_{The following photos are retrieved from google website and edited its filter to have a uniform look.}
Do you believe in ghosts, evil spirits, witches and other kinds of creatures seen or unseen? Well, this belief is very much present in the Philippines. It's been a part of the culture and tradition of the ancient Filipinos and Filipinos at the present times. Engkantos, kapre, tikbalang are just some of the mythical creatures in the Philippines. With that belief, Filipinos have been practicing rituals to drive away these monster or evil spirits that dwells in their home or nearby their place.

These myths not only frighten people but leave them in wonder. The issue of the existence of these creatures were remained unanswered for some. But for those who personally experienced and have seen those creatures, they strongly believed that they really do exist.

Many stories and documentaries have shown the existence of these creatures. There are also reports that some people are lost and was nowhere to be found, died with mysterious scratches and was believed that it was done by these mythical creatures. But still several people does not believe in this. Believing on those myth creatures could only be a matter of being in that right spot at the right moment where the mysterious creature appears.

For those who personally seen those creatures, several people feedbacks that it might be just " malik mata" or in English "illusion" or "mirage". I have not seen those creatures yet so I can't prove their existence. Anyways, I just want to share some scariest mythical creatures famous in the Philippines and my learnings on how to avoid the misfortunes that these mysterious creatures might bring to us.

Let's get to know the scariest mythical creatures of the Philippines. Sit back, relax and get ready to have goosebumps.

Tikbalang (TheHorse Demon)

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Tikbalang is a half-man and half-horse creature. It has a horse's head, the body of a human yet with the feet of the horse. It heads out during the evening to rape female people. The assaulted ladies will then bring forth more tikbalang. People believe that they cause travelers to lose their way especially in forests areas. Tikbalangs are helpful with individuals, and they as a rule influence a man to envision things that aren't genuine. Once in a while a Tikbalang will make a man insane. Legends say that when rain falls while the sun is sparkling ( we call it “uwan-init” in Cebuano) , a couple of Tikbalangs are married. Unlike other mythical creatures, the Tikbalang does not hurt or kill people but it drives people insane and play on their senses.

There are many stories and beliefs about TikbaIang but the thing that interested me the most is having the Tikbalang as your slave. I have heard from my late grandmother that whoever can ride the Tikbalang and pluck the golden hair from its nape can tame it and make it as a slave. That is why when I was a kid and even now, I always wanted of picking a hair of a “Tikbalang” and make it as a slave. How amazing is it having a monster as your slave and command them whatever you want. I will be not afraid walking in the night because I can have a Tikbalang guard and I will be safe from killings.

Duwende

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Duwendes are small creatures living in small hills, anthills( duwendes inhabiting in anthills are called “nuno sa punso” in Filipino), abandoned houses and mushrooms. Duwendes are believed to be playful to kids or children especially those newborn babies. This creature have pointed nose, horrifying teeth, long white-kinky hair, and angry eyes but some duwendes are just the same as those ordinary dwarfs. Elders say that they bring good fortune to your life and a bad luck at the same time. They offer you something, money, gold or anything and if you accept it, there is something that you must give in return. Duwendes love to steal things and laugh while you search for it. People believes that if something in your house gets lost and you can’t find it anywhere, it is believed that duwendes have taken it. And if you decided to stop finding that thing, it will then show up anywhere. Other than that, they sing, make noise, throw sand and pebbles, knock over kitchen utensils, and play with children.

I have not seen duwendes yet but I have felt their presence. When we went home to our province, we visited my cousin who had a little girl, 6 months old. The baby was so cute and I get the baby from her and went out having the baby. The baby felt sleepy so I then put the baby in our cradle. After some time, the baby feel asleep. I was just browsing through the internet, chatting with friends and suddenly the baby laughed and no one was there. It was really creepy and the air was so cold. The baby laughed for about 5 seconds and laughed again. I was a bit scared and when I approached to the baby, it stopped. I, then bring the baby outside and told her mother about what happened. My cousin told that they are used to that thing because the house is already old. Because of that I never stayed again to that house and eveytime we had a vacation their, I only stayed in my grandma's house. Indeed, it was one of my scariest experiences.

Manananggal ( The Navel Sucker)

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Manananggal is a creature that can fly in by separating itself from the lower half of its body ( in Visayas, we call it “Wakwak”). It eats babies and hatchlings from a mother's womb by methods for passing their long tongue through a little gap from the top of a house. The sharp end of the tongue touches the mother's navel to suck the blood of the baby or unborn child. This creature’s name was gotten from the Filipino word, tanggal (in English remove) , which signifies the manananggal's capacity to remove its upper body from its lower body. People believes that the Manananggal is a beautiful woman by day and transforms into a half bodied monster by nightfall. It is said that the Manananggal sneaks out on houses hiding in bushes or trees. With its sense of smell, it can smell a sick person or a pregnant woman even miles away.

