David B.Katague, B.S., M.S., M.A, Ph.D. Sunset Photo from the Balcony of the Chateau Du Mer Beach House, Boac,Marinduque,Philippines
Welcome to My Site
If this is your first visit, welcome! This site is devoted to my life experiences as a Filipino-American who immigrated from the Philippines to the United States in 1960. I came to the US as a graduate student when I was 26 years old. I am now in my mid-80's and thanks God for his blessings, I have four successful and professional children and six grandchildren here in the US. My wife and I had been enjoying the snow bird lifestyle between US and Philippines after my retirement from USFDA in 2002. Macrine(RIP),Me and my oldest son are the Intellectual migrants. Were were born in the Philippines, came to the US in 1960 and later became US citizens in 1972. Some of the photos and videos in this site, I do not own. However, I have no intention on infringing on your copyrights. Cheers!
I
woke up this morning remembering our trip to London in 1992. The
portion of my dream that was very vivid is how Macrine and I got lost in
the TUBE. Luckily, a friendly middle-aged English gentleman helped us
on how to read the Tube map and we manage to get back our bearings with
only 20 minutes delay back to our hotel. This incident reminded me that
not all Londoners are unfriendly to tourist and visitors.
The
London Underground is a rapid transit system serving Greater
London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex
and Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.
The Underground has its origins in the Metropolitan Railway, the world's
first underground passenger railway. It has 11 lines and more than 250
stations. In this blog I am reposting Memories of Our Trip to London and
Bath, England as follows:
Macrine
and I went to London on a whim, that is no previous planning. I saw an
ad in the Washington Times dated July 21, 1992 to see a football game
between the Redskins and the SF 49'ers in Wembly Stadium, London for
August 16, 1992. I immediately called Macrine at work and ask her if she
could take a week of from work.
The package consists of 5 days and 4
nights at the Scandic Crown Hotel in the London Docklands, two tickets
to the football game, continental breakfast daily, full day tour of
London and a mini cruise of the Thames River, welcome dinner hosted by
Ricky Erwins (no.32) of the Redskins, and a round trip non-stop airfare
from Dulles to Heathrow including ground transfer and tour guide via a
luxury motor coach for only $1,099 per person. The package was offered
by Trafalgar Tours, Bethesda, Maryland. Other tours around London
are available for an additional fee.
Macrine and I took the one day tour
to Bath, England with a reasonable additional fee of less than $50 per
person which included lunch and a round trip train fare from London to
Bath. We had a grand time in Bath, seeing the Roman Baths museum and enjoying a lunch of Fish and Chips.
On
this vacation, we saw the outskirts of the Buckingham Palace,
Westmister Abbey, the Big Ben, rode the London underground railway
system called The TUBE, shopped at Harrod's and saw Miss Saigon at the
Drury Lane Royal Theatre.
The highlight of our tour was not the
Redskins and 49er's game, inspite of the fact that the Niners beat the
Redskin 17-15, three seconds before the end of the game with a field
goal, but the show, Miss Saigon. Our group of 40 tourists were all
Redskin fans except for Macrine and I, so we were outnumbered and
received a lot of taunting and boos when we cheered for the Niners.
We
paid scalped prices for the two tickets to Miss Saigon, but it was
worth it. Tears rolling from our eyes moved by the story and music of
the modern Madame Butterfly musical will never be erased in our memory.
The leading lady was not Lea Salonga, but another Filipina singer. The
leading man, Junix Inocian, who inherited Jonathan Pyrce role, is also a
Filipino and did a good job singing the "American Dream" song.
The Royal Crescent in Bath
We
took a one day tour to Bath, Avon about 75 minutes train ride from
Paddington Station in London. Paddington Station reminds me of Union
Station in Washington, DC. However, you have to pay to use the WC(rest
rooms) or CR (Comfort Rooms in the Philippines)
One of Bath's
principal industries is tourism, with more than one million staying
visitors and 3.8 million day visitors to the city on an annual basis.
The visits mainly fall into the categories of heritage tourism and
cultural tourism. This is aided by the city's selection in 1987 as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its international cultural
significance. All significant stages of the history of England are
represented within the city, from the Roman Baths (including their
significant Celtic presence), to Bath Abbey and the Royal Crescent, to
Thermae Bath Spa in the 2000s.
The Roman Bath
The
size of the tourist industry in Bath is reflected in the almost 300
places of accommodation – including over 80 hotels, and over 180 bed and
breakfasts – many of which are located in Georgian buildings. The
history of the city is displayed at the Building of Bath Collection
which is housed in a building which was built in 1765 as the Trinity
Presbyterian Church. It was also known as the Countess of Huntingdon's
Chapel, as she lived in the attached house from 1707 to 1791. Two of the
hotels have 'five-star' ratings. There are also two campsites located
on the western edge of the city.
The city also contains about 100
restaurants, and a similar number of public houses and bars. Several
companies offer open-top bus tours around the city, as well as tours on
foot and on the river. Since 2006, with the opening of Thermae Bath Spa,
the city has attempted to recapture its historical position as the only
town in the United Kingdom offering visitors the opportunity to bathe
in naturally heated spring waters.
Note:
Macrine and I have also used the subway systems of Chicago( the L), New
York(the Trains), Washington,DC( METRO) as well as the San Francisco
Rapid Transit Systems (BART) with ease and very proud of the experience.
