Glendford Lumbao Archives - Philippine Spirits https://phspirits.com/tag/glendford-lumbao/ Your Portal to Philippine Mythology Sat, 19 Aug 2023 13:24:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://i0.wp.com/phspirits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-Spirits-Logo-JPEG-scaled-1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Glendford Lumbao Archives - Philippine Spirits https://phspirits.com/tag/glendford-lumbao/ 32 32 141540379 Tigabulak – Hiligaynon Translation https://phspirits.com/tigabulak-hiligaynon-translation/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 05:55:22 +0000 https://phspirits.com/?p=4101 *Note this story is in Hiligaynon Kalipayan niya ang ti-on sang kapistahan kada Disyembre tungod sa mga pamatan-on. Ka mga inosente sa ila, kadasig mag salig, ka mga dasig intu-on. […]

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*Note this story is in Hiligaynon

Kalipayan niya ang ti-on sang kapistahan kada Disyembre tungod sa mga pamatan-on. Ka mga inosente sa ila, kadasig mag salig, ka mga dasig intu-on.

 

Parehos abi kay Jonah, gin bayaan lang siya ka dali sang iya ginikanan, nang laguyaw na siya dayon. Sa pag lagaw-lagaw niya, naka kita siya sang tigulang nga lalaki, may gina sukbit nga sako sa abaga.

 

“Ikaw si Santa Klaws ay?”, hambal ni Jonah. Nagsabat ang tigulang, “Abaw huo e! Gusto mo sang regalo haw?”

 

Ang gamay nga si Jonah, nag lingling sa sako, ano bala nga kalipay sang bata nga makabaton bag-o nga hampanganan. Wala gid siya naka pangaman, may nag lampos sang ulo niya kag wala na siya animo.

 

Hay, ang mga kabataan subong, puros na mga gaka wili sa mga gamit, ka lain man nga gamiton mo na para intuon sila.

 

Lain naman ni ya ang istorya ni Lualhati. Siya gid ni ang pinaka buotan nga bata nga gina pangamuyo ukon gina gusto nga bata sang isa ka mag-awasa. Ang iya pirme nga ubra, mag bantay sa iya mga kamanghuran.

 

Isog man ni siya nga bata, sang ging tambangan sila sang tigulang nga lalaki, gina sabad niya ini para lang nga maka dalagan palayo ang manghod niya nga lalaki, kag tungod da, siya ang ging sulod sa sako sang tigulang.

 

Ari naman ya ang bata nga si Flordeliza, gamay pa lang pero pirte na ka suplada. Indi mo ni ma istorya kung indi mo pag hatagan sang mga dulsi ukon panyam-is.

 

Ging into-into ini sya sang tigulang nga lalaki pakadto sa isa ka gamay nga alagyan. Bag-o pa siya maka syagit, ging sulod siya dayon sa sako upod sang iban pa nga mga bata.

 

Si Rizalino naman, pirme lang ga duko-duko ang ulo. Gapati gid abi ang iya ginikanan nga makabulig gid dako ang teknolohiya sa pag padako sa mga pamatan-on.

 

Kalipay gid niya sang makabaton siya sang tablet. Pila ka mga inoras ang ging kunsumo niya sa paglantaw sang maanyag nga mga kinarton kag mga hampang-hampang. Ging tratar na niya nga iya na kabuhi ang tablet.

 

Sa subrahan nga kalingaw niya sa tablet, wala gid siya nag abi-abi sa palibot niya, ging palapitan siya gali sang tigulang nga lalaki kag ging sulod sa sako.

 

Ang pinaka ulihi, si Amor, ang retobada nga bata.  Nag layas ni siya halin sa ila balay kag nag layaw sa banwa kay indi niya gusto mamati sa ginikanan niya pirme lang ga sinilinggitan sa sulod-balay.

 

Kapila gid mag paandam ang iya ginikanan nga ‘Indi mag-istorya sa mga indi mo kilala’, pero anhon ta ina kay natural nga tig-a ulo man bi ang mga bata. Abi nila daw kabalo na gid sila sang tanan-tanan. Amo na ila panumdumon, pero kung patilawon mo na, dira gid na sila guro mag balalag-o.

