#TabiTabiPo
Do you believe only humans reside in the busy streets? Is there something lurking in the dark shadows? Let us join Alexandra Trese in her quest to protect her world from the sinister world of the aswangs.
Trese, is an animated show produced by Netflix base on the works of Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo.
The story revolves around the mandirigmang-babaylan or a warrior-shaman named Alexandra Trese. She goes around the city to solve unnatural crimes and exorcising aswangs creating chaos—basically saving the world!
These aswangs are not the kind you see in childrens’ fairytales. Instead, the aswangs are set in modern times, each having their own origins and back stories—which is usually based on the different aspects of the Filipino society.
Trese boldly tackles different social issues in the Philippines.
"None of you cops are saints. We're not people to you, we're just numbers, statistics." said by a character who had his brother who was suspected of possessing illegal drugs gunned down by the cops in the series.
This scenario make us remember the Drug War implemented by the Philippine President. Drug War was a campaign to eradicate the use of illegal drugs in our country. The cops were tasked to imprison individuals who possesses or sells any kind of illegal drugs.
A famous case of a teenager who was accused of possessing illegal drugs and was gunned down by the three police officers, but it was never confirmed if the teenager actually possessed illegal drugs.
Another famous aswang, called tiyanak—a monster that takes the form of an unborn infant. This monster returns to it’s true form and attacks once picked up by it’s target. The tiyanakportrayed in the series was a child aborted by his mother during her pregnancy, and returned to haunt it’s mother.
As a country where majority of the citizens are Christians, topics involving abortion is sensitive and is opposed by most people. However, it is reported that thousands of women secretly carry out abortions.
The show also features an aswang that lives in a mound of dirt, called punso. This aswang is called Nuno sa Punso. In this show’s case, it is called Nuno sa Manhole, as the name suggests, it lives in a manhole. Trese usually calls for nuno to gain informations by using the famous catchphrase in the Philippines: “Tabi-tabi po”.
“Tabi-tabi po” is a catchphrase used in the Philippines to give respects to the Spirits or Elements lurking around. “Tabi-tabi po” literally translates to “excuse me” in English. As the english translation suggests, it is used to say your excuses to the nunoor the other elements around whenever you are crossing it’s territory. When angered, the spirits or elements may give you illnesses that are incurable, unless you apologize while giving a peace offering.
Trese tackles many important social issues, while using the rich folklores found all over our country. It features varieties of supernatural beings known in the urban legends told by our ancestors.
Many kinds of aswang were portrayed and showcased in this series, and hopefully many more in it’s future seasons!
This show will surely fascinate you by it’s great storytelling and it’s nice portrayal of the aswangs.
Trese is now streaming at Netflix!
220 notes
·
View notes