This
is my response to the query on my most widely read and commented
article in my Hubpages Writing account for the StoryWorth Book of
Memories- Encounters With Aswangs, Witches, Goblins, and Ghosts in the
Philippines
What Is an Aswang? An
Aswang (or Asuwang) is a mythical creature in Philippine folklore. The
aswang is an inherently evil vampire-like creature and is the subject of
a wide variety of myths and stories, the details of which vary greatly.
Spanish colonizers noted that the Aswang was the most feared among the
mythical creatures of the Philippines, even in the 16th century.
Background-The
myth of the aswang is well known throughout the Philippines, except in
the Ilocos region, which is the only region that does not have an
equivalent myth. It is especially popular in the Western Visayan regions
such as Capiz, Iloilo, and Antique. Other regional names for the aswang
include "tik-tik", "wak-wak", and "soc-soc". Aswangs are often
described as a combination of vampire and witch and are almost always
female. They are sometimes used as a generic term applied to all types
of witches, manananggals, shapeshifters, lycanthropes, and monsters.
The
aswang are the most feared of the supernatural creatures on the
Philippines. They can enter the body of a person, and through this
person they inflict harm on those the they dislike. Most common are the
female variety who appear as an ugly old woman with long, unkempt hair,
blood-shot eyes, long nails, and a long, black tongue. She has holes in
her armpits which contain oil. This gives her power of flight.
A
being of enormous power, she can transform herself into any shape, even
inanimate objects. She preys on children, pregnant women, and ill
people. Once she has overpowered a victim, she will take a bundle of
sticks, talahib grass, and banana stalks, and transform these into a
replica of her victim. This replica is sent home while she takes the
real person back with her. Upon reaching its home, the replica will
become sick and die. The victim will then be killed and eaten. She is
said to be particularly fond of the liver.
There
are a wide variety of stories about the Aswang circulating between
rural Filipinos, making it impossible to settle upon any fixed
definition of their appearance or activities. Aswangs are particularly
feared for their fondness for eating unborn fetuses and small children.
Their favorite body parts are the liver and heart.
Aswang and witches of Panay Island.
Explanation for Aswang in Philippine Folklore
I
was born in Panay Island. As a child, I have heard of many stories
about aswang and witches. There is one town near by hometown (Barotac
Viejo, Iloilo) supposed to be the haven for witches. In the province of
Capiz in the island of Panay, many studies have been conducted to
understand the reason for the persistent perpetuation of the aswang
folklore in that part of the Philippines. One possible explanation is
the occurrence of a neurological disorder endemic to the island. It is
known locally as Lubag which meant twisted. Scientifically it is a
neurological disorder known as Dystonia Parkinsonism or Dystonia De
Panay.
Dystonia de Panay -Dystonia de Panay ( torsion
dystonia-Parkinsonism) is a rare musco-skeletal disease found only in
Panay. A scientific research found an unusually high percentage of
dystonia in several areas of Capiz. The study's molecular genetic
analysis indicated that the mutation responsible for the x-linked
dystonia-parkinsonism found mostly in males was introduced into the
Ilonggo ethnic group of Panay more than 2,000 years ago. But before it
could be sufficiently examined to find a cure, the disease mysteriously
disappear in the early 1950s.
Lubag-The disease called
"Lubag" in the vernacular afflicts a person with uncontrollable
intermittent body spasm of twisting movements, muscular contortions, and
shuffling gaits. To the simple superstitious and uneducated in the
hinterlands, it was a scary sight that provokes terror and fear. The
afflicted person was ostracized and made the scapegoat for any
misfortune or accident that befell the community.
I
was privileged as a child to observe a neighbor afflicted by the
disease. At that time I thought he was an aswang and was so scared, I
never venture to be near his home even in broad daylight. It was only
during my college years that I realized our neighbor was afflicted by
Lubag.
Witches,
Ghosts, and Nonos-Witches, nonos, and ghosts are part of life in the
Philippines not only during Halloween but also the whole year round.
Witches
During
my childhood years in the late 1940s, I have heard from my parents and
relatives about aswangs (flying witches) visiting homes in the middle of
the night. These witches were looking for pregnant women, so they could
suck the fetus from their stomach, or for beautiful babies, so they
could eat their liver.
The aswang takes the form of an animal
perhaps a black flying cat during the night. But during the day, they
lived a normal life and looked like an average person or perhaps even a
beautiful young lady. One way of discouraging the aswangs to your homes
is to put garlic in all the windows as well as amulets.
Kapri and Nonos
I
have heard also of other superstitions and folklores mentioning the
giant people called Kapri. There are two kinds, the white (the good one)
and the black (the evil one). Opposite to this is the small people, the
elves or Nono as known in Marinduque. The Nonos lived on big trees in
the jungles or even in your backyard. They may be harmless if you left
them alone. But if you disturbed their territory, be prepared for bad
luck, calamities or sickness.
One of the most popular beliefs and
folklore in Marinduque are the existence of Nonos . Three years ago the
12-year old son of our caretaker disappeared for about 4 hours. When he
returned he told us that a group of elves had captured him. He said they
were friendly and told him that we should not cut the big balete tree
in our backyard.
Carenna with Lolo on their way to the Beach via the Hall, saying Tabi Po Nono!
With
regards to the Nonos, even though I really do not believe in their
existence, I still say "Tabi Po Nono" ("Excuse me, Nono") when passing
under the trees and bridges in my property at night and after sunset.
