to be a monstrous creature with long, green
tentacles and fish-like bodies.

Kataw – This is the name of the higher-ranked mermen, said to be the reigning rulers of the oceans.
Unlike the Siyokoy, the Kataw resembles a human almost in full form, with feet instead of tails; the only
difference is that the Kataw have gills on their bodies and fins on their arms. These creatures are also
said to possess the ability to manipulate water.

Birds of a Feather

Sarimanok – This legendary bird is sort of like a chicken (“manok” translates to “chicken”), and is said to
have originated from Islamic legend. According to the Maranao people, who originated this myth—from
a totem bird called Itotoro, the bird woke every living creature except man. It is said that the world
would end if the crow of this particular bird ceases.

Tigmamanukan – This one happens to be a bird of omen, and like the cat for luck, the direction in which
this bird flies usually indicates the prospect of a journey. If the bird flew from right to left, then it brings
success; on the other hand, if the bird went from left to right, then those that are traveling were
doomed.
Minokawa – The Minokawa is a large bird, said to be so enormous that it blocked out the light from the
moon. This bird is also said to feed on the moon when there are no other sources of food around, and is
a relative to the sky serpent, Bakunawa.

The Little Folk

Duwende – The Duwende are the Philippines equivalent of hobgoblins and dwarves. These are creatures
(or little gnome-spirits) that play a certain amount of mischief on humans, though from time to time
they are also considered house-guardians. The Duwende also play a great many part in superstitions
throughout the country, but I will get to that in a later lesson.

Nuno sa Punso – These are male goblins, said to live in either an anthill or a termite mound. The Nuno is
said to look like a small old man, with a long beard. While the Duwende tend to be more playful,
mischievous creatures, the Nuno is temperamental and inflicts a whole slew of terrible vengeance on
those who cross it.

Tiyanak – This is not so much a dwarf or a goblin. In fact, a Tiyanak is similar to that of a changeling, or a
demon spirit in the form of a child. Usually, Aswang use them as substitutes for the children they
snatched away as victims.

Half-Human, Half-Beast

Tikbalang – The Tikbalang is what you would call a reverse centaur. The creature’s body is male, and its
head and feet are that of a horse. These creatures are set to scare travelers astray, usually getting them
lost and traveling in circles.

Anggitay – The Anggitay is the female counterpart of the Tikbalang. They are, however, more similar to
centaurs, with their heads being that of a female human, and the body of a horse from the waist down.
Sometimes they are also described to have one horn, like that of a unicorn, and are attracted to
gemstones. Legends say that the Anggitay appears on the event that rain falls even with a clear sky.

Sarangay – This is perhaps a creature resembling the minotaur. The Sarangay is a half-human, half-bull,
with a jewel attached to its ears. Those who attempt to steal this jewel from the Sarangay is killed in
cold blood.

Again, there are plentiful creatures that I haven’t mentioned. I’ve added all of the above and then-some
into the Encyclopedia, titled “Monsters and Creatures.”
References:

Cruz, Neal. “As I See It: Philippine mythological monsters”. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2008.

Miller, Andrei. “Magical Creatures and Non-Human Beings.”

http://www.mysiquijor.com/MagicCreatures.html. 2007.

Scott, William Henry. Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City: Ateneo
de Manila University Press, 1994.

Superstitions

There are people—whether behind a religious belief or traditional thinking—who believe in

superstitions. While superstitions usually lack logical explanation or scientific ground, it doesn’t change
the fact that a number of us still slightly recoil when a black cat crosses our path. And we certainly do
avoid walking under a ladder (though I suspect that’s also due to it being generally unsafe to walk
underneath).

I’m going to mention just a few of those superstitions that follow a number of Filipinos today, including
ones my family actually observes.

Duwende

Now, as I’ve mentioned in the previous lesson, the Duwende are mischievous little creatures. In fact,
what they’re most well-known for is their appearance at night. While the Duwende appear at noon for
an hour, they are prominent later at night.

It’s the middle of the night, and you are craving that usual midnight snack. Getting out of bed, you tip-
toe to the kitchen, in search of something delectable to munch on. There, inside the pot, was the dinner
you voraciously wolfed down just a few hours back, and you think to yourself: “Well, it doesn’t hurt to
get a little more of it!” And you open that lid, reach in...

Next thing you know, you’ve been trapped. Inside the very pot you were reaching into. And there’s a
tiny cackle from outside, locking you in...

Duwende play a ton of tricks on people, and it is said sometimes that they take your souls and trap them
inside kitchen equipment. Parents have warned their children about the dangers of sneaking into the
pantry, and solely for the reason that the Duwende is known to strike at that poignant time.

