January 24, 1998 Aswang News in Caloocan City

Lung ailment, not aswang killed baby, says doc ASWANG, in the city? Not really. The Caloocan City police assured terrorized residents of Dagat-Dagatan yesterday that the area is not infested with aswang, the human flesh-eating creature of Philippine folklore. The statement came following reports that an old female aswang devoured a newborn baby boy residing in the area early Wednesday morning. Police investigators clarified that the immediate cause of the death of three-week-old Dave Nagawa is broncho-pneumonia, the inflammation of the lungs. Dave was found by her mother Leonor already stiff at around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday inside their house at Block 39, Lot 7, Sabalo Street, Kaunlaran Village, Dagat-Dagatan. Leonor, 21, said she could not explain why her baby's mouth and nose were oozing with blood. Lumps were also found in Dave's head, neck and left shoulder. "We were shocked; he [Dave] was a healthy baby. He did not even get sick from the day he was born," Leonor said. Her husband Edwin added that Leonor had even played with Dave the night before he died. "But when we woke up early [Wednesday] morning, he [Dave] was already stiff," he said. The baby's death remained a mystery because the couple has yet to receive the death certificates, inflaming the superstitious beliefs of the neighbors, most of whom hailed from the allegedly aswang-infested provinces in southern Philippines. But some' neighbors claimed having proof. A girl alleged seeing a fierce-looking old woman at the roof of the Nagawa's house during the early morning that Dave died. Reports quoted a certain Roselle Echano, nine, as describing the old woman as having very long hair, wrinkled skin and reddish, glowering eyes. These descriptions aptly fit the portrayal of the supernatural being in Philippine folklore. Moreover, when some neighbors scaled thereof, they reportedly discovered blood-stains that led to a small opening in the couple's room. "The aswang could have sucked the baby's blood," the neighbors said. Leonor herself recalled that their neighbors used to say during her pregnancy that an old woman was frequently seen on their roof every night. "But I did not buy it, I thought it was all hearsay," she said. Still, intense terror gripped the residents that barangay tanods kept watch the night after the incident occurred. So intense it failed to escape media attention. Too intense that city police chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao ordered his investigators to "verify" and present feedback on the incident. Investigators Senior Police Officer I Romeo Onte and Police Officer I Joel Aquino dug into the mystery only to find out that nothing mysterious surrounded the baby's death. The policemen discovered . that Dave di'ed.of naturals causes, particularly of broncho-pneumonia, as verified by' Caloocan City Medical Officer 4 Dr. Isidore Ayson. Ayson furthered that the lung disease caused the baby's bleeding. Aquino said the Nagawal couple also "verbally denounced" the reports, claiming that their son was not a victim of a "witch." Moreover, a certain Rodelia Echano, 14, the victim's neighbor and probably Roselle's sister, said that she saw not an old woman but a big cat on the roof of the couple at around 2 a.m. Wednesday. End of the story? Not quite. Some Dagat-Dagatan residents just refuse to bury the issue, claiming that there is indeed an aswang in the area. Not a few residents have been buying extra garlic, the alleged aswang repellent. Sharon Lansangan, 15, the victim's aunt, is sure that her nephew was killed by the aswang which lingered about on their roof. "Before Dave died, I heard noise on the roof. It could not be a cat or anything as it squeaked 'ik, ik, ik' [the "patented" sound of the aswang]," she said.

Source:
http://www.margarita-station.com/newsclippings/nc98_1a.html

The Secret of University of Santo Tomas

University of Santo Tomas was one of the oldest universities in the Philippines. Even our national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal studied here.

The university is a private, Roman Catholic, teaching and research university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on 28 April 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the Philippines and in Asia and is one of the world's largest Catholic universities in terms of enrollment found on one campus.

