Before we get scared by Pennywise, Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Babadook, Valak, Sadako, and many more, we Filipinos also have our own cinematic universe of terrifying creatures. But these scary creatures aren’t just for spooking people. They’ve also been part of our legends, traditions, culture, and stories throughout history. Back in the old days, whenever our ancestors faced questions they couldn’t answer, these creatures were sometimes the explanation. They also served as warnings to guide proper behavior. And they reminded us to respect Mother Nature.
Their stories have been passed down from a time before foreigners visited the Philippines, evolving into the true-to-life tales our grandparents told to make us pee our mats, or keep us awake at night out of sheer fear. Here are some Pinoy mythical creatures that once haunted our quiet nights. Awooooo! Andiyan na siya… (There it is…)
1. Tikbalang
The tikbalang has been part of traditional conversation long before foreigners came. It used to be called tigbalang or tigbalaang, known as the “phantom of the mountains/wilds.”
Tikbalangs are usually described as tall, humanoid, with long limbs, backward-pointing feet, glowing eyes, and often hanging out in forests or by rivers. In the first version, they weren’t described as having horse heads because our ancestors hadn’t seen horses yet. It was only when the Spaniards arrived with horses that tikbalangs began to be portrayed with horse heads (version 2.0).
Tikbalangs are considered the original pranksters, enjoying confusing and misleading travelers passing through their forest territory. You had to ask for permission or inform them you were just passing through to be left alone. There’s also a forbidden technique where you reverse your clothes when lost, to confuse the tikbalang so it won’t recognize you.
According to local legends, you can tame a tikbalang by taking one of its golden hairs and turning it into an amulet.
Tikbalangs were the answer of our ancestors whenever they got lost, heard strange sounds, or saw unfamiliar shadows. They also reinforced respect for nature (and unseen beings) – don’t wander carelessly and respect your surroundings.
Fun Fact: If you see sun and rain at the same time, a tikbalang is supposedly getting married.
2. Kapre
The kapre comes from Tagalog/Visayan folklore as a giant or spirit said to live in big trees in the countryside or forests.
Kapres are described as tall giants (7–9 feet or more), hairy, dark-skinned, strong, often sitting in huge trees, smoking large cigars or tobacco, strong-smelling, and sometimes with invisibility powers.
Like the tikbalang, they’re suspects when travelers get lost, especially if the tree they inhabit is cut or disturbed. Rumor has it they own a magical stone that grants wishes. Some tales say they’re friendly if respected, vengeful if not. Many stories also say kapres can fall in love with humans. If a young woman’s room faces a large tree and she feels watched, it’s probably a kapre.
Big trees in rural Philippines have a mysterious aura: rustling leaves, shifting light and shadow, strange noises. Kapres help explain these mysteries and also serve as a warning to respect nature and avoid wandering at night, especially under huge trees.
3. Manananggal
The name manananggal comes from the Tagalog tanggal (“to remove/separate”), literally meaning “one who separates itself.” The myth is strong in the Visayan region (Capiz, Iloilo, Antique), though other areas have their own versions.
The manananggal is an ordinary woman who, at night, separates her body at the waist. The upper half grows bat-like wings, flies, and searches for victims (usually pregnant women, new mothers, or sleeping people). Its tongue is long and mala-sungót (proboscis-like), used to suck blood or unborn babies. The lower half stays on the ground and is its weakness. If the lower half is sprinkled with salt, garlic, ash, or vinegar, it cannot return and will die by dawn.
In rural communities, maternal health issues, infant deaths, and unexplained night events fueled the manananggal myth. It became a supernatural explanation for miscarriages, deaths in childbirth, or sudden infant problems. It also served as a nighttime warning (especially for pregnant women) and encouraged protective practices (garlic, salt, vigilance) linked to folk healing.
4. Tiyanak
“Tiyanak” comes from tiyan (belly) + anak (child), referring to the spirit of a child who died before baptism or without a name. In some versions, a child becomes a tiyanak if its mother dies in childbirth.
Tiyanaks appear as cute babies crying in the forest or fields, luring people to pick them up, then transforming into giant forms with sharp teeth and claws to attack. Other regions describe them as small brown creatures with uneven legs. Because the child died unnamed or unbaptized, its spirit wanders seeking someone to name it or to take revenge.
One way to defeat a tiyanak is reportedly to throw it behind you and leave without looking back.
High infant mortality in the past and unexplained baby deaths inspired the tiyanak myth. It served as a warning: don’t pick up crying babies in the forest, don’t wander alone, and respect spirits around you.
5. Aswang
“Aswang” is a broad term for shape-shifting creatures. Written records mention aswangs as early as the 16th century in Spanish colonial documents.
