Is There Witchcraft In The Philippines?

The concept of Mangkukulam, or Filipino witchcraft, has been present throughout the Philippines since before Spanish colonization. It is associated with indigenous Philippine folk religions and involves black magic, specifically a malevolent use of sympathetic magic. Today, practices are centered in regions such as Siquijor, Cebu, Davao, Talalora, Western Samar, and Sorsogon. Siquijor island, a remote island in the central Philippines, is shrouded in legends of mythical creatures, witches with healing powers, and sorcerers who cast spells. Witches, shamans, faith healers, and sorcerers were once common in the Philippines.

The mysterious origins of witchcraft dating back to prehistoric times are explored in Filipino culture. Shamanism and witchcraft have been around for 100s, and despite the taboo placed on witches in the Philippines, it is actually part of Filipino culture. Small towns often have their own witches, and the rise of liberal millennials in the Philippines has brought witchcraft practitioners that practice sacred rituals and magic.

The island province of Siquijor in the Philippines conjures images of healers and witches. Cayetano Umbalsa, 76, has been practicing witchcraft since his father began teaching him almost 60 years ago. The rise of liberal millennials in the Philippines has brought witchcraft practitioners that practice sacred rituals and magic.

Witchcraft and black magic practices in the Philippines differ from the Western notion of what a witch is, with each ethnic group having its own unique practices. This cultural deep dive into the practices of black magic and witchcraft within the Philippines, Haiti, and Romania provides valuable insights into the rich history and traditions of Filipino culture.

What is witch in Filipino?

A mangkukulam is a Filipino witch who uses curses called sumpâ (/soom-PA/) to cast spells on people they want revenge on. They use natural magic and superstitions similar to an arbularyo, or witch doctor, but are malevolent individuals who trick and curse others. The primary methods employed by a mangkukulam include candle lighting rituals, scrying or tawas, recitation of spells, and concocting potions.

Healer-sorcerers who practice Kulam usually justify it as a form of criminal punishment, as the belief is that black magic does not work on people who are innocent. Their targets are usually “wrongdoers” like thieves, adulterous spouses, or land grabbers.

The Mambabarang is the Bisayan version of a sorcerer/sorceress who uses insects and spirits to enter the body of any person they hate. They are ordinary human beings with black magic who torture and later kill their victims by infesting their bodies with insects. The name is derived from the word barang. In legends, the mambabarang keeps his swarm of carnivorous beetles in a bottle or section of bamboo, carefully feeding them ginger root.

When the practitioner decides to employ his dark art, he performs a prayer ritual wherein he whispers instructions and identifies the victim to the beetles. The destructive insects are then set free and seek out the victim and gain entry into the body via any bodily orifice.

The Usikan, also known as the Buyagan, is a type of Visayan sorcerer that can inflict harm through words (buyag). They can affect not only people, but also plants, animals, and inanimate objects. To protect against this, people carefully avoid accepting compliments from strangers and may say the phrase “pwera buyag” (from Spanish fuera buyag) immediately after giving or receiving one. Various beliefs hold that the Usikan can be recognized by having a dark tongue or being born with teeth. Unlike other types of “witches”, the power of the Usikan is innate and not acquired by choice. They are often unaware that they possess the power.

Does witchcraft exist in the Philippines?

Witchcraft, a practice associated with indigenous Philippine folk religions, has been present in the Philippines since before Spanish colonization. It involves black magic, a malevolent use of sympathetic magic, and is centered in Siquijor, Cebu, Davao, Talalora, Western Samar, and Sorsogon. Witchcraft also exists in the hinterlands, particularly in Samar and Leyte. Each ethnic group in the Philippines has its own definition and practices attributed to witches.

In the traditional non-Westernized sense, witches are malevolent forces who can inflict curses on others, but can also bring justice when injustices occur through curses. Filipino shamans associated with indigenous Philippine folk religions can lift the curses and other machinations of witches. When shamans were demonized by colonizers and followers of colonial faiths, most were replaced by traditional healers influenced by Christian or Islamic faiths. Each ethnic group in the Philippines has its own terms for witches.

What is an UMU in the Philippines?

Priests were resident at significant shrines and temples, with the title “umu” indicating their roles as diviners of lungs, sorcerers, confessors, and healers.

What do Filipinos believe about spirits?

Historian T. Valentino Sitoy highlights three core characteristics that shaped the religious worldview of Filipinos before the arrival of Spanish colonizers. First, Filipinos believed in a parallel spirit world that was invisible but had an influence on the visible world. Second, Filipinos believed in spirits (anito) everywhere, ranging from high creator gods to minor spirits living in the environment. Third, Filipinos believed that events in the human world were influenced by these spirit beings.