"beneath it was something, hidden for almost nine millenniums, waiting for something..." There's a popular myth in the Philippines that the University of Santo Tomas was hiding something beneath it. It was said that there is a secret underground passageway beneath it and it also hides plenty of secret doorways. They said, that it was St. Thomas Aquinas who planned and wrote the testament order to be given to the Dominican priests to build that kind of passages. It was said, that from the Arc of the centuries towards the Main building, you will see unexplainable languages, words, and symbols being etched at the side of the hallway. And that's true! I've seen those prints because I'm a student of this university. Although three of these secret doorways has been revealed, there is no passageway that we could find directing us into the main underground passageway. We are wondering if this is only a myth or reality. And we are thinking, if we could crack the codes etched through the hallway, maybe it can lead us through the secret underground passageway where secrets are meant to be secrets forever. The big question is... Why does St. Thomas needs to order those Dominican priests to build this kind of passageway? What's inside this passageway, and what does it contains? How come that this passageway has been able to be kept for almost nine millenniums without the knowledge of our fellow university men? What does the codes mean? Does the positioning of the University or the above photo of the university can give us hints? Does the Quadricentennial square of this university and its 'arc of the century' have a relationship to this so called "myth"? I'm just wondering because I'm a student of this university...

Being the oldest university in Asia, it is possible that such school may hide some door ways beneath its buildings.

I didn't know about this urban legend, so I have nothing to comment about it. I still find some information that can explain this.

Source:
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=160579
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Santo_Tomas

Daisy

Haunted houses are made when they have a dark past in which the ghost still haunts. Those ghosts might seek for revenge to his/her captor, and they might be jealous to the living.

I found a story in a book about a 1950s house in Cavite wherein a ghost of a young lady still haunts and scares his neighbors through her sad moaning.

[Taken from The Sound of Fear by Gabby Libarios]

.... Built during the 1950s, it was a baronial house belonging to the landed gentry of Cavite. Bathe in opulence and grandeur, the house was not only meant for residence. It was also a place for grand celebrations, where the cultured, the educated, and the toast of the town converged to partake of joyous merrymaking that lasted until the wee hours. Some townsfolk would suggest that the festivities held there were always of grand scale. Music spilled into the streets, wine flowed like water, and all the lights switched on, making the house look ablaze from afar. However boisterous and pompous the celebration were, people in the surrounding area regarded the house as their temporary escape, which offered them an experience - albeit vicariously - what it was like the charmed life. But as always, there was another side of the story, especially if no one alive could attest to the house's history, which, over the years, has become a mix of truth and untruth passed around by word of mouth. Some people would say that it was the hiding place of powerful drug lord. Other would suggest that it was a hotbed of vice, where the high rollers and card sharks gamble their riches, sometimes life and limb, all in the name of money. Just the same, the houses had nothing but notoriety. But among the lies and fabricated tales, there was always one story that kept the house's history interesting, horrifying, and sad all at the same time. It was the story of the Santos family. Despite their wealth, which came from the father's successful mining company, the sons and daughters were taught to lead a simple, low key life. Every morning, the father would read the paper and drink his coffee on the veranda. The mother, who always wore melancholic smile, would tend their garden, quietly pruning the plants and pulling out the weed sprouts, while the kids, except the eldest who was always in her room, would run around the garden. Named after a flower, Daisy had always been quiet and reserved. She would spend most of her time inside her room, carefully thumbing through her dog-eared books by classic authors. Oftentimes, she would just sit in front of her dresser and comb he long black hair for hours. If the weather permitted, she would linger on her balcony and relish the crisp, fresh air summer. Their neighbors would say that sometimes they would hear Daisy singing from the balcony. Her voice is so lovely, they would say. On days when Daisy would accompany her mother to church, people would always notice her. Some say Daisy was the most beautiful girl in town. In fact, her mother's friends never failed to compliment her, however inadequately or too informally clothed she was. Boys, on the other hand, simply gawked at her presence. Little did Daisy know that her beauty, which held so much power, would soon be her curse. Barely a month after her 18th birthday, Daisy was brutally raped and murdered. The crime happened when the rest of the family was out for an afternoon mass. Her lifeless body was found in the backyard. Her clothes were ripped, blood dripping between her legs. Investigations said she was in her room when her attacker barged in. Bruises on her stomach and legs suggested she was beaten first. Loose black hair found on the floorboards near her bedroom indicated that the rapist dragged Daisy by the hair out of her room before committing the heinous crime. Despite the thorough investigation, the culprit was never found. Some say it was Daisy's spurned lover. Others say it was their house help who always harbored feelings for Daisy. The family eventually moved out and never returned. Although there were the occasional visits from real estate agents, no one had ever taken interest in the house since then. Though it was relegated to a mere urban legend, Daisy's death still echoes in that little town in Cavite. Legend has it that every night, the sound of a weeping young girl can be heard from the house. ....

