37

Chapter 4

Results and Discussion

This chapter presents the types of narratives gathered in the selected

barangays of Manito, Albay. These narratives were classified and analyzed

based on their functions using William Bascom's Four Functions of Folklore and

extracted the existed beliefs, practices and values reflected in the narratives.

Types of Narratives on Supernatural Encounters in Manito, Albay

There are three (3) types of narratives on supernatural encounters

classified in three selected barangays in Manito, Albay: (a) Supernatural Tales,

(b) Tales about Extraordinary beasts, and (c) Tales about Possession,

Supernatural Tales. These are the things that have been claimed to exist,

which cannot be explained by laws of nature, including things characteristic of or

relating to ghost or other types of spirits and other non-material beings or things

beyond nature.1 Supernatural tales are the tales about forces, beings and events

that are beyond what can be explained by nature. According to the book entitled

Philippine Literature: A Regional Approach, supernatural tales are stories that

include supernatural beings.2 Supernatural beings include ghost, kapre, dwende,

aswang, and engkanto. Moreover, in the article entitled Philippine Mythical

Creatures, angels demons, reincarnation, ghost and elemental beings exist as

what the people in the society believes and experiences.3

 38

Furthermore, the study entitled Folk Narratives along Toktokan and

Bulakawan Mountains of Malilipot, Albay stated that the belief on these

supernatural beings has influence the lives of Filipinos that certain customs are

being practiced to appease these beings and prevent them from terrorizing. 4

Many Filipino customs are influenced by their belief in the existence of

supernatural beings. Saying of “tabi-tabi po” is one of the most used and famous

Filipino custom. Most Filipinos say “tabi-tabi po” whenever they passed by a tree

or a mound to pay respect to the beings that reside there and to acknowledge

their presence.

This type of tale is reflected in the narratives

“Nagngunguyngoy”, ”Nagngunguyngoy Version 2”, “Nakasutanang Padi”, “White

Lady”, “Disperas”, “Babaeng Nakaputi’, “Pugot na Padi”, “An Lalaking Nakaputi”,

“Duman sa Burabod”,“Sa Spill Way”, “Uyog sa Cawayan”, “Uyog sa Spill Way”,

“Uyog sa Dagat”, “Piglalagalag”, “Darakulaon na Uran”, “An Sino”, “Pigsa”,

“Natatakluban na Bubon”, “Bato sa may Kahoy kan Santol”, “Mga Nawawang

Aki”, “Negro”, “Si Nonoy”, “Aswang sa Dagat”, “Aswang River”, “Makatakot na

tanog sa Dakulang Kahoy”, “Takot sa Delubyo”, “Guni-guni”, “Barkada kan

Engkanto”, and “Pigkakawit su Dingding”.

The narratives involved beings that are believed to exist but could not

actually be seen, except for white lady and the headless priest which were seen

by the naked eyes of the narrators. In the narratives “Uyog sa Cawayan”, “Uyog

sa Spill Way”, “Uyog sa Dagat”, “Piglalagalag” and “Darakulaon na Uran”, the

unseen beings make fun to human being, either by playing jokes on people or
 39

making them astray in the forest at night or copy a mortal being to dupe in the

objects of their desire.

The narratives “Nagngunguyngoy”, ”Nagngunguyngoy Version 2”,

“Nakasutanang Padi”, “White Lady”, “Disperas”, “Babaeng Nakaputi’, “Pugot na

Padi”, ”, “Si Nonoy”, “Aswang sa Dagat”, and “Aswang River”, talk about ghost,

the white lady, the headless priest and the aswang. All these apparitions belong

to supernatural. Ghost for instance, is believed to be the spirits of the deceased

that remain in the living world to handle unfinished business, seek revenge, or

search for a means to communicate with loved ones. 5 The people believed in

their existence since the informants personally experienced these apparitions

and have known by everybody. Like the ghost, the aswang and the white lady

are also creatures that are part of supernatural beings. Aswang is shape-shifting

demon, human like by day but transform into different monstrous form at night. 6

They transform into creatures such as bat, birds and most often a black dog. It is

a creature known for eating human flesh, especially when a woman was with

child it is dangerous for her to be exposed because it might be possible to make

her child vanish inside her womb. It was manifested in the tale “Si Nonoy”,

“Aswang sa Dagat”, and Aswang River”. Similarly, the white lady has also

become a popular supernatural creature in the Philippines, which is described as

a woman with a long hair dressed in white. It is reflected in the narratives “An

Babaeng Nakaputi” and “White Lady”. “An Babaeng Nakaputi” is the story about

a grandmother who saw a lady wearing a white dress late at night when she

opened their window as she heard the dogs barking while “White Lady” is about
 40

a story of Antonio Balmedina who asked for a ride going back home and then the

his friend saw that he has a companion, a white lady.

Tales about Extraordinary Beasts. Tales about extraordinary beasts

have the characteristics of scary and unique ones. These stories also feature

animals of unusual characteristics such as with huge sizes and ferocity. It is a

unusual and some supernatural creatures transformed into a huge beast to

deceive someone and scare the people through its peculiar appearance. 7

The narratives collected about extraordinary beasts were ‘’Dakulaon na

Ayam’’, ‘’Sa Tinampo’’, and ‘’Aswang River.’’ A part in the narrative "Dakulaon na

Ayam" where extraordinary beast was manifested when the father of Antonio

passed by the bridge and saw a giant dog and the tail rolled around the head of

the giant dog. In "Sa Tinampo" another extraordinary beast was manifested when

Tatang Pay saw a cat in the street near the house of Manay Deling. He threw a

stone at the cat and a voice of a dog was heard. In "Aswang River" extraordinary

beast was manifested when the moon was at full phase, there is a big dog that

appeared at the Aswang River.

Tales about Possession. Tales about possession speak of the people

being completely controlled by an evil spirit.8 Victims may hurt someone when

possessed by evil spirits because the spirits seek attention or want to revenge

towards someone.

The narratives manifested in these tales are ‘’An Pagsanib kay Joven’’,

‘’An Pagsanib kay Felipe’’, ‘’An Pagsanib kay Mangcoy’’, ‘’An Lalaking Nakaputi’’,
 41

‘’Duman sa Burabod’’, ‘’Pagsanib kay Neda’’, ‘’An Panduwang Pagsanib’’,

‘’Pagbalyong lawas’’, and ‘’Sa Spill Way’’. In the narrative "An Pagsanib kay

Joven" it manifested the possession of the spirit when Dennis was possessed by

the evil spirit named “Demonyito" who he answered when he was questioned

who he was. Likewise in "An Pagsanib kay Felipe" he was asked by Silyo, a folk

healer, of who he was and he answered "Jose". He asked again by the folk

healer why he possessed the body of Felipe and he replied, "He destroyed my

house." In "Pagsanib kay Mangcoy" when he was possessed he told that he was

with the child of Sarding who died a long time ago in a cliff. In "An Lalaking

Nakaputi" the possession was manifested when Dennis met his friend who lived

at the forest. He was offered by his friend of gold that is why he likes to go there

often to get the gold but he was failed to get it when he was brought to a folk

healer. The narrative ''Duman sa Burabod" manifested the possession of

Wenceslao. He went to the water tank near the burabod and when he went home

he brought a piece of wood to use as a fence and started to possess by the spirit

who used him to speak to return the piece of wood to the place where he picked

this. In "Pagsanib kay Neda" the possession started when she was brought by a

lady to unfamiliar house instead of going to the church. Her body was possessed

by an evil spirit and there are numerous occasions where Neda was being

attacked by the evil spirit and she has no control in fighting it. Likewise in the

narrative "An Panduwang Pagsanib", Neda was possessed again by the evil

spirit who attempted to give her a child but it was prevented when she was sent

to a folk healer. She vomited those inside her belly which was her child and
 42

believed the child of a demon. In the narrative "Pagbalyong Lawas" another

possession was manifested to another body and it was Neda's cousin named

Enggay. When she attended the aurora she was started to possess by the evil

spirit. She was blind but when they showed the money to her and asked what

color it was she can answer it correctly. In "Spill Way" another possession was

evident to Violita's daughter-in-law named Lisa. She decided to walk and passed

by the spill way going to Buco because there was no vehicle that passed by that

time. When she returned home her husband noticed that she was not on herself

and did not respond when she was asked.

