Philippines Guide

A long time ago, a folklore says, the natives of the land didn’t cook their foods. They ate raw fish, meat, and vegetables. Raw vegetables were okay, raw fish was fine, but it was tough eating raw beef and pork. But then, the folklore says, it was the known style of the time, so people didn’t bother with it much. Nobody tried to find a better way of dealing with food. Until one accident happened.

People of a tribe were chasing a wild boar. The folklore says that the forest was thick with wild shrubbery so the chase took a long while. The wild boar kept running but the people kept hedging it to a corner. Just as they were about to catch it, the folklore says the wild boar managed to squeeze itself to a narrow escape route through an opening in the bushes, and running again, out of reach. The people were losing their patience, seeing that dark clouds were slowly filling up the sky for a down pour. According to the folklore, if the downpour happened while the boar was still at large, it would all come to nothing. The anticipated big supper would be spoiled, except for a few vegetable leftover from lunch.

Then, a miracle finally showed itself. The wild boar, says the folklore, came out of the forest and found itself going to the seashore. It was in the middle of the sea and the forest, from where the hunters were coming out of one by one. The folklore further says that the wild boar now had nowhere else to run. It could not swim in the sea and the people’s sheer number had barred the way back to the forest.

But then, lightning struck and hit the boar. Instantly, the wild boar was burned to a crisp. The people cried desperately and blamed the lightning for messing up their supper and spoiling their effort to catch the boar. The folklore says they went to it and tried to see if anything could be salvaged. There was an arousing aroma, though, and a thick, brown liquid oozed out from the crisped skin. They touched it and got burned from the hot surface, putting the hurt fingers into their mouths as an automatic reaction. That’s when they first tasted cooked food. And, the folklore continues, they have cooked their foods since.

This folklore shows that necessity and serendipity were the parents of the first culinary arts.

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Banana trees are among the tropical plants abundant in the Philippines. It is seen in provinces and cities. One of the thrilling tales about them has to do with the world of mysticism. Banana trees may be innocent looking but according to a Philippine tale about them they hide deep secrets of the spirit world.

Banana trees quickly spread around a mother tree. They often grow in clusters, and the tallest tree usually is the mother banana tree. Soon, droplet-shaped hearts blossom on the tips of specific branches around which garlands of young banana fruits sprout. To a Philippine tale, it approaches a time when mystical creatures will haunt the cluster for a chance to grab a most coveted charm stone.

A big, ripe banana heart with blossoming flowers and some midget fruits, according to this Philippine tale, is the apple of numinous creatures’ eyes, and the wonderful charm stone is said to wait a proper, precise time at which it mysteriously drops from the tip of the banana heart. At precisely 12 midnight, the stone charm drops. And when it does, it must be caught by a human mouth before it drops to the ground where it instantly melts. The mystical creatures cannot do anything except grab it from the human who caught it by the mouth. They cannot catch it themselves. So according to this Philippine tale, they will choke him to death.

Any daring human who would bravely stay up till 12 midnight and wait for the stone charm to drop from the banana heart is bound to either end up very powerful against human and spiritual foes, or dead. While waiting he is said to feel eerie sensations and hear the spooky moans of the spirit creatures. Then, when he finally catches the thing in his mouth, this Philippine tale says all the spirit monsters would grab at his neck to choke him into throwing it out. But if he perseveres until about a minute past midnight, the stone charms become his permanent possession.

However, possession of the stone charm brings with it certain curses. Though it may do its possessor some good, it still comes from the dark side and, as this Philippine tale goes, will cost the possessor his soul after he dies.

Banana trees have a secret to keep, and the Philippine tale on this says it is better kept undisturbed. It is wisest to be contently enjoying its sweet, plump fruit and thanking God for it.

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Money is good but Philippine folklore says having the source of money is better. Filipino folklore principles value work or business more than its rewards. Even when giving alms to the poor, Filipino folklore principles reason that monetary alms relieve hunger pangs only for a moment. Then the beggar begs continuously. But a job gives him continuous source to draw out from. Like this one:

There was a turtle and a monkey. They were friends. Well, not good friends really. The sly monkey kept the kind turtle an underdog. In their daily businesses the monkey conned the gullible turtle into unfair deals.

One day the turtle found a small island in the middle of a lagoon. In the middle of the island were banana trees bursting with ripe and plump fruits. He could swim across to the island but could not climb the tree. So he got the monkey to strike a deal with him.

They both wanted the bananas but neither one could do the job by himself—the monkey couldn’t swim. The monkey agreed to ride on the turtle’s back as the latter swam across to the island. On the island, the turtle watched with gusto as the monkey climbed up and took a sampling of one of the fruits. Then another one. And another one.