Even my 4-year-old granddaughter from Sacramento has learned of this
phrase. We told her of the "Tabi Po Nono" phrase seven years ago, during
our golden wedding anniversary celebration. The funny part is, when
they were in Boracay (an island resort) a week later for a vacation, she
said the same phrase while passing a bridge at the Boracay Regency
Hotel, where her mother and grandmother were staying. Hurrah to the
memory of a 4-year old.
Ghosts
There are also stories
about ghosts (white lady apparition) and witches. In Iloilo, my town of
birth, there are several towns where there are a lot of witches
according to the residents of the neighboring towns. However, there are
no proofs or documentation if this is true.
Our Chateau Du Mer Beach House on Twilight- Amoingon, Boac, MRQ
In our beach property
here in Amoingon, Boac, Marinduque some of our neighbors claimed that
once in a while in a moonless night they have seen an apparition of a
white lady. The white lady is supposed to protect the property from
robbers and intruders. She is supposed to be the ghost of my
mother-in-law who loved the beach resort and its gardens. The neighbors
are scared of this apparition. So far, I have not seen this lady in the
flowing white dress.
Aswang Movies and Documentaries
There
are several movies and documentaries about the aswang folklore and
phenomena in the Philippines. My favorite movie was the first aswang
movie made in 2008 starring Lovi Poe and Paulo Avelino. My favorite
documentary is the Aswang Phenomena made by Jordan Clark in 2011.
Questions & Answers
Question: How is one supposed to know if a person is an aswang?
Answer:
There is no scientific signs or behavior that an aswang possess during
normal hours according to legends. They turned into aswang at night
according to stories I heard from my grand parents.
Ghost-Photo from cnn.com
Comments
David B Katague (author) from Northern California and the Philippines on February 07, 2020:
I am glad you found my article interesting. Cheers!
Lorna from USA on February 06, 2020:
Such an interesting article! It reminds me of my childhood. I was scared to walk alone at night because of Aswang.
Stansy on April 08, 2019:
Hello
sir David, in your experience, haven't you heard of any group /
organization who are focused on dealing with these type of creatures?
Have you had any personal experience with these types?
Before
my personal encounters, i also did not believe. I also thought that
these "stories" were also Made up by the elderly to scare the kids and
make them come home / stay home when it is dark. However, Everything
changed when i Personally encountered "it".
No one can explain the
Wings i heard, the one Landing and walking in our roof,the voice
calling me, the Very very sharp sound tapping of the windows, the Big
shadow that moved in our ceiling.. there is Just no Logical explanation
to all of these, except admit the fact that the one they say "aswang"
with wings really exist. The priest not laugh at me, he did not tell me
to go back home by myself, he went with me in our house and performed
prayers and sprinkled holy water.
David B Katague (author) from Northern California and the Philippines on April 08, 2019:
Hi
Stansy, thank you for your detailed and interesting stories about your
experiences with aswangs! I believe you although others may think your
stories are just a fabrication of a crazy person. Have a great summer!
Stansy on April 07, 2019:
just to continue...
Then
I turned off the Lights of the hallway in the 2nd floor, Held the Holy
water container, and the long scissors. I waited in the dark while
looking outside. I wanted to see this creature and battle with it.
Then
i heard a VERY SHARP or Pointed Object Hitting our window, Tick Tick
Tick... Tick Tick.... Tick tick tick... Then I realized Oh shit,, It saw
me already and knows my location and my plan... I ran to the computer
room to my brother, scared, and he asked me why are you running? I said
"The creature saw me", my brother said I am crazy. He still does not
want to believe me because according to him this stuff is not true.
7th
event: One night When we arrived from home, our house is very near the
Guard house, from the landscape of our subdivision, if you are entering
the guardhouse, you can see a good view of our roof. My mom did not turn
on the light of the garage again that time, only at the back, but I
looked closely at the roof that time, I saw a large dark object moved in
the roof. I did not say this to my father because my eyes might not
seen correctly, but I am alert. When my dad and I entered our house,
when he turned on the Light inside our house, WE BOTH SAW A VERY DARK
SHADOW VERY FAST MOVE in the ceiling light going upstairs. My dad was
the 1st to react, he shouted "ANU YUN???? ANG LAKI NUN AH, Nakita mo ba
yun??" (What was that?? That was Big?? Did you see that???) I said : of
course Yes! Then I told my dad: I saw something in our roof move. A dark
object. I think that is our visitor. I told him Lets go look from
outside again using our emergency light. He agreed and we both looked
from outside and pointed our emergency light in our roof. But we did not
see anything. But we are both convinced "it" was there again. When we
went to the 2nd floor we opened the Spotlight in the front. nothing.
Then my dad said "oh well, we really cannot find this creature" , I said
to him, "No, wait, I know where "it" is, I signaled to him to follow
me. He followed me to the back part of our house, I opened the Spotlight
of the back part of the house, then guess what? We both heard and felt
the "THUUUUUUDDDDDDDDD", our ceiling vibrated again of course. And I just
smiled and said to my father "See". his eyes was shocked in surprise. He
said "ah so this is where "it" was hiding , that is why we cannot see
it."
