A HAUNTED TREE IN DUPAC

When I was in Gr. 5, I had a choice in our Industrial Arts subject: Join a gardening class where you make a plot at a far end of the Dupac back lot or raise chickens in your home. I opted for the 2nd one because we have already an existing poultry in our home, tended by my Mom, of course.

But most of our male classmates ( the female ones had their Home Economics with a place beside the classroom building )selected the gardening subject. Everyday they had to go and tend their plants ( weed and feed with water ) and at night, they have to sleep in a small hut in the garden area to guard their plots from poachers.

Some parents at that time did not like their kids to sleep in that forsaken area. Some of the kids do because they have some other kids to play with. But then, not far from the sleeping area was a big breadfruit tree. the local name is PAKAK.

It was said to be haunted. Why not? The garden area including the sleeping quarters was located just in front of the Asingan Municipal cemetery. Only the road going to Macalong is separating the these two spots.

Well, according to some of the kids who tried sleeping in the Dupac gardens, there was really an OGRE ( the name of its European fairy tale counter part ) or PUGOT if you select to use the Ilocano name. In Tagalog he is called a KAPRE.

Some eyewitnesses alleged the creature was tall ( around 12 feet high ), dark skinned, smelly ( some say the smell came from his underarms ) and he was also always smoking a big tobacoo. They said he was always seen sitting on one of the branches. Sometimes he would be swinging his legs to and fro.

Some would dismiss the story as a fib. BUT there are some ladies in Asingan who claim it is true because at one time, there was a PUGOT who "courted" them. These ladies lived in the distant barrios of Asingan during the early days.. Their stories run as follows: The presence of this dark suitor is felt around midnight. The woman in question would hear some noise in the kitchen, e.g. some clanging of kitchenware. She would go to check things out but nobody was there! Just a lingering odor or smell of a you-know-what. Maybe the pugot was hungry and he was looking for a snack..:)

Some ladies also said they saw two hands clinging at a window ledge. Many of the houses then were made of bamboo and thatched nipa. And the hands were hairy with long nails! One story said after the hands dissapeared there was a rushing of footsteps going away from the house. I heard one such story from a lady residing in San Vicente.

Well during these times, people always ask proof to believe in something. A photograph or maybe an affidavit. Heck must they always ask for a proof?

When I was a kid, I believed in everything. Now that I am already a grandpa I believe in anything. Anything that I can amuse my grandkids when I am baby sitting them!