The turtle, mouth all watery, requested for samplings, too. But the monkey said bananas are best eaten on wide, open spaces, not on a small island. The turtle regarded him for a second and then agreed. He swam back to the other side while the monkey, on his back, carried a bunch of bananas.

At the other side, the monkey immediately climbed up a tall tree with the bananas. There he ate everything, safe from the turtle’s reach. Of course, the turtle protested, but the monkey haughtily said, “So what else is new?”

The turtle went away sad and stared wistfully at the banana trees afar in the middle of the island.

Then the next banana season came and the trees on the island were again ready for harvest. As the turtle surveyed them from afar, he noticed birds perched on the branches and nibbling the fruits. Just then, the monkey came. He apologized for the misdemeanor he had shown and offered to help the turtle with the bananas again.

This time the turtle ignored him and swam across alone. He struck a bargain with the birds. He said bananas are best eaten as dessert after a hearty meal of fish. The birds agreed. He traded the fish he caught with the bananas the birds dropped him.

This Filipino folklore stresses a Filipino proverb: Easy money doesn’t last. It is good only as mercy lasts. It may require hard work but nothing beats keeping a business or a job. It makes the supply last.

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Science says dreams are mind plays of the conscious and the subconscious that occur during sleep. They may also occur while awake, too—what they call day dreaming. But Philippine myths on dreams say otherwise. Dreams are more than what they seem to be.

Philippine myth number one is that dreams are actually soul and spirit travels—much like transcendental travels. The sleep gets too deep that body, soul and spirit separate. The body stays in bed but the soul and spirit escape to frolic in some distant dreamland. Dreams are somewhat similar to the real world, except that they are in exaggerated terms—like running can be either too fast as to fly, or too slow as to be in super slow motion.

The Philippine myth also avers that some dreams are travels in the real world. The soul and spirit escape the body and roam around the house or vicinity or a far away but real place. This explains why, says this Philippine myth, lots of people feel they have been in a place they have actually never visited before. The place was visited before in soul and spirit, but only visited now physically.

A Philippine myth on dreams says they are for extraordinary or supernatural communication. It’s a “cyberspace” where one connects through a dreamland “Internet” to talk “online” with someone from another dimension or “website.” Hence, in dreams we talk to animals, strange creatures, odd fellows, dead relatives, cars, the president of the Republic, talking shoes or food, and other mystical beings—not very unlike the real Internet. In dreams, every word is a message other beings from another dimension want to put across to us.

Another Philippine myth says dreams are realities and the real world is actually a dream. So dreaming is actually waking up. And when wide awake, it’s actually a dream. Another myth is that dreams are warnings or hints of the future. So when dreaming of numbers, they’re hints for winning a number gambling game. When dreaming of a car crash, that’s a warning of an impending accident.

Philippine myths on dreams teach that dreams can direct us to a safe future if heeded. They also counsel that dreams give alternatives in life—one may be poor in real life but can be rich in dreams, and vice versa.

Dreams may be a product of mental elements playing tricks on the imagination, but they can be so real to a people with records of unlucky vicissitudes seeking refuge in Philippine myths on dreams.

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A long, long time ago, some Filipinos thought the moon was a silver crescent comb and the stars were necklaces of diamonds. The sky was said to be a mere arm-stretch away overhead. The Philippine myth goes this way.

The myth says that once, a small community lived in the middle of a rice field. They focused on rice and corn agriculture and they brought in abundant harvest each year. One of the families in the community was Maria’s family. The myth continues that people in the community were so close that they knew each other well. Maria was know there as a pretty girl.

Particularly, she was known for caring too much for her long, silky hair. The myth says it was her pride, and lots of other girls in the neighborhood envied her for it. And Maria loved it. She fancied herself the star of her village. So, the myth goes that she worked double time on her beauty, especially her long, jet black hair.

Maria cared so much for her hair. The myth says, aside from daily comprehensive herbal rituals, she regularly brushed her hair with a special silver crescent-shape comb. The myth says she let nothing touch her hair except the best material around. Even as she went about her daily chore she wore a coiled string of jewels and diamonds (supposedly common as ordinary rocks that time) to crown her hair—that’s aside from the jeweled necklace she wore.