8th
encounter: It was morning, My dad and I woke up, we heard a VERY VERY
VERY NOISY SOUND. An animal was crying like crazy, its like a pig being
slaughtered but more more worse. My dad was looking outside our window,
searching for the sound where it came from. it was like
"EEEEEEEEeeeeeeeEEEEEEeeeee" "EEEEeeeeeEEEEEEeeeeEEEE" eEEEEEEeeeeEeeee
that kind of sound. It was so Loud. Louder than our Aircondition. My dad
asked me, did you hear it ? I said "yes". I opened the lights and
looked at the time. guess what? 3 A.M. Sharp. Then I went outside our
room, I looked for my mom, I called her, And asked her if she can hear
the noise, she said Yes. And i asked her what are you doing, where are
you? she said I am here, she was on our front door, looking outside,
also looking for the sound.
We called the Guard house, We asked if they heard the Noise, Guess what??? They said they did not hear ANYTHING.
As i searched, these creatures have the ability to choose the people who will hear the sounds they make.
Anyway,
after that my dad and I purchased a buntot ng Pagi (Tail of a Ray) . A
hanged this Buntot ng pagi in the Big room. My dad warned me, even
though I have the Buntot ng pagi, I should control myself and never
confront the beast because he is afraid I will lose to the beast and be
eaten. I realized he is correct and I have no match for the creature,
anyway God is stronger than this creature, it has a place in Hell. The
Devil is stronger than the creature, but the Devil is afraid of God. So
what should I be afraid of??? So From then on I did not mind if there
were weird sounds again. Then I did not hear from it again maybe because
I decided to ignore it and "it" also grew tired of me.
8th
encounter: My brother and i were ready to sleep in our room, with the
air condition turned on. There was a loud "thud" in our roof, we both
felt the vibration from the ceiling. I did not say anything. My brother
asked me "Narinig mo yun?? anu yun????? " (Did you hear that, what was
that???) I just told him "malamang narining ko, kaso diba baliw ako sabi
mo?? sinung baliw sa atin ngayon?? (Of course I heard it, but remember
you said I am crazy to believe in such myths???? So who is the crazy one
now??? )
Well
it is my 1st time I wrote my experience with this creature. I keep on
sharing this story to my wife, she also says I am weird, Only my dad
believes me. I am a businessman. A successful businessman. I am honest
and I do many online Transactions. My customers send me money before I
send the Items to them. And I have a 100% Good track record of being
honest. I am also Smart, I graduated with honorable mention from DLSU
and I am an distributor now. So you can guarantee I know what i am
talking about.
For sure the church knows about the existence of
these creatures, the priest did not laugh at me, he followed me and did
his duty. I wonder what part of the church organization is doing their
part to hunt these creatures??
Media is very stupid, and like my
brother, they think they are intellectuals who says "these are all
myths", All I can say is: to those intellectuals who say I am crazy: I
AM MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN MOST OF YOU. I HAVE EARNED MORE MONEY THAN MOST
OF YOU EVER WILL IN YOUR LIFETIME. AND I HAVE EARNED RESPECT OF MANY
OTHER SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMEN. So I am not making a story. This is a true
story. 100%. They are Real. For all the Media saying they are not real.
You are all Bullshit. They exist. Do not hide the truth.
I am willing to help / join any Organization that deals with these types of monsters.
Share
my story. They are true. Do not go to dark places with not much people.
These creatures do exist. They are living among us. Do not be Stupid.
Do not be naive. Be alert. Protect your loved ones.
What is bad is
that we have a jail for criminals, but our society do not admit that
there exist these type of creatures / bad elements, and it is our
responsibility to also control the situation. Make sure they do not hurt
any people. that is our True responsibility. WAKE UP PEOPLE.
Stansy on April 07, 2019:
hello, I found this site and would like to share my personal experience with this flying creature / shape shifter.
this
is a true story. I am telling my 100% detailed account of what happened
to me. I am a businessman, And I do not lie. believe me. This is true.
I used to live in Paranaque, South Bay Gardens to be exact. this was maybe around year 2012 or 2013.
I am married now and have a son. But this experience I am going to share to you was when I was not yet married.
Again
this are true story. So for all of you out there doubting if aswangs
are real or not, I AM TELLING YOU. THEY ARE REAL. As real as us.
my
1st encounter: After playing basketball around 5:30pm, I arrived home,
parked the car on our garage, the House help "katulong" closed the gate.
Then I heard a dog crying as if there was a dog who is hurt, I kept
looking outside our garage gate, but there was no dog. Then my katulong
went to the wall of our neighbor and said "Ang Aga mo ah" (you are
early), then I said to the katulong, Sino kausap mo? (Who are you
talking to? ) she said to me, hindi mo narinig? (didn't you hear?) I
asked her "Ang ano??? (What???) Then she said again "hindi mo narinig?"
(didn't you hear it?) I said, I heard a crying dog, but i cannot see it.
Then she said, that's it, and then she ran as fast as she could back to
her room at the back of our house.
I thought she was Crazy. that was I thought...
2nd
encounter: One night, we have a big bed in 1 of our room, My dad and I
slept on this Big room, because he was sick and did not want to turn on
the air condition. We just opened our sliding door window that night. it
was still early, maybe around 10:30pm only. I heard a Loud Thud coming
from our Roof. It was really heavy. Above our room I could hear and feel
the vibration. Our house has 2 floors. this room is in the 2nd floor.
Then my dad was already sleeping. I was awake. I was curious what could
have landed and created that big vibration and sound. I thought : A Cat?
no... it is too light to create that vibration... Then because our
house is just along the MAIN Road of our subdivision, when cars passed
by our house, the lights of the cars can be seen slightly on the ceiling
of this room.
