Cebuano historian puts spotlight on ‘enchanted cities,’ deities in Visayas

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Since pre-colonial times, Filipinos have believed in supernatural beings, said to inhabit so-called “enchanted cities” in the Visayas.

George Emmanuel Borrinaga, a history professor from the University of San Carlos, discussed these mythical creatures and places in a forum titled “Di Ingon Nato!” (Not Like Us!) on Wednesday, October 30, ahead of the celebration of Kalag-Kalag (All Souls’ Day).

Here are some of them:

‘Isla Encantada’

Homonhon, an island in the province of Eastern Samar, is believed to be inhabited by environmental spirits (engkantos) and deities because it served as a pilgrimage site to pray to these beings.

Spaniards, before reaching Homonhon, described the island from afar as being populated by townsfolk, but after they set foot on the island, no traces of people were found. The colonial visitors also noticed that their boats were “unmoored” and often became submerged, supposedly because the spirits were unhappy with their stay on the island.

Folktales from Poro, part of Cebu province’s Camotes Islands, depict Homonhon as a place inhabited by spirits that “kidnapped” the souls of those who died from cholera and smallpox in Poro.

A folktale from Cagayan de Oro City portrays Homonhon as an island with a dead-looking tree surrounded by jewels and clothes, which are believed to be possessions of deceased individuals. A Boholano traveler in this tale saw things belonging to his dead wife and son. When he was about to leave, he heard his wife whispering to him that he need not worry because they were happy in Homonhon.

The Mamanwa tribe, an indigenous group from Mindanao’s Caraga region, uses homonhon to refer to a class of spirits known as evil messengers.

‘Lost City’

Biringan City is dubbed the “Lost City” of the province of Samar. Known for being highly advanced and home to spiritual beings, the city is said to have tall buildings made of gold that light up at night.

Borrinaga explained that the word biringan is associated with gold panning or gold washing because the city is said to be located along rivers and Samar’s Gandara Valley.

An aspiring Visayan king is also said to have wanted to replace the Spanish king. A magical city of gold would appear in Samar, near where the supposed Biringan City is located, with a church and kingdom ready to go to war against the Spaniards.

The access to the mythical Biringan City is supposedly through portals spread across Samar, one of which is a tree in Northwest Samar State University, as reported by Jhonil Bajado, a historian from Samar State University.

Aside from Biringan City, there are two other “enchanted cities” in Samar: Araw City shares the same storyline with Biringan, while Panamao City is a volcanic city home to a diwata or goddess called Maria Benita.

Powerful deities

Malaon, also called Laon and Lalahon, among other names, is a supreme deity believed to inhabit Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island.

Farmers pray to Malaon for a good harvest, and when they disrespect her, she is believed to send out locusts to destroy their crops.

Women also see Malaon as an image of fertility. For those in Luzon, Bathala is considered the counterpart of Laon.

Malaon is considered as the mother of Macapatag or Capatag, who dwells in Homonhon Island. She is said to be responsible for ordering Macapatag to spread smallpox as a punishment for Visayans in 1596 after they converted to Christianity.

Macapatag is also associated with storms because Homonhon is often hit by strong tropical cyclones that can flatten areas — with patag being the Filipino word for flat. And, with the aftermath of storms likened to war, pre-colonial Filipino warriors also prayed to Macapatag, who was associated with being a war spirit as well.

Borrinaga said remembering folktales is crucial in appreciating pre-colonial culture and the historical narratives of those who came before us. Their belief systems give present-day Filipinos a glimpse of their lives.

“Retracing local history through folklore, we can get a better understanding of how our cultures have changed over time and how they were influenced by the colonizers now,” he said. – Rappler.com

Cris Fernan Bayaga is a campus journalist from the University of the Philippines Cebu’s Lanog, the official student publication of the College of Communication, Art, and Design. He is also an Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2024.