Agyu is a Manobo folk hero, and the epic Agyu of northern and central Mindanao – particularly North Cotabato, Bukidnon – is about him. It
Read moreKataw, Sirens of the Visayas
Kataw is the Visayan name for the “sirena.” As renowned folklorist Damiana Eugenio put it, “in a country where the belief in the sirena is
Read moreADAMANTA: Precolonial History from a Visayan Power Metal Band
A few months ago, writer, fellow metalhead, and friend Karl R De Mesa sent me a link to Adamanta’s new video “Conquer.” From the thumbnail
Read moreKamæn (introducing a baby to the ancestral spirits) | Panay Bukidnon Tradition
The Panay Bukidnon, or Pan-ayanon, are a culturally indigenous Visayan group of people who reside in the Capiz-Lambunao mountainous area and the Antique-Iloilo mountain area
Read moreThe Sulod (Panay Bukidnon) Myth of Creation
The Panay Bukidnon, or Pan-ayanon, are a culturally indigenous Visayan group of people who reside in the Capiz-Lambunao mountainous area and the Antique-Iloilo mountain area
Read moreSmoke Cleansing Traditions Around the Philippines
Smoke cleansing—burning plants, herbs, oils, powders, resins, branches and bark for health and spiritual purposes—is an ancient practice that is common in a wide variety
Read more‘The Mask of Haliya’ Review: Much More Than Just A Comic
“When shy, troubled Marisol (Mari) Reyes discovers a wooden mask at her great-grandmother’s wake, destiny beckons in the form of a giant sea serpent, an
Read moreBathala’s Seven Children, Tagalog Deities of Oriental Mindoro
The Tagalog people are one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines, numbering around 30 million. They are native to the Metro Manila and
Read moreThe Tagalog Deities You Haven’t Heard Of
The Tagalog people are one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines, numbering around 30 million. They are native to the Metro Manila and
Read moreDARAHUG, the new Visayan Folk Horror release from Diwata Komiks
For the past week, I have been re-writing the opening sentences to share my thoughts on Darahug: A Visayan Folk-Horror Tale. I am unsure how
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