I
heard something was walking in our roof. it was vibrating. it walked
around 3 to 4 steps. then when a car passed by, it stopped walking, then
when there was no car, it walked again. this happened maybe around 1
minute. Then I got scared thinking it was a burglar. I told my dad to
wake up and told him somebody is in our roof. he said we need to check
it out. We went downstairs, bring an emergency light then we called our
guardhouse, said someone was walking in our roof. but we did not see
anybody.
3rd encounter: After playing basketball again, one
afternoon when I came home from basketball, I was really tired and all
sweaty. My dad came home early that day, it was around 6- 6:30pm only, I
was in the Big room with my brother, he was watching TV, and I was
watching TV also, sitting in a chair, resting.
A voice called my
name, the voice of my dad. "stanley....." then i did not respond or go
see my dad because I was all sweaty, my dad is counting his daily sales,
so he is in his office with the air condition turned on. So I don't want
to get sick, i don't want to enter his cold room when I am all sweaty.
Then i just ignored. Then the voice called me again "stanley......."
then, I did not say anything, my older brother said "putang ina mo,
puntahan mo na, kanina ka pa tinatawag" ( *expletive* go to him, he has
been calling you), then I did not say any word. Again, I did not say any
word since the 1st voice called me. I was too tired from basketball. so
I stood up and went to my dad's office. I opened the his door very big
and still did not enter his room because it was cold. Then my dad asked,
"why are you here?", I said, you called me, then he said "i did not
call you", I said "what??? my brother also heard you call me" my dad
said, I did not call you i am counting money, why do i need to call
you?? he said to me, are you sure you heard someone call your name? I
said : yes, that is why I came to see him, he just told me Do not answer /
respond again if I ever hear it again, he said it is possible that a
ghost is fooling me. I went back to the big room, and my brother asked
me "Oh bakit daw?? anu sabi ? (Why did he call you? what did he say) , I
said to my brother, Dad said he did not call me. My brother said
"putang ina, ang labo naman" (Expletive*, that's weird)
4th
encounter: I left my mobile phone in our car, in our garage, my mom
normally turns off the lights of our garage at night when we are all at
home to save electricity as we are just in the Main road of our
subdivision, we have street lights, and cars passing by our house most of
the time. That night I realized I left my mobile phone in the car, I
decided to go down and get it, then My mom was carrying some dishes we
had for dinner (we eat dinner at 2nd floor also), then as i was walking
down the stairs, I heard 2 strokes of VERY BIG WINGS FLAPPING. They are
very Big I am telling you. that made very solid sounds. imagine having a
very big bed comforter, A very Big and High Quality Comforter. then
flapping this comforter as if cleaning it, like removing the dust from
it. This is what i heard. but only in a more SOLID version. like times
5x. "WHOOOG WHOOOG" "WHOOOG WHOOOOG". Like Mulawin "the TV show". I
turned back to my mom because she was behind me in the stairs, I said
"PUTANG INA! Ano yun????? (Expletive* What was that?????) You know what
my mom reacted???? She said "shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" That freaked me out
more!!!! I said to her "Putang ina mom, anu yun??? bakit mo ako
sinasabihan na "shhhhh", narining mo yun dba????" (Expletive* What was
that???? Why are shhhh me??? you heard it right???) then she just said
yes.
5th event : I am fully convinced now that the one which
landed in our room was a creature. I connected all the events. from my
house help, the one that landed, the one that called my name, the one
that flapped it wings.
I told this to my dad, and my dad knows me
to be honest. he believes me. I am a former Student council president of
my school. I have many friends because I am a good friend and nice
person. So my dad knows I am telling the truth. I said to him : we have a
visitor. The unclean and ugly one. He said, it is possible. I said to
him, I will go find a priest and have our house blessed. He said to me :
ok do this. As for him, he bought around 10 pieces of rosary dipped
in holy water in Baclaran church.
I
went to a small church, goodwill village I think, then I talked to the
priest, shared to him all my experience. He did not laugh at me. He only
asked me one last question: are telling the truth? I said Of course
father I am telling the truth, why would i be here wasting my time
talking to you if i am not saying the truth??? I said please come to my
home, sprinkle some holy water and say some prayers. then I drove him to
our house and he sprinkled holy water inside, outside, the house and on
the 2nd floor.
He even saw the Bawang "Garlic" and Rosary hanging
in our Windows. He said, "ang dami ah" (so many). I smiled at him. told
him "nag iingat lang" (just being cautious). He even saw the plastic
cups filled with Rock Salt in different areas around our house.
6th
encounter: I was pissing in the CR of the big bedroom, around our house
we have some trees, and when the wind is strong, you can hear the
leaves of the trees rustle, because of the strong wind. Obviously it
should be logical. but what happened was not logical. The Venetian
blinds "blinds" (cover of the window) suddenly raised, and I heard a
"whoog", BUT I DID NOT HEAR ANY RUSTLING OF LEAVES. So I knew "it" was
there, getting my attention again.
I was so FED UP with "it"
already. I wanted "it" to look at me face to face. I wanted to hurt it
because it keeps on calling my attention. So what I did, I got the
bottle of Holy water (1full alcohol container of Holy water with Sliced
Garlic and Rock Salt, And I Long Scissor) And opened the Spotlights
outside my house, 2 at the front and 2 at the back, ...
