Philippines has a lot of different Urban Legends where we
sometimes utter without us having an idea, that the stories we have been
telling is actually an Urban Legend.
Ken Lace, the writer
of the other article that I have found while researching for an introduction in
Philippines’ Urban Legends, stated that Urban Legends here in our country
focuses on paranormal creatures, business competition strategies, historical
figures, health issues, western influences, and others. Urban Legends here in
our country is also called “Kwentong Bayan” but in modern way. It is also
called “Kwentong Kotsero (Driver’s Tale),” “Kwentong Kalye(Street Tale),” and
“Kwentong Barbero(Barber’s Tale),” that sometimes, they are being used as a
joke when someone tells a story because the story are sometimes exaggerated
that it is already hard to believe. The main elements of the story are composed
of supernatural events, just heard, or real from foreign tale-tellers. Ken said
that, not all urban legends are false, and some of them were actually real. People
start to tell that it is not untrue, because of the exaggerated way of how it
is being told or it is added with excessive details and information.
Apparently, Filipinos today still remember their traditional
lower mythical creatures even if they are now influenced with the Western
Culture. Examples are Manananggal in Tondo, Sigbins are cure for AIDS, and the
White Lady of the Balete Drive.
And “The Proctor and Gamble’s issue of being connected to a
satanic organization,” “The Romblon Triangle,” “Alien Abductions,” and the
“Moviegoer Scares,” are examples of western influences which made a large
impact to Filipinos.
These legends give cautionary effect on people that makes
them think, going on the said companies and buy their products. Legends were
sometimes told to give a bad image to the company or to a person; some gives
meanings to the person who looks like a certain person who is famous, and some
just wants neither to scare nor to entertain the others.
Ken stated that every country is composed of numerous,
different kind of stories and folklores, traditions and customs, and every
single group of ethnicity has their own Urban Legends.
Here now, I will cite examples of some Popular Urban Legends
from Ken Lace, which is popular:
The San Juanico Bridge was the longest bridge in
Samar-Leyte, Philippines. According to the rumors, it is said that Imelda
Marcos ordered to kidnap children to become for the foundation to make the
bridge stronger. Blood of numerous children was mixed in cement and used on the
bridge and the other rumors were the body of the children was put in a cement
mixer to grind the body. It all started when Imelda was in charge of the
bridge. She consulted a clairvoyant and has been told that the bridge won’t be
finished unless she adds children’s blood on the foundation. So Imelda ordered
the construction workers to kidnap children and slit their throat and add the
blood on the bridge’s location.
Their bodies were thrown in the river. Probably, the rumors
said that a goddess got frustrated on what Imelda did and cursed her as Imelda
grew scales on her legs and she smelled fishy and that’s why she often wear
long skirts.
It is because they say that children offered and sacrificed
on certain demonic rituals can make the structures stronger. That is why the
bridge is haunted with lost souls. Others say that the bridge is not the only
structure that used children as a foundation; they also used them as a
structure in some buildings.
I also have read stories from particular horror books that
every time they pass by the bridge, they will experience a supernatural even
where the spirits of the dead children will show their selves, in a bloody
form, and knock on their car’s windows.
Do you like Siopao?
This Urban Legend was quite popular in Philippines where the
rumors said that Cat Meat was used in making of Siopao because it is much
cheaper than the pork meat. Some says that in Quiapo, Manila City, there were
restaurants caught, throwing heads and body parts of cats. Some says that they
actually saw those cooking cats. The Urban Legend started way back in Japan
where they use Cat Meat as a substitute when there was a scarcity of meat.
Cat meat was actually eaten as uncommon cuisines in China,
Vietnam, and some other in Swiss Cultures. In some times, people was known to
eat cat meat desperately because of famine and scarcity of food; rather, meat.
For example is the famine in Siege of Leningrad.
Sometimes, this urban legend was used and told for business
competitions. Some is used by the elders to prevent their children to eat
various foods.
There are still a lot of popular Urban Legends in our
country. Some are told, and some has still hasn’t. But nevertheless, it depends
on a person whether he will believe it or not, because Urban Legends are also
told to give information, and to warn people to become aware on our
surroundings, as we don’t know what will happen next; that we might experience
those Legends ourselves.
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