Source(s):
True Philippine Ghost Story Book 15

Note(s): The picture depicted above is not the actual picture.

Mt. Apo's Venado Lake

Mount Apo is the highiest mountain in the Philippines, with an altitude of 2,954 metres (9,692 ft). It is located between Davao City and Davao del Sur province in Region XI and Cotabato province in Region XII. The name Apo means ancestor.

There is a lake at the foot of the said mountain which they called the Lake Venado. The name came from a Spanish word Venado which means deer. Locals call it linaw (clear) because of its crystal-clear water that reflects the mountain. Many people would say that the lake is enchanted, that an engkanto (fairy) or some kind of entity was living there.

This simple small lake not only gives a breath-taking picture scene to mountain climbers but was also believed to take lives of these innocent hikers. Well, it is true that almost every year people die there for some reason. The lake is the favorite camping site by people who come there. Some of them dare to take a deep on it.

In April, 2007, a group of mountain climbers set-up there camp beside the lake. One of them died after swimming in the lake. Many minutes later, his companions don't know where the climber go. Their leader didn't thought of him going to swim on the placid and inviting lake. The local government of Davao City strictly prohibited campers and/or mountain climbers to swim on it. Minutes later they heard someone calling for help. They ran straightly to the lake and found the hiker was drowning. They attempted to rescue him but they failed. The hiker was no where to be found, he drowned deep the lake.

Because of his vanishment, urban legends rose. Local tribesmen warned tourists about the said fairy living in the lake.

His co-climbers reported him to the authorities. However, he was not found for many days. For his long disappearance, rescuers speculated that he was already dead. Days later, he was finally found, dead.

Aside of the reported incident, there were other people who were reported missing in the Lake Venado. Some of them still missing until now.

Experts thought of possible reasons of death. It can be caused by physical accident or natural disaster, but for locals, its not the reason why. They are blaming the entity living there. No one can say it's not true because there's no proof to question its validity.

A local leader suggested that tourists or hikers should undergo first for a prayer ceremony in respect to the engkanto living there. The ceremony is called Pamaas. Elder indigenous people perform the ritual to placate the mountain God Apo Sandawa, before they start climbing. The tribe leader of Sitio Sayaban was convinced that the many spirits living on the mountain were disturbed from their peace and demanded a sacrifice to remind the local population and visitors that they do exist.

The Vagina Lock

In the midyear of 2010, there was this rumor that just suddenly emerge from nothingness. Well, for me it was a nasty thing to talk to. It was very personal that should be kept by only two individual who are involve in such incident. For a playful tongue, it was a very interesting topic to be discussed - not thinking of the reputation of two celebrities.

Let's have a quick talk about the strange incident that put this two person in an scandalous situation.

Actually, I don't know how to start this in a not-so-disgusting way. Well, we all know that dogs, when copulating, suddenly connects with each other, as if their genitals are tied up. It was natural for them. The female dog locks the genital of her partner, and I don't know the reason why. It was called penis captivus or vaginismus or commonly known as vaginal lock. It is possible that women may lock the same way the latter do. However, this isn't natural for humans though there are incidents of this.