David B. Katague on April 06, 2019:
Hi Cathy, thank you for your feedback. Have a great day!
Cathy...Quezon City, Gloria 5 Sub Division. on April 04, 2019:
I
have actual experience...One evening, recently a dog came visiting from
nowhere....It was almost midnight, the dog was barking & howling
from somewhere outside the house....We investigated but didn't know
where the dog came from so ignored it & went back inside. Some time
later we heard what we thought were footsteps just outside our front
door, I looked out & saw the dog had returned & was trying to
jump the fence....I shouted "Who are you" ? The dog turned & stared
at me, it's eyes were glowing red.....My daughter came from the house
with some salt which we threw at the dog, it ran off, but we then heard
something in the night sky flying above us, something very big...The
commotion had caused some of the neighbors to come out....We noticed
that all the local dogs in the area were howling as though they had been
spooked by something ? ? The experience was very frightening & I
found the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, needless to say we
did not sleep that night !
precy anza from USA on January 21, 2017:
Interesting
read po! These topics always gets me. Reminds me of my dad's own Aswang
story back in his province. Thanks po for stopping by on my hub!
Mae-an on September 03, 2015:
I
don't know if the Aswang was attracted to my husband but he was sure it
was after his baby sister at the time. I will ask my dad about Duenas.
I grew up in Luzon and dad never talks about these kind of things.
David B Katague (author) from Northern California and the Philippines on September 03, 2015:
I
really appreciate your feedback on this. They say there are persons
that the tik-tik and Aswangs are attracted to, Perhaps your husband is
one of them. Have you heard of the town Duenas in Iloilo famous for its Aswangs residents?
Mae-an on September 03, 2015:
I
really believe they are true since my my own husband had a close
encounter with one. It was 1988 in Makati and hubby was only 13. His
mom couldn't make it to the hospital, so she had no choice but give
birth st home. Hubby was outside around 9 or 10 pm and the family dog
started howling like a wolf. Next thing you know, he saw something
flying with a really huge wings and hiding its face by the tree leaves.
Husband saw a glimpse of the red eye and he didn't know what to do but
pick up rocks and threw them as hard as he could. Thanks God, it went
away. He never told his mom about the incident but the weird thing is,
she never questioned him why he threw out the dog. He still calls that
dog a traitor.
Another story, my dad was born in 1958 in Jaro. My
dad always cried hysterically every night and according to my Lola, you
can hear the wings flapping around midnight. Great-grandma advised
them to move to Bacolod in which they did and dad started sleeping well.
David B Katague (author) from Northern California and the Philippines on May 02, 2015:
Hello, ladyguitar picker, There are several Pinoy movies on this subject and they are entertaining and also scary. Cheers!
stella vadakin from 3460NW 50 St Bell, Fl32619 on May 01, 2015:
Hi,
My Italian grandmother use to tell me stories like that. These Mythical
creatures would make nice Stephen King movies. Interesting hub. Stella
CrisSp from Sky Is The Limit Adventure on April 28, 2015:
Very interesting read and the video on Dystonia Parkinsonism is a good eye opener for those who believed in Aswang.
Have
you seen Mikey Bustos' new video on Filipino Mythical Creatures Rap?
It's on youtube...check it out! You should attach that as well on this
hub. It's very entertaining. :)
Jeannie Marie from Baltimore, MD on April 09, 2015:
This
was really interesting. Every country has its own folklore about
supernatural beings. It is funny how some are similar in each country,
yet some of so different and completely unique to a particular region.
David B Katague (author) from Northern California and the Philippines on October 06, 2014:
Hi
Mel, I like your word, McArthuresque for a substitute of the I Shall
return phrase. Have a great night. First time I heard of that word
Mel Carriere from Snowbound and down in Northern Colorado on October 06, 2014:
Thank you sir. Hope to make a McArthuresque triumphant return someday.
David B Katague (author) from Northern California and the Philippines on October 06, 2014:
Hi
Mel, thanks a million for your feedback. If perchance your will be in
the Philippines in the near future, perhaps you can visit Marindque.
Just let me know.
Mel Carriere from Snowbound and down in Northern Colorado on October 06, 2014:
I
have been to the Philippines 6 times in the Navy and I have several
wonderful Filipino friends and neighbors here in San Diego. I feel a
close bond with your people and these legends are fascinating to me.
Great hub!
I
have posted in my blogs four articles on Act of Kindness that both
Macrine and I and other members of my family had experienced from
strangers here in the US as well as in the Philippines several years
ago. I will not repost the articles, but here are the sites if you feel
like reading them.
Last
week another act of kindness (5th) from a stranger restored again my
faith in humanity. Here's how I wrote this experience in my FaceBook
Page.
"There's
hope for the younger generation in my neighborhood. This afternoon,
instead of asking David to put back the garbage bins from the street to
the back of our house via our driveway BECAUSE MY knees and legs have
been aching for the last two weeks (thus I am using a cane to walk
around), I decided to do it myself as my exercise therapy. While I was
limping with the cane as I pull slowly the garbage bins, several
teenagers were walking home from Bella Vista high school. One of them
crossed the street and walked to my driveway. He asked me if I needed
HELP! I politely said no and he silently continued his walk home a few
houses from our house. I was touched by the kindness of this young
teenager. I applaud the parents of this anonymous teenager who was
willing to help a stranger in need "!
