*Kombensiyon ng mga Halimaw – Ang Pinta* (Monsters’ Convention – The Painting) by Joni Ramos, 2021, acrylic on canvas, 20” x 15”. (Philippine Educational Theater Association)

Myths about monsters in the Philippines are common, especially in the barrios. Originally told orally as   folklore or folktales, these tales of blood and terror were used to make sure people respect and fear the night. Also, they were expressions of people’s angst magnified by the farthest reaches of their imaginations.

In the past, literature on Philippine monsters was limited. Enter 16-year-old disruptor Rey E. de la Cruz. He wrote Kombensiyon ng mga Halimaw (Monsters’ Convention), animating and making Philippine monsters more interesting. A satire on the Philippine Constitutional Convention, the play pioneered the use of Philippine monsters in theater and modern literature. Ticklishly written in Taglish (code-switching in the use of Tagalog and English), it was staged by the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s teen-theater artists under the supervision of Lutgardo Labad on June 12 and 13, 1971, at the open-air Rajah Sulayman Theater in the old ruins of Fort Santiago in Manila. The gigantic masks used in the production were designed and made by Claudio Tinio. The play eventually won third prize in the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature 1971-1972, the Philippines’ most prestigious literary awards. De la Cruz was 17 when he won the Palanca. He was one of the youngest winners, if not the youngest winner, at the time.

A wide array of Philippine monsters is featured in Kombensiyon ng mg Halimaw : Manananggal, Mandurugo, Batibat, Mangkukulam, Lalaking Kapre, Babaeng Kapre, Tikbalang, Nuno sa Punso, Tiyanak, and Aswang.

For you to know more about Philippine monsters, I have described eight of the most common kinds:

Santelmo

Santelmo / Santilmo / Sansilmo are glowing balls of fire. In some stories, they are said to be spirits lost at sea, whereas, in others, they are unbaptized heathen souls that can't get to heaven. Sailors are warned to avoid them. They are kept at bay by sprinkling salt on your sails. In one story, there was a man, who nearly got lost, because of the Santelmo. While he was going home, he saw a ball of fire passing by. As if being compelled to follow it, he remembered that it was a Santelmo. Accordingly, he decided to wear his shirt inside out to confuse the Santelmo. After that, he felt normal again and went the opposite direction, away from the Santelmo.

Aswang

Aswang are creatures with varying descriptions. And depending on where you are in the Philippines, Aswang can mean many different things.

They can be:

Bloodsucking vampires or cannibals - For the Kinaray-a in Panay and in Bukidnon, Aswangs are warriors who have eaten human flesh.

Self-Segmenters - In some parts of Eastern Visayas, Quezon Province, and other areas, Manananggal and Aswang are synonymous. However, Manananggal are creatures that can split in half and fly, usually eating the innards of their victims.

Shapeshifters - Some Aswang can turn into dogs, cats, black pigs, and birds.

Witches - They can cause illness to people from afar, as well as other magic, like turning corpses into other objects. Based on some sources from the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, witches have made a pact with the devil.

Corpse Eaters - Some descriptions have Aswang as exclusively eaters of dead bodies.

They can also be any combination of those above.

Aswang are popularly thought to be beautiful females by day, but they can be either gender or age. Some descriptions have them as ugly old witches or old men that kill children.

Tikbalang

The Tikbalang’s main form is that of a horse-man. Its limbs are long, bony, and disproportioned. When squatting, its knees are taller than its head. It has long hair, clawed feet, and a large mouth and teeth.

Tikbalang can be invisible and are also able to take any form they wish. A male Tikbalang delights in leading people down the wrong road. He can also flirt with his victims. He can take the form of a relative of its victim before transforming back to the horse form, causing great fright.

In some cases, the Tikbalang is a spiteful being and forces illness on its victims.

Kapre

Kapre are large creatures, usually described as giant hairy men that live in balete trees and sometimes smoke cigars. Their presence is preceded by a swarm of mosquitoes. It is said that Kapre are afraid of the Angelus, making them do their pranks after sunset. They can be warded off with religious symbols and prayers. They enjoy making people lost in the woods. To confuse Kapre and escape from their enchanted maze, people wear their shirts inside out.

Tiyanak

Tiyanak are creatures that resemble newborn babies, sometimes birds, and have evil intentions. Maximo Ramos in his book, The Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology (Phoenix Publishing, 1990), defined Tiyanak as “the spirit of a child whose mother died while pregnant, and who, for this reason, was born in the ground …The belief in a similar spirit known as muntianak is widespread throughout the Southern Philippines.” They are also said to be the souls of babies that died without being baptized. They want to play with whoever passes by them; their favorite playmates are children with uncommon names. They crow like a bird, and they cry to lure childless couples, waiting for an opportunity to kill them by sucking their blood.

Batibat

Batibat takes the form of an old, fat woman residing in trees and who is very vengeful. She will kill a person by sitting on and suffocating him or her for the following reasons: the victim cut a tree that the Batibat dwelt in, or rested or slept on a wooden bench or bed, which came from the wood of the Batibat’s tree. The only way for a victim to escape the Batibat is to move his or her big toe while being suffocated.

Mangkukulam

Mangkukulam possess the power of witchcraft. They can make another person very sick by inserting a small object, like a coin, a bone, or a needle into another person's body from afar, causing great pain. If hung upside down, the Mangkukulam will vomit a red lizard, a white chicken, and a white frog, which are sources of their sorcerous powers. They are also envious and petty; their victims are usually those that make the Mangkukulam jealous.

Nuno sa Punso

Nuno is bound to the punso (mole or ant hill), which is his home. He defends it fiercely, though he may be helpful to humans in some situations. He appears as a small, old man. He brings sickness to those that destroy his home. He makes offenders’ whole bodies swell, cause hair to grow on their bodies, and make their urine turn black. Also, he may bring luck to those that he is not angry at.

These are but some of the beings that live in the lore of the many islands of the Philippines. If you want to know more about Philippine monsters, go to Philippine Spirits (Phspirits.com) and participate in Halimaween!, a celebration of Philippine mythology and mythological creatures every October.

Video follows***

Teatro Banaag (high-school drama club of Miriam College):

Jean Karl Gaverza writes from the experiences he has lived in the Philippines. Ever since he was a child, he has always been fascinated by cryptids and things that thrive in the night. Having graduated with a linguistics degree from the University of the Philippines, he has since been using what he learned by conducting independent research into the myths, legends, and folk stories of the people of the Philippine archipelago, focusing on mythical creatures.

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