Functions of the narratives to the locals of Manito, Albay

The first function of folklore “reveals man’s frustrations and attempts to

escape in fantasy from repressions imposed upon him by society and from his

own biological limitations” is reflected in the narratives “An Lalaking Nakaputi”,

and “Uyog sa Dagat”.

In the narrative “An Lalaking Nakaputi”, Dennis always want to go to the

forest because he has an engkanto friend, a man wearing white as he told, who

will give him a lot of gold. Dennis perhaps has financial problems and that lets

him escape from reality knowing that if he would come with his friend engkanto,

he would get the gold. Because of the financial needs, Dennis chooses to

depend his fortune to the engkanto. It was evident in the passages below:
 43

“…Tig-arapot daa ito si Dennis kung tunay managgad an tigsasabi niya

tungkol sa lalaki. Iyo daa, pirme ngani daa nakaputi su lalaki. Tig-aapod daa
siya ta may itatao daa na kayaman, mga ginto daa … Abuon ni Dennis
magpabulong ta gustuhon niya daa su gintong tigsasabing itatao saiya basta
mag-iba lang daa siya duman sa lalaki…”

“…They asked him if he was telling the truth about the man and he confidently
said yes. He told them that the man was always wearing white. He called
Dennis for him to give plenty of gold… As long as Dennis went with the man,
he can get the gold. That was why Dennis refused to be treated by folk
healers…”

Another narrative that served this purpose is the one entitled “Uyog sa

Dagat” where a tortoise was believed by the narrator to be the cause why the

boat was filled by water. It was evident in the passage below:

“…nailing ko na so dakulaon duman na pawikan duman sa dagat … pag ano

kayan uurgan kami kayan, dinara kami sa gilid, sa baybayon, napano so sibid-
sibid na tigsasakayan mi…”

“…I saw a huge tortoise at the seaside… The sea water was going inside our
boat, so we went to the seashore...”

Thinking the tortoise was the cause why the boat was filled with water is

like believing in something others would consider impossible. It is another way for

people to escape repressions of the society or his biological limitations because

she begins to think that the tortoise could harm them and could be the cause why

the boat was filled with water but in reality, the boat maybe has a hole and it is a

natural phenomenon that the water raises.

The second function of folklore is that “it helps to validate culture or in

justifying rituals and institutions to those who perform and observe them”. Folk

tales could validate the existence of certain beliefs, practices and customs of a

society. The culture of the group of people or community is reflected in the

literature the community owns, like the folktales or folk narratives. 9 Thus, to
 44

understand how they live and why a group of people acts, thinks and feels, one

must simply read its narratives or listen to the narrations.

Several narratives have the function of validating culture. For instance, the

following narratives speak of the belief in folk healing or albularyo: “An Sino”,

“Pigsa”, “Sa Spill Way”, and “Makatakot na Tanog sa Dakulang Kahoy”.

In the narrative “An Sino,” the victim was advised to burn an incense to

appease the supernatural being that cause him harm after he went to the folk

healer who practiced pagsantigwar. Pagsantigwar is a ritual where a healer used

an aluminum plate and candle to interpret the form produce in a plate from a

lighted candle. The faith healer whispered prayers (bulong) in the forehead of the

patient then signed a crossed after that she prepared a plate with special oil

made from the roots of different herbs. Then she dumps the candle with the

“spell” she performed for santiguar. Through the use of the plate and lighted

candle, she will see the cause of sickness that patient had. It was revealed in the

following passages:

“Utong saro kong aki, nasino. Naglain ang saiyang pagmati, nadutdot
niya palan so harong kang engkanto. Pigpasantigwar mi siya tapos
pigpaasohan kang kamangyan…”

“One of my children experienced sino. He accidentally moved the house

of an engkanto, which was why he experienced “sino”. We sent him to
a faith healer who practiced pagsantigwar and he told us to burn incense
as a cure…”
-An Sino

Pagsantigwar is also revealed in the narrative “Pigsa” where the narrator

also sought help to a faith healer who practiced pagsantigwar to heal the wounds

that his son had.

 45

“…Kan pag-uli tinubuan na siya ki pigsa. Kan pang duwang aldaw

napapasa na itong pigsa tapos may matubo na naman na panibago. Sabi
ko magpasantigwar kana…”

“…When he got home, he had a boil already. After two days, that boil
healed. But, there was another one that appeared again. I told him to go
to the faith healer here in our place, so that he can be cured…”

Moreover, in the narratives “Sa Spill Way”, and “Makatakot na Tanog sa

Dakulang Kahoy” also reflected the Manito’s belief in faith healing. In the

narrative “Sa Spill Way”, the family of Lisa asked for the help of Tiyong Selyo, an

albularyo, to cure Lisa and Tiong Silyo performed the healing ritual of pagtatawas.

In most areas in the Philippines, an albularyo simply lights and hold the candle

during the ritual and interprets the shapes produced by the wax. An albularyo can

see supernatural beings as caused of illness and suggest some cleansing ritual

or peace offering to the spirit.10 The usual peace offering suggests by the

albularyo is to offer a food to the spirit or to light a candle to its habitats. It was

reflected in the passage below:

“ …tigpaapod niya na si Tiong Selyo .Pinatawas mi ito si Lisa tapos

nailing na sa may spill way daa nauyog. Nagpadukot kami ki kandila
duman tapos nagalay ki pagkaun…”

“…We already called Tiong Selyo that time. He performed the ritual of
“ pagtatawas ” . He told us that Lisa turned into her unusual self,
because of the uyog she met by spill way. We lighted the candles and
offered different foods at the spill way…”

Similarly, in “Makatakot na Tanog sa Dakulang Kahoy,” the narrator also

consulted the albularyo hoping for his husband to be cured because even the

medical practitioners cannot cure her husband. It was evident the passages

below:
 46

“…Maski doktor dae man siya nabubulong, grabe lamang nagastos mi.
Nagpabulong kami saiya sa albularyo, pinatawas mi pa ngani…”

“…Even the doctors cannot cure him; we just spent too much money for
nothing. We brought him to a folk healer who performed pagtatawas…”

Hundreds of years ago, the forefathers relied on traditional healing

methods to cure maladies, heal wounds and recover from sickness.11 The

passages above taken from the narratives “An Sino”, “Pigsa”, “Sa Spill Way”, and

“Makatakot na Tanog sa Dakulang Kahoy” showed that the people of Manito still

adhere to the practices of their forefathers and value their own beliefs through

practicing it.

Moreover, the people of Manito also adapt the Catholic beliefs and

practices by using rosaries, candles and holy water. They also believe that

praying helps in the midst of danger caused by the supernatural beings. This was

manifested in the narratives “Nagngunguyngoy”, “An Pagsanib kay Joven”, “Uyog

sa Cawayan”, Uyog sa Spill Way”, “Darakulaon na Uran”, “An Pagsanib kay

Neda”, and “An Panduwang Pagsanib”.

Furthermore, the people of Manito also believed in the existence of

unseen beings and that they can either bring harm or blessings upon humans

depending on how they were treated. All the narratives collected showed this

belief in which the supernatural beings make their presence known by playing

tricks or jokes to people, making them astray in the forest at night and by

punishing the humans when their houses were destroyed.

The Filipinos of ancient times nurture a strong belief in supernatural. In

fact, it is one of the main factors that govern their everyday lives from past to
 47

present.12 Indeed, the narratives embed some aspects of the colorful culture of

Manito, Albay.

