Hala Aswang!: A Zine on the Injustices during the Duterte Administration Foretold through the Aswang Folklore

• Main Author: Torrato, Eritch Angela T.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: Duterte administration; hypermasculinity; injustices; aswang folklore; zine
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2023/arts_da/2; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/conf_shsrescon/article/1770/viewcontent/APE_DA_Torrato___Eritch_Angela_Torrato.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The Duterte administration, which lasted from 2016 to 2022, incited a multitude of human rights violations against the marginalized groups of Philippine society, namely women, and the poor. It was discovered and established through literature that these injustices can primarily be attributed to the former president’s hypermasculinity, a manifestation of hegemonic masculinity in the contemporary era. Given this, this research seeked to investigate the aforementioned phenomenon and communicate this using art, more specifically through the Aswang folklore and visual communication, to make these information accessible, especially to the masses; to foster social consciousness among its audience as a means to hold Duterte and his allies accountable for their crimes, and for true justice to be attained; and finally, to serve art’s purpose, which is to ultimately serve the people. A focus group discussion with representatives and members of the previously stated demographics was conducted, and the gathered data served as the basis for the artworks produced in line with the paper. The compiled zine, entitled “Hala, Aswang!” contains digital illustrations made through Procreate and Adobe Photoshop following the personal narratives shared by the respondents with the perpetrators of the social grievances in the Duterte regime portrayed by an aswang of similar nature. “Hala Aswang!” exposes the inhumanity of Duterte and his cabinet and strongly condemns their actions as unforgivable—for truth, justice, and country.