When in mythro manila

WRITTEN BY NICOLE MIKHAELA Q. REYES

From fresh sirenas displayed in wet markets, to manananggals roaming amongst the common folk, these odd premises are no stranger to the modern Filipino. Deviating from the horror-to-the-core pocketbooks occupying the shelves of National Bookstore, the vast world of speculative fiction has now wormed its way forward as a forerunner in Filipino media.

If our spines shivered at the thought of duwendes roaming the roots of the trees we trek through, imagine a fresh genre that introduces the what-if factor that takes these previously separated elementals and places them in the common situations we face on the daily grind.

The lady you have given your spare change to may have been a diwata ready to give her blessing, and the old graveyard sweeper may be the buso anticipating the next body to unbury. The lack of boundaries between us and the supernatural is what makes each mass of text even more chilling, the thought of meeting eyes with a tiyanak in its stroller in SM Megamall providing a newer take on our folklore.

With social media becoming a medium of communication and expression, various artists who have taken interest in this trend have shared their craft to the people scrolling through their timelines, i n hopes of coming across another #ManilaEncounters tweet to add to their bookmarks. This uprising of a more open approach to world-building has allowed both established and aspiring writers alike to go beyond the comforts of their expertise, and deviate from the burden of writing something good to something fun and fresh -- something new. This modern chapter in Filipino literature has not only opened a door to the world of the supernatural, but also to a new world of exploration and undiscovered possibilities.

With this new platform given to local writers and fresh sets of eager eyes, it is possible to say that speculative fiction has returned our horror horizons from the macabre tales of Stephen King back to the incomparable chill of Filipino horror, the blood-curdling roars of tikbalangs bringing us back to nights spent hiding under the blanket. This fresh take on Filipino folklore is one that we have now learned to embrace, and will hopefully hold onto for the following years, but do remember to keep your hands to yourself at all times - who knows if a bakunawa drags you under in your next visit to ACE Water Spa?

If our spines shivered at the thought of duwendes roaming the roots of the trees we trek through, imagine a fresh genre that introduces the what-if factor that takes these previously separated elementals and places them in the common situations we face on the daily grind.

From fresh the sirenas displayed in wet markets, to manananggals roaming amongst the common folk, these odd premises are no stranger to the modern Filipino. Deviating from the horror-to-the-core pocketbooks occupying the shelves of National Bookstore, the vast world of speculative fiction has now wormed its way forward as a forerunner in Filipino media.