What comes into your mind when you hear the word “Capiz?”
Others would say seafood, which is gratifying since its city capital Roxas is renowned as the seafood hub of the Philippines. The Capiznons prefer the province to be known by this but unfortunately, the rest would associate aswangs or anything supernatural as what is often depicted in movies and television.
And I always get this remark a lot: “Ah, so taga-Capiz ka pala? 'Di ba maraming aswang d'yan? (Oh, so are you from Capiz? Isn’t that place stagnated by ghosts?)”
It's okay to ask. Don't blame yourself for being curious. But when this question gets asked by different people at different times, over and over again, that is where it becomes an inconvenience. So I am going to address this once and for all.
I bought this shirt with an intention to boast about where I come from. I use it now as a gym shirt!
To answer the question, yes. I am from Roxas City in Capiz, perhaps the only one here who has joined Steemit as far as I know.
The truth of the matter is that aswangs or the supernatural are inexistent in my place.
Take it from me, a local, who has been living in Roxas City for 24 years now, with about 4.5 years spent going back and forth Iloilo City for college. And in my entire life, I have never — not even once — chanced upon this so-called aswang.
Manananggal? Kapre? Tikbalang? Tiyanak? Not even once. Because they are mythical creatures.
Photo by ABS-CBN
Shape-shifting monsters, tree-hugging giants, vampires which could cut themselves horizontally in half are all part of the alternate universe.
Maria Labo, a scarred woman who is said to devour on children, is also a legend. So is Tiniente Gimo.
Photos by GMA7
As I have previously said, movies and television shows have consistently portrayed (or made fun of) Capiz as the home of these mythical creatures, especially during the Halloween season.
We all know how the media can influence our perspectives, and now I'm using the power of Steemit as a growing platform among Filipinos to change that belief: that Capiz is not the home of the aswangs in the Philippines. And not one place is.
The Aswang Festival in 2004, which only ran for 3 years largely due to the opposition of the local church and lack of support from the local government, might not have helped the situation. It made the national TV every October that time, reinforcing the idea that the Capiz-aswang connection is indeed real.
Photo via Kasadyahan sa Capiz
But the thing is, that connection is not real. At all.
Take it from me, my parents, my parents' parents, my friends, my friends' parents, and the parents of my friends' parents who all reside in Capiz. And even my friends in neighboring provinces Aklan, Antique, and Iloilo who frequent our place.
If we could only shout together, “There are no ghosts in our place!” to the whole world, the universe rather, so all will know the truth, we would.
One more thing: isn't it ridiculous to think that the supernatural has a home here on Earth? It's like saying the evils of the underworld, at least in this side, gravitate towards our area or were unleashed from a hole connecting hell and the ground. Guys, that thinking is a product of reading too much comic books.
What's even more ridiculous is that despite the lack of concrete evidence of the existence of aswangs in Capiz and repeated discussions like this over the years, some people are still drawn to believe in the myth.
Such behavior is why we have become victims of fake news: We only believe things we want to believe because it is convenient to us.
If it matters, I have also visited Siquijor, another place in the Philippines that is stigmatized as an aswang capital. The remote island is said to be home of the witches and other paranormal phenomena.
But upon visiting the place, we were welcomed not by mythical creatures but by the most pristine beaches and the welcoming people. I would definitely come back despite the sorcery enveloping the province’s name, which was proven to be untrue according to my experience.
My dream is that one day, when I ask a stranger about what he or she thinks about Capiz, the answer would be, “Ah! That laid-back province with bountiful and delicious seafood?” instead of “Oh… that mystical province in Visayas?”
You can help me achieve this dream by saying, when a discussion among your peers comes up, that someone from Steemit has confirmed with you the truth about the aswangs in Capiz.