KABA, KUTOB, KILABOT BOOK 1

UP Diliman: Anthro 161 (Folklore)

 One of the coolest papers I've done was for Anthro 161 (Folklore). We had three options for topics and I chose "the role of folklore in the conception of urban legends" (own words ko na to, I forget the exact topic). Why did I choose this topic? Because our cool prof told us if we were to choose this, we could do a profile of the most haunted buildings in UPD. Which building did I choose? Siyempre AS! :)

I just wanna share my paper verbatim. Here are some of my experiences and some excerpts of the transcriptions I did while interviewing a friend, a guard, and a member of Dulaang UP. (Marita, anyone? haha)
These are our stories. :)

**I did not include the interview questions so it will be just a continuous narration.

1) DOPPELGANGER
(MY STORY)
I and my friends were staying inside our "tambayan" just to pass time. That time, there was a blackout so the whole building was plunged in darkness and we were just playing cards by candlelight. One of our "orgmates" decided to go to the restroom by herself and went out. Minutes later, three of us saw her walking towards our "tambayan" and I said, "Tara na guys, andito na si (orgmate 1)." Minutes passed but she did not enter the room. ____, another "orgmate", decided to go after her and they came back together. (Orgmate 1) just said to us, "Hindi pa ko bumabalik ng tambayan, nakasalubong ko nga si (orgmate2) sa AS Walk eh." Nobody said a word after that and we all rushed towards the door and ran.

(FRIEND'S STORY)
"May report kami for Humanities 2 tapos we had to meet for the preparation. May groupmate kami na "leader-leaderan". Etong lalaki na to, yung buhok nya medyo kinky, lagi syang naka puting shirt saka chalecong itim tapos that day, tumawag sya sa 'kin tapos tinanong nya kung anong oras magme-meet. Mga bandang 8pm na yun tapos nasa tambayan pa kami so medyo na-frantic ako kaya sabi ko, "(Friend), samahan mo naman ako sa AS Steps baka naghihintay na dun yung groupmate ko." Etong si bakla, tanong sa kin kung gwapo ba yun tapos kung yummy, sasamahan daw nya ko. Paglakad naming sa Walk, nakita ko si (leader-leaderan guy) na naglalakad palayo sa amin so I was thinking na nagmamadali din sya papunta ng AS Steps so tinawag ko yung name nya. Tapos, bigla na lang siyang tumakbo tapos dun sa may bandang APO, lumiko sya papuntang lobby. Ka-porma sya ni (leader-leaderan guy) so tumakbo din kami ni (friend). Pagdating naming sa lobby, guard lang yung nakita namin. Tinanong namin yung guard. Sabi ko, "Kuya nakita mo ba kung saan tumakbo yung lalaking naka-puting shirt at black na chaleco?" Sabi nung guard, wala na naman akong nakitang estudyanteng tumatakbo dito. Ako lang saka yung mga nakaupong estudyante. Syempre naloka kami so tumakbo kami."

2) MARITA

(MY STORY)
I heard the story of "Marita" first when I was a freshman. Since our "tambayan" was inside the AS, one of our senior members said that we should be careful not to say her name thirteen times when we are in the vicinity of the AS or else we will see her. Of course, we didn't quite believe that and continued talking. Then, it was time to go home. All of us went out and four people, including I, were in the last batch to go out. As we were walking along the AS Walk, the senior member started to tease us by calling Marita's name. We told him to stop kidding us yet he continued doing so. I lost count of how many times he was able to say it but the strange thing was, without any of us gesturing or commenting, we all stopped and turned around at the same time. Behind us, beside the door leading to our "tambayan" complex, was a silhouette of a woman-like figure. Upon seeing that, we all looked at each other and ran for our lives.

