Far From Neutral Notions - Philippine politics, culture and stuff

I’m an aswang, he’s an aswang, they’re aswangs, everybody’s a friggin’ aswang in Capiz. BOO.

Ridiculous? Of course it is. So is this.

When I first read about the uproar in The Sassy Lawyer’s Journal, I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. After all, I think it’s great that the myth - and make no mistake about the myth part - is spreading. I just love it when people ask me where I’m from, and I say Capiz, and there’s a sudden shift in their aura. Aswang. The devils’ bride. The witch that feeds upon the unborn.

Then they ask me if it’s true, and in a mirthless smile I throw the question back: what do you think? And of course this non-denial, the playful avoidance of their question, is tantamount to admitting that yes, aswangs are real.

And in case you’re still wondering: of course they’re not. The aswang as we know it is a construct of the Catholic Church; back in the day when the Spanish were colonizing Pan-ay, the stiffest opposition they got was from the midwives and medecine women, who held sway over their men (naturally). While some of the tribe leaders were amicable to trade - and to pacify the Spanish threat - the women’s council were not. Chalk it up to xenophobia, cultural dignity or a stubborness to share power if you will, but these women refused to be cowed, converted or subjugated. And they let their men know. So to undermine the women’s authority, the Spanish friars spread black propaganda, twisting the traditional role of the women from life givers to life takers. Instead of the midwife helping the prenant woman during labor, they were feeding on the unborn babies. Instead of matriarchs they became monsters. And slowly the perception changed, and these women were driven out.

They were pagans, yes. Animistic, most probably. But evil? Probably in so much as everybody else can be evil. Supernatural? Only in so much as a lot of things simply go unexplained until we have the means to explain them.

The festival is silly; it’s cashing in on the one tag that Capiz has, after being the Seafood Capital of the Philippines. It’s poking fun at everybody else for buying into the myth. It’s us laughiing at you Manileños for buying our load of crap, and shaking our heads at your gullibility. And while we’re at it, you might want to take a look at this bridge we’re selling; it’s in a prime spot, at Mendiola. Want it? I can get it for you cheap.

The festival isn’t a celebration of evil, but a parody of everybody else’s ignorance. And the Church knows this. Msgr. Gordoncillo knows this. So something doesn’t smell right here.

The latest protests by the Church and other allied sects against the Aswang festival smacks of politics; the Aswang festival used to be known as Halaran, or offering, which comes after the harvest, and is a province-wide festival. There were two major festivals in Capiz - the other being on December 8 for the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Halaran was scrapped a few years ago because the province was cash-strapped, but they kept the Dec. 8 festival (Sinadya), which is a Church sponsored festival. Now Msgr. Gordoncillo is complaining - probably because some of the Sinadya funds will undoubtedly be allocated to the Aswang festival.

The thing is, the Aswang festival’s organizers are relatives and allies of the Mayor of Roxas City, Tony del Rosario. The Governor, Vicente Bermejo, is an ally, as is Senator Mar Roxas and his mother, Judy. All this means that the protest is going nowhere. All this means that there’s something more to the protest than simple outrage about a silly festival. It’s something deeper, more political.

It’s the worst kept secret in Roxas City that Tony del Rosario isn’t the cleanest politician around. That Mar Roxas is a spineless momma’s boy, that Judy’s the one calling all the shots. That every Mayor, Governor and Congressman has to get Madame Judy’s approval for just darn near everything. That drugs are everywhere, running virtually unchecked.

I commented on the Sassy Lawyer’s blog:

And I feel the need to answer my own question: maybe not. Maybe, some are actually heeding the call from many of us for the religious leaders to take a stand for something. Maybe attacking the festival is their way of civil disobedience. Their seeming irrelevance in present times must hurt, after the glory days of Sin. Moreso, with the inane antics of Mike Velarde.

So they’re finally opposing something that has the tacit aproval of the Roxases? Good for them, even though the opposing the festival seems just as inane. But if it’s a start of something greater, then I’m all for it. But if it’s just another publicity stunt, well, I’ll stick to being an aswang, thank you very much.