The Manananggal Who Went Viral

Series Synopsis For centuries, Gladys "Glad" Samotiloy has been the quiet terror of Dumaguete, a manananggal who follows a simple routine: separate her torso from her legs at night, hunt for food (usually just a big, juicy lizard), and return to her lower half before sunrise. It’s a lonely, predictable existence—until the night she accidentally flies directly into the frame of a live TikTok stream. Tech vlogger Colene Rivera captures the grainy, terrifying footage of a winged creature soaring past the Silliman University bell tower, and overnight, Glad becomes a global sensation. Dubbed the "Dumaguete Drifter," she is now the star of viral memes, conspiracy theories, and paranormal podcasts. The problem? Glad is a grumpy, pre-internet creature who can't tell the difference between an iPhone and a rock. Her quiet life is thrown into chaos. She’s being hunted by Mang Berting, a traditional albularyo who takes his folkloric duties way too seriously, and investigated by Professor Cruz, a folklore expert who is a little too eager to prove her thesis. Meanwhile, Officer Aljade is convinced the whole thing is a viral marketing stunt, and Tita Hanya is busy spreading "verified" news about the creature on Facebook. Forced to adapt or be exposed, Glad begrudgingly teams up with Colene’s tech-genius little sister, Rigen. Rigen becomes Glad’s "creature consultant," teaching her how to use WiFi, avoid facial recognition software on CCTV, and manage her new anonymous social media presence. With the help of Nico’s drones and the sarcastic commentary of her smart speaker, Alexa, Glad must navigate the modern world. But a mysterious creature known only as the Shadow Cat seems to know her deepest secret, watching her every move from the Dumaguete rooftops. In a world where everyone has a camera in their pocket, can a centuries-old monster keep her identity a secret, or will she become the most famous—and misunderstood—influencer in the Philippines? #Audiobook #fyp