Top 7 Scariest Monsters and Creatures in the Philippines

I swear, this is what my University turns into when it rains hard. Thank you, Climate Change!

Foreign monsters are so overrated; so overrated that you think Philippine ghost stories and monsters are nothing but a clumsy joke compared to them. You might be the type of person who chuckles every time you see an aswang, a kapre, a dwende, white lady, or sloppy pop-culture references on Philippine national TV or big screen. But hey, since you think you’re a one tough sumbitch, allow me to show you the pure, unadulterated terrors of the Philippine myth and urban legends that can even join the ranks of Lovecraft’s eldritch abominations...

…and heroin-induced children's TV shows - Teletubbies via Youtube

#7. Busaw

No animals were harmed at the taking of this photo - iStock

Tristram is a real place, and it is called Philippines. It’s filled with disgusting, filthy undead creatures that are trying to eat us. A remarkable example of these abominations is the Busaw. Although they look like normal people in appearance (like Vampire Masquerade: Bloodlines ghoul), these creatures that resemble ghouls are known to feed on human flesh. They are ghouls in human clothing (you see what I did there?).

Although these guys are not notorious for necessarily attacking people (as far as we know, yet), what they do love is, stealing corpses. These monsters dig graves, take dead bodies, and replace them with banana tree trunks (like a ninja, yeah… like a ninja). Oh and that’s not the worst part. They are capable of turning these dead fellas into a---wait for it---a pig. You see where this is going, right? (and no, not the one that involves handcuffs and pantyhose). They cook these miserable magic swines and share them to their neighbors like, uh, let’s say, you. So, if I were you, I'd be extra careful by the next town fiesta.

Hannibal Lecter could learn a thing or two from Busaws - iStock

#6. Amalanhig

M-m-yyy... skin ointment...ugh - iStock

Amalanhig are a type of Aswang who failed to transfer their powers to others. They are dead already, though for some reasons, their frustration grants them the ability to rise from their grave and continue their douchebaggery by biting people on the neck, killing them in the process…

…while feeling sexy at the same time -iStock

According to the stories, in order to escape these monsters, you have to run in zigzag direction because they are only able to walk in a straight path due to their stiff body (they are dead, remember? duh!). They are also afraid of water (for now) so you can breathe a sigh of relief if there’s a river nearby. They are basically the zombies of the Philippine myth; although the only way of transmitting the Amalanhig abilities, or power, or curse, or whatever you call it, is through a Blackstone or Agimat which they only hand over their children. This means that there is no way for us to turn into one of them if we are not a member of their family… yet.

#5. Matruculan

Better CGI than the movies round these parts - iStock

So let’s say you’re a virgin woman, just minding your own virgin stuff and shit. Then one night, someone breaks into your dark room while you are sleeping. This trespasser then jumps furiously above you in your bed, rendering you helpless and terrified. Then, after a long pause of sheer horror and mystery, you feel something, something delicate, and sensual; it then drives you so weary… so weary that you fall asleep again…

A few weeks past, you feel something wrong with your virgin body. So you go to the hospital, only to find out that you are… pregnant.

"I thought I was just sleepsturbating doc, just like I always do" - iStock

Congratulations unfortunate woman! You are a victim of Matruculan (or just a simple rapist, but let’s save the obvious and logic for later discussions). This abomination, also known as “fetish ghoul” (great idea for exotic porn directors out there), impregnates virgin women and eats their fetus later on, killing the mother in the process (in other versions, they also eat the mother, another coin for hardcore porno stuff). And the only way to prevent this guy from getting near pregnant women is to swing a butterfly knife (balisong) above her belly while she is in labor. For some reasons, they did not find a way to prevent this monster from raping the virgin ladies on the first place, another proof that this monster’s tale of existence has a strong connection to the adult film industry.

#4. Pugot Mamu

Your typical Wallstreet Pugot. Classy - iStock

Deep inside, we can’t deny that we hate kids. Those jerks are stupid and demanding. They can't even take care of themselves. They don’t even have a job to support their basic needs. They don’t even care about Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. And I believe that there are other myriad reasons why this next guy brought his hatred to the extremes.

Yeah! as if you would understand Silicon Valley’s humor, jerks! - iStock

Pugot mamu is known as the boogeyman of the Philippines. He is a headless guy (as the name indicates), like his regular, less interesting pop star cousin Pugot. However, there are some major differences between them. Unlike the regular Pugot, who is only a ghost that loves to scare the bejesus out of us, Pugot Mamu is flesh and bones so screw this guy already. What’s worse? I’m in a bit of dilemma here if I’ll call this one worse because his prey are children; and when I say prey, what I mean is that he kills children by eating them (And now please, I implore you, take your mind off the gutter. I don't want to deal with those lawsuits again!). But Mark, that’s a bull! He does not have head. He can’t eat.

He can! He eats children by swallowing them whole through the hole on his neck, where his head is supposedly attached. Just when you think abusive parents are abusive enough.

#3. Batibat

Yes, I still hide under my sheets even as an adult - iStock

Nightmares are scary already because, well… they’re nightmares. So what could top that one? Of course! Their mother!

Batibat is a vengeful demon that is scary in many ways. She is a demon, that’s the first one. Two, she lives in a tree. I don’t know why, but using the term tree-dweller as an adjective makes it scary for some reasons. Three, she is the reason why we all have nightmares. But that is not the worst part. The scariest trait of this monster is that she’s fat! She is fat and she is using her fat body as her weapon! (Cue the triggered sound because of the a fat joke)

According to the story, Batibat is known to attack a person who unwittingly trespasses on her territory by sleeping under a tree where she resides. So how does she deal with this kind of situation? Well, by sitting on that person’s chest until he/she suffocates (thus, it creates nightmares); Rikishi style. And hence, this is where the Filipino concept of 'bangungot' came about.

Rare image of Batibat during mating season - iStock

To save this unfortunate victim from dying by the hands, or in this case, ass of the Batibat, you have to press the victim's right thumb in order to wake him/her up.

#2. Amomongo

Mitchell Waite | AZ Cryptozoology Examiner

If you are looking for something that clings on the purgatory between myth and reality, then here it is. Amomongo is a creature described as a man-sized ape with long nails for killing stuff. The residence of La Castellana in Negros Occidental calls this creature “Wild Monkey” which lives on the caves on the foot of Mount Kanlaon. You might be thinking why I am quite specific on this thing right here. Well, according here and here, this creature was said to attack two dudes and disemboweled a few animals on their area. That part alone would prolly instill fear on your insides already. But that is not the scariest part.

According to the witnesses, this creature only attack whenever there is no village guards roaming around the area. This could mean that the Amomongo is smarter than regular primates. This particular detail left us here in the Idle Monkey on wondering about the possibility of this:

"It's not sorcery… it’s science" - Planet of the Apes '68 via Youtube

#1. Dila

Screw it! I’m done here! Dila is a spirit that passes through the bamboo flooring of provincial houses, and then licks people to certain death. That’s all we know about this dangerous entity. Just be careful for chrissake.