Axel Timo Purr talks to writer and university lecturer Allan Derain about the return of ancient myths to the Philippine present. Inspired by William Henry Scott's Barangay: Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and Society, Derain combines ethnographic research with literature and tells how stories of demigods, shamans and healers are gaining new meaning in times of climate change. The Aswang myth, once part of everyday life, is disappearing along with the forests - and with it the voices that passed it down. Derain sees the revival of these myths as an opportunity to rethink the relationship between humans and nature. But he also laments the fact that many students in Manila barely speak Filipino. "Monolinguality is a shame," he says - and would like to see a return to the diversity that once characterized the country.

Language: English

Place/Date: Manila, August 22, 2025

This podcast is part of the report Literary Travel in the Philippines.

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