The third function of folklore is that “it serves as a pedagogic device

which reinforces morals and values and builds wit”. Bascom describe this

function that is important in order to communicate ideas throughout the society

and enhance the attitude of a community. It can also carry along the history of a

people as well as its cultural norms such as diligence, respect and perseverance.

In the collected narratives, it was noted that the narratives that are

pedagogic are “Nakasutanang Padi”, “Pugot na Padi”, “Uyog sa Cawayan”, Uyog

sa Spill Way”, “Uyog sa Dagat”, “Darakulaon na Uran”, “Natatakluban na Bubon”,

and “Pigkakawit so Dingding”.

The narratives “Pugot na Padi”, “Uyog sa Dagat”, and “Natatakluban na

Bubon” teach the reader to obey and listen to the word of the folks. Listening to

the word of the folks can reveal dangers and teaches how to avoid these dangers

because what they say is sometimes based on their own experiences. The

statements taken from the narrative “Pugot na Padi” below prove this statement.

“… Kina sabi daa saiya kan mga gugurang, "Maraot magkanta ning
bayang magiliw kapag banggi." Dai niya na ito inulit, puon katu wara
naman nagpailing saiyang padeng pugot.”

“…the elders said, “Do not ever sing the National Anthem at night.”
After that, he never did that again and there were no headless priest
showed up to him.”
 48

A similar statement also appears in the narrative “Uyog sa Dagat, wherein

the narrator was advised not to pay attention in whatever she will see because

that was what the old folks said.

“…Manay Merly, pag-abot dyan sa may inutan dae ka magparatino ta

udyan na kahoy na an may minakabit dyan na pugita. ” Dae ka ngaya
magparatino dyan kung ano mailing mo, di sige sanang sagwan mi, kang
ano may nailing na akong nagkikinang duman sa inutan, di dae ako
nagtino tapos pag-abot mi sa tangod kaito, nailing ko na so dakulaon
duman na pawikan duman sa dagat, di dae ako nagatino…”

“…Manay Merly, when we are already in that point, please do not pay
attention to anything that you will see. There is a tree there with a big
octopus climbing. ” So we just kept on paddling. Suddenly I saw
something glittering from afar, but I just did not tell her. When we arrived
there, I saw a huge tortoise. I kept on ignoring it…”

Likewise in “Natatakluban na Bubon”where the people were told to pay

respect and do what the old folk said to them:

“…Pagtuminino ka daw diyan, may nagluwas na ngaya ki dakulaon na

ulok, dai ka magtino. 'Pag may naheling ka na iba sa pagheling mo,
makitabi ka ta ang mga gurang sabi daa pirme magpatabi. "Tabi,
makiarok,"arog kaiyan.”

“ … If you saw something unfamiliar, just ignore it and just excuse

yourself. “Excuse me, I’ll just fetch water.” something like that.”

The narrative “Nakasutanang Padi” teaches the readers respect for other

beings. Although the people cut the tree where the supernatural being resides,

they still respect the place by saying “tabi-tabi po” every time they passed by.

This is evident in the passage below:

“…Tapos kang pinutol na itong kahoy digdi, dae naman ito nautro. Pero
hanggang ngunyan kapag nag-aagi duman sa kung sain dati nakatugdok
su kahoy nagpapatabi man gilayon ang mga tawo.”

And when the tree was cut off, that scenario did not happen again. But
until now, every time someone passed by to that place where the tree
was previously located, they made an excuse or say “tabi-tabi po”.
 49

Saying “tabi-tabi po” means people acknowledge the presence of the

unearthly creatures residing that area and because they cannot be seen by the

naked eye, people will just say “tabi-tabi po” as a way of making apologies if they

accidentally distracted these supernatural creatures.

Similarly, in the narrative “Pigkakawit na Dingding”, the narrator narrated

what she did in order to show her respect to the unearthly creatures. It is evident

in the passage below:

“ …Kung may makaagan ka diyan na mga kahoy na kaptol o anuman diyan.

Ipatong mo duman ta iyan daw garu man pagpapailing ki respeto duman sa mga
element na dae ta naiiling. Takot man sinda sato. Ang iba takot man satu kaya
nagigibuhan kita ki araot.”

“...If you have something that you can put on it, such as a cut tree or anything, put it
there because it somehow showed respect to those supernatural elements that
cannot be seen by our own eyes. Some of them were afraid to us, which was why
sometimes they did wrong actions against us.”

Sometimes believing what the folks told about these supernatural

elements is not a bad thing. Like what the narrator told in her story, these

unearthly creatures are scared also from the people, pushing them to do a bad

thing for us. But if people respect them, and did not disturb them, maybe they will

not cause harm to them. The famous quote “Do not do unto others, if you don’t

want it to do to you,”suite this situation.

Likewise, in “An Dagit na Duwende” wherein the woman who encountered

the dwarf abused it by trapping it in a can. It is another way of disrespecting the

supernatural creature. She first harmed the dwarf that is why she suffered her

punishment from her action. This only shows that if the people harm them, they

will also do the same.

 50

“….Nakailing daa kaya ito ki duwende tapos kinulong sa sarung lata. Kita baga
aram ta man na ugwang mabuot asin maisog na duwende. Ito gayod na
duwendeng kinulong niya maisog gayod ito. Nakalaya man sana daa su
duwendeng kinulong niya sa lata. Puon katu nag-ilang na su babae tapos nabuta
pa.”

“….She saw the dwarf and put it in a small can. We all know that there were good
dwarfs and bad dwarfs. The dwarf was able to escape from the can. Since then,
the lady got sick and later on she became blind.”

On the other hand, the narratives “An Pagsanib kay Neda”,

“Nagngunguyngoy”, Uyog sa Cawayan”, Uyog sa Spill Way”, “Uyog sa Dagat”,

and “Darakulaon na Uran” justified the value of being religious. The stories

talked about the various experiences of the narrators wherein they showed the

value of remaining faithful in spite of the struggles and problems they have

experienced. The narratives teach the reader to be a God-fearing individual and

letting the readers to realize that the Supreme Being is the ultimate resort they

would have at times they are experiencing unearthly circumstances. This is

discernible in the following lines in “An Pagsanib kay Neda”,

“…Niya kami man pag alas-sais na kan hapon nagpapangadyi na kami

tapos nagrorosaryo na kami…”

“…Every six in the evening, we will start praying the rosary…”

In the passage above, the old practice of the Filipinos about praying the

rosary every six in the evening is what the narrator did during the times that Neda

was possessed. Here, the praying of rosary is not clearly explained whether it is

a way of the narrator in curing the possessed woman, but Filipino observed this

practice as a means of showing their faith to the Supreme Being and to the Virgin

Mary. This only shows that praying of rosary is another way of communicating
 51

with God when someone experiencing something unusual. There are different

types of praying, and praying of rosary is one way that can be done by the

people.

Moreover, it is reflected in the narrative “Nagngunguyngoy version 1”,

“…Tatao man ako mag-pangadyi ki may tono kaya nagpangadyi ako

kaito tapos nagrosaryo. Pagpangadyi tulos ang naisipan kong gibuhon.
Pagkatapos ko magpangadyi, dae ko naman nadangog itong
pagnguyngoy.”

“…I know how to chant prayers, that is why I prayed hard at that time.
Praying came first to my mind at that moment. After I finished praying, I
can no longer hear the weeping voice of the girl.”

Praying is first thing that came to the mind of the narrator of

“Nagngunguyngoy version 1” when she heard the weeping voice from their

house. After she was done with her prayer, she cannot longer hear the sound. It

is evidently in the narratives that because of the prayer the narrator surpass the

unusual things happened to her.

Similarly, in the narrative "Uyog sa Cawayan”, the narrator prayed until

they surpass the supernatural encounters they have experienced. Maybe she

thought that through prayers she can get out from the unearthly circumstances.