One day, according to the myth, as she was pounding grains of corn and palay (rice stalks) in a native wooden pestle with a wooden mortar, her mother noticed the jeweled string around her head , the silver comb stuck in her hair, and the jeweled lace round her neck. She scolded her and told her to lay aside everything while working. So, continues the myth, Maria hanged the comb and jewelry on the sky above her. Wanting to finish her work in a hurry, she pounded the grains hard by raising the mortar really high. She didn’t notice hitting the sky which went up higher as she hit it with her pounding. Soon the sky went all the way up, along with her comb and jewelry. And they became the moon and the stars, according to his Philippine myth.

The myth’s lesson? Don’t be too preoccupied with vain personal beauty. Work always comes first. Too much self indulgence is bound to compromise on things that really count.

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Philippine succulent mangoes are among the well patronized products in the international market since early times. One of the Philippine myths on the mango fruit goes this way.

Long time ago, so this Philippine myth goes, in a wooden villa deep in the forest was a beautiful lady. An only daughter of an old, old couple, they wanted her married as soon as possible. They feared dying without seeing her married. This Philippine myth says Pangga was her name, meaning “object of love” in the vernacular. Aside from her arresting natural pulchritude, she was very industrious, kind, and smart with rustic wisdom. Moreover, Pangga knew a lot of trade skills that had earned her quite a bit of money. Thus, her parents wanted nothing but the best man for her.

But Pangga fell for a local poet, a professional dreamer. He was known in the village as a desperate writer whose works of poetry made meager money. This Philippine myth continues that Manong, the dreamer, lived in the fields and slept in mangers. He was the town’s vagrant. But one thing about him; he had a knack for speaking sweet nothings, a full-pledged sweet talker who could promise the sun, moon and stars to the one his eyes beheld. Girls in town went crazy for him (though they never bought his poems) but his eyes were only for Pangga.

His sweet nothings never fooled old folks, though. His own parents, when still alive, often remarked “Please cut out the sweet pleasantries!” when he was at his verbal talent again. In the vernacular the remark went “Manong magtigil ka nga!” So, as this Philippine myth goes, they gave him the nickname Manong.

Pangga’s parents never bought Manong’s promises of bringing down the sun and moon to shine on their forest-dimmed bungalow and other sweet nothings. “You’re always saying that sun-moon conversation of yours. That’s all you know!” Pangga’s parents mocked him. But Manong and Pangga sought to stubbornly keep their love vows till their dying day. Then, the Philippine myth says, one day they disappeared in the woods.

The Philippine myth ends with a discovery of a new kind of tree. Its fruit was a bit crescent-shaped like the moon, yellow like the sun, and sweet like Manong’s tongue. It was rich in nutrition as Pangga’s multi-faceted genius. In time it was called “Manga,” a mix of their names, and today’s vernacular for mango.

The Philippine myth on mango fruits is a local version of Romeo and Juliet but which went sweeter as to create a sweet offspring—the mango fruit.

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Ant hills are distinct earth mounds on the ground where ant underground condos are hid. Right? Well, says a Philippine tale, they’re more than that. They’re actually mystical kingdoms disguised as earth heaps. So the Philippine myth warns anybody making fun of them or meaning them harm.

The Philippine myth started before the Spaniards came to the country, when Christianity was not heard of yet. Then, native tribes believed in mystic pagan gods ruling the physical realm from their invisible kingdoms. But some thought the kingdoms to be coexistent with the real world, moving with them in their daily activities. But both versions believed that for some reasons, the kingdoms could wish to surface and claim territory. If so, according to this Philippine myth, they appeared as mounds on the ground.

Up to this day, this Philippine myth is believed even by some Manila residents. They fear touching or even staring at earth mounds, especially those that pop up over days or overnight. These mounds are said to “grow” and the higher they grow the more power the have, or so this Philippine myth says.

Elves or dwarfs often figure in this tale. Ant hills often grow beside trees. Some are lonely ant hills amid fields or lots. Where ant hills abound, so are spiritual elfin creatures, says this Philippine myth. They are said to rule the area. And what can they do? According to this Philippine myth, these dwarfs can inflict lots of fearsome mischief on the offender. Some people swear to have been harmed by them, struck ill with mysterious diseases no physician could treat.

The Philippine myth adds that there are two ways to lick off the infliction: call quack-doctors or pacify the elfin spirits. With quacks the victim gets a chance to ward off inflictions through some eerie rituals. With pacifying spirits, the victim gets to offer little sacrifices like chicken’s blood, food offering, or merely apologizing. The Philippine myth avers that when favored by dwarfs, a person is said to be given gifts or powers by such elves, but with dire later consequences.

Yet, lots of people claim they nonchalantly trample such ant hills flat or shovel them away. And sure enough, they say, they find no mystical creature inside save armies of ants, termites, and tiny moths.

