According to the folklore of the Buhid Mangyan, one of the indigenous communities on the Philippine island of Mindoro, the Labang is a supernatural creature. The Labang are a ghoulish and frightening race of ghosts that can appear as either humans or animals.
The Labang are dreadful creatures that inhabit the world's edge. Before killing and devouring its victims, labang can transform into both humans and animals. Before moving on to live in Binayi's garden, where all souls rest, they are said to wander the places they used to visit during their mortal lives.
The Labang are demonic spirits that take the shape of animals. According to the Buhid Mangyan, their bites are lethal. In the event that the bite is not removed, it becomes a conduit for evil spirits to enter and cause illness or even death. In one story, a gang of labang injure a man. By licking his wound, an edu-labang—a labang that resembles a dog—kills him. His body is eaten by a gang of labang.
A Mangyan shaman (iglahi) tells a particular folktale that sheds light on the Labang's character.
The "labang" is a creature from the mythology of the Buhid Mangyan people, described in a folktale as a flesh-eating monster that was eventually defeated by an old woman named Wada-wada.
In the tale, Wada-wada tricks a family of labang into climbing a rope, which she then cuts to kill most of them, before defeating the parents in a game of hide-and-seek.
The labang's story is told in a Buhid tale by an iglahi (shaman). Yoyon was the grandchild of an elderly woman named Wada-wada. One day, Yoyon complains to his parents that a wiwi (creeping monster) bit him. By dusk, Yoyon dies. Hordes of young and old Labang visit Wada-wada as they grieve over Yoyon's tomb. She scales a hayu-ayahak tree out of fear. Wada-wada hears the labang consuming her grandchild's remains late at night. When the labang sees her climbing the tree the following day, he asks her how she got there. To fool them, she makes them climb a rope, which she subsequently cuts, killing the majority of the labang who aren't paying attention. There is still a labang family consisting of a man, his spouse, and their two kids. Wada-wada is invited to play hide-and-seek, but if she fails, they promise to eat her. Wada-wada attempts to use fire to flush the family out of their hiding spots after failing to locate them. The two young labang are killed by her. The Labang parents are allowed to live when Wada-wada wins the game. Wada-wada later warns a group of eight brothers about the labang after they cross paths in the highlands. Six of the brothers soon become ill and pass away. Kulinda and Dumalogdog are the two survivors. Dumalogdog notices the approaching horde of labang while he is excavating a burial for his deceased brethren and chops them all to death. However, the labang dies from the bloodstains on his skin. The rest of Kulinda roams the woods. Every time he forgets a personal item or wherever he lies down, a labang appears. He crafts a bamboo spear but is injured when he gets to Hayakyan. By licking his wound, an edu-labang—a labang that resembles a dog—kills him. His body is eaten by a gang of labang.
Important Traits of Labang from a Story by Buhid Mangyan
Corpse-eaters: The Labang are portrayed in the story as ghouls who consume human remains.
Cunning and crafty: In the story, the Labang are outwitted by an elderly woman named Wada-wada, who deceives them into climbing a defective rope and then engages in a lethal game of hide-and-seek.
Appears in a Variety of Ways: Although the Labang are a race of spirits, the story depicts them as both an assaulting "horde" and a particular family consisting of a man, a woman, and two boys.
A beauty pageant contestant's attire is one example of how the Labang's symbolism has been incorporated into contemporary Mangyan cultural expressions. The Labang, a spirit with "a symbiotic interaction with nature" and the natural beauty of Filipina women, was supposed to be represented by the elaborately beaded gown. This stands in contrast to conventional folklore's darker ghastly representations.
Sources:
Buhid Mangyan Folk Tale of the Labang by Aswang Project - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=5322527414480737&id=101949063205291&set=a.150223701711160&locale=zh_CN
Buhid Mangyan Cosmology and Beliefs by The Aswang Project - https://www.aswangproject.com/buhid-mangyan/
Mindoro and Palawan by Group Mindorawan - https://groupmindorawan.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/religion/