“…Ako tiga-isip ko nanggad na baad nyako sa ibong kang mga butong

na ito may nakahandang mga badil, di sige sanang pangadyi ko…”

“…I thought that from the other side, there was someone who had a gun
and ready to shoot us. I prayed hard…”

In the narrative “Disperas”, spite of the fear the passengers felt during the

time when the driver told them that someone wants to ride also from the vehicle,

praying still comes to their mind. This only shows that when a person was at the
 52

situation that he can no longer think what he can do and when he was already

filled with fear, prayer will still be an answer.

“…Sige na sana daw su ire-Hesus ta nag para tapos dai man nagsakat.
Natakutonun daa su mga pasahero.”

“…All of them kept on doing the sign of the cross and murmured “O
Jesus”. After the driver told them that he saw someone who wants to
ride the jeepney, the passengers were all scared.”

Likewise, in the narrative, “Uyog sa Spill Way”,

“…
“ …Pag-abot
Pag-abot ko diyan sa may kay Tita Rosy, nangadyi na ako ta may pili
man baga dyan na tigkakatakutan digdi...”

“…When I arrived near the house of Auntie Rosy, I had been praying
hard because there was a Pili tree which was been feared here…”

Praying is what also the narrator of “Uyog sa Spill Way” did when she is

about to pass by the Pili tree. Her action shows that she wants to prevent from

unusual feedback to her when passing by the tree. Here, the prayer used as a

protection from the possible harm she can get from that specific area.

Lastly, it was reflected in the narrative “Darakulaon na Uran”,

“Uso talaga didi ang uyog sa lugar mi, pero pag nagpangadyi nawawara
man sana…”

“Here in our place, “uyog” was commonly happened. But when you
prayed hard, it will eventually disappear...”

Here, the narrator explained that prayer is usually the answer from the

uyog they have experienced in their place. It simply says that whatever problems

they might encounter; when they prayed hard, everything will be fine. This only

shows that Him, whom people addressed their prayer is always their whenever
 53

they are experiencing struggles in life. Spite of the problems, He is still there

watching and saving the people from the harm they could experience.

The fourth function of folklore is a “means of applying social pressure

and exercising social control.” It is used to express social approval and

disapproval and is employed to control, influence, or direct activities of others.

The narratives that serve this function are “Nakasutanang Padi”, “Piglalagalag”,

“Negro”, and “Makatakot na Tanog sa Dakulang Kahoy”.

The narratives “Piglalagalag”, “Negro”, and “Makatakot na Tanog sa

Dakulang Kahoy”, the narrators did not believe in the existence of the

supernatural beings until they personally experienced being the subject of

mischief. Their experiences will eventually make him to be cautious of their

surrounding because they are unseen beings that could be harmed and

disturbed.

Often times, children refuse to believe what the old folk say, so they would

use stories that have actually occurs to make them obey or control them. In the

narrative “Nakasutanang Padi”, the readers are restricted to stay late at night to

avoid seeing the priest wearing a cassock in the tree.

“ …Kapag bilugon ang bulan wara na nanggad nagtatambay arani

duman sa may kahoy ta sabi daa may nakatukawon daa sa sanga katung
kahoy na lalaking nakasuntana. Ang tigsasabi kan mga nakailing itong
lalaki daa na nakatukawan ay padi daa…”

“…It always happened every full moon and no one stayed late at night
near that tree because according to some people there was a man sitting
there, wearing a cassock and they said that the man was a priest...”
 54

Looking at the passage, what the narrator experienced when he stayed

late at night became a means for him to control himself as well as the reader, so

this narrative become a way of applying social pressure, so that the people

especially the children would adhere to the norms of their society.

To sum up, Table 1 is presented below for clarity as to which tales serve

as a couple or more of the functions of folklore.

Table 1. Summary of Bascom’s Functions Reflected in the Narratives

FUNCTION 1st Function 2nd Function 3rd Function 4th Function

Nagngunguyngoy
Version 2
White Lady
Bungo
An Babaeng Nakaputi
An Pagsanib kay Joven
An Pagsanib kay
Felipe
An Pagsanib kay
Mangcoy
Duman sa Burabod
An Panduwang
Pagsanib
Pagbalyong Lawas
Sa Spill Way
An Sino
Sino sa Muladbucad
Pigsa
Bato sa may Kahoy
kan Santol
Mga Nawawarang Aki
Nonoy
Aswang sa Dagat
Aswang River
Takot sa Delubyo
Guni-guni
Barkada kan Engkanto
An Kapre sa Poon kan
Kayo
Sa Kahoy kan Pili
Si Ekit
Si Ekit Version 2
Minaungal na Baka
Sa Tinampo
.Piglalagalag
Negro
Makatakot na Tanog sa
Dakulang Kahoy
 55

An Lalaking Nakaputi
Nagngunguyngoy
Disperas
Pugot na Padi
An Pagsanib kay Neda
Uyog sa Cawayan
Uyog sa Spill Way
Darakulaon na Uran
Natatakluban na Bubon
Pigkakawit so Dingding
An Dagit na Duwende
Nakasutanang Padi
Uyog sa Dagat

As shown in the table above, all narratives served the 2nd function of

folklore. These narratives validate the culture of the Filipinos especially the

Bicolanos: the belief in the existence of supernatural beings. People believe that

these beings can bring luck and cause harm to them. The only narrative that

served the first three functions of folklore is the narrative Uyog sa Dagat. This

narrative is a way of escaping in fantasy of a person because he believed that an

animal, which they believed to be an enchanted being, is the cause why the boat

was filled with water. Thus, this narrative become pedagogic because it teaches

the people to follow to the sayings of the old folks because these old folks

believed in the existence of supernatural beings that can bring harm to them.

Therefore, this narrative serve the second function of folklore because it validates

the culture of Filipino people – the belief in the existence of supernatural beings.

The narratives that serve the 1st function are the narratives Uyog sa Dagat

and An Lalaking Nakaputi while only four narratives served the 4th function of

folklore and only twelve narratives for 3rd function of folklore.

 56

Beliefs, Practices and Values Reflected in the narratives

Beliefs. The beliefs reflected from the collection and translated narratives

on supernatural encounters are (1) Belief in Supernatural Creatures, (2) Belief in

Faith Healing and (3) Religious Belief.

Belief in Supernatural Creatures. This belief is present in the article

entitled “Supernatural Creatures in Philippine Folklore” where the Philippine

Folklore contains vast tales of horror and supernatural beings such as kapre,

engkanto, aswang, duwende and multo or ghost which the Filipinos are most

afraid of.13 In the gathered narratives, the presence of duwende is seen in the

narration of Rosie Baldano in her “An Dagit na Duwende”. This belief is reflected

in the next passage:

“…Ang sabi-sabi may duwende daa ang nagpailing duman. Nakailing
daa kaya ito ki duwende tapos kinulong sa sarung lata. Kita baga aram ta
man na ugwang mabuot asin maisog na duwende. Ito gayod na
duwendeng kinulong niya maisog gayod ito. Nakalaya man sana daa su
duwendeng kinulong niya sa lata. Puon katu nag-ilang na su babae tapos
nabuta pa. Tigatararam na su duwende daa ang may gibo kan pagkabuta
katong babae…”

“…. Some were saying that a dwarf appeared in front of her. She saw
the dwarf and put it in a small can. We all know that there were good
dwarfs and bad dwarfs. The dwarf was able to escape from the can.
Since then, the lady got sick and later on she became blind…”
In the narrative “An Dagit na Duwende”, the duwende shows itself to a

lady and the lady put the duwende in the jar. Afterwards, the lady got sick and

became blind. Duwende are goblins, hobgoblins, elves or dwarfs. They are little

creatures who can provide good fortune or bad fate to humans. There are two

types of duwende: the good and the evil duwende. The good duwende is

believed to be useful to have around the place because they can protect the

place that they live in while the evil duwende can cause harm to human beings.
 57

They got angry if the trespasser destroyed or damaged their houses or the

duwende itself. The offender will experience pain in any part of his body. 14 Since

the lady and her husband lived in the mountainous area and the duwende

personally shows itself to the lady and harmed her, the people around them

believe in the existence of these creatures.

