Angalo is a legendary creation giant from
Ilocano mythology with pre-Hispanic origins in the
Ilocos region of the
Philippines. Angalo was the first man, and son of the god of building. Angalo's head touched the sky and he could easily walk from the
Ilocos Region to
Manila in one step. Through Angalo's actions, he shaped the hills and mountains of
Luzon, formed the oceans, and put up the
sky,
sun,
moon and
stars. Pre-Hispanic Ilocano people attributed the sound of
thunder as Angalo's voice,
earthquakes
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
as his movements, and
rainbows his hanging G-string. Angalo was not alone, he had a giant wife named Aran and together they had three daughters whom the
Ilocano,
Aeta, and
Igorot people are descendants.
Landscape Mythology of Angalo
Throughout the
Ilocos Region,
Abra, and
Benguet
Benguet (), officially the Province of Benguet ('';'' ; pag, Luyag/Probinsia na Benguet; ilo, Probinsia ti Benguet; ), is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the southern tip of the Cordillera Administrative Region in the islan ...
, many geological formations are attributed to Angalo and his family. Small valleys and gulches in the
Cordillera Central Central Cordillera refers to the New Guinea Highlands.
Cordillera Central, meaning ''central range'' in Spanish, may refer to the following mountain ranges:
* Cordillera Central, Andes (disambiguation), several mountain ranges in South America
** ...
mountain range are often noted as the giant footprints of Angalo such as found in
Sudipen, La Union
Sudipen ( Southern Ilocano pronunciation: ), officially the Municipality of Sudipen ( ilo, Ili ti Sudipen; fil, Bayan ng Sudipen), is a 4th class municipality in the province of La Union, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a popu ...
and
San Quintin, Abra. In addition, large caves in the Ilocos Region and Abra are often described as being former shelters for Angalo's wife and his daughters.
In
Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
Santa Maria, officially the Municipality of Santa Maria ( ilo, Ili ti Santa Maria; fil, Bayan ng Santa Maria), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 30,006 pe ...
, the large depressions and pools around Pinsal Falls are said to be created when Angalo knelt and drank from the falls.
In
Santa, Ilocos Sur, the Banaoang Gap, a
water gap where the
Abra River
The Abra River, also called Lagben River, is the seventh largest river system in the Philippines in terms of watershed size. It has an estimated drainage area of and a length of from its source in the vicinity of Mount Data in Benguet province. ...
breaks the Ilocos mountain range, is said to be created by Angalo. Long ago, the Abra region east of the Ilocos mountain range was once a lake. One night, Angalo slept on the shore of the lake, and as he slept, he kicked the Ilocos range and in doing so unleashed the lake and created the Banaoang Gap.
Anecdotes of Angalo
Salt in the Sea
One day, Angalo asked his family to take bags with blocks of
salt he harvested from distant lands to
Manila. As they walked through the seas, which at the time were not salty, his daughters stumbled and their giant blocks of salt fell into the sea. The blocks of salt melted as they hit the water and created the saltiness of the sea.
Shallow Sea
On a very hot day, Angalo's daughters decided to swim in what is now the
South China Sea. The sea was deep at this time, and his daughters did not know how to swim well. When one of his daughters began to drown, Angalo dipped the flap of his baag or
loincloth into the sea and it absorbed so much water that his daughter was able to touch the sea floor again.
Hill of Suso Beach
One day, Angalo and his wife Aran were at the what is today called Suso Beach in
Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
Santa Maria, officially the Municipality of Santa Maria ( ilo, Ili ti Santa Maria; fil, Bayan ng Santa Maria), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 30,006 pe ...
. While on the beach, Angalo piled up stones, shrubs, and sand to form a hill. When asked about his creation, he told his wife that he made the hill to resemble and honor her breasts. To this day, the hill on the southern side of Suso beach is said to be that hill.
References
{{authority control
Ilocos Region
Philippine mythology
Fictional giants