 

Ging sigurado sang tigulang nga lalaki nga kumpleto na ang tanan nga panakot sa iya espesyal nga lulutu-on. ‘Dapat may bilin ni ang lulutu-on para mabaligya niya sa tindahan’, panaahumdom niya sa kaugalingon.

 

Gakabatyagan niya nga naga giho iya sako. Ang mga bata, amat-amat na nga ga bulugtaw, ka aga pa ni para dira. Halin sa banwa, ging pas-an niya ang prutas sang iya pinangabudlayan kag ging dala pakadto sa gamay niya nga kubo didto sa ka-umahan.

 

Indi amo ni ang pirme nga gakatabo. Sang una nga tyempo, indi niya kaya nga maka kuha sang madamo nga bata sa gamay lang mga mga inoras.

 

Ging dumdum niya nga sang una, ang mga maralagson nga kagulangan sa ila lugar, daw isa ka diyamante nga gina amagan ka mga negosyante.

 

Sang una, ga hulat lang na siya sang mga nag tinalang nga mga bata sa kagulangan kag iya sila kuhaon.

 

Ang mga ginikanan sang mga nagkala dula nga mga bata, halos aldaw-adlaw maka pamasyar sa iya kag pirme gapamangkot:

“Kita mo amon bata nga babaye?”, “Naka labay ni sila sa imo kubo?”, ” Pwede mo kami mabuligan pangita sa ila?”

 

Yuhom kaupod sang mga makapalati kag daw sa inosente nga mga tinaga pirme iya sabat. Indi man gid abi mag sulod sa paminsaron nimo nga ang isa ka mal-am, kag ugod-ugod nga lolo, makahimo malain nga butang parehos sang pag kuha sang mga gagmay nga mga bata. Daw ka kaladlawan na ya.

 

Ga arok-ok sang kakadlaw ang tigulang samtang papuli.

 

Kagamo sang kwarto sa sulod sang kubo. Ang lugar daw ging tugmawan sang pula nga dagta nga ga bukalwa sa palibot. May ara pa mga ginagmay nga butkon nga makit-an.

 

Ging butang sang tigulang nga lalaki sako kag nag gululuwa ang lawas sang mga bata. Iban sa ila ga giliho pa, pero kabalo man siya nga indi na sila makabugtaw gid.

 

Gingkuha na niya ang iya kutsilyo nga panglasā, kag ging handa ang kaugalingon para sa una nga pag ihaw. Ang bata nga baye, is Lualhati, ang pinaka lapit sa iya. Ging panumdom sang tigulang nga maayo ni nga klase ang iya dugo para himuon namit nga dinuguan.

 

Sang ging alsa sang tigulang ang dako nga kutsilyo, dira nag giho ang bata. Ging gamit niya ang tikod sang iya tiil para igu-on ang tiyan sang tigulang, natumba ang tigulang kag nakasyagit pa sang kasakit nga naaguman.

 

“Dalagan kamo tanan!”

 

Nag binangon dayon ang mga kabataan halin sa salog kag naka lab-ot sa pwertahan. Nalab-utan pa sang tigulang ang tiil sang isa ka bata nga lalaki, pero ging kagat sang bata ang iya kamot amo nga nakabuya siya.

 

Ging lantaw sang tigulang nga maka dalagan ang mga bata halin sa iya kubo. Wala na siya nagtilaw nga la-uton sila, kung maabtan man niya, ma law-ay kaledad sang karne nila. Tig-a na  ina kag ga bahul-bahol ang kusúg nila tungod sa dalagan.

 

Ging kuha niya ang bangkito kag nag pungko. Dapat na gid nga maghalong na siya sa dason.

 

Nagtulok siya sa mga madako ang matag.as nga mga establisyemento sang banwa halin sa iya bintana.

 

Damo pa man mga kabataan a, kinahanglan lang, mangin maagwantahon kag may laba nga pasensya.

 

Isa pa, amo naman ni ang pirme nga gina ubra niya halin pa sang una nga tyempo.

=——————————–=

English Version

He loved the holiday season, there were so many children, so naïve and trusting.

Take Jonah for example, his parents let him out of their sight for only a few minutes. He wandered off in the mall and happened upon a nice old man carrying a sack.

He asked, “Are you Santa Claus?” and the man replied “Of course I am! Would you like a present?”

Jonah immediately peered into the sack, such was the boy’s excitement in getting a new toy. He didn’t even feel the blow to the back of his head. Kids these days were so materialistic, it would be such a shame if someone took advantage of that.

Lualhati was a different story. She was the most well behaved girl any parent could ask for. She spent her days looking after her little siblings.

She was such a brave girl too, distracting the old man long enough for her little brother to run away. She was no match for him of course, and into the sack she went.

Then there was the girl, Flordeliza, such a snobby little brat. She wouldn’t talk to anyone unless she thought they could give her sweets.

The old man used that to lure her into a nice little alleyway. Before she could even think to scream she was in the sack, along with the other children.

Rizalino always had his head down. His parents believed in letting technology do the brunt of the work when it came to raising children.

He was so proud when he got his tablet, he would spend hours and hours watching his brightly colored cartoons or playing another mind numbing video game. It was as if that screen was his entire world.

He never realized that there were things happening beyond his screen, like a very old man and a sack creeping up behind him.

And finally came Amor, a very troubled child. She would wander around the city because she didn’t feel like listening to her parents getting into a shouting match for the hundredth time.

If she listened to them she might have heard them say ‘Never talk to strangers’, but children can be so stubborn. They always think they know everything. That is, until everything proves them wrong.

The old man checked his list and made sure he had enough for his special recipe, he needed to have some left over to sell to the market, ‘It’s the holidays’ he reminded himself. There would be other chances, he just had to wait.

He could feel the movement coming from the sack. The children were starting to wake up, it was much too soon for that. The old man took the fruits of his labor, far away from the city to his little kubo in the mountains.

It wasn’t always like this, of course. In the old days he would never be able to get this many children in such a short amount of time.

He thought back to when the concrete jungles were a glimmer of inspiration in the eyes of the tycoons, and a sea of green dominated the landscape.

In those times he would have to wait for the odd child to wander into the woods, never to be heard from again. Their parents would come by and ask all the questions a concerned parent needed to ask:

“Have you seen our little girl?” “Did they walk by your kubo?” “Will you help us look for them?”

He would smile and say a few remorseful words. No one would ever think that an old, venerable lolo could have anything to do with the disappearances of a few children. The very thought was laughable.

And he laughed all the way home.

The room inside the kubo was pure chaos. Scarlet stains and misplaced limbs were fighting a battle for supremacy.

The old man put the sack down and five small figures came tumbling out. There was some slight movement, but he knew they wouldn’t regain consciousness for a few more minutes.

He grabbed his lucky cleaver and readied himself for the first chop. The girl, Lualhati, was closest. The old man thought that her blood would make for good dinuguan.

As he raised his knife, she decided to strike. The heel of her foot hit the old man’s stomach, he collapsed to the ground, letting out a scream of pain.

“Everyone run!”

In that instant the four other children woke from their stupor and made for the door. The old man managed to grab the leg of one of the boys, but he bit his hand and the old man lost his grip.

The old man watched as the children fled his kubo. He didn’t bother chasing them, all that running would make their meat tough and stringy.

He pulled up a chair and sat down. He would have to be more careful next time.

The old man glanced outside his window and stared at the tall buildings in the distance.

There would always be more children, and he was nothing if not patient.

After all, he had been doing this for a very, very long time.

————————–————————–————————–—-

*The Hiligaynon language, also colloquially referred often by most of its speakers simply as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian regional language spoken in the Philippines by about 9.1 million people, mainly in Western Visayas and SOCCSKSARGEN, most of whom belong to the Visayan ethnic group, mainly the Hiligaynons. It is the second-most widely spoken language and a member of the so-named Visayan language family and is more distantly related to other Philippine languages.

Written by Karl Gaverza
Hiligaynon translation by Eloiza Gaduyon
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Eloiza Gaduyon

Inspired by the Tagalog Tigabulak legends

Tigabulak Illustration by Glendford Lumbao

Behance: https://www.behance.net/glendfordlumbao

The post Tigabulak – Hiligaynon Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

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4101
Mambababoy – Tagalog Translation https://phspirits.com/mambababoy-tagalog-translation/ Thu, 11 Aug 2022 15:34:27 +0000 https://phspirits.com/?p=3719 *Note this story is in Tagalog Hulyo 7, 1988   Nagsampa ng reklamo ang mga may-ari ng babuyan ukol sa kalagayan ng kanilang mga alagang hayop. Nakita na lamang nila […]

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*Note this story is in Tagalog

Hulyo 7, 1988

 

Nagsampa ng reklamo ang mga may-ari ng babuyan ukol sa kalagayan ng kanilang mga alagang hayop. Nakita na lamang nila ang kanilang alaga na nagkapira-piraso ang mga laman at animo’y kinain ng mabangis na hayop. Nangyari ang pagsalakay sa ilang may-ari lamang at sa hindi matukoy na dahilan. Ang mga testimonya ng mga may-ari ng nasabing babuyan ay nakalahad sa ulat.

 

Joselito Guevarra, edad 52

 

“Nasa labas ako at inaabangan ko kung ano mang pumapatay sa mga alaga kong baboy. Mayroong tila isang malaking anino at hindi ko matukoy kung ano. Marahil ay kasing laki ito ng isang baka. Nasaksihan ko na pumunta ito sa kulungan ng baboy at isa-isang pinatay ang mga naroon. Talagang kakila-kilabot ang naganap.

 

Teresito Cruz, aged 58

 

“Narining ko lamang na ang nakakabinging pagtangis ng mga baboy. Hindi ko batid kung ano ba ito pero tila may dala itong kalupitan. Sinakmal nito ang leeg ng ilang baboy at ilan ay pinabayaang dumugo lang.”

 

Alfonso Moreno, edad 63

 

“Isa itong aswang, sigurado ako doon. Dito sa mga bahagi ng Marinduque, mayroong mga aswang na kayang magpalit ng kaanyuan at tanging baboy lang ang binibiktima.”

 

Vicente Cabarro, edad 61

 

“Nabigla na lang ako. Natutulog ako ng marinig ko ang malakas na pag-iyak ng alaga kong mga baboy. Nang lumabas ako upang tingnan sila, nakita ko na lang na nakahandusay ang mga ito sa lupa at wala ng buhay. Kitang-kita ang kagat sa kanilang mga leeg.

 

Paolo Nesperos, edad 43

 

“Yung ibang nag-aalaga ng baboy din siguro ang  may pakana nito. Ayaw nila ng mga ka-kompetisyon, kaya’t marapat na pinapatay nila ang alaga ng iba para makapaghiganti lang.”

 

Kung ano man ito, natigil ang patayan sa mga baboy limang buwan matapos ito iulat sa kinauukulan. Kung nagkataon man ito o hindi, ito rin ang parehong panahon na umalis si Teresito Cruz at nagpakalayo-layo. Siya ang tinuturong salarin sa nangyari pero walang sapat na katibayan laban sa kanya upang iusad ng mga pulis ang kaso.

=————————————–=
English Version

 

Case # KJGM1771

July 7, 1988

Farmers have filed a complaint that their livestock has been found mutilated and in some cases eaten by a wild animal. The attacks only happen during the night with some of the farmers unable to see what the cause was. Testimonials of the farmers are included in the report.

Joselito Guevarra, age 52

“I was out at night waiting for whatever it was that was killing my pigs. There was a giant blur of black and I couldn’t make it out It may have been as large as a bull. I saw it come into the pig sty and attacking the pigs one by one. It was a slaughter.”

Teresito Cruz, age 58

“I only heard the sound of the pigs as they squealed.. I don’t know what it was, but it was cruel. It bit the throats of my pigs and left some of them to bleed out.”

Alfonso Moreno, age 63

“It was an aswang, I’m sure of it. In these parts of Marinduque there are aswang that can change their form and only hunt pigs.”

Vicente Cabarro, Age 61

“It was a surprise. I was sound asleep when I heard the squealing of my pigs. The moment I went out I saw their bodies all on the ground. Something had taken bites out of their throats.”

Paolo Nesperos , age 43

“It might be some of the other farmers, they don’t like that the other pigs are growing fatter than theirs so they take revenge by killing the pigs.”

Whatever the case, the killings stopped 5 months after they were reported. Coincidentally or not it was also the time when Teresito Cruz had moved away, the other farmers blame him for their pigs being slaughtered, but there is not enough evidence against him for the police to act.

=—————————————————–=

*Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.
 
Written by Karl Gaverza
Translation by Raymond Lumenario
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Raymond Lumenario

Inspired by the Mambababoy legends from Marinduque

Mambababoy Illustration by Glendford Lumbao
Behance: https://www.behance.net/glendfordlumbao

The post Mambababoy – Tagalog Translation appeared first on Philippine Spirits.

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3719
Tigabulak – Tagalog Translation https://phspirits.com/tigabulak-tagalog-translation/ Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:06:05 +0000 http://phspirits.com/?p=1959 *Note this story is in Tagalog Paborito niya ang Kapaskuhan; napakaraming batang walang kamalay-malay at madaling magtiwala. Tulad na lang ni Jonah. Nalingat lang ang kaniyang mga magulang nang ilang […]

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*Note this story is in Tagalog

Paborito niya ang Kapaskuhan; napakaraming batang walang kamalay-malay at madaling magtiwala.

Tulad na lang ni Jonah. Nalingat lang ang kaniyang mga magulang nang ilang minuto, nagpagala-gala na siya sa mall hanggang may nakasalubong siyang mabait na matandang lalaki na may dalang sako.

Tanong ng bata, “Ikaw ba si Santa Claus?” at sagot naman ng matanda, “Oo naman! Gusto mo ba ng regalo?”

Agad na sumilip si Jonah sa sako sa kasabikan niyang makakuha ng bagong laruan. Ni hindi niya naramdaman ang hampas sa likod ng kaniyang ulo. Masyadong mahilig sa mga materyal na bagay ang mga bata sa panahon ngayon, sayang naman kung hindi sasamantalahin.

Ibang kuwento si Lualhati. Wala nang mas babait pa sa batang ito na biyaya sa kahit na sinong magulang. Palagi niyang inaalagaan ang mga nakababata niyang kapatid.

Matapang na bata rin siya; kinuha niya ang atensyon ng matandang lalaki para makatakas ang nakababata niyang kapatid. Siyempre, wala pa rin siyang panama sa matanda, kaya naisilid pa rin siya sa sako.

Nariyan din si Flordeliza, matapobreng bata. Hindi siya makikipag-usap kahit kanino maliban na lamang kung sa tingin niya ay bibigyan siya nito ng mga kendi.

Ginamit iyon ng matandang lalaki na patibong para pumunta siya sa isang maliit na eskinita. Bago pa siya makasigaw, naisilid na siya sa sako, kasama ng iba pang bata.

Palaging nakayuko si Rizalino. Ipinapaubaya ng kaniyang mga magulang sa teknolohiya ang mahihirap na bahagi ng pagpapalaki sa mga bata.

Tuwang-tuwa siya noong nagkaroon siya ng tablet. Gumugugol siya ng maraming oras sa panonood ng mga cartoon na may matitingkad na kulay o paglalaro ng panibagong nakakabagot na video game. Tila nasa screen na iyon ang buong mundo niya.

Wala siyang kaalam-alam na may mga nangyayari sa labas ng kaniyang screen, tulad ng isang sobrang tandang lalaki na may dalang sako na nasa likuran niya at unti-unting lumalapit sa kaniya.

At, panghuli, si Amor, isang batang talagang maraming problema. Nagpapagala-gala siya sa siyudad dahil ayaw na niyang marinig ang walang katapusang sigawan ng kaniyang mga magulang.

Kung nakinig lang siya sa kanila, maaaring narinig niya ang paalala nila na huwag siyang makikipag-usap sa mga taong hindi niya kilala, ngunit napakatigas ng ulo ng mga bata kung minsan. Akala nila, alam na nila ang lahat. Hanggang mapatunayang mali ang lahat ng inaakala nila.

Tiningnan ng matandang lalaki ang kaniyang listahan at tiniyak niya na sapat na ang nakuha niya para sa kaniyang espesyal na putahe. Kailangang may matira siya na maibebenta sa palengke. ‘Kapaskuhan ngayon,’ paalala niya sa sarili.  Mayroon pang ibang pagkakataon. Kailangan niya lang maghintay.

Nararamdaman niyang may gumagalaw sa loob ng sako. Masyado pang maaga para magsimulang magising ang mga bata. Dinala ng matandang lalaki ang bunga ng kaniyang pagsisikap sa munting kubo niya sa kabundukan, malayo sa siyudad.

Hindi ito ganito kadali dati. Hindi siya makakakuha dati ng ganito karaming bata sa loob ng napakaikling panahon.

Nagbalik-tanaw siya noong pangarap pa lamang ng mga negosyante ang mga nagtataasang gusali, at punong-puno pa ng puno’t halaman ang kalupaan.

Noong mga panahong iyon, naghihintay pa siya hanggang may maligaw na bata sa kakahuyan. Tuluyang maglalaho ang batang iyon. Darayo ang mga magulang at magtatanong sila tulad ng isang nag-aalalang ama o ina:

“Nakita n’yo ba ang anak na babae namin?” “Napadaan ba siya sa kubo n’yo?” “Puwede ba ninyo kaming tulungang hanapin siya?”

Ngingiti siya at magpapaabot ng taos na pakikiramay. Walang maghihinala na may kinalaman ang isang matanda at mahinang lolo sa pagkawala ng ilang bata. Nakakatawa ang ideyang iyon.

Tumawa siya hanggang makauwi.

Masalimuot ang silid sa loob ng kubo. Nagpaparamihan ang mga bahid ng dugo at pakalat-kalat na biyas.

Inilapag ng matandang lalaki ang sako at bumuwal palabas ang limang maliit na tao. May kaunting pagkilos, ngunit alam niyang mayroon pang ilang minuto bago sila magkamalay.

Kinuha niya ang paborito niyang kutsilyo at naghanda siya para sa unang taga. Pinakamalapit ang batang babae na si Lualhati. Naisip ng matandang lalaki na masarap gamitin ang kaniyang dugo para sa dinuguan.

Nagpasyang kumilos ang bata noong itinaas ng matanda ang kutsilyo para sa pagtaga. Tumama ang sakong ng bata sa sikmura ng matandang lalaki, na dahilan para tumumba ang matanda at mapasigaw sa sakit.

“Takbo!”

Dagliang bumalik ang ulirat ng apat pang bata at mabilis silang tumungo sa pinto. Nahablot ng matanda ang binti ng isa sa mga batang lalaki, ngunit kinagat siya sa kamay ng batang ito kaya napabitaw siya.

Pinanood ng matandang lalaki ang pagtakas ng mga bata sa kaniyang kubo. Hindi na siya nag-abalang habulin sila; magiging matigas at makunat ang karne nila dahil sa kanilang pagtakbo.

Kumuha siya ng silya at umupo. Kailangan niyang mas mag-ingat sa susunod.

Tumanaw ang matandang lalaki sa labas ng kaniyang bintana. Tumitig siya sa mga nagtataasang gusali sa malayo.

Hindi mauubusan ng mga bata, at subok na ang pasensya niya.

Dahil kung iisipin, matagal na matagal na niya itong ginagawa.

=——————————————————————————-=

English Version

He loved the holiday season, there were so many children, so naïve and trusting.

Take Jonah for example, his parents let him out of their sight for only a few minutes. He wandered off in the mall and happened upon a nice old man carrying a sack.

He asked, “Are you Santa Claus?” and the man replied “Of course I am! Would you like a present?”

Jonah immediately peered into the sack, such was the boy’s excitement in getting a new toy. He didn’t even feel the blow to the back of his head. Kids these days were so materialistic, it would be such a shame if someone took advantage of that.

Lualhati was a different story. She was the most well behaved girl any parent could ask for. She spent her days looking after her little siblings.

She was such a brave girl too, distracting the old man long enough for her little brother to run away. She was no match for him of course, and into the sack she went.

Then there was the girl, Flordeliza, such a snobby little brat. She wouldn’t talk to anyone unless she thought they could give her sweets.

The old man used that to lure her into a nice little alleyway. Before she could even think to scream she was in the sack, along with the other children.

Rizalino always had his head down. His parents believed in letting technology do the brunt of the work when it came to raising children.

He was so proud when he got his tablet, he would spend hours and hours watching his brightly colored cartoons or playing another mind numbing video game. It was as if that screen was his entire world.

He never realized that there were things happening beyond his screen, like a very old man and a sack creeping up behind him.

And finally came Amor, a very troubled child. She would wander around the city because she didn’t feel like listening to her parents getting into a shouting match for the hundredth time.

If she listened to them she might have heard them say ‘Never talk to strangers’, but children can be so stubborn. They always think they know everything. That is, until everything proves them wrong.

The old man checked his list and made sure he had enough for his special recipe, he needed to have some left over to sell to the market, ‘It’s the holidays’ he reminded himself. There would be other chances, he just had to wait.

He could feel the movement coming from the sack. The children were starting to wake up, it was much too soon for that. The old man took the fruits of his labor, far away from the city to his little kubo in the mountains.

It wasn’t always like this, of course. In the old days he would never be able to get this many children in such a short amount of time.

He thought back to when the concrete jungles were a glimmer of inspiration in the eyes of the tycoons, and a sea of green dominated the landscape.

In those times he would have to wait for the odd child to wander into the woods, never to be heard from again. Their parents would come by and ask all the questions a concerned parent needed to ask:

“Have you seen our little girl?” “Did they walk by your kubo?” “Will you help us look for them?”

He would smile and say a few remorseful words. No one would ever think that an old, venerable lolo could have anything to do with the disappearances of a few children. The very thought was laughable.

And he laughed all the way home.

The room inside the kubo was pure chaos. Scarlet stains and misplaced limbs were fighting a battle for supremacy.

The old man put the sack down and five small figures came tumbling out. There was some slight movement, but he knew they wouldn’t regain consciousness for a few more minutes.

He grabbed his lucky cleaver and readied himself for the first chop. The girl, Lualhati, was closest. The old man thought that her blood would make for good dinuguan.

As he raised his knife, she decided to strike. The heel of her foot hit the old man’s stomach, he collapsed to the ground, letting out a scream of pain.

“Everyone run!”

In that instant the four other children woke from their stupor and made for the door. The old man managed to grab the leg of one of the boys, but he bit his hand and the old man lost his grip.

The old man watched as the children fled his kubo. He didn’t bother chasing them, all that running would make their meat tough and stringy.

He pulled up a chair and sat down. He would have to be more careful next time.

The old man glanced outside his window and stared at the tall buildings in the distance.

There would always be more children, and he was nothing if not patient.

After all, he had been doing this for a very, very long time.

=——————————————————————-=

**Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a quarter of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by the majority. Its standardized form, officially named Filipino, is the national language of the Philippines, and is one of two official languages alongside English.

Written by Karl Gaverza

Translation by Maui Felix
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Translation Copyright © Maui Felix

Inspired by the Tagalog Tigabulak legends

Tigabulak Illustration by Glendford Lumbao

IG: @glendlumbao

Behance: https://www.behance.net/glendfordlumbao

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Tigabulak https://phspirits.com/tigabulak/ Mon, 01 Jan 2018 02:27:08 +0000 http://phspirits.com/?p=589   He loved the holiday season, there were so many children, so naïve and trusting. Take Jonah for example, his parents let him out of their sight for only a […]

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He loved the holiday season, there were so many children, so naïve and trusting.

Take Jonah for example, his parents let him out of their sight for only a few minutes. He wandered off in the mall and happened upon a nice old man carrying a sack.

He asked, “Are you Santa Claus?” and the man replied “Of course I am! Would you like a present?”

Jonah immediately peered into the sack, such was the boy’s excitement in getting a new toy. He didn’t even feel the blow to the back of his head. Kids these days were so materialistic, it would be such a shame if someone took advantage of that.

Lualhati was a different story. She was the most well behaved girl any parent could ask for. She spent her days looking after her little siblings.

She was such a brave girl too, distracting the old man long enough for her little brother to run away. She was no match for him of course, and into the sack she went.

Then there was the girl, Flordeliza, such a snobby little brat. She wouldn’t talk to anyone unless she thought they could give her sweets.

The old man used that to lure her into a nice little alleyway. Before she could even think to scream she was in the sack, along with the other children.

Rizalino always had his head down. His parents believed in letting technology do the brunt of the work when it came to raising children.

He was so proud when he got his tablet, he would spend hours and hours watching his brightly colored cartoons or playing another mind numbing video game. It was as if that screen was his entire world.

He never realized that there were things happening beyond his screen, like a very old man and a sack creeping up behind him.

And finally came Amor, a very troubled child. She would wander around the city because she didn’t feel like listening to her parents getting into a shouting match for the hundredth time.

If she listened to them she might have heard them say ‘Never talk to strangers’, but children can be so stubborn. They always think they know everything. That is, until everything proves them wrong.

The old man checked his list and made sure he had enough for his special recipe, he needed to have some left over to sell to the market, ‘It’s the holidays’ he reminded himself. There would be other chances, he just had to wait.

He could feel the movement coming from the sack. The children were starting to wake up, it was much too soon for that. The old man took the fruits of his labor, far away from the city to his little kubo in the mountains.

It wasn’t always like this, of course. In the old days he would never be able to get this many children in such a short amount of time.

He thought back to when the concrete jungles were a glimmer of inspiration in the eyes of the tycoons, and a sea of green dominated the landscape.

In those times he would have to wait for the odd child to wander into the woods, never to be heard from again. Their parents would come by and ask all the questions a concerned parent needed to ask:

“Have you seen our little girl?” “Did they walk by your kubo?” “Will you help us look for them?”

He would smile and say a few remorseful words. No one would ever think that an old, venerable lolo could have anything to do with the disappearances of a few children. The very thought was laughable.

And he laughed all the way home.

The room inside the kubo was pure chaos. Scarlet stains and misplaced limbs were fighting a battle for supremacy.

The old man put the sack down and five small figures came tumbling out. There was some slight movement, but he knew they wouldn’t regain consciousness for a few more minutes.

He grabbed his lucky cleaver and readied himself for the first chop. The girl, Lualhati, was closest. The old man thought that her blood would make for good dinuguan.

As he raised his knife, she decided to strike. The heel of her foot hit the old man’s stomach, he collapsed to the ground, letting out a scream of pain.

“Everyone run!”

In that instant the four other children woke from their stupor and made for the door. The old man managed to grab the leg of one of the boys, but he bit his hand and the old man lost his grip.

The old man watched as the children fled his kubo. He didn’t bother chasing them, all that running would make their meat tough and stringy.

He pulled up a chair and sat down. He would have to be more careful next time.

The old man glanced outside his window and stared at the tall buildings in the distance.

There would always be more children, and he was nothing if not patient.

After all, he had been doing this for a very, very long time.

————————–————————–————————–—-

Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza

Inspired by the Tagalog Tigabulak legends

Tigabulak Illustration by Glendford Lumbao

Behance: https://www.behance.net/glendfordlumbao

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Mambababoy https://phspirits.com/mambababoy/ Mon, 01 Jan 2018 02:04:21 +0000 http://phspirits.com/?p=562 Case # KJGM1771 July 7, 1988 Farmers have filed a complaint that their livestock has been found mutilated and in some cases eaten by a wild animal. The attacks only […]

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Case # KJGM1771

July 7, 1988

Farmers have filed a complaint that their livestock has been found mutilated and in some cases eaten by a wild animal. The attacks only happen during the night with some of the farmers unable to see what the cause was. Testimonials of the farmers are included in the report.

Joselito Guevarra, age 52

“I was out at night waiting for whatever it was that was killing my pigs. There was a giant blur of black and I couldn’t make it out It may have been as large as a bull. I saw it come into the pig sty and attacking the pigs one by one. It was a slaughter.”

Teresito Cruz, age 58

“I only heard the sound of the pigs as they squealed.. I don’t know what it was, but it was cruel. It bit the throats of my pigs and left some of them to bleed out.”

Alfonso Moreno, age 63

“It was an aswang, I’m sure of it. In these parts of Marinduque there are aswang that can change their form and only hunt pigs.”

Vicente Cabarro, Age 61

“It was a surprise. I was sound asleep when I heard the squealing of my pigs. The moment I went out I saw their bodies all on the ground. Something had taken bites out of their throats.”

Paolo Nesperos , age 43

“It might be some of the other farmers, they don’t like that the other pigs are growing fatter than theirs so they take revenge by killing the pigs.”

Whatever the case, the killings stopped 5 months after they were reported. Coincidentally or not it was also the time when Teresito Cruz had moved away, the other farmers blame him for their pigs being slaughtered, but there is not enough evidence against him for the police to act.

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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza .

Inspired by the Mambababoy legends from Marinduque

Mambababoy Illustration by Glendford Lumbao
Behance: https://www.behance.net/glendfordlumbao

 

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