Many pregnant women are afraid of this flying creature because it might kill their child. Like my mother, when she was pregnant, she can’t really sleep at night because at that time she was in the province and my grandparents’ house were in the mountain. No one knows if Manananggals are true or not but my mother was just being cautios. My grandmother who also believes in Manananggals was also worried because as what she told us, in the mountains, many evil creatures are present. She was worried of my mother so she is also being cautios at night. Luckily nothing happened to the child, and the child was making his Steemit post right now (yes I was the child in my mother’s womb that time). Anyways, people believes that in order to kill the Manananggal, you should find the lower body and put salt and garlic to it.

Tiyanak ( The Demon Baby)

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The Tiyanak is a vampire-like creature in the Philippines that imitates the form of a child. It is believed that Tiyanak are the vengeful spirits of those babies who are unborn, aborted and died on a very young age especially those who are unbaptized. They are lost souls of babies wandering on earth and seeking for a revenge. Elders believe that the unborn and unbaptized children’s soul was sent by the devils back to the land of mortals to sow terror especially those who are responsible for their death. This creatures used to mimic a baby crying in a quiet place especially in abandoned houses, in the forest. Once it is picked up by the victim, it reverts to its true form, red big eyes, sharp claws and horrifying teeth and attacks the victim. It will eat all your internal organs and suck your blood until it will got all the blood from your body.

This demon baby is very scary and elders said that in order to avoid them, if you see a baby crying in a quiet place, don’t be deceived by it and disregard it. Another, is that you bring rosaries and garlic can drive them away. Actually, almost all evil monsters do not like garlic

Kapre ( The Cigar Smoking Giant)

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Kapre is an evil giant who likes to smoke huge cigars and hide behind large trees like old acacia trees and a very scary tree, the balete tree. The balete tree is very scary and Kapres are not only living there there, many creatures are also inhabiting that tree. Children who plays near a tree and keeps going around in circles, it is said that they are played with a kapre. To escape its control, one must remove his/her shirt and wear it inside out. This is also applicable if you think the way your walking is repeating especially in forests. If you notice the scent of tobacco, see a huge cigarette and have observed the glow of embers near a giant tree, it must be a kapre. Kapres sometimes develops fascination with human beings and had them reaching out to human beings with the intention of offering a sincere kind of friendship, in some cases kapres are found to develop being attracted and smitten to a woman. This will be a very frightening case for a woman because the Kapre might take the woman and bring her into their world.

There are many cases like women, children, travelers are nowhere to be found. In short, they are taken by the Kapres. Elders said that to get back those lost people, you must make noise by striking a metal to another metal like striking a spoon to metal pots. Kapre does not like this noises so they will return those lost people. There are many events like this and my cousins in our mountain province believe in this.

Engkanto ( The Environmental Spirit)

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Engkanto are environmental spirits that have a form of a human. They live in rivers, forests or big trees. Engkantos also get old, sick and they can even die. Female engkanto is called Engkantada. They are describe as a beautiful maiden .Male engkanto are called Engkantado, like the female, they are also white and good looking. Elders believe that they are angels who disobeyed God and was sent out to the world of mortals and live in the trees and rivers. They have the ability to cause ailments, depression and confusion among human beings. if they hate you, they will make you sick. Cannot be cured by the modern medicine. Engkanto falls in love to mortals too but you should not accept his/her or they will take your soul. Sometimes, if you can hear voices, singing or laughing near rivers or woods, they are having a party. You need tp ignore it and never say anything about what you heard or feel. If you pass near rivers or woods, you must say “ tabi tabi po” or in English “excuse me”. Some villagers believed that good crops, healthy body and fortune are given by engkanto if you are good to them.

I have seen many documentaries of Engkantos living in rivers and in the woods. There are also cases like some people are sick because they throw stones on rivers. I have not seen Engkantos yet but everytime I pass by a "Balete" tree I always feel like there is someone living in that tree.

There are still some more mythical creatures present in the Philippines Mythology. Many people believed on these things and many people does not. Some bring misfortune and a few brings luck to some people. True or not but for me it is better to be cautios and be aware of what these creatures can bring misfortune to us.

There are many stories and documentaries about these creatures but in the end, it is still up to us if we believe to those things or not. Maybe if there will tangible evidences or if one of the body of a mythical creature are caught, then it is for no doubt that those mythical creatures really do exist.

But for now, let's just be cautios and be aware on how to drive away these mythical creature so that in case, if they really are true, you will be safe from those creatures.