ROXAS City – There’s no stopping the controversial Aswang Festival. The organizer — the Dugo Capiznon Inc. (DCI) says will not succumb to public pressure and will stage the third edition of the event on October 27 and 28 as a pre-Halloween activity.
Last year, the festival faced stiff opposition mainly from the religious sector of Capiz but DCI managed to stage it.
In Philippine folklore, “aswang” (witch) is a visceral, sucking creature that flies at night in search of human internal organs, fetuses and infants. And for much of its existence as a province, Capiz has been unluckily associated with the “aswang”.
DCI ” a group of young and creative Capiceños — wants to make something positive out of this “negative” impression on Capiz. Its Aswang Festival capitalizes on the stigma to “sell” Capiz as in fact a “bewitching” or attractive place for tourists and investors.
I don’t think the end justifies the means in this case. Surely, the rest will be left to everyone’s (a foreigner to Capiz) imagination.