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Amomongo
An ape-like creature with long nails from the stories of Negros. People say it lives in caves near Mount Kanlaon.
Folklore is retold; versions differ.
Sources: Wikipedia: Amomongo (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikidata (CC0)
The story
The amomongo is a hairy, ape-like creature in stories from Negros. Wikipedia says residents of La Castellana, in Negros Occidental, describe it as a white, hairy ape about 1.6 meters tall, with long, sharp nails. Locals place its caves near the foot of Mount Kanlaon. The name probably comes from the Hiligaynon word amo, which means monkey or ape. It is also called Orang Mawas and Impakta.
People do not treat it like a witch or an aswang. They think of it as a wild, violent animal. In one report, on 9 June 2008, it was said to attack two local men, Elias Galvez and Salvador Aguilar. Medical records showed that the men had many scratches. People also said it killed goats and chickens and ate their insides.
The amomongo also appears in a folk tale, "Amomongo and Iput-Iput" (the ape and the firefly). Some people compare it to Bigfoot. Scientists see it as a legend, possibly built on mistaken identity of a known animal.