The celebrities I am talking about is Shaina Magdayao and John Lloyd Cruz.

The Story

[Taken from Internet:]

... Shaina Magdayao suffered from vaginal captivus, an occurrence wherein the vaginal opening of a woman closes. Anonymous people claim that John Lloyd and Shaina were having sex in the latter’s house. At the climax of their tryst, Shaina’s vaginal opening apparently locked while John Lloyd’s genital was inside it. The two allegedly tried to remedy the situation but to no avail. What they did was to cover themselves with a blanket and rush to the St. Luke’s Medical Center. Just now, TV host Boy Abunda claims that there is no truth to the ongoing rumors about John Lloyd and Shaina.[a]

That's a little part of the broad urban legend.

Some claimed that the hospital is not St. Luke’s Medical Center, that it was Makati Medical Center instead.

Other people added information that the two celebrity called their managers for help. Then they sent ambulance to fetch them covered in blanket.

The rumor spread in public because the doctor who cured them told the story to other people.

The setting of the story is not in John Lloyd Cruz's house but in Shaina Magdayao's residence.

Breaking the Silence

In a press conference held to introduce Shaina Magdayao's new teleserye, reporters asked her about the said issue. She answered,

. . I would like to take this opportunity. . Hindi po totoo yun. Nakakalungkot na mayroong mga tao na, Diyos ko hindi ko alam kung saang parte ng isip nila nakuha yun. I think it's the most outrageous chismis sa industriya natin.[a]

[. . I would like to take this opportunity. . It is not true. It's sad to think that there are people who, my God, I don't know where they got this. I think it's the most outrageous gossip in our industry.]

About the witness and claims that other people mentioned, this is what she said,

. . May mga nagsasabi na confirmed daw, may proof pa. Asan yung proof niyo?! Sa hi-tech na panahon natin, kung may picture dapat kumalat na. Kung na rush ka sa E.R., 'di ba dapat mayroong mga forms na dapat i-fill up, bayaran. E wala naman maipakita na nandun yung pangalan namin. Hindi rin nagpapunta ng doktor sa bahay. Nakakalungkot na naisipan pa kami ng mga ganung bagay. Kung iisipin natin, kahit naman sa normal na tao, kung totoo nga namang nangyayari yung ganung bagay, pupunta ka ba sa ospital? Ano pa kaya kami na public figures na kahit anong gawin namin nababalitaan ng mga tao? I think walang ka sense-sense yun. Hindi nga natin alam kung nangyayari siya sa totoong buhay. . .[a]

[. . Some are saying that this was confirmed, and they have proof with them as well. Where is this proof?! In this advance age, if there's a picture, it should've spread. If you are rushed to E.R., you should have filled up some forms, payments. But they have nothing to show to prove our names were on it. There's no doctor sent in my house. It feels sad that we were created with such thing. If this is actually happening, even for normal people, would you like to go to hospital [in such state]? How about us public figures in which everything we do is being broadcast? I think it was non-sense. We even don't know if this actually happens in real life. . .]

Other people suspected that the said story was made up to hype their new teleseryes, she defended,

Kung gimik siya, definitely it didn't come from our end. Hindi ganyan mag-market ng artista ang Star Magic. Ako gusto kong makilala, mapansin yung talento ko. Not in this negative way. Gusto ko yung dapat napapanood nila, hindi puro chismis lang.[a]

[If this is a gimmick, definitely it didn't come from our end. It's not the way how Star Magic market their artists. Me, I wanted to be recognized, noticed by means of my talent. Not in this negative way. I would prefer something people can watch, not just gossips.]



Source:
a. http://pinoyshowbiss.blogspot.com/2010/09/john-lloyd-cruz-and-shaina-magdayao.html
b. http://www.abs-cbn.com/Feature/Article/8659/Shaina-Magdayao-breaks-her-silence-on-the-nasty-vaginal-lock-rumor.aspx

Usog - Real? ... or Myth?

