THE LEGENDARY SINUKUAN

The legend of Sinukuan or Suku has pre-historic origins—and his story has been told and retold by
Kapampangans across the centuries,  such that many versions—embellished and romanticized-- exist about
his identity and nature. Was he a god?  An enchantress? A demigod?  Or, as scholars contend, a real
historical figure from the past? One thing for sure, Sinukuan was endowed with supernatural, mystical
powers, making him more than a mere mortal and elevating him to the pantheon of Kapampangan mythical
icons.

1. ORIGINS: SINUKUAN was said to be the first-born of couple, Calupit and Cargon Cargon (also known as
Matungcu). The pair were descendants of Adam and Eve who came to Asia and settled in the mystical Alaya
mountain of Pampanga. Cargon Cargon took care of the mountain and after his death in the hands of a Zambal god,
SINUKUAN took over and inherited the mountain.

2. GENDER AND IDENTITY: In early accounts, SINUKUAN was a male human being, albeit with extraordinary
qualities—“a very fine fellow with arms and sinews as iron..a quick thinker..unexcelled by anybody in the island of
Luzon. In some, he was “a god who can create earthquakes” and a “king who lived inside the mountain of
Arayat”. Another early 20th c. account described the denizen as a sorcerer of the mountain. While Macario Naval
identified SINUKUAN as the wife of Minga in his 1916 account, the earlier 1899 story of Don Isabelo delos Reyes
from his opus, “Folklore Filipino”, had it the other way around---SINUKUAN was the husband of Minga, thus
making him a male.

3. APPEARANCE: SINUKUAN was said to resemble Cupid (Eros) because of his handsome visage. One account
however, narrates that he “was formerly a handsome youth who, upon marrying a mortal, was transformed into his
present ugly, hideous form”.

4. FAMILY: SINUKUAN was said to have a wife named ‘Marianusep de Sinucuan’, with whom he had 2
daughters named Calibangut and Calikangutabak, who had opposing personalities. The older Calibangut was tall,
dark and deceitful, while the younger one was serene and very beautiful. It is also said that one of the daughters
died, leaving the other daughter so lonely that a local town girl was specially handpicked to be her companion. “El
Folklore Filipino” had SINUKUAN fathering 3 girls—Rosalina, Rosa-Minda and Maria.

5. RESIDENCE: Inside Bundok Alaya is a deep, expansive cave---and it is here in the mountain's belly that the
grand palace of SINUKUAN was built when his daughters came of age, with the help of witches. The seven bronze
gates  of the palace were guarded by a lion, a tiger, a viper, a serpent, an Aeta with bow and arrows and a fierce bird
with a curved beak known as “Sagasa”. The palace was decorated with gems and jewels, and SINUKUAN himself
reclined on a bench  adorned with gold and precious stones.
6. HOUSEHOLD STAFF: Five fantastic servants ably served the great SINUKUAN, namely: Kargon Kargon, a
strong man who could carry the world on his shoulders a la Atlas; Supla Supling, who could generate typhoons;
Miran Miron, with a vision so acute, he could see great distances; Punta Punting, the world’s most accurate archer;
and Kuran Kurin, the world’s fleetest runner. SINUKUAN was also attended by a retinue of Negritos whom he sent
outside his realm to deal with townsfolk.

7. MENAGERIE: SINUKUAN had a special affinity with animals--he kept swines in their mountain dwelling. In
fact, his daughters made regular trips to the town to barter their gold for “darak”--animal feed for their pigs. But he
also had magical animals like a pair of goats that passed out gold droppings. In a similar way, he owned large cows
that excreted pieces of rich sinamay fabrics.

8. SUPER POWERS. SINUKUAN was a shape-shifter, who once morphed into a mosquito so he could spy on
people. It was in this manner that he learned that his daughter was consorting with a man, whom he then
transformed into a pig. SINUKUAN also had power over nature—he could control winds and raise deadly storms.
Most of all, SINUKUAN had immense strengths, available to lift mountains and hurl objects at great distances.

9. INCREDIBLE FEATS: SINUKUAN is credited with performing incredible feats of strength that included
moving a forested mountain from Candaba to its present site, transferring Mount Arayat from its original location in
Tapang, Nueva Ecija to San Miguel, Bulacan, then moving it yet again to Arayat town, then a swampy place. The
displacement of water during the move resulted in the flooding of Candaba. SINUKUAN also built a rock bridge
between Candaba and his mountain, through which he regularly supplied the townspeople with gold and silver.
However, he left the bridge unfinished as a punishment for the dishonesty and ingratitude of the people.

10. ARCH ENEMIES AND HOW HE VANQUISHED THEM: There were at least two nemeses of SINUKUAN
—the first was a supernatural being from Zambales, then the greatest mountain the archipelago,  and Makiling, king
of a southern mountain. SINUKUAN was actually a friend of the Zambal deity but he became his foe when
Namalyari asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage. They engaged in a 2-day battle hurling stones at each other
until Mt. Zambales was shattered into fragments, becoming a range of smaller mountains. In the other,
SINUKUAN’s earned the wrath of Makiling when his 3 sons kidnapped his daughters.  He killed all three of them.
Makiling retaliated by hurling a pestle at SINUKUAN, lopping off the top of Arayat.  SINUKUAN then took a
heavy mortar and threw it with all his might towards Makiling, reducing the great mountain into a hill, and forcing
the king to commit suicide.
SINUKUAN IN POP CULTURE. Through the years, SINUKUAN has lent its name to a variety of products,
services and institutions, becoming a pop culture icon along the way. At least 3 drinks were named after him---
SINUKUAN Water (bottled in Manila by Francisco Santos ca. 1930s), SINUKUAN Flavored Soda Water (made by
Sinukuan Aerated Water Factory. in Tondo, ca. 1930s, reformulated as  SINUKUAN Beverages when the company
moved to Grace Park in the 1950s). There was also a Binondo-based newspaper called “SINUKUAN”, and a
masonic lodge named after him. Books, comics and at least one 1955 movie, bore the name of Mariang
SINUKUAN. Today, there is an annual SINUKWAN Festival organized  by the Save Pampanga Movement, and
held in San Fernando, a weeklong celebration that memorializes Aring Sinukwan, god of the ancient
Kapampangans.