Anito were the ancestor spirits or nature spirits and deities in the Indigenous animistic religions of precolonial Philippines. Pag-anito refers to a séance, often accompanied by other rituals or celebrations, in which a shaman communicates directly with the spirits. When a nature spirit or deity is specifically involved, the ritual is called pagdiwata. Anito can also refer to the act of worship or religious sacrifice to a spirit.

When Spanish missionaries arrived in the Philippines, the word “anito” became associated with physical representations of spirits in paganito rituals. During American rule, the meaning of the Spanish word idolo was further conflated with the English word “idol”, leading to anito now referring almost exclusively to carved figures or statues of ancestral and nature spirits.

What are Filipinos mixed with?

The Filipino people are proud of their heritage, which is located at the rim of East Asia, and their culture has been a mix of Malay, Chinese, Hindu, Arab, Polynesian, Spanish, English, Japanese, and African. The infamous advertising campaign that celebrated the virtues of Filipinos who were “mixed” – part-Filipino, part something else – raised the ire of the Philippine public. However, the author, Dr. Michael D. Purugganan, explains that genetically, they have no idea what it means to be “Filipino”.

The culture has been a mix of Malay, Chinese, Hindu, Arab, Polynesian, Spanish, English, Japanese, and African, and it shows up in their genes. The author acknowledges that the infamous campaign raised the ire of the Philippine public and that the author’s genetic background is unknown.

What is Philippines old name?

The Philippines, claimed by Spain in 1521, were named Las Felipinas after King Philip II of Spain. By the 1830s, Spanish culture and thought had influenced Filipino culture, leading to the idea of liberation from Spain. The Spanish government developed Filipino agriculture, leading to the rise of Filipino Nationalists, including Jose Rizal, who studied medicine at the University of Santo Tomas and the University of Madrid. Rizal wrote two novels that depicted Spanish rule’s abuses, which were banned but smuggled into the Philippines and widely read.

Rizal’s execution in 1896 marked the beginning of the Philippine revolution, led by Emilio Aguinaldo. Although the Filipino rebels did not win complete independence, the Spanish were unable to end the rebellion. In December 1897, negotiations with Spain led to the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, granting anmisty to the rebels and allowing them to return in voluntary exile to Hong Kong. Aguinaldo and his compatriots designed the Philippine national flag in Hong Kong.

What are shamans called in the Philippines?

The Philippine babaylan, a shaman, has recently become a subject of political interest as a growing number of mainstream Filipinos adopt practices from indigenous minority communities, many of whom continue to adhere to shamanic traditions, in an effort to “decolonize” themselves.

Which Philippine island is known for witchcraft?

Siquijor, a remote island in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines, is a center of witchcraft, magic, and folk healing. Its therapies blend Catholicism with shamanic practices, such as potion-making, exorcism, and herbal fumigation. These treatments are believed to eradicate sickness and disease due to an angry spirit world, which is believed to be present in the area. The island’s natural and supernatural treatments are believed to have the power to heal, and if intruded upon, they may take revenge in the form of illness, curses, or even death.

What are the spiritual beliefs in the Philippines?

The Philippines is predominantly Christian, with the Catholic Church as its largest denomination. Minorities adhere to Islam, Dharmic religions like Buddhism and Hinduism, and indigenous Philippine folk religions like Anito or Anitism. The country is secular and has a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion. Prior to Spanish missionaries, various ethnic groups practiced various faiths. According to the 2020 census, 88 percent of the population is Christian, with 79 belonging to the Catholic Church and 9 to Protestantism.

Other denominations include Philippine Independent Church, Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Apostolic Catholic Church, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Members Church of God International, and Pentecostals.

What religion is practiced in the Philippines?

The Philippines is predominantly Christian, with Catholicism being the predominant faith. Other Christian traditions that are represented in the country include Protestant churches like Iglesia ni Cristo, independent Christian churches, and indigenous Catholic churches like the Aglipayan Church.

What is the cursed island in the Philippines?

Siargao, one of the 7, 641 islands in the Philippines, is a popular tourist destination known for its surfing capital and infamous reputation as a trap for first-time visitors. The island is referred to as the “curse of Siargao” due to its mysterious pull, with many experiencing a desire to return or not leave upon arrival. The island’s reputation has been testified by friends and acquaintances, who have testified to the island’s mystical pull. However, the author finds it hard to believe that an island could have such a strong effect on anyone who is still in their right mind.

They compare this to Malapascua, another favorite island in the country, which they consider their favorite and do not mind revisiting. The author believes that the island’s fictitious gravitational pull is not as significant as it appears to some.