Liza: Marco, don’t laugh, okay? But my aunt told my cousin—she’s pregnant—to stop going out after sunset. Manananggal and aswang are most active at night, especially when they smell a baby.
Marco: I’m not laughing… yet. But Liza, you really think a flying half-bodied creature is tracking pregnancies now?
Liza: You say that like it’s impossible. In the province, everyone knows stories. My grandmother swore a manananggal circled their house when she was pregnant with my dad. The dogs were howling all night.
Marco: Dogs howl for lots of reasons—stray cats, other dogs, or even just noise. Our brains are very good at connecting scary stories to normal events.
Liza: Easy for you to say. You didn’t grow up being told to pin garlic on your clothes “just in case.” Even hospitals here sometimes let families hang amulets near pregnant women.
Marco: True, but that’s more about cultural comfort than actual protection. Science doesn’t show any evidence that garlic wards off anything except maybe mosquitoes and bad breath.
Liza: Still, why risk it? Pregnancy is already dangerous. If avoiding dark places and weird noises gives peace of mind, what’s the harm?
Marco: Avoiding dark alleys is sensible—for real-world reasons like poor lighting and safety. But blaming aswang can distract from real medical advice, like regular checkups or nutrition.
Liza: But what about those stories where women suddenly miscarry, and people say it’s because an aswang targeted them?
Marco: Miscarriages sadly happen for biological reasons—chromosomal issues, infections, stress. Folklore becomes a way to explain something painful when science feels cold or confusing.
Liza: So you’re saying our ancestors just made it all up?
Marco: Not “made up” to deceive. More like they used stories to protect pregnant women—keeping them indoors, reducing stress, avoiding risky situations—before modern medicine existed.
Liza: Huh. So manananggal was like… an ancient public health campaign?
Marco: Exactly! “Stay home, rest, eat well,” just with wings and fangs added for drama.
Liza: Okay, that actually makes sense. Still… if I were pregnant, I’d probably avoid flying monsters and skip unlit streets.
Marco: Fair enough. If believing in aswang makes someone calmer and safer, I won’t argue. I just don’t want fear replacing prenatal vitamins.
Liza: Deal. Science for the body, folklore for the nerves.
Marco: Best combination. Just promise me one thing.
Liza: What?
Marco: If you ever see a manananggal, take a picture. Science would love that.
Liza: Laughs If I’m that calm in the moment, then yes. But I’m blaming you if I drop my phone and run.
The two friends laugh, walking on—one carrying old stories, the other modern explanations, both caring in their own way.
Science Vs Superstition 
Tell Us What You Think