They are small, child-like creatures who dwell in houses, trees, underground, mounds, and rural areas. Duwende usually comes out at noon for about an hour, and at night. They can be good or mischievous, depending on how you treat them. Thus, the expression “Tabi, tabi po” is often used to give respect to the presence of duwendes. Keep on losing things the moment you need them, only to find them later on? Maybe you just got “Punk’d” by a dwarf!
They’re wandering spirits of women who died of injustice (victims of rape, holdup,kidnapping, etc.) and seeking for revenge/closure. Depicted in a white dress, a white lady sometimes they change into black or red, depending on mood and season. Feel their presence with their hair-raising wails and weightless roaming. Their favorite spots are houses, roads, and at the backseat of cars. Sometimes you’d also see them through your rearview mirror, when you’re driving alone at night. Any space for chance passengers? As if you’ve got a choice! LOL
Tall, dark, and rather filthy giants whose hobby is hiding atop large trees (preferably old mango or acacia) and smoke rolls of cigar. (Common cause of death? TB/pneumonia) Their pastime is to scare children and vacationers away. If you find yourself stuck in a place and just going around in circles, you might have been played by the Kapre. In such case, remove your top and reverse it before wearing it on again.
Mythical creatures of the ocean, the sirena is female and has a human body and a fish tail. Its mesmerizing beauty is said to attract fishermen and tourists, and lure them to the sea until they’re never to be found again. On the other hand, the siyokoy(male counterpart) takes a human form with scaled bodies. They have gills on the neck and for the lower extremities, they have either fishtails, or scaled legs and webbed feet. They are said to drown humans for their own consumption.
Tiktik is a bird that serves as a spotter for its master, which is the aswang. Some say it’s the alter ego of aswang. The tiktik emits a unique, loud chirp “Tik-tik-tik” that serves as a warning to the victims. When it’s loud, it means the aswang is still far from the victim (cue to run for your life!) The cry gets fainter as the aswang approaches closer.
