In a Makopa tree (Syzygium samarangense) locally called tambis in Hiligaynon, there is a stream flowing down in a huge boulder of rock. During fiesta in the old days, it’s almost a tradition for the people receiving clothes from the tamawo. People were not surprised; they just get the clothes and never forgot to return them once they are done with their needs on it. If those clothes were not returned, the tamawos will be griping.
It happened that a child vanished. The child was just playing with its playmates but never returned anymore. The people imagined and assumed the tamawos hid the child in their dwellings. The father of the child took his hidden lantaka or cannon which was used during the Spanish colonial period. He shot it near the shore of the streams in the hopes of gaining back his child. The next morning, the child was found dead.
The hill of Angas and the mountain of Upao are two places in the town which were believed by the people as the site of the twin cities of the tamawo or fairies. According to the folklore, a very fortunate person can see flashy cars which were more beautiful than those seen in pictures and postcards in the big cities in Europe and America. People who were blessed to be friends with these creatures can have a glimpse of palace like mansion at the foothills of the mountain. These are seldom to happen so no one is certain when these sightings will happen again. The barrio of San Francisco which is the just near the shore is said to be the pier. On this fateful night of luck, which was told by the elders, it will be focused in the marveling eyes of the people the towering heights of the city which consists of thousands of skyscrapers, huge commercial and passenger vessels and cruise liner from different countries, and all of the luxurious attributes of a modern metropolis. Due to these beliefs in the cities of the fairies, the people were so careful in traveling or strolling around these cities.
There is a young lady named Aida who is being wooed or pursued by the tamawo. This fairy is living in a balete tree near the water well. Everyday, the young woman washes clothes and takes a bath in this place.
One day, the fairy appeared to Aida. The young woman was so amazed because of his brawny body and his lavish costume. The fairy invited the young woman to stroll around and visit their house. They rode a car going to the house of the fairy. A palace like mansion fronting Negros Island is the place they visited. A beautiful scenery was sighted by the young lady. The man said that if the young woman likes they can visit Negros first before they eat. They rode an airplane and went around Negros Island. When they returned, delicious food is already served in the table. There is white and purple rice. The woman is wondering because the rice is moving. The woman was so scared she asked to leave without taking some food.
There are lots of students who came from Dingle who are studying in Manila. Among those students were Juan and Pedro who were close friends. One day, Juan is going home to Dingle when Pedro requested him to bring letters to his family back home. When Juan arrived in his hometown, he immediately went to the place where Pedro instructed him to give the letters. Juan was surprised to see a very beautiful and big house Pedro told him about. This house was beside a very thick lush tree. Juan knocked on the door. An old woman opened the door. She read the letter and after that, gave Juan money to be given to Pedro. After the door was closed and in Juan's big surprise, the huge house disappeared. Juan's friend Pedro is actually a tamawo.
In a village of Sta. Barbara, there is a young man named Pilo. It is a habit for Pilo to bring a guitar when visiting his lover. In the road is a lush balete tree which is widely reputed and known as the dwelling of the tamawo.
One humid night, Pilo is returning home from strolling around when he thought of passing by and serenade alone in the balete tree. He is just starting to sing some lovely songs accompanied by the sounds of the guitar when Pilo felt the wind is blowing stronger. Pilo continued to sing without even fearing. In the middle of his singing the rain suddenly fell but Pilo noticed he never got wet. It was followed by a sudden appearance of a fire from the top of the balete tree and Pilo was petrified and attempted to run but it seems something is stopping him. In a blink of an eye, it came to the view of Pilo a very big house, a house he could not describe its beauty.
Pilo saw the opening of the door and in an instance he realized that he was at the porch of the house facing a very beautiful lady. They talked for a long while and the lady told him he should return the next day as long as he should avoid drinking tuba and smoking.
Pilo went home as if dreaming to what had happened to him. The next day Pilo bragged to his friends about what had happened and planned to return to the place together with his friends. They spent the whole night and early dawn serenading but what was expected did not happened. Most probably his companions were inebriated.
Long time ago when there were still fewer people, there is a couple who lives in a remote area of Santa Barbara. Their small house is located at the foothills of a mound which is far from its neighbors. Their water well is near the Balete tree which is not far from their house. The husband is working in the city and returns home early in the evening so his wife was left alone in their house.
