Philippine Mythology in Popular Media

Filipinos are known for their creativity and love for their heritage. We continuously study ourselves and our roots, and we use it to further improve ourselves and elevate our level of knowledge. Recently, there has been a rediscovery of Philippine mythology, which is a mixture of nature, animalistic, and ancestral worship. Filipinos are familiar with stories of Bathala and the other gods as introduced to us in elementary school, but today’s children are getting a reintroduction to the beliefs of our ancestors through mass media and the gaming industry.

Tune in to GMA 7 at night and you just may catch the hit fantaserye Etheria, a spin-off of the very successful TV series Encantadia found in the same channel. The main characters are diwatas, the Filipino counterpart for fairies. Except that in this series the fairies look nothing like Tinkerbell and more like man-eating Amazons. The story uses names from Philippine myths and legends, and combines Tolkien-esque creatures and the classic storyline of a telenovela albeit applied to a fantasy realm of magic and power.

One of the central characters is Amihan, played by Iza Calzado. As her name suggests, she has the power of the wind in the form of the gem of air. In highland mythology, the name Amihan invokes images of wind. Her character is the most motherly of the Sang’gres, or the royal bloods. She is destined to be the queen of Encantadia.

Her characteristics emphasize what Filipinos think should be present in a good leader. Wise, caring, and majestic, she is nonetheless fierce in battle. Another interesting attribute of Amihan is the fact that she no longer has lines in her palms. This is supposd to mean that she is no longer ruled by destiny and that she is the master of her fate.

Children are also exposed to traditional Filipino mythology and somewhat to a little colonial history in the game Anito: Defend a Land Enraged. The role-playing game immerses the player in Maroka; an Asian country invaded by foreigners from Senastille. The player can choose between two characters; Agila, warrior son of the Datu, or Maya; daughter of the Datu that is more attuned to her chakras. The story revolves around the children’s quest for their father who suddenly disappears. There are surprises or, as they say in the gaming industry “Easter Eggs”, throughout the game that only Filipinos can appreciate. For example, close observation of a toilet will reveal a sign saying “Paki buhusan pagkatapos tumae”. In one town, you can actually play sabong, and one of the missions you have is to kill a tikbalang that has been terrorizing the villagers.

A notable quality of the game is the value it places on filial piety. This trait is considered very important in Filipino families. The children start off without any particular noble goal, only to find their father who is trying to restore peace in Maroka.

Another noticeable aspect of the game is the Senastillian soldiers. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the game designers are drawing parallels to the Spanish colonizers. Perhaps this is a comment on the country’s colonial pasts and an attempt to educate our youth.

Never has so much information been available to people as today. With careful study and deep analysis we may separate those that we can truly learn from and those who are filled with nothing. Philippine folklore and mythology is being handed to us in all forms, and it is up to the viewers (or gamers) to glean the lessons from them.