Is Usog real or just a myth?

We have finished discussing all about Bangungot and Pasma - their causes and effects, and the reality and fiction sides of those said folk diseases. Now, let's have another one. For me this is the second most mysterious, well after Lihi. My first impression on this, when this was introduced to me when I was still a kid, is GROSS. Puting saliva of a stranger in your stomach? No thanks. And how if you're the person causing usog to somebody else? Well, some people would insist you lick their stomach. Hahaha . . .

Introduction

I don't know if usog still exist to Filipinos. Well maybe to old-fashioned Filipinos, but to modern youngsters, they ignore and don't believe on it any more. I am not saying all of the kids today, but definitely most of them including me. My parents still talk about this, but only at this time that I have interest on it.

I asked my grandmother about it and she told me she still believe in usog. I asked her why people insist to be licked in their stomach. She answered me, Not always. You don't need to be licked, you just need their saliva. Just let them wet your stomach with it. Then I asked her again, what's about saliva? Well, the only thing she respond to me is, Ewan ko ... Sabi nila eh. (I don't know ... That's what others said.)

I'm still wondering who are those nila she was talking about. I think she was referring to those people who first told her about it.

Well, anyway, what is actually Usog?

Usog (others call it Balis and Hinsuokan) is an affliction that causes the affected person a headache, stomach pain, fever, convulsion and some more severe pains or disease. This is often discussed in Filipino Psychology. Usually, the victims of this are kids, but in some occasion adults. If an adult is still experiencing usog, it means that he or she is still a weak person (Usogin). The person who causes usog are said to be overpowering. Not all people can cause usog to somebody. Actually, there are only few people who (I think) has a power to do this, like an evil eye.

In folkloric explanation, there might be some mangkukulam (witch), who are looking badly at you, as if cursing you.

Usog may had been influenced by the Spanish mal de ojo.

Cure

When you ask somebody how to counteract usog, most of them would answer the use of saliva. Usually, they will tell you to Dilaan mo ako. (Lick me.) and/or Lawayan mo ako. (Put saliva on me.) to avoid usog to the child you greeted. While doing so, he/she should say Pwera usog ... or Pwera barang ....

If the person tells you to lick him, it doesn't mean to lick him in other parts of his body, but to his abdomen. The same place where you need to put the saliva. You just need to wet your finger with it, then rub it to him. In some cases, especially to babies, the finger is rubbed to his heel or sometimes in the forehead. In these two ways, rubbing finger wet with saliva is more used and preferrable.

Other ways on healing or preventing usog is by means of placing the clothing of the afflicted kid or adult in a hot water and then boiling it.

Scientific Explanation

One theory, explains usog in terms of child distress that leads to greater susceptibility to illness and diseases. There are observations that a stranger (or a newcomer or even a visiting relative) especially someone with a strong personality (physically big, boisterous, has strong smell, domineering, etc.) may easily distress a child. Thus, the child is said to be "overpowered" or nauusog and thus may feel afraid, develop fever, get sick, etc.[a]

In usog, the child's distress is the consequence of the child's failure to adapt to change. It is, in medical terms, the consequence of the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli brought about by the stranger. Technically, the condition results from the child-environment interaction that leads the child to perceive a painful discrepancy, real or imagined, between the demands of a situation on the one hand and their social, biological, or psychological resources on the other. The stressful stimuli to the child may be mental (stranger is perceived as a threat, malevolent or demanding), physiological (loud and/or high-pitched voice of the stranger that is hurting to the child's eardrum; strong smell of the stranger that irritates the child's nasal nerves), or physical (stranger has heavy hands or is taking up too much space).[a]

The stranger's act of gently placing his finger with his saliva to the child's arm, foot, or any particular part of the child's body, could make him more familiar to the child, and thus, reduce if not remove the stress. As the stranger keeps gently saying, "Pwera usog... pwera usog...," the child is made to feel and assured that he means no harm. The usog is said to be counteracted because the child is prevented from succumbing to an illness since the child is no longer in distress. Children or even adults who are shy or have weak personalities are more susceptible to usog in accordance with observations and theory. Some have observed that at times even praising a shy child by a visiting relative caused an usog.[a]

Source:
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usog

Pasma - Real? ... or Myth?