One day, the woman thought of washing their dirty clothes. When she was about to finish her work, she saw a very beautiful ring beside the well. Instead of keeping it, the woman exposed it in the road so that if the owner returns and looks for it, he or she will immediately see it. After two days, the woman will be doing the laundry again. When she was about to go home and hang dry the clothes she saw the said ring inside her batya. The woman got nervous and hurriedly went to the well. She thought she will be accused wrongly by the owner of the ring.
However, when she was returning to the well she saw a man under the balete tree and smiling at her. Without any hesitation, the woman showed him the said ring and asked him if he was the owner. The man smilingly answered that he was the owner of the ring but he sincerely give it to the woman. The woman got scared and explained that she’s already married and has a husband. She was not forced to get the ring.
When the night falls and the husband returns home from the city. He caught and saw that she was so sick with stomachache. Since they are remotely living far away from their neighbors and town center, the woman died without giving cure or solution to her illness. In his deep resentment, the man left the place and continued with his work in the city as a garbage collector.
Many years had passed and the man continued with his work. One day when he was returning home in a narrow path he saw a small store which he had never seen before. He went to the said store and pretends to buy a cigarette. He was suddenly petrified when it was revealed to him the lady inside the store which really resembled his wife. He asked the woman in the hopes of her being a relative of his departed wife.
The woman confessed the truth that she has three child and a wife of a tamawo (fairy), who is the owner of the ring and formerly residing in the balete tree near the place where they live. When the man learned about it, he wanted to hug his wife only that cold steel bars gets in between them.
They talked intensively while the tamawo or fairy is busy trading in other countries. The woman said that if her former husband wants to be reunited with her, he should go home to the place where they used to live, gather and fill with hays the balete tree. At around 12 o'clock noon of Good Friday of Holy Week, he should light or ignite the hays with fire and the woman will jump out of it.
The man left his job and followed all the instructions of his wife. So when 12 o'clock noon of Good Friday arrived, the man lighted with fire the balete tree and suddenly his wife jumped out of it. Since then, they lived happily together. Several years had passed, however each time 12 o'clock noon of Good Friday comes they can hear three children screaming "Mommy... Mommy..."
Photo Source:
http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/fellowshipofsaintsandsinners/2012/10/the-beautiful-wife-how-one-woman-is-crusading-to-save-christian-marriages.html
The tamawos were the fairies of the Ilonggos. They were considered as someone who are like us. They went to the market, church and hear mass but goes out when the Holy Eucharist is raised. The only difference is that the tamawo has no balintataw (pupils) in their eyes.
Love captures and conquers anyone. Just like the ocean, it is free, vast and knows no boundary. This was the description of the life of Aling Rosing. She became the center of affection of a tamawo. She was a twenty-two year old young lady then. Around eleven o’clock then while she was gathering and picking some nipa leaves she heard someone is calling her name and she saw a man sitting near a tree. He might probably be around thirty years old. The young lady was immovable or static from where she stands and she felt sleepy and passed out. It was already afternoon when she regained consciousness. She never saw anyone but after a short while, he saw the man again. He is just staring at her, speechless. Aling Rosing went home carrying the nipa leaves. The man followed her. He suddenly disappeared when they were nearing the house of Aling Rosing.
After two months, one night Aling Rosing accompanied her mother to the shores to fulfill some necessities. Aling Rosing saw a lot of people – men and women but her mother saw nothing. They pulled Aling Rosing towards the stairs of the palace like house in Roca Encantada. The tamawos were talking to each other but she could not understand their language. The man she saw before was also present here but he is not talking. The young man remained speechless at that point. Aling Rosing was followed by her mother in Roca Encantada and the tamawos instantly disappeared like bubbles.
Aling Rosing turns twenty-four years old at that time. The very round full moon is exploding with golden brilliance. She thought of going to the shores. All of a sudden, a mysterious young man came out of her sight that seems like keeping a feeling of affection to her. He holds her by the hands. Aling Rosing seems lost. Together they crossed the shores from Roca Encantada until Barrio Navalas. Then the tamawo or fairy disappeared again.
On this bizarre event, Aling Rosing’s father ordered her to drink some tuba or local palm wine to drive away the tamawo and abandon her. The tuba or palm wine was believed to be the drink hated by the tamawos or fairies. Since Aling Rosing started to drink tuba or palm wine, the tamawo suitor never ever appeared to her again.