Rural people in the Philippines believe in the existence of, as well as the

influence exercised in the human lives by, superhuman beings called engkantos.

The belief is found in Luzon quite common in Visayas and Mindanao. 15 The

presence of this supernatural element is revealed in the narratives “Ang Lalaking

Nakaputi”, “Uyog sa Cawayan”, “Uyog sa Spill Way”, “Uyog sa Dagat”, and

“Piglalagalag” where engkantos make fun to human beings.

In the narrative “Ang Lalaking Nakaputi”, Dennis was said to have a friend

engkanto when he always wants to go to the forest because his friend lived there

and will give him gold.

“ …Pirme niya tigasabi na kaipuhan niya magduman sa makahoy ta

yaun daa duman su barkada niya. Duman daa ito nakaistar …Tig-arapot
daa ito si Dennis kung tunay managgad an tigsasabi niya tungkol sa
lalaki. Iyo daa, pirme ngani daa nakaputi su lalaki. Tig-aapod daa siya ta
may itatao daa na kayaman, mga ginto daa…”

“…He always said that he needed to go to the forest because his friend
was there. According to him, that place was where his friend lived…They
asked him if he was telling the truth about the man and he confidently
said yes. He told them that the man was always wearing white. He called
Dennis for him to give plenty of gold…”

An engkanto is any enchanted creature – and much like human beings,

they vary in form, attitudes, and powers we can never understand nor fathom. An

engkanto is also a white and good looking. It is believed that if they become fond
 58

of you or if they want to help you, they will take you to their space and give you

an ability that will make you powerful or wealthy.16 The appearance of the

engkanto to Dennis proves that there is a presence of this supernatural element

in the place.

In the narratives “Uyog sa Cawayan”, “Uyog sa Spill Way”, and

“Piglalagalag”, the engkantos play jokes on people, making them go astray in the

forest at night, or transform into likenesses of mortal friends and relatives in order

to dupe the objects of their desires.17 In the narrative “Uyog sa Cawayan”, Merly

Opalda experienced uyog at Cawayan when she and her husband were going

back to their home from Legazpi City. They were tricked them by bending the

bamboo and blocking their paths, a blanket blocking their roads and a road full of

flowers which they believed that it was made by the engkanto.

“ …Pag-abot mi duman sa Malobago, so paglusot mi sa mabutong

duman, nyata daw ito ta so mga poon kang butong pasiriring duman sa
tahaw kang tinampo nagyaraya…may nailing naman ako na nakabaliktad
“na…tamong
When we sa reached
tahaw kang tinampo…Tapos
Malobago, we passed pag-agi
through mi duman
a path sa
full of
Mulakbugak, dakulon ang burak sa gilid kang tinampo… ”
bamboo plants. As we went nearer, those bamboo plants were bending
to the middle of the road... I saw a blanket at the middle of the
road…When we passed Mulakbugak, there were plenty of flowers at the
side of the road…”

Similarly, in the narratives “Uyog sa Spill Way” and “Piglalagalag”, both

the narrators were also tricked by the engkantos. In “Uyog sa Spill Way”, the

narrator was tricked by an engkanto when she was unable to move and felt that

her ears got bigger and heard a growl of a dog. It was discernable in the

passages below:
 59

“… Sige sana so lakaw ko, pag-abot digdi sa may spill way, gare so
talinga ko nagdarakula, gare baya may puminusngak nag are ayam pero
dae man na ayam ta malinigon. Tapos iyo na ito, dae na ako nakairo
maray ngani ta may nag-aging awto, nasinagan ako. Buda nagadalagan
baga ako pero dae ako nakakaali pagkatapos sabi ko “ Diyos ko! ”
tapos nakahangos na ako ki halawig.”

“…I just kept on walking and when I’m already at the spill way, I felt
my ears got bigger and I heard a growl of a dog. When I looked around
the place, there was no dog. I cannot move my body, good thing was that
there was a car that passed by. I felt like I came back to myself, when I
was being flashed by the car’s bomber light. I even tried to run but I’m
still in the same place. After that I just said, “Oh Jesus!” and then, I
can breathe normally.

Hence, the people of Manito believed in the existence of engkanto through

these narratives and through the people who experienced these kinds of

encounters and it only prove that this kind of element is possible even in the

modern times.

The people of Manito also believed in the existence of ghost. According to

Pantuhan ghost are the spirits of the deceased that remain in the living world to

handle unfinished business, seek revenge, or search for a means to

communicate with their loved ones and the common themes in ghost legends

include the White Lady, the headless priest and the phantom hitchhiker. 18

The collected narratives about ghosts were “Nagngunguyngoy versions 1

and 2”, “An Nakasutanang Padi”, “White Lady”, “An Babaeng Nakaputi”, and

“Pugot na Padi”. The narratives “Nagngunguyngoy Versions 1 and 2” are about

the story of the family members of the narrator, Luz Carretero, who happened to

hear the weeping voice of a girl in their house. It was discernable in the passages

below:
 60

“ …May nadangog lang daa sindang nagngunguyngoy na garo

makaherak, garo may problemang namamatian…

“…they heard a weeping voice, a voice full of pity

“Si Mercy iyo man ang nangyari, su agom ni Junior. Namati niya man su
pagnguynguy sarung banggi katu. Diyan sinda naga-uruigda sa bangko
na parang papag. Klarado daa su boses sabi ni Mercy…”

“Mercy, the wife of Junior had the same experience; she also heard the
weeping voice of someone. They were lying on a chair that could be used
as a bed. The voice was very clear, according to Mercy…”

On the other hand, the narrative “An Nakasutanang Padi” is the story

about a man sitting on the tree wearing a cassock while “Pugot na Padi” is the

story of narrator’s husband’s childhood experience when he was singing the

Philippine National Anthem at night and suddenly the headless priest passed by.

These were exemplified in the passages below:

“ …Kapag bilugon ang bulan wara na nanggad nagtatambay arani

duman sa may kahoy ta sabi daa may nakatukawon daa sa sanga katung
kahoy na lalaking nakasuntana. Ang tigsasabi kan mga nakailing itong
lalaki daa na nakatukawan ay padi daa…”

“…It always happened every full moon and no one stayed late at night
near that tree because according to some people there was a man sitting
there, wearing a cassock and they said that the man was a priest…”
-An Nakasutanang Padi

“ Su agom ko nu aki pa siya, banggi ito nagkakanta siya ki Bayang

Magiliw tapos may luminabay na padeng warang payo…”

“This happened during the childhood years of my husband. One night,

while he was singing the Philippine National Anthem, he saw an image of
a headless priest passed by in front of him…”
-Pugot na Padi

The narrative “An Babaeng Nakaputi” is about a grandmother who saw a

lady with a long hair wearing white dress at their yard. Similarly, in “White Lady”

the narrator asked for a ride going back home and the driver saw that he was

accompanied by a lady wearing a white dress.

 61

“…Suminabay baga sa awto kan pagsakay mo man kaya una ko kaiba

mo,” sabi ni Manoy. Grabe na su takot mi, pigpadalagan na ngani ni
Manoy Dino su awto ki makaskas. Puwede daang white lady ito ta
nakapution daa.”

“ …She also hopped in the car the moment you came inside, so I
thought she is your companion,” Manoy Dino said. We were so scared
back then. The woman could be a white lady because according to
Manoy Dino, she was wearing a white dress.”
-White Lady

“Kan pagsirip niya daa sa bintana sakto nanggad daa su pag-agi kang
babaing nakaputi na may alabaun daang buhok...”

“When she peeked out from her window, it was the exact moment that a
lady wearing a white dress with long hair passed by…”
-An Babaeng Nakaputi

Ghost is believed by the people as an apparition that appears to everyone

in order for them to be noticed by the person, make a way on how to scare

humans and deliver message that they wanted to tell to someone especially

when it is necessary for them to know by the people. Ghost can often found

everywhere and several people can see them and encountered them in

unexpected time without the senses of knowing it at first. They appeared in times

of not knowing what to do and make frighten on its apparition that would serve as

a mystery at time.

