Last weekend, my family and I went on a trip to Ubay to take my brother back to the hospital he was interning in. Back home, we stopped by my mom's hometown in Sierra Bulliones where we found out through my grandpa that my uncle has been working as a craftsman and a mason in a developing eco-tourism park in Bilar. So hoping we would catch a glimpse of his work, we stopped by Bilar on the way home. If this was an ordinary trip from Tagbilaran City, Bilar Enchanted Park would generally only be an hour away.
When we arrived, I was lying down in a fetal position in the back seats of the family van in a very unflattering position π. Even though I'm in my twenties, I am still feel like that kid who could fall asleep in any position in the family van.
The park had an entrance fee of 120 PHP (~2.29 USD) per person, but since my uncle was the craftsman of several of the statues, we got in....
The park was relatively new, with a theme surrounding Filipino mythology. If you have watched or read Trese, you'd be aware of the many Filipino mythological creatures and lore.
In this park, we have giant frogs (higanteng palaka) and scandalous-looking centaurs. Perhaps, there are male centaurs around?
I didn't notice it at first, but even the entrance has a creature which I almost didn't catch if not for the label and description on the left-- a Diwata like the song by Sam Concepcion.
I would remember my grandaunts' stories about engkantos and diwatas residing in the trees back at our ancestral home in Cortes, Bohol. As a mischievous kid, they would warn my brothers and I that if we do not behave, engkantos and diwatas would curse us and make frogs jump out of our mouths, or hide us in the trees never to be able to return to the house again.
Well, for one. That story scared the shit out of 5-year old me.
Of course, no Boholano park is complete without an enormous statue of Bohol's most prized species-- the Boholano tarsier. If this guy came too life, they'd prolly gobbled up all the tourists mistaking them for yummy roaches.
But, nothing could probably impact the whole park the same way as the sculpture of the manananggal -- a type of aswang that has wings, and could detach from its lower body -- holding an enormous phallus. If Sigmund Freud was still alive, he would admire this glorious masculine-inspired piece of art π.
Aswangs by the way, in Filipino lore, are described as flesh-eating, shapeshifting monsters. Mananangals specifically are depicted as female and vampire-like, targetting unborn fetuses... though in these photos, I guess they changed it to emphasize the unfertilized unborn π.
I could only imagine what the more far-conservative and religious groups coming to the park would say about this enormous sculpture... and knowing the density of religious conservatives here in Bohol, they'd say a plenty π. I am just amazed at how adamant the owner of the park is about keeping art, art. Only if peopel here knew that there are far more risque places like Jeju love island or Japanese Thai and Bhuddist festivals, or the many ancient civilizations which worshipped and honored the phallus as a symbol, sometimes for dominance, most times, for prosperity.
Aside from that, there is this questionable water statue of Baylan Buwak. Baylan comes from the word Babaylan which were ancient Filipino spiritual leaders, similar to a shaman. Buwak is BisayΓ’ for flower. Baylan Buwak was called so because of her love for flowers, so much so that her urine was said to make flowers bloom. This sculpture of her urinating a mini-pond explains it.
To be honest, I have only heard of Baylan Buwak the moment I stepped foot of Bilar Enchanted. Talk about being a stranger to your own culture...
After that fun stroll, I managed to visit my uncle at work. In these photos, he is welding structures for the entrance lettering.
Overall, I feel strongly supportive about the tourism sector here in Bilar-- for the whole island in fact. The whole island is turning into an nature-inspired escapist wonderland, free from all slivers of urbanity. As border restrictions seem to be loosening up, it's only a matter of time where international tourists are going to flock the whole park, and several other theme parks in the island. I also hope they ask about whose hands made all these.
ABOUT THE PROTEAN CREATOR
Roxanne Marie is a twenty-year-old something who calls herself the Protean Creator.
She is a chemical engineer by profession, pole-dancer and blogger by passion and frustration, and lastly, a life enthusiast. She loves open discourse, witty musings, discussions about abstract and tangible ideas, and any opportunity where she can insert memes into the conversation.
She is on a mission to rediscover her truth through the messy iterative process of learning, relearning and unlearning, and openly discusses the ideas and thoughts that are born fro her experiences here on Hive. Currently, she works as a science and research instructor for senior high school students in her hometown, Tagbilaran City, all the while documenting her misadventures, misfortunes, pagka-hugotera, reflections and shenanigans as a working-class millennial.
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Dear @proteancreator , I hope you understand if I use rude or offensive language.
Even in East Asia, where I live, there is a legend that women's urine brings good luck to people.
A woman had a dream that when she climbed a mountain and urinated on her, the urine filled the capital of the country. After the dream, she married a prince, and there is a legend that she later became a queen.
I first learned that there is a legend in the Philippines that women's urine brings good luck.π
Dear @goldgrifin007, it's perfectly fine! and that's one nice story you got! I guess it's an Asian thing to regard female urine as a bringer of good luck π, and it's also quite fitting in the story that the woman became a queen π.
Cool park) Here are funny statues, they cheer you up)
I think you had fun there)
I did! You probably would too!
Those are some awesome statues! I like that bat winged upper torso only creature..
Wow, that's fantastic - some of those sculptures are pretty wierd! Your sense of humour made me giggle as well - that dick pic! I loved reading about the culture and am following you for more = great post.
Thanks! I appreciate the follow πΈβΊοΈ
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