Dumangas, Iloilo
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Dumangas is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. The town is located northeast of Iloilo City on the island of Panay. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 56,291 people in 11,262 households.
Like most parts in the Philippines, Dumangas is a rural town where agriculture and livestock are predominant.
Although an hour drive from the port city of Iloilo, Dumangas continues to retain its provincial standing, but whose commitment to certain fundamental community values and innovation has produced many in the way of medicine, law and education.
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[edit] Barangays
Dumangas is politically subdivided into 45 barangays.
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[edit] History
Dumangas was known as Araut until 1605. The town is home to one of the oldest standing churches in the Visayas. It is where the Spanish Agustinian missionaries of the Catholic Church began converting the indigenous population at the time to Christianity. There are many stories as how the town acquired its name, however the consensus is that which can be attributed to the mango trees that are abundant in this part of Panay island.
[edit] Superstitions About Aswang
Dumangas is alleged to have an ASWANG dwelling in the said place. Aswang is an ugly creature that posseses a wings similar to bats and they eat human flesh. This rumors is about a decade ago but there are natives in the place who could prove the rumors but they are ashamed to tell it personally because it might affect the economic and social status of the municipality.
The myth of the Aswang is popular in the Visayan region of the Philippines, specially in the western provinces of Capiz, Iloilo, Antique. Aside from entertainment value, mothers are said to tell their children Aswang stories to keep them off the streets and keep them home at night. Similar to Count Vlad III Dracula of Transylvania in Vampire stories, the most popular characters are the clan of Teñente/ Tenyente/ Tiniente Gimo of the town of Dueñas, Iloilo.
[edit] Appearance and activities
An aswang is a regular townsperson by day and prefer an occupation related to meat, such as butchery or making sausages.
Aswangs have an ageless appearance and a quiet, shy and elusive manner. They can be distinguished from humans by two signs. One is the bloodshot eyes from staying up all night looking for opportunities to sneak into houses where funeral wakes are being held, and stealing the dead bodies.
According to the elderly, the Asuwang can also transform from human to animal and animal to human. The Aswang can disguise him/herself as a pig, dog or a black bird. Supposedly if a person looks at them in the eyes, the reflection would appear inverted. During their nocturnal activities, they walk with their feet facing backwards.
One type is the tik-tik which transforms into a huge bird at night and prowls. The tik-tik looks for a sleeping person. Then extends a very long proboscis into the unsuspecting victim and proceeds to suck the blood. While performing, a 'tik-tik' sound is heard.
In some stories, the tik-tik is an aswang's familiar, said to confuse people by its 'tik-tik' sound. If the aswang is near, the sound would be faint so that people hearing it would think that the aswang is still far away.
The term wak-wak or wuk-wuk is frequently used for the same creature in the Cebu region. The legends of the wak-wak and tik-tik are much the same, but the wak-wak is specifically supposed to change into its birdlike form by leaving behind its lower body, much like the Manananggal, another Philippine vampire. The cry of a night bird which makes a "wuk-wuk-wuk" sound is believed to be the call of this monster and is feared by superstitious villagers. As with the call of the tik-tik, the wak-wak is believed able to make its cry sound distant when the creature is near. [citation needed] In a certain town of Capiz (Panitan), another type of aswang is believed to exist, which they refer to as the Dangga or Agitot. This type of aswang is typically funny because some say it is a handsome gay man that hunts women during the night and eats fresh blood like a vampire. But its existence cannot be properly supported by evidence.
Another familiar is the sigbin or Zegben [citation needed]. Some say that this is another form that the aswang transforms into and yet some say it is the companion of the tik-tik. It appears to be similar to the chupacabra and Tasmanian devil in appearance with the exception of spotty fur. It supposedly has a wide mouth with large fangs.
[edit] Dealing with Aswangs
It is said that an Aswang can be revealed, with the use of a bottle of a special oil made from coconut and mixed with certain plant stems upon which special prayers were said. When an Aswang comes near or walks outside the house at night, the oil is supposed to boil and continue boiling until the aswang leaves the area. They are also said to abhor garlic.
[edit] External links
| Cities and Municipalities of Iloilo | |
| Cities: | Iloilo | Passi |
| Municipalities: | Ajuy | Alimodian | Anilao | Badiangan | Balasan | Banate | Barotac Nuevo | Barotac Viejo | Batad | Bingawan | Cabatuan | Calinog | Carles | Concepcion | Dingle | Dueñas | Dumangas | Estancia | Guimbal | Igbaras | Janiuay | Lambunao | Leganes | Lemery | Leon | Maasin | Miagao | Mina | New Lucena | Oton | Pavia | Pototan | San Dionisio | San Enrique | San Joaquin | San Miguel | San Rafael | Santa Barbara | Sara | Tigbauan | Tubungan | Zarraga |