The people of Manito also have given the descriptions of the aswang

through the narratives that they shared. They believed that the aswang is a

shape-shifting demon, human like by day but transform into different monstrous

form at night and eat humans at night or day, especially pregnant women who

are about to gave birth; hence, the creature is feared. This is exemplified in the

passage below:
 62

“ Duwang bados ang nakuwaan digdi kaito, yuto ang tigsawutan na

inaswang daa kaito ni Nonoy, tapos pirmi kaito na ngangarikngik na kikik,
minalabay digdi. Eh sabi kang mga gurang pag may kikik daa na nag-agi
ang kasunod kaito aswang.”

“Two pregnant women got miscarriage, and Nonoy was being blamed
by the residents. According to them, they always heard the sound of a
kikik. They believed that if a kikik passed by, it will be followed by an
aswang.”

Moreover, “Aswang sa Dagat” and “Aswang River” were another

examples of the Manito’s belief in the existence of aswang. In “Aswang sa Dagat”,

the narrator went fishing and she felt that something was ripping off the sea. She

thought that it will rain so she rowed back to the shore as fast as she could. Then,

she saw an aswang walking under the full moon. It is discernible in the passages

below:
“…pagtanggad niya nailing niya daa itong aswang na gari nagalakaw
sa dagat, bulanon kaito…”

“As she looked at sky, she saw an aswang walking and it was full
moon”

Whereas, in “Aswang River”, the narrator said that every full moon, there

appeared a big dog at the Aswang River and could hear thunderstorms at the

mountain.

The passages are the clear proofs that the people of Manito still maintain

this belief, probably because many people experienced and have known these

stories.

The people of Manito also believed that the spirits could possess humans.

People said that, especially the old folks who have experienced this phenomenon,
 63

evil spirits always possess people who do not believe in God or faithless. When

humans are possessed by evil spirits, their character changes and they seem to

no longer be themselves.19 In the narratives collected, there were nine narratives

about possessions found. In one, it was said that a man was possessed by an

evil spirit named “Demonyito”.

“ Si Joven kang tigsaniban, dinara digdi nira Mama niya. Tig-apot mi

kung ano siya pero dae nagakaalo tapos kang tig-apot mi giraray kung
sisay siya, ang sabi niya, “Demonyito!”…”

“When Joven was possessed, his mother brought him here. We asked
him whom he was but he did not responded. When we asked him again,
he answered, “Demonyito!”

Belief in Faith Healing. This belief is present in the book “Culture Shock!

A Guide to Customs and Etiquette” where Filipino faith healers are reputed to

possess psychic healing powers. They are said to operate without instruments,

close wounds and leave no scars, and cure through divine aid. 20 Filipino healers

serve to fill an important place in the community. Filipinos in rural communities

make use of healers to cure illnesses and these healers are bound up with the

indigenous spiritual belief of Filipinos. This belief is evident in the narratives “An

Sino”, “Pigsa”, “An Pagsanib kay Felipe”, “An Pagsanib kay Neda”, “Sa Spill

Way”, and “Makatakot na Tanog sa Dakulang Kahoy”.

In “An Sino” the narrators’ child experienced sino, an event that usually

happens when a person disturbed the supernatural beings’ place or the

supernatural being itself. The narrator believed in the power of the faith healer in

curing his child that a common physician or medical practitioner cannot cure. The
 64

first thing he did was to go to the reliable person near their place who has the

prior knowledge in their medication.

“Utong saro kong aki, nasino. Naglain ang saiyang pagmati, nadutdot
niya palan so harong kang engkanto. Pigpasantigwar mi siya tapos
pigpaasohan kang kamangyan…”

“One of my children experienced sino. He accidentally moved the house

of an engkanto, which was why he experienced “sino”. We sent him to
a faith healer who practiced pagsantigwar and he told us to burn incense
as a cure…”

Moreover, the belief in faith healing was also revealed in the narrative “An

Pigsa”.

“ Kan pag-uli tinubuan na siya ki pigsa. Kan pang duwang aldaw

napapasa na itong pigsa tapos may matubo na naman na panibago. Sabi
ko magpasantigwar kana…”

“When he got home, he had a boil already. After two days, that boil
healed. But, there was another one that appeared again. I told him to go
to the faith healer here in our place, so that he can be cured.

Maniteños relied to faith healers not only because they do not have money

to go to the physician but also because they believed that there is an enchanted

creature that exists in their area. They also believed that these faith healers are

the only one who can cure the disease or illness that the medical practitioner

cannot cure.

Religious Belief. This kind of belief is listed in an article “Indigenous

Religious Beliefs and Cosmology of the Filipino” where the belief in Supreme

God seems to be one of the most natural and simplest of belief. 21 God is

perceived as an omnipotent being. People believed that when they pray and

whatever happens, the Supreme Being will help them. This kind of belief is
 65

discernible in the narratives “Nagngunguyngoy”, “An Pagsanib kay Joven”, and

“Uyog sa Spill Way”.

In “Nagngunguyngoy”, the first thing that the narrator came to her mind

was to pray upon hearing the weeping voice of the girl in her house. It was

evident in the foregoing passages below:

“…Tatao man ako mag-pangadyi ki may tono kaya nagpangadyi ako

kaito tapos nagrosaryo. Pagpangadyi tulos ang naisipan kong gibuhon.
Pagkatapos ko magpangadyi, dae ko naman nadangog itong
pagnguyngoy…”

“…I know how to chant prayers, that is why I prayed hard at that time.
Praying came first to my mind at that moment. After I finished praying, I
can no longer hear the weeping voice of the girl…”

Similarly, in “An Pagsanib kay Joven” the narrator prayed to the Supreme

Being to surpass what they are facing and for the evil spirit to leave Joven. In the

passage presented below, it was evident that the Supreme Being can help them

especially in times of difficulties.

“..Tigpapara pangadyian mi sana ito hanggang nawara man sana su

sanib saiya.”

“…We prayed until he was no longer possessed by the evil spirit.”

Likewise in “Uyog sa Spill Way” where the narrator prayed hard when she

was approaching the Pili tree which was feared by everyone.

“…Pag-abot ko diyan sa may kay Tita Rosy, nangadyi na ako ta may pili
man baga dyan na tigkakatakutan digdi…”

“…When I arrived near the house of Auntie Rosy, I had been praying
hard because there was a Pili tree which has been feared here…”
 66

The narratives mirror the strong belief of the people of Manito in God.

They believe that by praying God will help them and God will always be at their

side. The people of the locale based on the presented passages believe in the

presence of God in time of difficulties and believe in the existence of Supreme

Being that will help them from the unexpected events that happened in their lives.

Practices. Filipino practices evident in some of the narratives on

supernatural encounters include folk healing and saying of “tabi-tabi po”. These

still prove that despite the advent of modernization, the people of Manito still

observe certain practices that identify them as a Filipino.

The first practice, folk healing is evident in the narratives “An Pagsanib

kay Felipe”, “Sa Spill Way” and “Makatakot na Tanog sa Dakulang Kahoy”. “Sa

Spill Way” mentioned that Tiong Selyo, the folk healer, cured Lisa by performing

the ritual of pagtatawas:

“...Pinatawas mi ito si Lisa tapos nailing na sa may spill way daa

nauyog...”

“...We already called Tiong Selyo that time. He performed the ritual
of “pagtatawas” for Lisa to be cured...”
Similarly in “Makatakot na Tanog sa Dakulang Kahoy”, the folk healer also

performed the ritual of pagtatawas after Namesha’s husband was suffering in

pain when he peed near the huge tree, where the engkanto lives:

“…Nagpabulong kami saiya sa albularyo, pinatawas mi pa ngani...”

“…We brought him to a folk healer who performed “pagtatawas...”

