We Filipinos really believes in the unusual things around us that science cannot explain this things and phenomena. This beliefs way back during Spanish times have been passed by our ancestors, orally through by telling this stories to the next generations. The stories of the enkanto, the diwatas, agta, laman lupa, tikbalang, duwende, mananaggal etc., this creatures believes that were created by a demon.
But the most we feared of all these creatures are the "Aswangs" , a very popular myth here in the Philippines, especially here in Western Visayas (Iloilo, Antique and Capiz). It was popularized by the story of "Tinyente Gimo" who believes that he and his family were eating human flesh and drinking fresh human blood. A similar story also was showed in a movie, as you remembered the shake, rattle and roll.
A variety of stories told about the aswangs that they replace their live victims with a facsimile that makes out with tree trunks or banana stalks. And likes to eat fetuses in the womb of a pregnant women and small babies. Liver, Heart and the blood are the most favorite parts to eat by the aswangs.
As I remembered during my chidhood, my father always telling us stories after dinner stories like, his experiences during world war 2, enkanto, dwende and a story that I really like to listen the story regarding the
aswangs. My father told us his experienced about the aswangs and I told him that if its really true, and responded to me with a big yes. He told us that it was happened when he was a teenager, and here is his story goes. My father, when he was a teenager had a best friend named Efren. Efren was a helper in one of a rich families here in our barangay, as a helper he was the one assigned to took care of the cows, goats, and carabaos owned by that family. My father was also the one who took care of the carabao of my grandfather, and they were always saw each other every time they they feed their carabaos on the farm. Since that they became best friends, one time Efren and my father went out to the city to eat and drink because Efren won in the lottery and he was also planning to visit his family after that. My father told Efren that he want to go with him and want to see the place of his best friend. But Efren refused that my father will be going with him and lots of alibi's, in order that my father will be not going with him. My father really insisted to go with him and has nothing to do but to took my father with him. They traveled from the jeepney for alomost an hour going to Efren's town( Northern part of Iloilo), then they walked again with another half an hour before arriving in the house of Efren besided their were the house of some of his relatives. He introduced my fataher to his mother, fatherand some of his relatives and my father noticed that they were not looking directly to his eyes while talking with him. After their dinner my father made a little conversation with Efren and his mother but because he was really tired, he made an excused to Efren's mother that he will going to sleep. Even though he was tired he can fall to sleep and he rermembered before they enter the house, he thought that there were two rooms inside but when they entered, it had only one room inside. And on his curiosity he went to that of part of the house where he thougt there is another room. That part of the house was covered with thick papers, he made a little hole to see what was on the other side of that wall. My father really was shocked and scared of what he saw, he saw on that room a very old lady with a very long white hair, tied on her hands and feet were huge chains, her eyes were red and according to my father she was very strong and want to get free on that huge chain tied with her. On what he saw my father decided to leave the house, on his way walking to the main roads where he can ride a bus, he saw on his back Efren running towards him. Then they talked, Efren said that he was very sorry of what happened and confessed to my father that what he saw was his grandmother and their familiy were family of "Aswang". He asked a favor to my father that not to told anyone of what he saw and abuot their familily in our barangay. And after that incidence Efren never return to our barangay. My father said to us that if he stayed there till morning he might be eaten by that creepy creatures.
My father also told us on how to deal with the Aswangs, he said one of the effective weapons when we encounter aswang is the "IKOG PAGI" or the tail of the stringray in english, a blessed coconut palm during holy week is also effective to take thier presence away from the one who is holding it. In revealing the aswangs a bottle of special oil made from the coconut meat mix with some native plants and a special prayer said on it. When there is aswang around the place the said bottle of special oil keeps on boiling it will stop when the aswangs leaves or depart on that place.