*Note this story is in Karay-a / Kinaray-a

Nagtórok táy Manang Paula sa sulat nga tugyan ni Lolo Ambo kana. Luyag man daad nana nga tahaon ang mga handum ni Lolo na, túman gid tana ka budlay ang panag-on. Kinahanglan gid nana nga ibaligyâ ang lupâ agod to makabuul tana it igô nga kwarta agod to makasaylo tana sa diin nga may dyan it mayad nga sum-an ang anang pamilya. Nag pánaw táy Paula paagto sa kahoy kang Balete sa binit kang làtàgón. Warâ gid it iwag sa mga sangá kadyang gabii. Warâ tana it hinalung-ong kon buut hambalon kabáy ka rian malumbos run man ang mga tawo rudto sa kahoy.

“Pasayloha ako.” Naghurubag ang mga luhâ sa mga masluk ni Paula. “Man-an man nakun nga nag-saad táy Lolo Ambo nga warâ it matabô nga sayud sa inyo kahoy, kag nagpangabáy pa tana kanamun tanan nga iparig-unon ang saad nga ran, páy kinahanglan ko pillion ang labíng mayad sa akun pamilya. May balatian táy Lila kag indî run tamun makabàtas magbayad kang anang bulung. Indî man táy Roberto kasagap kang paramugunan. Sa… sangka iloy ako kag kinahanglan ko itugrô sa akun mga batâ ang kabuhî nga takus kananda.” Pinanas ni Paula ang mga luhâ sa bagiing na, “Patawada gid ako.”

Rudyan pa angod ang bulan sa kalangitan. Naglubas ang mga taknâ kag warâ may natabô. Warâ gid it pamaan, warâ gid it may makuon káy Paula nga namatî kana ang mga tawo sa kahoy. Warâ tana ka maan kon ano anang lauman, páy nagsarig tana nga may ihambal sanda kana. Bisan ano man.

Naghulat tana sa kahoy tubtob sa kaagahon kag sa madason, nag-agto tana sa anang balay kag nagsugod it pangbagtong.

Kang lumigad ang tatlo ka bulan, nagatorok táy Manang Paula sa anang mga kabataan kag nalipay gid tana makadalî kutub sa mabúhay nga tion. Nagadalagan táy Lila imaw kang anang mga pakaisa, nadumduman ni Manang Paula kon ano ka pígaw kon sulngon ang anang indáy nga nga gabatáng sa baratangán sa hospital kag naghambal tana it mahinay nga pangamuyô kang pagpasalamat. Nagpungkô tana kag nagsugod kang anang kinabatasan tagsa aga nga among pag basá kang pèríodiko.

Mabasahan sa headline na kadya “Ang Bag-ong Pag-uswag kang Pagrally kang mga Manugprotesta” nga bukun man it makatiringala, ang Construction Company ginpabangdan nga ginasudyot nanda sa mga local official nga pasapayan lamang nanda ang pagrangga sa palibot nga sanda tanda man ang nagahimô, páy máy ma-id-id nga dágway ang nagpatumbô kay Manang Paula sa anang purungkoan.

Tungud rian sa sangka maambung nga bahi nga nakapula nga naga pang-ulo sa mga nagaprotesta bátok sa sangka bulldozer.

Nagyuhum táy Manang Paula. Kon sa bagay, maámlìgan man nanda andang kaugalingon.

=———————————————————————-=

English Version

Manang Paula looked at the letter that Lolo Ambo left her. As much as she wanted to respect his wishes, times were hard. She had to sell the land to have enough money to move where it would be a better future for her family. Paula walked to the Balete tree in the edge of the field. There weren’t any lights in the branches tonight. She didn’t know if that meant the people in the tree were going toleave as well.

“I’m sorry.” The tears were starting to swell up in Paula’s eyes. “I know that Lolo Ambo promised that nothing would happen to your tree, and he asked all of us to keep that promise alive, but I have to choose what’s best for my family. Lila is sick and we can’t even afford her medicine anymore. Roberto can’t find a job. I… I am a mother and I need to give my children the life they deserve.”

Paula wiped away the tears from her cheek, “Please forgive me.”

The moon was still in the night sky. Hours passed and nothing happened. There was no sign, nothing to tell Paula that the people in the tree heard her. She didn’t know what to expect, but she had hoped that they would tell her something. Anything.

She waited by the tree until morning and afterwards, she went to her house and started packing.

Three months later, Manang Paula was looking at her children and she was happy for the first time in a long while. Lila was running around playing with her cousins, Manang Paula remembered how weak her little girl looked in the hospital bed and she said a soft prayer of thanksgiving. She sat down and started her morning tradition of reading the newspaper.

The headline read “Protesters Rally New Development” which wasn’t surprising; the construction company had been accused of bribing the local officials so they could ignore the environmental destruction they were causing, but a certain picture almost made Manang Paula jump out of her seat.

It was of a beautiful girl in red leading the protesters against a bulldozer.

Manang Paula smiled. They could take care of themselves after all.

=———————————————————–=

*The Karay-a language, or Kinaray-a is an Austronesian regional language spoken by the Karay-a people, mainly in Antique in the Philippines, Iloilo and other provinces on the island of Panay, as well as portions of the SOCCSKSARGEN region in Mindanao. It is one of the Visayan languages, mainly along with Aklanon/Malaynon, Capiznon and Hiligaynon. As of 2015, there is an estimated 1,200,000 speakers of Kinaray-a with almost half of them are from Antique and Iloilo provinces.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by En

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © En

Inspired by ‘The Fairy of Balete Tree’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.

Mariang Ilaya Illustration by Laura Katigbak
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IG: https://www.instagram.com/rabbitheartart/

There is a tale passed down from the gods about the giant and the moon.

They speak in hushed tones about what transpires every eclipse yet will not take responsibility for their part of the story.

It began on the slopes of Mount Macolot.

Now the gods were careful about their mysteries. They knew that if mortals would gain access to their secret pandemonium would occur and the world would be changed forever.

So, they hid their elixir away from the prying eyes of mortals, and with it, the mystery of immortality.

That is, until the giant came.

To this day the gods are unclear about how the giant tasted the elixir.

Some say the giant snuck his way in and hid beneath a rock, eavesdropping on the conversations of the gods.

Others say the giant was a mortal ruler in disguise that spied on the gods until he saw how the elixir was made.

In another land they say that the giant was a demon that was tricked by the gods. In this story the gods and demons churned the milk ocean to extract the elixir (called the amrita). The sun and moon noticed him, though at this point the demon had imbibed the elixir and was thus immortal. Its head was cut off and both the head and its body chased the moon and the sun during eclipses.

However the giant managed to get a taste of the elxir, the result was the same.

The knowledge of the elixir and of eternal youth was spread through the lands of men.

The gods did not let that stand, of course. Angered by this trespass they searched in vain for the perpetrator. That is, until the moon answered their calls.

The gods demanded that the moon tell them who took the secret of the elixir and the moon surrendered the giant.

The giant, in turn, chased the moon and tried to swallow it up.

From there the world of men would never be the same for it was then that mortals noticed the eclipse of the moon.

The gods have since been careful about the secret elixir of immortality, hiding its mysteries from mortal and demon alike.

=————————=——————————=

Written by Karl Gaverza

Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Adapted from Aurelio P. Arguelles. Batangas Folktales. From the National Library of the Philippines, H. Otley Beyer Ethnographic Collection. http://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph/OB01/NLPOBMN0037001055/home.htm and Jose P. Caedo. “Kinain ñg Lajo.” From the National Library of the Philippines, H. Otley Beyer Ethnographic Collection. http://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph/OB01/NLPOBMN0037001056/home.htm

Rajo Illustration by Alvin Gasga

FB: The Art of Alvin Gasga

It’s him.

At first, I didn’t recognize him. That night, I saw a twisted face and fangs. I saw the blood-red thread and followed it to the roof.

And I saw the monster.

The fangs are replaced by a gleeful smile and the hair is slicked back with too much pomade, but it’s the same face.

I ask around and find out that his name is Fortunato Leviste. He’s in the area trying to get some votes to be the governor.

If only they knew.

Growing up we’d be told to be careful in the night, especially if we were sick. There were creatures that flew through the moonlit sky, ready to land on your roof and feast on your bowels.

My lola told me a story once about these monsters. She said they were beautiful, with ivory-white skin and alluring eyes. Men were warned against this beauty though, for it was said that they marry their victims and flee, never to be seen again.

Maybe he’s doing the same here. He’s handsome and mestizo, charming every woman in the room. They’re practically falling over themselves to have a conversation with him.

But one thing keeps nagging me.

Mananaggal are only female, right?

I think back to all the stories.

Women that remove the upper half of their bodies.

Women with batlike wings.

Women that can’t reconnect their lower parts if it’s covered with ash, vinegar or salt.

Women with a threadlike tongue that sucks the bowels of their victims and feast on them.

No.

I know what I saw.

He’s standing four feet away from me and laughing.

I wonder what he’s thinking about. His next victim perhaps?

I won’t let that happen.

Not after what I’ve seen.

I follow him out the door into the street. The smell of tobacco cloyingly lingers on my nose.

He sees me and his smile widens.

Then I tell him I know what he is and I know what he tried to do to me. I tell him I won’t let that happen, that there would be no more victims.

And then he laughs.

He tells me I’m just a hysterical girl.

Who would believe me?

The police?

My friends?

My family?

What could they do?

He walks by me and looks me in the eye. Fear rolls down my spine.

“I’m going to go ahead,” he says “I haven’t had dinner.”

I could feel his tongue get longer, long enough to reach the back of my neck.

I fall to the ground, tears streaming down my face.

No.

I won’t give him the satisfaction.

I find out where he’s staying.

And prepare.

Salt, garlic and a knife.

I hope this is enough.

Please God, let this be enough.

*The Iqui is also known as Ikki / Ike

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Story inspired by the Iqui description in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.

Iqui Illustration by Michael Sean B. Talavera
IG: @maykelshan
Deviantart: https://www.deviantart.com/isaneleach13

Manang Paula looked at the letter that Lolo Ambo left her. As much as she wanted to respect his wishes, times were hard. She had to sell the land to have enough money to move where it would be a better future for her family. Paula walked to the Balete tree in the edge of the field. There weren’t any lights in the branches tonight. She didn’t know if that meant the people in the tree were going toleave as well.

“I’m sorry.” The tears were starting to swell up in Paula’s eyes. “I know that Lolo Ambo promised that nothing would happen to your tree, and he asked all of us to keep that promise alive, but I have to choose what’s best for my family. Lila is sick and we can’t even afford her medicine anymore. Roberto can’t find a job. I… I am a mother and I need to give my children the life they deserve.”

Paula wiped away the tears from her cheek, “Please forgive me.”

The moon was still in the night sky. Hours passed and nothing happened. There was no sign, nothing to tell Paula that the people in the tree heard her. She didn’t know what to expect, but she had hoped that they would tell her something. Anything.

She waited by the tree until morning and afterwards, she went to her house and started packing.

Three months later, Manang Paula was looking at her children and she was happy for the first time in a long while. Lila was running around playing with her cousins, Manang Paula remembered how weak her little girl looked in the hospital bed and she said a soft prayer of thanksgiving. She sat down and started her morning tradition of reading the newspaper.

The headline read “Protesters Rally New Development” which wasn’t surprising; the construction company had been accused of bribing the local officials so they could ignore the environmental destruction they were causing, but a certain picture almost made Manang Paula jump out of her seat.

It was of a beautiful girl in red leading the protesters against a bulldozer.

Manang Paula smiled. They could take care of themselves after all.

————————–————————–————————–

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by ‘The Fairy of Balete Tree’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.

Mariang Ilaya Illustration by Laura Katigbak
FB: Rabbit Heart
IG: https://www.instagram.com/rabbitheartart/