 67

The ancient healers believed in a concept of health which states that

imbalance are caused by environmental factors that affect the people mentally,

physically, emotionally and spiritually.22 Albularyo was referred to be the general

practioner of pagtatawas and pagsantigwar.

Pagtatawas is a divination ritual in pseudo medicine in Filipino Psychology.

It attempts to diagnose an affliction or psychological disorder by interpreting

shapes produced in water by heated alum or molten wax of dropping from a

burning candle while pagsantigwar is the briefly described as the Bicolano

version of Central Luzon’s pagtatawas. It is a ritual where a healer used an

aluminum plate and candle to interpret the form produce in a plate from a lighted

candle. The faith healer whispered prayers (bulong) in the forehead of the patient

then signed a crossed after that she prepared a plate with special oil made from

the roots of different herbs. Then she dumps the candle with the “spell” she

performed for santiguar. Through the use of the plate and lighted candle, she will

see the cause of sickness that patient had.

Another practice that is revealed by some of the narratives is the saying of

“tabi-tabi po”. Filipino folklore is rich with a variety of elements, from giants

smoking tobacco, to small, grumpy, old men living in anthills, stories of these

creatures fill the childhoods of many Filipino children, inciting both intrigue and

fear. Many superstitions still surround the beliefs in such creatures today. Among

the most practiced is the saying of “tabi-tabi po” when passing through places

where elementals are likely to dwell.23 Saying “tabi-tabi po” makes the

supernatural beings know your presence. Elders and parents would teach and
 68

remind their children to say “tabi-tabi po” if they are going to places where a

supernatural entities resides. Failure to do this and disturbing such creatures

may lead to unexplained sickness that can only be cured by an albularyo.

In “Natatakluban na Bubon”, the people were advised to pay respect and

say “tabi-tabi po” whenever they will fetch water at the well.

“'Pag may naheling ka na iba sa pagheling mo, makitabi ka ta ang mga

gurang sabi daa pirme magpatabi. "Tabi, makiarok," arog kaiyan. ”

“If you saw something unfamiliar, just ignore it and just excuse yourself.
“Excuse me, I’ll just fetch water.” something like that.”

While in “Nakasutang Padi”, the narrator also pays respect by saying “tabi-

tabi po” to the dwelling face of the unseen being every time he passed by. It was

evident in the passage below:

“ Pero hanggang ngunyan kapag nag-aagi duman sa kung sain dati

nakatugdok su kahoy nagpapatabi man gilayon ang mga tawo.”

“But until now, every time someone passed by to that place where the
tree was previously located, they made an excuse or say “tabi-tabi po”.

Values. The values reflected in the narratives are (1) close family ties, (2)

strong faith in God, (3) balikatan, (4) pakikisama, and (5) pakikiramay.

Close Family Ties. A much vaunted trait in the Filipino society is the so-

called close family ties or family solidarity. The family is seen as a defense

against a hostile world and a unit where one can turn to in case he has a

problem.24 Families are always there in times of trouble, pain, sadness and

happiness. The bond between family members is so strong because it is intact

 69

and no matter how tough life can be, they support each other. If one family

member has a problem, they will solve it together as a family.

Some narratives of the study talked about a certain family member who

felt that something is wrong, for instance, when they felt a presence of an

enchanted creature, they will look for a solution that can stop it from affecting

another person. It shows that there is nothing greater than a family’s strong bond.

The people of Manito have a strong family relationship and can do everything for

their family’s safety and needs. They have this characteristic that it is okay to

have a problem for it is inevitable as long as they are together, supporting each

other because they are the source of strength of each other. It is evident in the

narratives “An Pagsanib kay Joven”, “An Pagsanib kay Neda”, “Sa Spill Way”,

“An Sino”, “Pigsa”, “Bato sa may Kahoy kan Santol” and “Makatakot na Tanog sa

Dakulang Kahoy”.

In “An Pagsanib kay Neda”, it was evident that Neda’s parents came to

her aid in order to be free from being possessed by an evil spirit:

“...bata wara digdi so agom ko, di may nagdirigdi man na nag-aragap,

pati si Tata Teo.”

“ My husband was not here that time. The good thing was that our
neighbors came here to help me, including Tata Teo.”

“Sa Spill Way” showed unity of Lisa’s family is there when trouble arises

as shown in this passage:

“ Tig-aapot niya man daw kung ano ang problema dae man daw
nagsisimbag. Nabahala na itong aki ko ta baku man ngani arug katu si
Lisa, pati su mga aki garu daw dae midmid kaya tigpaapod niya na si
Tiong Selyo.”

“He asked Lisa what was her problem but she did not want to respond.
My son became worried about her unusual behavior, even to their
children. We already called Tiong Selyo that time.”
 70

In “An Sino”, the call for help was extended to wife of her son who fell

under the victim of the sino when she can’t help but feel concerned to the former:

“ Ang agom kaitong aki ko nasino man. Pinaputulan ang buhok ta

nawiwilihan kang maligno.”

“Even my son’s wife experienced sino. She even cut her hair because the
engkanto was fascinated by it”
In “Bato sa may Kahoy Kan Santol”, the narrator went to get help from his

sister after he was fallen under the victim of the sino:

“Dalagan kami ki ermana digdi sa Pigcale. ‘Yan dai pagdarahon si Manoy

Tino sa Ospital. Mahanap ako ki albularyo, magpasantigwar ka.’”

“...hence we went to my sister in Pigcale. ‘Do not bring my brother to the

hospital. I will find a folk healer that can check him,’ my sister said.”

Faith in God. Filipino faith in God keeps them united to overcome all the

problems and challenges in life.25 Catholic Filipinos have a strong faith in God.

The people of Manito always offered prayers to Him and asked for His guidance

for to be safe from harm. In this case, the narratives “Nagngunguyngoy”,

“Disperas”, “An Pagsanib kay Joven”, “Uyog sa Cawayan” and “Uyog sa Spill

Way” talked about how they turn their faith to God after they encountered an

enchanted creature, so that they will not be harmed again. They considered the

word of God as their support and strength in every struggle that they

encountered.

In “Nangunguyngoy”, it was mentioned that the narrator knew how to

chant prayers and in order for the soul of the weeping girl to rest peacefully in

heaven, she offered a prayer to the latter:

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“Tatao man ako mag-pangadyi ki may tono kaya nagpangadyi ako kaito
tapos nagrosaryo. Pagpangadyi tulos ang naisipan kong gibuhon. ”

“I know how to chant prayers, that is why I prayed hard at that time.
Praying came first to my mind at that moment.”

In “Disperas”, things turned creepy when the passengers on board in the

jeep all found out that they encountered a ghost, who thought it was a person

who wanted to hop in the vehicle and kept on making the sign of the cross:

“Sige na sana daw su ire-Hesus ta nagpara tapos dai man nagsakat.”

“All of them kept on doing the sign of the cross and murmured ‘O Jesus’.”

“An Pagsanib kay Joven” mentioned that the folk healer will spray Holy

Water on Joven, who was possessed by an evil spirit:

“’Dae ka magparakaraw uyan karigoson ta ka ki Holy Water, pig-aapot

kung sisay ngaran mo, pakaray.’”

“’Do not play around. If you did not say your name, I will pour Holy Water
on you.’”

In “Uyog sa Cawayan”, praying hard that everything will not harm you,

especially in dealing with forces that cannot be seen by our naked eye:

“Nakasangkod kami sa harong na sige sana ang pangadyi ko. ”

“I just prayed really hard until we got home.”

“Uyog sa Spill Way” talked about how the narrator was being tested by an

uyog when she forgot the next line of The Apostles’ Creed and that the power of

God saved her:

“...nangadyi na ako ta may pili man baga dyan na tigkakatakutan digdi.”

“I had been praying hard because there was a Pili tree which was been
feared here.”
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Based on the narratives, it showed that the people of Manito have strong

faith in God. The narrators experienced unusual events that happened to them

and they overcome their fear by praying to God, to ask for help, safety and

overcome the difficulties that they are facing.