This is my response to the query on Memories of Our Golden Wedding Anniversary for the StoryWorth Book of Memories
Our Golden Wedding Anniversary Celebration, 2007
Last December, 2007 we celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary at the
Boac Cathedral ( the same church where we were married in 1957) in Boac,
Marinduque, Philippines.
Here are two photos during our wedding day, May 8, 1957 featuring the
parents of the Bride and Groom and The Nieva and Jambalos Clan
Our
Parents from L to R: Dr David J Katague, Elena Nieva Jambalos, Me,
Macrine, Mama Pacing Balleza Katague and Papa Bernardo Jambalos, Jr.
Photo in the Front Porch of the Jambalos Residence, Boac, Marinduque,
Philippines, May 8, 1957.
The Nieva and Jambalos Clan Attending Our Wedding Day, May 8, 1957
Our actual 50th anniversary was on May 8, but we postponed the celebration for December, so most of our relatives outside the Philippines can attend.
All of our four children and three of our
grandchildren, a son-in-law and two nieces from the United States were
in attendance. In addition about 150 friends and relatives from Manila
and Marinduque were also present. A friend from Vancouver, B.C., Canada
also attended this memorable event.
The Bishop Blessings at the Boac Cathedral
The Bishop of Boac( Most Reverend Reynaldo Evangelista, D.D.) officiated
the renewal of vows and mass. The Governor( Bong Carrion) and his wife
with about 150 guests attended the reception held at our conference
hall( Chateau Du Mer Conference Center) in Amoingon. Entering the Reception Hall with 100 live butterflies to be release after the cake cutting and champagne toasting ceremony.
Governor Carrion(RIP) dancing with Macrine and me dancing with his wife (currently Mayor of Boac).
Incidentally, Ex-Governor Carrion is Macrine's first cousin on her
maternal side of the family(The Nieva Clan). This is an obligatory
dance for social etiquette in Marinduque. Carenna wants her share of the wedding cake. After all she serenaded(New World) her Lolo and Lola. She deserves the cake.
The following is a write-up of Ditas, my youngest daughter, of her
experiences during this momentous event in our life. She titled it "
Survivor Philippines and my Parents Golden Wedding Anniversary.
"
Resembling the journey survivor contestants make to get to their
island, after 47 hours of travel -planes, trains, automobiles and a
long ferry ride-- Carenna and I finally arrived on the peaceful island
of Marinduque, staying at my parents winter home and resort. Here are the 12 items, we will always remember.
1. One Great performance- Carenna sings "New World" at the Anniversary reception 2. Two Happily married parents ( renewed vows after 50 years)
3. Three Hours of holding
Carenna (50 lbs), sweating during midnight mass in an ancient (no A/C)
cathedral built in 1660 with 1000+ mass attendees( imagine survivor LOG
HOLD challenge)
4. Four Roasted Pigs -aka Lechon . Carenna got to meet the live pigs the day before they appeared at the party ( albeit with tan). David Ernst after all of the four lechons are almost consumed.
5. Five guys eating balut- Ian,
Dave, Alex, Dodie and David E had a Christmas day Balut eating
contest-- yes that's the fertilized duck embryo boiled eggs that they
eat in Survivor and Fear Factor TV shows Balut and San Miguel beer. Where's number 5, David E ?
6. Six aquamarine bridesmaid dresses that did not fit
7. Seven words in tagalog that Carenna knows, ( Tabi po Nono', tubig, paroparo, salamat po, maganda and Kain na)
8. Eight bouts of prickly heat-poor Carenna
9. Nine hours of marathon shopping in Metro Manila with Cousin Cindy Nieva ( professional shopper)
10. Ten asthma attacks in Manila-not known for air quality
11. Eleven types of rice cakes ( 11 hour hangover for Ella)
12. Twelve of us crammed in a van during the round Marinduque Island Tour
This is Dinah's memories of Our Golden Wedding Anniversary
The David King Family at our Golden Wedding Anniversary
The
following is from Dinah's Christmas Newsletter, describing the family's
trip to the Philippines during our golden wedding anniversary
celebrations as well as the current status of her children, Ian and
Elaine as well as husband, David King.
I'm here again at my
favorite time of the year. Besides good food, we all make an extra
effort to remember those people who have touch our lives in a positive
memorable ways this past year. This time of the year always give me a
special glow inside that makes me grateful for all the blessings in my
life. Now, allow me talk about my favorite subject. My family of course!
Our
2008 year, actually started in December, 2007. On the 20th of December,
Lolo Katague's birthday, the King family boarded an airplane at the SFO
International Airport headed to the Philippines, to spend 16 days
experiencing the country of my parent's birth and to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary.
I could spend pages describing what a wonderful experience this was for
everyone, but then I would just bore you all. Meeting all the cousins,
eating, drinking, dancing, joking, betting, taking risks, attending cock
fights, picnic excursion, riding tricycles and jeepneys and even
destroying the natural coral reefs by shooting firecrackers into the
ocean, as well as swimming and snorkeling and experiencing a wonderful
culture and family that has lived half a world away, makes me feel so
blessed to have been able to share this experience with my children and
husband. A big "THANK YOU" to all the Nieva's and Jambalos
side of the family for making us feel a part of your lives. We have all
agreed to make the trip again in four years. Then, maybe this time, we
can spend a month and get to know the Katague's side of the family.
Upon
returning to the Unites States, I was greeted with the fact that my
contract work was not going to be renewed, because my employer had been
laying off people since September. This was not unexpected and it gives
me time to look for another job.
