PHILIPPINE mythical creatures invaded the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila as celebrities and influencers dressed up for a Halloween party called “Shake, Rattle, and Ball.”
The star-studded event, held on October 30, was eventologist Tim Yap’s annual Halloween party that aimed to pay homage to Philippine folklore.
“Shake, Rattle, and Ball” also marked the launching of the exhibit called “Alamat,” which features the works of National Artist Kidlat Tahimik and multidisciplinary artist Leeroy New, among others.
Yap shared in an episode of “Surprise Guest with Pia Arcangel” that the exhibit is set up to remind Filipinos of their own mythology.
“I want us to celebrate ourselves by having our own Filipino Halloween, by celebrating our own culture, our own identity,” he said.
The “Alamat” exhibit is open to the public from October 31 until December.
The celebrities and influencers who attended the “Shake, Rattle, and Ball” party showcased how rich Philippine folklore is through their Halloween costumes.
Here are some of their spooky and mythical looks at the event:
Tim as Lilia Cuntapay
Clad in a black dress with a black veil, the television and events host came to the party dressed up as the late actress Lilia Cuntapay, who is known as the “Queen of Philippine Horror Movies.”
She often played different eerie roles in classic Filipino horror films such as a ghost, a witch, or an “aswang.”
Her debut role in horror movies was in “Shake, Rattle & Roll III” in 1991, where she portrayed the character of a spooky “yaya.”
DonBelle as Darna, Captain Barbell
The names Captain Barbell and Darna have been trending on X (formerly Twitter), as onscreen tandem Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano paid homage to the two iconic Filipino superheroes at the event.
Captain Barbell and Darna are among the fictional superheroes created by Mars Ravelo, who is known as the “King of Philippine Komiks.”
The stories of these two superheroes had movie and television adaptations.
Rhian as Alexandra Trese
Rhian Ramos gave netizens a glimpse of what Alexandra Trese would look like in real life when she arrived at the party as the female detective who solves crimes that involve supernatural forces from Philippine folklore.
Trese is the lead character in the animated series “Trese,” which is based on the Filipino comic series of the same name by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldismo.
It was Liza Soberano who became the voice of Trese in the Filipino version of the series.
Andrea as half-encanto, half-manananggal
Andrea Brillantes left no crumbs at this year’s Halloween party when she donned a spine-chilling half-encanto and half-manananggal costume.
The actress’ costume was inspired by “Amalia,” a hybrid mythical creature Brillantes invented herself. Sharing her backstory to Preview, the actress said that Amalia fell in love with her victim, but the latter chose to love a human over her.
Alodia as sirena
Celebrity cosplayer Alodia Gosiengfiao-Quimbo looked ethereal in her “sirena” costume.
She wore a custom Mara Chua dress, accompanied by a blue purse with a figure of a mermaid on top.
To complete her look, Gosiengfiao also wore resin mermaid ears that she made herself.
Max as white lady
When people talk about Philippine folklore, one of the creatures that they cannot miss is the famous white lady.
This is what Max Collins made sure of when she attended the event clad in an all-white sheer dress with smeared red lipstick on the left side of her lips.
The dress was made by Davao-based fashion designer Kenny Ladaga.
Janeena as Ibong Adarna
Ibong Adarna appeared at Yap’s event in the form of GMA Sparkle artist Janeena Chan.
For her modern take on the mythical bird, Chan wore a sequined dress with accents of blue, purple, and red feathers. The custom masterpiece was made by designer Ushi Sato.
Ibong Adarna, which is often described as the most colorful bird in Philippine folklore, was featured in the epic poem titled “Ibong Adarna.” In the story, the legendary bird has healing powers and the ability to turn any living thing into a stone.
