Aswang

Iloilo was on alert when townsfolk of Lawigan, San Juaquin claimed that their town was visited by Aswang. It started when two siblings claimed that seven mysterious beings, dressed like priests and with big red eyes, attempted to abduct them. Some witnesses claimed to have seen them jumping around while holding hand in hand.

A Parish Priest said that these evil-like beings might have visited their town because local residents are so preoccupied worldly things that they forgot about God. He also said that people must always pray and go to mass to ward off these evil beings.

Some people say that these stories were all made up by the people of the church in order for them to have more followers and support them in their plans of building a new church in the said town.

Some people say that these are just made up stories to keep children off the streets and stay home at night.

What are Aswangs?

Aswang is one of the well-known mythical creature in the Philippines. It is most popular in the Western Visayas Region such as Capiz, Aklan, Iloilo, Antique, Negros and Guimaras. Thi is the region where most people say the Aswang came from.

Aswangs are regular people, shy and quiet, during the day and transforms into creatures at night. They are very elusive. They have bloodshot eyes as a result of staying all night to find victims. They are known to have long Proboscises, which they use to suck on wombs of their pregnant victim.

They feed on animals, small children and unborn babies. They loved to eat internal organs especially the heart and the liver.

How to spot an Aswang

· Aswang does not have a Philtrum, the midline groove in the upper lip that runs from the top of the lip to the nose.

· You will see your reflection in their eyes as Upside Down.

· You can see their true form when you bend over viewing them in a head-between-legs position.

· If you bring “na orasyonan nga Lana” (special oil extracted from boiled and decanted coconut meat and mixed with certain plant stems upon which special prayers being said) with you, it tends to boil whenever an Aswang is around you and boils harder when it is near you. It only stops boiling when the Aswang leaves.

Types of Aswang

Mananangal - a half witch and vampiric bat-like creature that takes the form of either an old or beautiful woman. During the full moon, the Mananangal would go to a secluded area to split itself into half, upper torso and head, and it separates itself from its lower half and hunt for victims..

Bagat/Shapeshifters - An aswang who has the ability to change from a human into a wild pig, a cat or the most popular a dog.

Tik-Tik- its name is derived from the sound it makes, it is louder the further away the aswang is, to confuse its potential victim.

Balbal/Cadaver Stealers - the aswang who will try and change out the real corpse with a fake corpse made from the trunk of trees, usually a banana tree.

Mangkukulam/Mambabarang- a Vindictive Hexer or Voodoo who lives in secluded areas.

How to Deal with Aswang

Ikog-Pagi or stingray's tails is the most popular weapon of choice for aswang hunters. Whipping aswang with Ikog-Pagi will drive them away or kill them.

Silver bullets and swords. The myth of silver weapons warding off evil creatures is probably taken from western mythology.

Throwing salt at aswangs is also said to cause their skin to burn. This belief may stem from the purifying powers attributed to salt crystals by various traditions of witchcraft. In the case of Mananagal, It is said if one finds its torso, to either sprinkle salt or sand on its lower half body or burn it, making it impossible for the creature to revert/ transform and would die upon the first rays of sunlight.

Throwing semen at aswang is also said to irritate them. Along with semen, phallic objects are supposed to make the aswang terrified.

Red pouch full of ginger and coins is another way for dealing with aswangs. The ginger will keep them away while the coins are used for preventing them from lifting you up.