Philippine myth on ant hills can teach us either of two things: never mess up with anything you know nothing of or, the termite infested ceiling costing sums to repair is blamable to an ant hill somewhere in the yard.

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World renowned Philippine sticks martial arts called Arnis de Mano (literally, “harness of the hands”) is still looking for who actually founded it. Popular in Asia, America and Europe especially today, Philippine masters still debate how it started.

There are various versions of the origin of Arnis (or sometimes called Eskrima or Kali), but most seem to agree that it evolved from the sophisticated arts of China—specifically from the Shaolin Temple.

Many writers have attempted to chronicle the history of Filipino Martial Arts and intimated that Arnis was brought here from different parts of Southeast Asia by different Filipinos with different styles.

One tale goes like this: Long ago Chinese trade vessels docked at the port of Binundok (Binondo), a hilly part of pre-Hispanic Manila. Not far away was a Chinese settlement where Chinese Expats who liked the island lived. Here, an islander, Botho Pula, worked for a Chinese businessman.

Well, before he worked for the Chinese he had a quarrel with him. The Old Chinese easily beat him in the fist fight. To cut the story short, he agreed to work for free as a sign of penitence.

Before long, the old man saw Pula’s loyalty and took him to visit China. Pula eventually ended up studying in the Shaolin Temple. But in the Ming Dynasty, the temple was burned down by the Manchus and the temple monks massacred. Those who survived, Pula among them, were in hiding. The old Chinese was not as lucky.

Pula managed to find his way back to Manila passing through different Southeast Asian countries, taking in several stick fighting styles as he did—Indonesia, Thailand, Borneo, Malaysia, and finally, the Philippines.

From Kuta Kinabalu in Malaysia he landed first in Mindanao and worked his way to Manila from there, imparting the sticks arts he formulated to many natives on the islands. Later, a school of fighting arts in Mindanao was named “Bothoan.”

The natives each had different versions of what he taught them, owing much to different word meanings in their different dialects. Back in Manila, he taught the art to some natives of the North before he finally died.

When the Spanish conquistadores came to the Philippines years after Pula’s death, a cultic group of fierce and highly skilled warriors in the Visayas gave the Spaniards a real pain in the neck. They called themselves the Pulahanes.

Philippine Arnis art still remains fatherless except for some far-fetched claims such as tales like this. Yet, it remains part of the country’s proud heritage and among the deadliest fighting arts in the world.

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Balete Drive ghost stories have been around allegedly since the 1950s. The most popular is a “white lady” that haunts the long avenue and seems to target cab drivers in particular—but not exclusively. The hair-raising accounts went through the years, many claiming to have personally seen this mysterious lady. This has somewhat become part of Philippine folklore unofficially. Other ghost tales of Balete Drive include spirit kingdoms, spirit creatures, and haunted houses.

Balete Drive connects the long span between E.Rodriguez and N. Domingo Avenues in New Manila, Quezon City. It’s about 45 minutes travel from Manila via the Cubao route through Espana and E. Rodriguez Avenue. The Balete Drive corner at E. Rodriguez is a bustling business area mushroomed with fast foods and other establishments.

According to some Balete Drive ghost myths a tentacled, gargantuan Balete tree used to stand in the middle of the road. The tragedy began there. Some late night a cab driver was said to have violated a pretty girl on her way home. Since then, the ghost stories started and circulated in the metropolis. Some say the Balete Drive ghost tale was a brainchild of a news reporter who ran out of interesting stories to cover. Others say the Balete Drive ghost tales were testings for a school project on how fast and to what extent rumors would traveler.

Balete trees in Philippine folklore are said to be mysterious. They’re often a haunting place for evil spirits. Another version says they conceal mythical kingdoms unseen to the naked eye. Thus, Balete Drive is said to be a haunting spot for other spirit creatures like Philippine elves (“dwende”), smoking giants (“kapre), other monsters (“malign”), and fairies (“diwata”).

Actually, three haunted houses are said to remain in the vicinity. These are old mansions haunted by wandering spirits of their former owners. The myth is that their rich owners never bequeathed the mansions to anybody to ensure that they never fall in poor people’s hands. So they have become vacant for years, turning out to be what folks call haunted houses.

Also along Balete Drive is a 200 year old house that serves as antique shop, not for ghost stories, but Philippine heritage. It’s called “Bahay Sentenaryo” or Centennial House.

Balete Drive ghost stories are well circulated that they form part of local folklore—it was even a theme of a local movie. Its haunted house and spirit tales or myths thrill the imagination of adults, the young, and even skeptics.

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