Filipinos are fond of mythology, not your usual gods and goddesses who sometimes dwells on earth but scary myths that involves demonyos (demonic beings), enchanted beings, giants, ghost and vampires or the local term aswang. I, for one grew up to believe that vampires are real and that somewhere in Capiz, Philippines is a place where vampires are believed to reside. And that was before Ann Rice and Stephenie Meyer popularized vampires in literature.

The vampires i know are the "flying aswang, or the blood-sucker, usually appeared as a beautiful maiden who engaged in vampiric activities at night, always returning home to resume her normal life before dawn. Some women have an ointment that they rub on their body prior to their nocturnal activities. The ointment was the source of their supernatural abilities. In its vampiric state, the aswang became a large bird that flew through the sky crying out kakak or kikak. It would land on the roof of a prospective victim's house and let down a long tongue with a sharp point. The point was used to prick the jugular vein, and the blood was sucked up through the hollow tongue's tubular structure. Children were told stories of the possibility of being attacked by an aswang. Once filled with blood, the aswang resembled a pregnant woman. Upon returning home she fed her children, who suckled at her breast. The aswang's supernatural powers ceased either with its washing off the ointment or the coming of dawn."

Looking at the above picture, it's no wonder the idea of Stephenie Meyer's vampire clan The Cullens greatly appeals to the Filipinos as they are vastly different from our long-time belief. Vampires in the Filipino Myth are thought to be poor and live in ramshackle houses. They are not attractive for want of better word. They are scary.


But The Cullens. Not your ordinary vampire. They're Out of this World beautiful. They are rich and you want to be one of them even if they're just fictional characters. In short they are not scary.


Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/vampires-in-the-philippines