By the time you get this letter, I will have entered my second art show
and sale. I have actually sold pieces of my pottery, so to be able to
make this hobby a saleable endeavor is exciting.
Note: Dinah
is my oldest daughter. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. She obtained
her BA degree from Sacramento State University and Masters Certificate
in Paralegal Studies at St. Mary College in Moraga, California. She was
formerly married to David King, a former classmate. They have two
children, Ian, 30 and Elaine, 28, both college graduates. For more of her professional achievements visit her Linkedin site:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinah-katague-cams-832ab67
Here's Dodie Memories of Our Golden Wedding Anniversary
To
remember/commemorate that historic day, CNN has prepared several
long-form specials programs posted on their website as follows:
CNN will mark the 20th anniversary with long-form programming specials reported by anchors Victor Blackwell (CNN Newsroom) and Jake Tapper (The Lead and State of the Union) and an updated version of the Emmy® Award-winning, Peabody Award-winning documentary CNN Films Presents: 9/11, introduced by actor, producer, and founder of The Leary Firefighters Foundation, Denis Leary, beginning September 5th.
Additional special programming will air on CNN including live
coverage of events in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC on
September 11th.
CNN will also host a special CITIZENBY CNN virtual event 9/11, 20 Years Later: Remembrance and Ramifications on Thursday, September 9th at 12pm, ET with Dana Bash, Wolf Blitzer, Jim Sciutto and Clarissa Ward.
I hope you put the above program specials in your TV viewing schedule. Have a Great Day!
The Chateau Du Mer Beach House-After Completion of the Lower Floor
In 2005, three years after my retirement from FDA, Macrine and I started
constructing a beach house with no intention of opening it to the
public. Two years later we decided building a multi-function Hall by the
side of the beach house. (Note: The main house-our retirement home was built in 1999-three years before our retirement).
However, in 2008 after numerous inquiries and encouragements from friends and
relatives, we decided to open both the Beach House and Function Hall to
the public. I then created a website( www.chateaudumer.com) and a
blogsite (http://chateaudumer.blogspot.com). I posted a video on YouTube titled Chateau Du
Mer- Marinduque with the help of our neighbor, Eli Obligacion. Since then, the hall had hosted more than 40 wedding
receptions, seminars, parties, and community prayer meetings and
picnics. The beach house on the other hand had less than fifteen guests,
mostly from abroad ( US and Europe). Today because of the Pandemic last year, the Hall and Beach House are temporarily closed.
What are the joys of running a Beach Resort and Conference Hall.
First of all, Macrine and I enjoyed meeting strangers which afterwards
become our friends.
Second, I love hearing positive comments about the
resort, such as: your garden is so beautiful, the landscaping is perfect
and I feel like I am in the Garden of Eden in this place.
It was indeed a joyous moment, when one day, one of our young guests
during a wedding reception informed me, that our retirement house (
which was built earlier) is her dream house and that someday, if God
permits she will have a similar one constructed.
One Holy week in the mid 2000, a van load of tourists from Manila stopped by and
requested to take pictures of the beach house and conference center
area. One of the tourists had seen my website and wanted to see the
place in person. She commented the place is as beautiful as the pictures
in the Internet.
Last,
but not least, the conference center is the only
Hall in the whole province of Marinduque that can accommodate more than
300 attendees in doors and up to 500 attendees outdoors( I am not sure
if this statement is still true today-2021). This resort is
also providing permanent employment for two local residents and
temporary employment to four local residents, which help the economy of
this 3rd class province.
So what are the pains of running Chateau Du Mer Beach Resort and Conference Center?
First, there are unique physical maintenance problems, since the
compound is exposed to salty air and breezes almost all year round. Most
of the fixtures even stainless steel had to be cleaned and rusted
almost every year. Repainting and repairing equipment are common. Just
recently, the water pump did not work. I had to replace it immediately
at the costs of $400. Wood borers and mites attacked most of the wooden
and bamboo structures as well as furniture. If you know of a chemical
that will kill the wood borers and mites( not termites), please let me
know.
Second we have problems with the recruitment of reliable and honest
personnel. Since 2008, we had already two managers. One we caught
stealing. The current one is honest but super sensitive.
Lastly, the resort income is only enough to pay for the taxes. Hopefully
as the economy improved more tourists will visit Marinduque and more
young people will hold big wedding receptions; the resort will then earn
enough to pay for both maintenance expenses and taxes and might even
earn a little profit. But I am not depending my livelihood on this
project. We build the place for our personal enjoyment. Our relatives
called the place "Macrine's and David's Follies" in their old age.
Below are some pictures that I took of the main house, the
conference Hall and the Beach House. Hopefully you visit one of my
sites, in case this is the first time you have heard of Chateau Du Mer.
Center Stage of the Conference Hall-Ready for a Wedding Reception
A closer view of the Conference Hall
Entrance to the Conference Hall
The Conference Hall
The third Bedroom with Two Double Deck Beds-The Room is Air Conditioned
The Second Bedroom with Two Single Beds
The Master Bedroom with the Queen Size Bed
The Beach House after Completion of the Bottom Floor as the 3rd Bedroom
Early Evening in the Main House-so Quiet and Calm
The front yard of the Main House
The landscaping in the front yard of the Main House
The driveway from the main house to the national road
London Tower Bridge
The Royal Crescent in Bath
The Roman Bath 
