Urban Legends, different provinces have them. They are stories by word of mouth and no one knows whether or not they really happened, but urban legends say a lot about people’s creativity in story-telling.
Cebu also has its set of urban legends that have been passed down to generations. From hauntings to mythical fishes, the Cebuano urban legends proved to be both horrific and intriguing. Here are 5 Cebuano urban legends you should know.
1. The Kugtong
Have you heard about the Urban legend of Cagayan de Oro’s Giant Goldfish? Well, Cebu has its own counterpart, The Kugtong.
The Kugtong is a well known legend in Lapu-Lapu City. According to the urban legend, the Kugtong is a gigantic grouper fish that lives under a milling company. Some say the fish can swallow a person whole with its flesh-ripping teeth and razor scales. They believe that the fish is mutated from the biological waste products from the milling company.
Some people believe that the fish is lucky, which is why the owners of the milling company take good care of the Kugtong to bring success to their business.
2. Minda Mora
Cebuanos love a good horror story. The following urban legend is from the University of San Carlos Downtown Campus. They say a student named Minda Mora still haunts the university until this day because of her tragic fate.
Legend says that Minda Mora, a promising student who loves performing, was raped and killed by many security personnel. The poor student’s body was said to be buried in the USC Cultural Center. Seeking vengeance for her gruesome death, she still haunts the halls of the University.
3. Lily
Famous Filipino urban legends almost always include an aswang. Cebu has its aswang figure by the name of Lily. According to urban legends, Lily is a witch who devours people at midnight. She is said to be most powerful when the moon shines.
4. Cat Meat Siopao
Who doesn’t love Siopao? The savory meat inside a fluffy bun hits the spot. Did you know Cebu has an urban legend about siopao? You might want to stop eating this.
Legends say there was meat scarcity during the war, so people resorted to other alternatives. One alternative was believed to be a beloved house pet. Do you need a clue? It goes “meow.” If you guessed cat meat, then yes. As an alternative stuffing, people used cat meat for siopao.
To this day, people still joke around about being careful with siopao because you never know what you could get. Bon appetit…?
5. The Child, Niño
Almost every Cebuano household has a statue of Sto. Niño. Yes, there is an urban legend about that too. According to the story, a couple who lived in the mountains decided to pray after the loss of their carabao. When they were about to pray, they noticed their Sto. Niño disappeared.
The next day, the couple was stunned to see the carabao outside their house. However, this is where it gets interesting and slightly surprising. A neighbor apparently saw the carabao pass by his house with a young boy riding on its back.
The couple also noticed that their Sto. Niño statue was back, and there was amorseco on it. And so, the couple thought of the idea that it was the child Sto. Niño that brought back their carabao.
Those are the different Urban legends of Cebu. A human’s imagination is powerful enough to create interesting stories like these. You have to believe.
Oh, you might want to sleep with your lights on tonight.
