About

About the Author

I’m Devin Galloway, and my connection to these stories began in the mountains of Calinog, Iloilo—one of my favorite places on earth. For three years, I lived on Panay, immersing myself in the language, culture, and landscapes where these tales were born. I traveled to every corner of the island, from coastal barangays to mountain villages, speaking all the native languages of Panay and talking with hundreds of people about their stories, beliefs, and understanding of their cultural heritage.

My wife is from the region where these stories originate, her family descended from the very communities chronicled in the Maragtas legend. Through her family and their neighbors, I gained access not just to the stories themselves, but to the living context that gives them meaning—the way place names reference epic events, the manner in which values from the sugidanon still shape community decisions, the pride people take in their connection to these ancient narratives.

When my wife and I had children, we faced a challenge familiar to many diaspora families: how do you pass down cultural heritage to children growing up an ocean away from the land and communities that sustain these traditions? Our kids won’t walk the paths Labaw Donggon supposedly traveled. They won’t hear sugidanon performed around fires or learn local languages from their neighbors. They’ll grow up knowing the Philippines primarily through stories, food, and family visits—disconnected from the deep cultural context that makes these narratives truly come alive.

These books are part of our answer to that challenge. They’re an attempt to preserve and share these stories in a form that can travel across oceans and generations, that can be read to children at bedtime in countries far from Panay, that can serve as a bridge connecting young people in the diaspora to a heritage that might otherwise feel impossibly distant.

I approach this work with deep respect for the tradition bearers who have preserved these stories across centuries, particularly Professor Alicia Magos, whose decades of scholarly work documented the sugidanon, and Federico Caballero and Teresita Caballero-Castor, who generously shared the traditions passed down through their family.

About the Illustrator

Ethel Martinez is a Filipino illustrator whose work brings these ancient stories to vivid visual life. Her distinctive artistic style captures both the supernatural wonder and cultural authenticity of Philippine folklore, depicting pre-colonial clothing, architecture, and landscapes with careful attention to historical and cultural detail while infusing each scene with dynamic energy and emotion.

Working with Ethel has been essential to making these books what they are. Her illustrations don’t just decorate the text—they’re integral to the storytelling, conveying mood, character, and atmosphere in ways that words alone cannot. Her ability to depict both the terrifying and the beautiful, often within the same image, perfectly captures the complexity of these tales where monsters can be sympathetic and heroes can be flawed.

Acknowledgments

This work stands on the foundation built by Professor Alicia Magos through her decades of dedicated research into Filipino folk traditions. Her scholarship opened doors that allowed stories like these to reach beyond their origins and find new voices. Professor Magos’s work was in turn only possible through the generosity and trust of Federico Caballero and Teresita Caballero-Castor, who shared the sugidanon that had been passed down through their family for generations—likely hundreds of years of careful oral transmission.

My deepest gratitude goes to my wife, who supported me throughout this project with patience and wisdom. She is from the region where these stories originate, and her guidance was invaluable as I worked to honor the tradition while making it accessible. Most importantly, she supported my desire to pass these stories down to our children, so they might know the tales of their ancestors even while growing up far from the land where these narratives were born.

Our Mission

Filipino folklore contains some of the world’s richest and most complex narrative traditions, yet many of these stories remain inaccessible to contemporary readers, particularly those in the diaspora. The sugidanon tradition alone represents an artistic and cultural achievement comparable to the great epics of any civilization, yet it’s largely unknown outside academic circles and the communities that have preserved it.

This project exists to change that—not by replacing the oral tradition or claiming to be the definitive version, but by offering accessible entry points that can inspire deeper exploration. These retellings are designed to be enjoyed by readers of all ages and backgrounds, from children discovering Filipino mythology for the first time to adults reconnecting with their heritage to anyone fascinated by world folklore.

The ultimate goal is preservation through engagement. If these books inspire readers to seek out Professor Magos’s academic work, to ask their elders about family histories, to learn about the Panay-Bukidnon people and their traditions, or simply to feel pride in the richness of Filipino cultural heritage, then they will have served their purpose.