To prevent souls being stolen, Filipino mothers usually tell these warning tales to their children. Often,
mothers use the thought of the Duwende to get their children to finish their food. “Don’t blame me if
you get hungry later on. The Duwende might come find you!”
White Lady

While not the product of Filipino mythology, I would like to mention this ghost, because it is a slightly
international superstition. The White Lady is generally a female ghost, mostly known for her
appearances in the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Norway, the United States, and the
Philippines.

Like the tales of the Manananggals and the Aswang, the White Lady is a prominent figure used as a
horror story for children. Superstitious folk even go as far as claim that white ladies have been sighted
all over the countryside.

One well-known tale of this mysterious, eerie figure is that of the White Lady of Quezon City. In the
street of Balete Drive, it is said that a White Lady haunts the graveyard shift (a shift that lasts from late
at night until very early morning), and is the sole reason for major accidents around that road.

A tired taxi driver is driving in the empty road of Balete Drive, his night-shift just at its beginning hours.
It’s a quiet night, and it looks like there won’t be much trouble, the only light appearing from the driver’s
vehicle. But still, the taxi driver is nervous. He had heard about the tales told along this road.

He knew one driver who had quit just recently, telling tales of a frightening, yet beautiful woman who
had asked for a ride. Only, this woman’s face was filled with blood and bruises, and her apparition
looked almost translucent. The driver’s friend ran out of that car and never bothered to return.

But it looks like it would be an uneventful shift, and the driver holds his breath as he makes his way
down to the end of Balete Drive. He peers to the front, seeing nothing hindering him. Then he checks his
rearview mirror.

Reflected in the back is the face of a beautiful woman sitting in the backseat. The driver balks, he hadn’t
picked anyone up that night. He turns around. Nothing there. He looks at his rearview mirror again. Her
face watches him. Distracted, the driver didn’t see the sharp turn up ahead...

Most late-night accidents in Balete Drive are blamed on this womanly apparition, and when the White
Lady appears, it’s only a sign of trouble.

Minor Superstitions

Kumakatok – Most of this superstition has declined since after World War II, however, the Kumakatok is
a group of three hooded figures, one young woman and the other two old men. These figures are
usually omens of death, the eldest member of the family dying after they show their presence. The
Kumakatok knocks on their victims’ doors. For people to prevent this passing, residents usually painted
white crosses on their doors, and the trio usually avoid those houses.

The Trickster – In Visayan, he’s known as Juan Pusong. In Tagalog/Pampangan, he’s Juan Usong/Osong.
In any case, he is widely known as the trickster, a deceitful and dishonest man who deceives and
swindles people. Though rarely doing anything for evil purposes, he does have the propensity to
hoodwink unsuspecting people.
Resources

Paraiso, Salvador and Jose Juan. The Balete Book: A collection of demons, monsters and dwarfs from the
Philippine lower mythology. Giraffe Books, 2003.

Eugenio, Damiana L. Philippine Folk Literature: An Anthology. University of the Philippines Press, 2007.

Literature and Media

I’ll just briefly discuss a few clips I have found that are continuations of the gods, monsters, and
superstitions of the Philippines.

Eastern Asian mythology is, for the most part, ignored in Western culture. The mythology in the islands
of Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, and Philippines are even more unknown than those of China, Japan, and
India. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but owing to the fact that most of popular international literature
and media stem from the Western hemisphere (with exceptions, of course), it is hard-pressed to find
decent coverage of Philippines myths. Unlike the Western vampires, gods, and monsters, Filipino myths
are harder to discern from works that might have been inspired by them.

Most of the gods are usually referenced in a number of Filipino fantasy-type movies and television
series. Some Filipino series actually allude to Bathala. In Mulawin (a fantasy fiction drama in the
Philippines), winged races fight amongst each other for the fate of the mortals on Earth. Encantadia is a
spinoff of Mulawin, wherein it takes place in a different dimension inhabited by the engkantos and the
diwatas.

The American Syfy (SciFi) has actually done a special on Aswang (on Destination Truth), with interviews
from various locals around Capiz, the place most well-known for its Aswang stories. Canadian filmmaker
Jordan Clark also did a documentary-movie on the Aswang and titled it Aswang: A Journey Into Myth. In
a more popularized form, the Aswang are typically morphed into vampire-like females, as evidenced by
the 1994 film Aswang (US title The Unearthing) and the roleplaying game World of Darkness. The most
recent reference to the Aswang is the 2008 British film Surviving Evil, which focuses on a group of
researchers filming a documentary on survival in one of the forests of the Philippines, only to get a rude
awakening about the creatures found within. In Darna (a Filipino series based on a popular comic by
Mars Revelo), the heroine Darna fights Deborah the Manananggal.

I’ve included two clips below about Aswang, one from Destination Truth (just the few minutes might be
a bit relevant), and the other is a raw set of interviews about Aswang horror stories made originally as a
video feature for a local newspaper.