Lara: [cooing over her friend’s infant nephew] Aww, look at him, Miguel! He’s so cute—
Miguel: Hoy! Don’t say that without “pwera usog!” Do you want him to get sick?
Lara: laughs Seriously? You still believe in usog?
Miguel: Of course! You know how many babies get fussy after strangers compliment them? My mom swears it’s because the person didn’t say “pwera usog.” Bad vibes, you know?
Lara: Or… hear me out… babies cry because babies cry. They’re tiny humans with no emotional regulation. They don’t need “bad vibes” to get cranky—they have hunger, gas, and existential confusion.
Miguel: No, no. This is real. One time, my cousin visited with her newborn. A neighbor complimented the baby—“Ang cute naman!”—but didn’t say “pwera usog.” That night, the baby cried nonstop and had a fever!
Lara: Miguel, that sounds like a normal day for a newborn. They’re basically part-time alarm clocks. Plus, fevers happen when kids pick up viruses, not compliments. Unless your neighbor’s words carried germs.
Miguel: Don’t mock the ancestors! They knew things.
Lara: I’m not mocking! I’m just saying… maybe the ancestors didn’t have access to pediatricians. If a baby got sick after someone visited, they connected the dots in the simplest way.
Miguel: But how do you explain that it only happens when someone with “malakas na dila” gives the compliment? Some people cause usog more than others.
Lara: “Malakas na dila” just means the person is loud or expressive. Babies get overstimulated. If someone’s super animated—like you, for example—they might unintentionally scare or excite the baby.
Miguel: So you’re saying I’m the problem?
Lara: I’m saying your energy is the problem. You’re like a human fireworks display.
Miguel: laughs Okay, fine. But still, saying “pwera usog” doesn’t hurt anyone. It keeps the family calm. It’s like a verbal seatbelt.
Lara: True. It doesn’t hurt. If it reassures the parents, go ahead. But believing it literally stops sickness? That’s where I get skeptical.
Miguel: Lara, have you ever tried NOT saying it?
Lara: Yes. Many times. I compliment babies all the time. None of them mysteriously fall ill because I forgot an ancient password.
Miguel: Maybe you have gentle energy.
Lara: Or maybe germs cause sickness and not adjectives.
Miguel: smirks You’re very sure about science, ha.
Lara: Because science is consistent. If “pwera usog” really worked, doctors would write it on prescriptions. “Take vitamins and say pwera usog three times daily.”
Miguel: That would be funny.
Lara: “Side effects include slight embarrassment.”
Miguel: Fine, fine. But still, for peace of mind, I’ll keep saying it. Tradition is tradition.
Lara: And I respect that. Just don’t give me a dirty look when I forget to say it, okay?
Miguel: No promises. I might say “pwera Lara” just to be safe.
Lara: laughs That better not start any new superstition.
Science Vs Superstition 
Tell Us What You Think