ASWANG
Generally, the "aswang" is said to be the most dreaded supernatural creature, being able to change into different forms while hunting, eats corpses, makes people ill, sucks blood and even cuts themselves in halves at night. This description fits the five types of "aswang" - the false beast, the corpse-eaters, hexers, bloodsuckers and the self-segmenters.
False beasts transform themselves to other beings such as humans, dogs, cats, or any living thing they first meet upon beginning their nightly prowl for prey. It tears its victims into pieces with its fangs, tucks or horns.
Corpse-eaters, as its name suggests, devours human corpses, with special preference for freshly laid corpses. Legend says it can transform even corpses at a wake into pigs or banana trunks, substituting them to the corpses in the coffin, so similar to the original corpse, except that it has no fingerprint.
Hexers, more popularly know as the "mangkukulam," are like witches who cast spells on people to make them ill. They are also known to magically place bugs, shells, fish bones, needles, bits of glass and other weird objects under their victim's skin, which causes the latter much discomfort and pain. Most of the time, they use a little black doll to represent their victim during rituals.
Bloodsuckers, similar to the Western vampire, appear to be very attractive humans by day, who take their husbands as victims. Tales say a bloodsucker is usually a pretty lady who sucks her husband's blood every night until he dies.
The "manananggal" or the self-segmenter is the most popular type of "aswang," being the subject of a lot of old Filipino movies. Human by day, half-monster by night - they are believed to cut themselves half by night, with their waist up flying out to catch prey, transforming into a monster with large, bat-like wings and sharp fangs. The lower half, waist down, is usually left in her house, her closet or even her bed.
Old folks say the "aswang" comes as either of the five types, or a combination of them. One common "aswang" favorite - unborn babies in their mother's wombs.
The manananggal, at her half-monster state, is even rumored to perch on the rooftop of a sleeping expectant mother and extend her thread-like tongue to the lady's belly, feeding on the baby's fresh blood and flesh.