Thread by @alexisofswords

#UPVencounters #scarystories & #urbanlegends Part 4: The UPV Pact turned Curse.

Before we continue with our stories, I find it prudent to explain the potential origins on why so many… uh… “things” inhabit UPV.

Also because some younger years haven’t heard this myth yet—

So let’s go back to the beginning, to when UPV was just about to be built.

Now, this is not the story of how deals were made with locals and government bodies. This is the story of the cultural price we have to pay, the price set by our beliefs in beyond what is human.—

During this time, belief in the local customs of asking permission from the supernatural through ritual was still quite strong. You have probably witnessed some version of this with a local witch doctor sacrificing a chicken or another animal for a blessing or an apology.—

But the land UP is built on is old, populated by ancient trees and overgrown forests, untouched and almost unwelcome to humans. You can bet this ritual needed a lot more than a couple of sacrificial chickens and this ritual would have also appeased local superstition. —

Just before construction started, some UP execs and profs and admins all agreed that a ritual to appease the old gods would have to be performed. This would calm local nerves and maybe deep down even academics needed the assurance… just in case!

And so it was. The rumor is—

that 3 very old and experienced Babaylan (all women, mind you), hailing from an indigenous tribe in the Luzon (this is the most common retelling, though which tribe and which place varies) were flown in to act as mediators between the humans of UPV and the land’s “owners”.—

We don’t know what UPV offered to get them to agree but they did and when they got here, they asked for full control and for UPV to provide the materials they required to perform the ritual and communicate with the supernatural forces of the land.

What they asked for was never—

clear but rumors say that one was a full black pig, some precious metals and many other things. They were also given free reign to choose which spot of the campus they would perform the ritual on.

The stories say the ritual lasted days and required them to do parts of it—

across the whole of UPV, as if to call guests to a meeting and to cover all their bases. One version even specifies that they didn’t sleep, with the rituals being more intense and even necessary to be only performed at night.

We don’t know how many days it took, but some —

versions of this story say that there were breaks in the ritual to give the Babaylan a chance to convey the message of the entities of UPV to the admin. A translator was present to navigate linguistic differences.

Eventually, acceptable terms were reached and UPV was —

allowed to be built on the area. With some conditions, of course. Here is what we know:

1) Construction was only allowed on some parts of the area, others were to remain untouched.
2) The land was on lease, UPV would only be allowed to inhabit it for a certain amount of—

time before terms were to be renegotiated.
3) The same ritual and sacrifices must be done in the same way when the pact expires.

And everything was relatively great, except for some supernatural hiccups in construction (more on that later). Until, recently, that is. —

Now we don’t know the exact date and details of this pact, but what everyone seems to agree on is that it has DEFINITELY expired and that the ritual is yet to be performed again.

This means, UPV has lapsed its lease and owes its landlords (pun intended) overdue payment.—

This, of course, has made the spirits angry and have taken matters into their own hands.

It seems, that until the contract and the ritual renewed, they would have their payment one way or another. Unfortunately, it’s a payment taken in blood.—

I am not going to belittle what follows, just to retell how this would connect to this urban legend.

Apparently, since the contract has expired, the spirits are to take payment in blood by taking the life of someone related to UPV. One life, per year, until the contract —

is renewed. This is why it’s been linked to some unexpected losses of life, mysterious deaths and accidents of someone related to the campus. It apparently doesn’t matter the cause, just that someone related to UP pays for its stay with their life.

This rumor and this link —

does come with examples. Some stories tell of security guards from long ago simply falling asleep at their post, never to wake again. Construction workers meeting their end on UP ground and many, many more.

I am not saying this is true. It is an Urban Legend, after all, BUT—

if the only thing stopping us from paying our cultural respects is the logic driven behind being facts and science based, I think we can take an L here and see no harm in performing this ritual again.

We are academics, sure, but we are still academics that serve and interact—

with people.

And if the people that surround us believe in the supernatural, maybe we should consider respecting their beliefs. Additionally, just in case the spirits are mad, why wouldn’t we want to appease them?

—

There are many versions of this story, many details even —

I have missed despite seeking out all the versions I could hear/find to see where the facts align. Alas, much is lost to history and changed due to this story being passed through vocal mediums.

I will, however, leave you with three more rumors about this legend. —

The first is that the ritual was actual recorded for historical and academic purposes. Meaning, a documentary exists. Rumor is that its safely hidden away and accessible by special access in the Center for West Visayan Studies as there is only one copy. Allegedly, in my opinion—

The second — although even I think this is just a bit fun — is that they were able to convince the Babaylan to make the trip by paying their price, part of which is 1million pesos EACH!

Do with that information what you will. —

The third is information on where the main part of the ritual occurred.

As where all spiritually heavy things tend to leave their mark, this spot is also very creepy at night, gives off a bad aura, makes your hair stand on end and gives you the instinct to avoid it at —

all costs. My general experience is that I don’t like staying too long in this area especially at night and I always feel as if someone is watching and waiting there.

This area is at the back of BD towards CDH. Yes, that one area that’s always too dark, too cold, too… weird.—

But there it is! The story of how it all began and how we lived long enough to become the villains and turned a pact into a curse.

Whatever the actual facts are, this surely makes one hell of an origin story!