In Ilocano folklore, a giant old woman from a felled tree sits on a sleeper’s chest. In medicine, bangungot refers to sudden, unexplained deaths during sleep, often involving young, seemingly healthy Filipino men. Here’s how the legend differs from the medical explanation. Read more »
Long before telescopes could explain an eclipse, people across the Philippines believed a terrifying creature was devouring the moon. In the Visayas, that creature was known as the bakunawa, a giant serpent said to rise from the depths and swallow the glowing orb whole. Read more »
A Singaporean diplomat told an Ateneo audience that a calm 2026 does not end the US-China contest. Our history shows what happens when the Philippines lets bigger powers decide where the fighting goes. Read more »
Discover the history of the Chinese Battalion, the Chinese Filipino soldiers who fought during World War II and contributed to the Philippines' defense against Japanese invasion. Read more »
The waters around Romblon have seen some of the country’s worst maritime disasters. But while the wrecks are real, the “triangle” is a much newer idea. Read more »
Workers died building Imelda Marcos’s film palace by the bay, and nobody agrees on how many. Here’s what the record shows, what the ghost stories say, and why the two keep getting mixed up. Read more »
