A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

The Manglalabas of Balubad appears in Arsenio Bonifacio’s Tagalog tale, heard from his father and published in Fansler’s 1921 collection. An editorial footnote explains the name as an apparition, literally one who appears. The haunting starts three days after a wealthy household’s father dies, but the story does not expressly identify the ghost as that dead man.

The spirit throws stones, breaks and empties water jars, shifts beds and pillows, and pinches the widow without being seen when she wakes. The family abandons the house. A group of challengers also flees after encountering the ghost. Later, the blind Bulag and hunchbacked Cuba shelter above the ceiling without knowing that the building is haunted. Their gunshot and detached hatchet head convince the spirit that an extraordinarily powerful intruder has arrived.

The ghost explains that treasure buried near the barn keeps drawing him back and promises to stop visiting if it is dug up. The two men recover gold and silver. Cuba’s unequal division provokes a fight in which the tale makes blows restore Bulag’s sight and straighten Cuba’s back; they reconcile, divide the money equally and share the house. The narrative ends with that settlement, rather than a separately witnessed departure of the ghost. The bodily cures are events in the folktale, not medical claims.

Noisy household hauntingObjects moved and water emptiedBuried treasure disclosedPromises to cease visiting after excavation
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Origins & earliest records

Philippines; Arsenio Bonifacio, identified as Tagalog, who heard the story from his father

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Records & interpretation

Complete tale and shared comparative notes read in the retained 1921-edition transcription.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Filipino Popular Tales

    Dean S. Fansler, collector and editor; narrated by Arsenio Bonifacio, identified as Tagalog, who heard the story from his father · 1921

    Tale 6e, The Manglalabas, pp. 49–51; shared comparative notes pp. 51–53 and attached footnotes; American Folk-Lore Society

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Complete tale, named narrator statement and shared notes read

Dean S. Fansler, Filipino Popular Tales (American Folk-Lore Society, 1921)

Part I, Hero Tales and Drolls. Tale 6e, The Manglalabas, pp. 49–51; shared notes pp. 51–53 and footnotes

Full group retained as fansler-6.txt; complete edition fansler1921.html. English as written by informants per preface; no original-language transcript collated. Narrator: Arsenio Bonifacio, identified as Tagalog, who heard the story from his father. Episode and ending kept distinct from comparative summaries.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical collected folktaleFansler, tale 6e, The ManglalabasResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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