Balikatan. Balikatan is the shouldering of a common burden for a mutual

advantage.26 To help the others are much better than to help yourself in times of

trouble. Filipinos were always known as the most helpful people in the world

because of its courage and willingness to help others without waiting in return.

They were known for giving help first to a person who is in need and shouldering

what they wanted that is lack for them, especially manpower or money

sometimes.

The narratives "An Pagsanib kay Joven", "An Pagsanib kay Neda" and

"An Pagsanib kay Felipe", shows the people of Manito are good at helping others

in time of difficulties.

In “An Pagsanib kay Joven”, the folk healer and Joven’s mother helped

together to check if the evil spirit was removed from the boy’s body:

“Dae ko na ito pinadinara pauli ta digdi pina-igda sa harong mimag-aga

imbes maaraman ko kun ano pa mangyayari.”

“I told his mother to let Joven stay here in our house that night, so we can
monitor what will happen to him.”
“An Pagsanib kay Neda” showed that the people who helped Neda’s

parents in order to force Neda, who was possessed by an evil spirit from hurting

other people that they were willing to help the family:

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“Kang inuli na ito digdi, digdi samo dinara, tapos pag alas-nuwebe na
kang aga, ang mga tabile, tagaw, pati mga kulibangbang na iba-iba ang
kolor tigkakaoron niya, sabi “astyan na sana, atsyan maiba ako saindo ”
tapos pag alas-dose kang banggi, nagwawala, nangangagat,
nanununtok...”

“Neda’s parents brought her here when she came back from Manila. At
nine o ’clock in the morning, she was talking to a lizard and colorful
butterflies. She said, “ Maybe later. Later, I will come with you. ” At
midnight, she was possessed again. She attacked people who will come
near to her.”

Similarly, “An Pagsanib kay Felipe” shown that the people who were

possessed needed help in order to settle their unfinished business:

“Si Felipe digdi man dinara samo kang tigsaniban. Pag-abot digdi
kinaptan ni Silyo, sarong bitis tapos sarong kamot ang nagtakig saiya, di
tig-apot ni Silyo kung sisay, simbag niya ‘Si Jose.’”

“”Felipe was brought here when he was possessed by an evil spirit.

When he arrived, his feet and arms kept on shaking and Silyo holds him.
He asked him of his identity and he answered, ‘Jose’.”

These narratives showed that Manitenos are good at helping others in

times of difficulties. The narrators showed that they are willing to help anyone

who needed help even they are not close to the victim or it is not their relative.

They are willing to help as long as they can without expecting something in return

as long as they can help the family. They were also willing to let the victim stays

at their house even if it is also difficult for them just to make sure that the victim

will be well and to make sure to be treated well.

Pakikisama. Pakikisama means to go with. It is uniting one’s will with the

will of the others in a gang or peer group for the camaraderie. This is the practice

of yielding to the will of the leader or the group so as to make the group’s

decision unanimous.27 It usually fosters general cooperation and performing good

or helpful deeds, which can lead to conformity.

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Filipinos were known completely about pakikisama because wherever

they are ready to go with someone just to make a good decision for all. Filipinos

never let themselves not to intervene especially when it is for the sake of a

person who needs help.

The narratives "Natatakluban na Bubon", and "An Panduwang Pagsanib"

talked about how the people of Manito did "pakikisama" for the good benefit of all.

The narrators showed that the people if Manito are willing to go with or to do the

things that the people believed to be good for the people. And that they are

willing to go with the decision of all to cure the victim.

In “Natatakluban na Bubon”, they were reminded to follow the advice of

many that they should ignore what they saw whenever they went to the covered

well to fetch water:

“'Pag may naheling ka na iba sa pagheling mo, makitabi ka ta ang mga

gurang sabi daa pirme magpatabi. ‘Tabi, makiarok,’ arog kaiyan.”

“If you saw something unfamiliar, just ignore it and just excuse yourself.
“Excuse me, I’ll just fetch water.” something like that.”
In “An Panduwang Pagsanib”, the family of Merly were there to help Neda

to be cured from an unexplained illness that was caused by an evil spirit who

possessed her and they were exerting their effort for her to be well again:

“ ...tigparapainom ito ki bulong kang agom ko, sigeng susuka, tapos

nakaisip ito si Neda, sabi ‘ Maduman kita sa Maipan ta duman ako
marahay.’ Edi tig-iribahan mi siya, nagsakay kami sa jeep.”

“…My husband gave to her because she kept on vomiting. Then Neda
thought, ‘We should go to Maipan because I will be cured there.’ So we
accompanied her, riding on a jeepney.”
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Even though they are not related in blood or they are not closed with each

other, they shared their thoughts for giving ideas how to cure the victims who

were chased by the supernatural creatures and cause them harm. They

suggested bringing the victims to the hospital or albularyo for giving its

convenience and ending what suffering a person had.

Pakikiramay. Pakikiramay is a variation of “damay” which is a value

inherent in the Filipino culture because of its clannishness and close-knit families.

Sympathy and help are not, however, limited within the family – it is formal

among neighbors, friends, and distant relatives and even among kababayan

within the regions.28

Filipinos always have sympathy for everybody not only to their family

members but also to their neighbors and friends who are in great mourning when

one of the family members was died just to show sympathy for them in times of

the loss of loved ones. Filipinos never let anyone to be killed again after what

happened, so they are suggesting to the family members to be careful next time

to avoid these unseen creatures everywhere.

In “An Kapre sa Puon kang Kayo”, many passersby were concerned that

they saw the narrator laying down on the street after she regained consciousness:

“Pagmata ko yaun na ako sa arung, nailing daa ako kan mga nag-agi
man duman.”

“When I woke up, I was already at the house and they said that the
passersby saw me lying on the street.”
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“An Panduwang Pagsanib” showed that the watchers who monitored Neda’s

every movement should be have a keen eye on her, so that it won’t make things

worse:

Dae na kami nangangaturog ta siya na sana pirmi ang

tigapaparabantayan mi...”

“We cannot fell asleep, because we need to watch her. ”

Creative Output to promote and preserve the narratives of Manito, Albay

Indigenous beliefs about the supernatural creatures are lately dispersed in

this generation. They are being hindered by various aspects such as lack of

testimony or by the contradiction of other beliefs. Beliefs about these invincible

agents are part of Filipino culture, specifically Bicolano culture. And because of

this dispersing activities happened to the beliefs on these unearthly creatures,

culture was being affected also. Considering the fading of beliefs on mystical

creatures, the researchers focused on strategies to effectively propagate these

indigenous beliefs in order to have this continually credence about mystical

creatures. In this sense, the researchers bound to create a story-book with

illustration to spread the existing narratives about supernatural encounters in

Manito, Albay.

The story book has a size of a short bond paper. The image of a full moon

with a howling wolf is on the cover page, which symbolized as segnos or signs

through supernatural activities. The book is compose of eight (7) narratives of

supernatural encounters. The chosen topics or subjects of the proposed output

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are White Lady, “Sa Kahoy kan Pili”, “Uyog sa Cawayan”, “Kapre sa Poon kan

Kayo”, “Mga Nawawarang Aki”, “Aswang sa Dagat”, and “Natatakluban kan

Bubon”. The researchers choose these narratives to be the subject of the book

because some of the characters are already known by lot of people, in this sense

the readers will no longer curious about their appearance. And regarding with the

beneficiaries of this output which is the students of Manito Elementary School,

another factor that the researchers considered is the length of each story.

Researchers choose only those short narratives to avoid the readers to become

bored reading this story-book.

The narratives are in vernacular language and translated to English

language. Each narrative has an exercise or activity that can be found at the end

of the story that can be used in order for the students of Manito Elementary

School fully understand what the story is all about. This story-book will be put in

the library of school in order to be used as reading materials by the students.

Also, this story book is a significant contribution to the local government of

Manito, Albay in terms of proper dissemination of existing culture about beliefs in

mystical creatures.