(Dulaang UP Member and Actor)
"Yup, marami. One play noon, sa "Atang Dela Rama", nagpi-picture taking lang kami ng set kasi may set construction kami. Yung batchmate kong si ___, nag-picture sya dun sa may audience area. Tapos sa tabi nya, may na-manifest na white na ilaw. Hindi namin alam kung ano yun pero madilim kasi yung set and yun lang yung nag-register. Tapos, yang si Marita, nagpapakita yan pag role nung actress, abused woman. Kasi ang kwento-kwento dyan, para siyang babae na either inabuso and pinatay sa backstage or doon dinala, maraming variations eh. Ang totoo nyan para syang espiritong gala. Ako personal experience ko, galing akong banyo, nagtanggal ng makeup tapos paglabas may nabangga ako tapos wala naman akong nakita. Malamig sya, solid, matigas. Pero through the years, wala ka nang mararamdaman kasi it has become so usual for us. Oo, nakiki-participate sya talaga. There was one play, yung "Shadows of the Reef", yung Assistant Director naming nanood from the audience's view. Tapos merong dumaan sa kanya tapos sumayaw sa stage, pero wala naman. Napapagkwentuhan naming minsan kapag may fresh na manifestations pero common na lang sa amin yun eh. For example, nito lang nung Noli, pag kumakanta si Maria Clara, may sumasabay sa kanya, doble yung boses nya. Tapos, may pictorial kami for another play. Yung stage manager namin nag-self pic dun sa stage right. Pagtingin nya, may katabi syang babae na naka-gown na white na circa '40s tapos kulot yung hair. Parang ready sya magpa-picture, eh wala naming nakaputi sa amin at that time. At ang mas nakakaloka pa, when he took the picture, he was very close to the wall so walang pwedeng sumingit. May mga times na nagi-interfere talaga sya. Ay ayun, pinakagrabe yung nangyari kay ____, dun sa "Hinabing Pakpak". Ang story nun kasi dun may batang bibitayin nya yung sarili nya dahil sa sobrang kahirapan, so may isang scene dun na lalagpak yung lubid tapos magbibigti sya, so nakatayo sya sa ramp. Tapos bigla na lang bumula yung bibig nya tapos tumalon sya from the ramp so totoo yung bigti nya. So ang ginawa na lang may pumasok para alalayan yung paa nya. Pagkababa sa kanya, wala syang matandaan sa nangyari. Takot na takot ako nun."

3) OTHER MYSTERIOUS ENTITIES
(AS SECURITY GUARD)

"Bale mga 7 months nako dito. Nung unang duty ko dito, isang linggong nagparamdam sa akin yung mga multo dito. Yung first ko dito, nung nag-roving ako sa third floor, biglang nag-iba yung pakiramdam ko tapos tumaas yung balahibo ko. Pagtingin ko dun sa salamin ng bulletin board, biglang namatay yung flashlight ko. Pagkamatay nung flashlight, hindi na ko nakagalaw kasi may humawak na sa braso ko. Nagdasal ako tapos nun nawala na kaya bumaba na ko. Ikalawang araw naman, dun sa may lobby kasama ko reliever, may narinig kaming boses ng babae. Sa second floor. Umakyat kami wala naman tapos pagbababa namin nagsimula uli. Parang kumakanta. Tapos, pangatlo naman, doon sa may Dean's Office. Nakapwesto ako dito sa gitna biglang tinawag ako nung kasamahan ko. May kumakatok daw galing sa office. Pang-apat o panglima, may bigla naming humila ng mesa mula sa loob. Panglima naman, may narinig kaming bumababa sa hagdan, nakabakya. Mga bandang 1:30 yun, parang may oras sila ng pagpaparamdam. Ah, meron talagang nanggaya dito. Yung isang admin dito, kwento nya naghuhugas daw sya ng kamay sa CR sa first floor tapos may katabi din syang babae na naghuhugas din ng kamay. Naghilamos daw sya, naghilamos din daw yung babae. Pagtingin nya, yung tubig tumatagos dun sa kamay ng babae. Nagtatakbo na sya. Ang pagkakaalam ko dyan talaga sa CR nay an may pinatay dyang estudyante. Sa theatre naman, pumasok yung mga guard tapos hindi na sila nakalabas, parang kinulong sila, ayaw silang paalisin. Tapos, Sanay na ako eh. Hindi maiiwasan kabahan pero trabaho ko to eh. Meron pa rin akong nararamdaman pero hindi ko na pinapansin. Minsan nga, tinestesting testing ko din pinapatay-patay ko yung ilaw ko minsan. Sanayan lang yan".

c|o: Ivy Polea