Descriptions vary by region. A common form is a woman by day who becomes a monster at night (dog, pig, bird, bat), feeding on humans, corpses, babies, and pregnant women. Aswangs are feared and believed to move unnoticed among people. Protection includes garlic, salt, vinegar, and religious objects at doors, windows, and other entrances.
Anthropologists note that in rural areas, neighbors could be accused of being aswangs if disliked.
Aswangs explain sudden deaths, strange illnesses, disappearances, miscarriages, or gossip-worthy mysteries. In communities with few medicines, linking misfortune to an aswang gave meaning to chaos. Since an aswang could be your neighbor, it encouraged caution and vigilance.
Fun Fact: There used to be an Aswang Festival in Roxas City, Capiz, celebrating the legend, but the Catholic Church stopped it.
6. Nuno sa Punso
From Tagalog/Visayan animist beliefs: nuno = grandparents or ancestors, punso = termite or ant mound. People long believed spirits inhabit the earth, including nuno sa punso.
Nunos are small elderly men, like dwarfs, living inside a mound. If disturbed (kicked, destroyed, stepped on), the nuno may curse you: swollen feet, sudden fever, sickness, or even death. You must say “Tabi-tabi po” (“excuse me”) when passing a mound to avoid angering the nuno.
Swelling or sudden fevers were once blamed on the nuno. Often, an albularyo (folk healer) was called to apologize to the nuno with rituals and offerings.
Belief in the nuno sa punso served as a warning to respect nature and the land. In villages, stepping on a mound could literally lead to insect bites, swelling, or sickness, so attributing it to a curse encouraged careful and respectful behavior.
Fun Fact: As a kid, I accidentally stepped on a mound while playing outside. My foot swelled… due to all the bites from red ants living in the mound. No witnesses meant no proof, so my grandmother said I might have angered the nuno and asked me to apologize to the mound.
7. White Lady
This is a more modern urban legend, not an ancient tale. Stories of the white lady exist across the Philippines, but a famous version is along Balete Drive in Quezon City, popular in the 1950s–1970s from taxi driver reports.
She’s usually a pale woman in white appearing on the road, in mirrors, or inside cars, mostly at midnight. Sometimes she hitches rides, then disappears when you stop. Sometimes she’s crying or asking for help. White ladies often appear in dark streets and are linked to tragedies (sexual assault, gruesome accidents, death) at the location. People say if you see her in your rearview mirror, don’t look back and just keep driving.
As cities grew, streets became darker at night, and vehicle accidents increased. The white lady reflects fear of darkness and unresolved tragedies, especially for women. These urban stories are an upgraded version of forest and countryside spirit legends.
8. Sirena at Siyokoy
Sirenas (mermaids) and siyokoys (mermen) come from pre-colonial maritime folklore, later influenced by European sea monster stories.
Sirenas are beautiful women with fish tails. They sing to lure fishermen, who may be hypnotized and swim toward the sirena, leading to drowning. Siyokoys are humanoid with fish features (fins, scales) and pull fishermen from boats to drown them. Their habitats are seas, islands, and lakes. Fishermen once offered food or coins before going out to avoid sirena and siyokoy trouble.
The Philippines is an archipelago reliant on fishing. Drowning, storms, and missing fishermen were real dangers. Presenting them as supernatural beings encouraged caution. I’m not sure if we still fear sirenas, or if we just think of Ariel from The Little Mermaid.
9. Bakunawa
The bakunawa, from Visayan mythology, is a giant sky or sea serpent that eats the moon, part of legends before foreign contact.
Bakunawas are massive sea serpents (or dragons/monsters) causing eclipses by swallowing the moon, and sometimes the sun. Ancestors banged pots, shouted, and made noise to force the bakunawa to release the moon. In some versions, the bakunawa was a beautiful sea goddess in love with the moon.
Before scientific explanations for eclipses, sudden darkening of the moon was terrifying and mysterious. A creature like the bakunawa gave an explanation, and the community’s collective noise was a ritual to face fear. This emphasized the power of nature/cosmos, believed by villagers to be inhabited by spirits.
10. Mangkukulam
Belief in witchcraft or pangkukulam dates to pre-colonial times, later expanded under Spanish influence. Before the Spaniards, mangkukulam were respected babaylan (healers).
A mangkukulam (often a woman) uses spells, counter-spells, dolls, and potions to bring misfortune, illness, bad luck, or even death. They often acted out of envy or hidden anger but could be hired to curse enemies. Effigies (usually dolls), hair, or candles were used.
Before modern medicine, when someone fell ill or faced unexplained misfortune, pangkukulam was often blamed. It also reminded people to avoid envy, show respect, and not harm others.
Even today with Wi-Fi, smartphones, and Google Maps, these creatures remain in our imagination. Their legends serve as reminders that in our ancestors’ lives, these beings explained mysteries, fears, and morality.
Superstitions became stories. Stories became part of what makes us Filipino.