Is Pasma real or just a myth?

Lately, we had discussed everything about Bangungot - the causes and effects, and the reality and fiction sides of the said disease. Now, let's have Pasma in our discussion.

Introduction

My grandmother often advises me not to take a bath after doing something, especially if I'm soaked with my sweat. The only reason is, Baka pasmahin ka!. I don't know how to translate it properly in English. Maybe this, You'll get pasma!. There's no English word equivalent to that, if I'm not mistaken.

Actually, its not only my granny who diligently warns me about it, but also my aunts and uncles, and my parents. I am sure, its not only me who experienced this kind of cautionary. Perhaps, all of us Filipinos heard it.

Pasma is a Filipino word origintaing from Spanish term espasmo which means spasm. Spasm, according to my dictionary, is an involuntary sudden muscle contraction. That is very much different to Pasma. Like what I had said, there is no English word for this.

Pasma is a unique Filipino illness. It is mostly connected or brought by heat and cold. Its when a the body's muscles (kalamnan) are said to be "hot" and should not be too quickly brought into contact with "cold," in this case usually meaning cold water or air conditioner.[a]

Filipino albularyos enumerated many causes, symptoms, and effects of this disease. They also know how to avoid and treat it by their folk medicine. Medical experts don't recognize this as a disease even though there were reports of people who died of this.

Signs and Causes

People who are execising or working and get soaked with sweat are usually the one who acquires pasma.

A person is pasmado if he has a sweaty palms, and if his hands are shivering uncontrollably. Pasma can also affect eyes, they'll get blurry. That's when you take a bath after reading and/or facing a computer for a long time, or before sleeping while you're hair is still wet.

Aside from the traditional cause of "init" and "lamig," which is a traditional concept sufficiently intact in the contemporary Philippine psyche to be accepted, alone as a cause for pasma, some correlation has been noted with diseases already recognized by contemporary medicine. For example, symptoms of pasma are similar to those found in people with diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction. It has also been suggested that the complaints are often neurological in nature and may be linked to some kind of nervous dysfunction.[a]

The Sweaty Hands, which is one of the signs that a person is pasmado, may be caused by Hyperhidrosis. It is a disorder in which a person had an excessive sweat on face, hands, feet and armpit no matter what the temperature is.

Folkloric treatments for Pasma include massages using ginger, coconut oil, alcohol, garlic, and camphor oil. Soaking in lukewarm salted water or rice water is believed to cure Pasma, as well is Pasmang-bituka, a daily salted decoctions of solasi (Holy basil).[a]

There are reports of people who died suddenly and some became mentally ill pointing the cause to pasma. Even though there more reliable explanation of these cases, Filipino still believe it was the main reason. These victims perhaps just had done something pasmatic, and encountered signs similar to pasma.

I had once a neighbor who suddenly became mentally ill. My granny told me what he did before becoming like that. She said, Masipag kasi ang taong iyon. Nagtatrabaho ng halos buong araw, tapos hindi sapat ang tulog. Isang gabi naligo raw iyon pagkauwi ng bahay. Kinabukasan, nagkaganoon na siya. (He was a hardworking man. He was working almost the whole day, and his sleep was not enough. One evening, he took a bath after arriving home. In the next day, he just became like that.)

Have you read my recent post here, about my neighbor who was suspected to be an aswang? Some people claimed he isn't, that he just died suddenly because of pasma.

Source:
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasma