
Ever since, stories about aswangs in the Philippines were always pointed to the Visayan islands, most especially in the Provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, Antique, and Aklan, as the origination. The known legend about Tiniente Gimo and Maria Labo came from them.
Maria Labo was the name used to refer to the female vampire who came from Iloilo or Capiz (others suggest from Sorsogon). She was popularized by the story that she murdered her two sons and then cooked them. She was recognizable by her huge scar across her face, thus she got her name. Aside of the provinces in Panay Island, her story is also famous in other neighboring provinces like Cebu. She even reached the city of Davao.
Legend
It's my professor who gave me an idea about her. He even gave me the popular text message that terrorized people who receives it. Well, I also searched some of her stories and collected them here just to make a clear and whole tale about her life. When I found the
Ang Tatlong Katauhan ni Maria Labo, it made me understand what actually happened to her. Until now, I am in search of the said article in a news paper that made her popular.
[Taken from Internet:]
A young woman named Maria went to Canada as a caregiver. There, she took care of an old man which, according to rumours, was possessed by the so-called "vampire" (some "aswang") curse. When the old man died, he passed the curse (some say, his powers) to Maria. Finding no luck in Canada, Maria went home. It was then that her thirst for human flesh started. When her husband, a policeman, went home one night, he looked for their kids. The deranged Maria pointed to the stove where she had cooked their children. Enraged, her husband struck her with a bolo ("labo") where she obtained a scar on her face, earning her the monicker Maria Labo. They said, she fled to Visayas, then to Mindanao, in a quest to satiate her hunger for human flesh and viscera. Like a typical aswang, she has the ability to change her appearance. Sometimes she appears as a beautiful young lady. At other times, she appears as an old woman. |
[Taken from a Text Message:]
She was recently a saleslady in a mall (I don't know where specifically in the Philippines she is now), living as a normal person, and whenever you remember abruptly about her at exactly 3 in the morning and afternoon, she'll suddenly appear in front of you then kill you. Some said, she has a cellphone number. (I don't know what will happen if you'll call her.) |
[Taken from a Book:[1]]
1. Mula nang naging malaganap ang militarisasyon sa kanayunan naging magulo na ang probinsiya ng Sorsogon. Walang masaganang ani ang mga magsasaka't mangingisda. Maraming maliliit na negosyo ang nagsara. Hindi makapasok sa eskwela ang mga bata. Halos hindi na nga makalabas ng bahay ang mga tao. Lahat nahihintay na lang na mabagsakan ng isang bomba, para sabay-sabay na mamatay. Maliban kay Maria Labo. By: Abelardo Gajarion |
Variations
Because of this variations of Maria Labó's legends, story about her became unbelievable.
Maria Labo was a simple beautiful young girl who was raped by village men. Swearing revenge, she is said to roam the fringes of small towns victimizing young men. She was an OFW who acquired vampiric powers from the old man she took care in Canada. When she went home, she found herself wanting to eat human flesh. Thus, she killed her own children. Some version, Maria Labó was just a human being without any supernatural powers, however she was a cannibal who ate her own two sons. Yet another version, she was an OFW who was killed by a Spanish old man. She went home as a ghost. Other version says that she came from Iloilo, some from Capiz and yet from Sorsogon.
About this
The story of Maria Labó has found its way in the local news papers and true ghost story books so most probably, this story is partly true. It took fame at the midst of 2003. This story caused a stir in the city some 5 years ago. But according to the story
Ang Tatlong Katauhan Ni Maria Labo(as shown above), she was not actually an aswang (vampire) but a victim of murber of a madman overseas. She came back with her moneys and things, not as a human, but a ghost. Before she departed her family, she'd put them first in good place.
It seems her influence to many people stays till now, and even stories of her personal life is rumored.
Conclusion
According to the text message, whenever you remember her every 3:00 am or pm, she'll appear after you and will kill you. For me, it's very impossible for her to visit every person in the same time in different places whenever she is remembered. There could be hundreds or thousands of people who might think of her. Then the question is - who would she visit first? And perhaps, the reason why her story became more horrible (that she transformed into a vampire) because of how she'd gone home as a ghost.
Last Updated: February 11, 2014
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