Sumpa: Power of the Curse

These stories were inspired by true events.

Story 1

A taxi driver is trying to cheat a senior citizen by taking the long route. But the senior realizes this.

SENIOR: Boss, looks like we are taking the long route.

TAXI DRIVER: (Insisting on his long route) No worries, sir. We will get there.

SENIOR: (After a while, angrily) Boss, stop. I want to go down.

The taxi driver stops.

SENIOR: (Before alighting) I hope you lose your job. I hope you get a flat tire. I hope you meet an accident.

TAXI DRIVER: (Knowing the power of a curse) Sir, sorry. You don’t have to pay. Just take back what you said, I beg you.

SENIOR: No way.

TAXI DRIVER: Please sir, I promise not to do it again. Just take back your curse. I may really get into an accident.

The taxi driver refused to be paid. The senior placed the money on the front seat.

SENIOR: Okay. I take back what I said.

TAXI DRIVER: Thank you, sir. (end of story).

The Curse Culture

In pre-Hispanic times, old folks in the provinces claimed that certain people had the “gift” or power to put a spell or curse on others, just like in the fairy tales that we read. Grimms tells us in a fairy tale about Cinderella, who was cursed to fall into an endless sleep after eating a poisoned apple until her Prince Charming would come along and break the curse with a kiss.

So, too, in certain ethnic cultures, such as among Kalingas or Ilocanos, there are people gifted with the power to cast a curse (sumpa) and people gifted to break such curses. This “occult” culture persists today even in modern times.

An “arbolaryo” (literally an herbalist) or a ispiritista by extension have the power to cast or break curses. For example, a mother brings her daughter to an arbolaryo to cure a mysterious fever with no apparent cause. The arbolaryo says a certain spirit is playing around with the child; someone put a spell or curse on her. He offers to break the curse. The arbolaryo often has a ritual using eggs, leaves, or roots and prays to the Blessed Virgin or Jesus. There is a Christian aspect to this occult phenomenon.

At times, it works, whether by coincidence or not, and at other times it does not. This article does not try to prove or disprove such phenomena, but simply says they may exist in real life.

Story 2

A woman vendor is seated on a stool on the sidewalk. She is wearing five watches on each arm, 10 in all. A well-dressed matron comes along. She is familiar to the vendor because she passes by every day.

MATRON: How much for the Rolex? Let me see.

VENDOR: Only P20,000, second hand. Brand new costs P80,000.

MATRON: (After examining the “Rolex”) This is fake. I can get you arrested. (The matron leaves without a word)

VENDOR: (Shouting at the departing matron.) Okay, P3,000. (Angered by her silence and arrogance, she says) Be careful, you may get sick.

The next day, the matron got a fever. After three days of fever, she remembered the vendor’s threat. She went to a lady arbolaryo friend, Nica. In no time, Nica broke the curse and the fever vanished. This time it was the vendor’s turn to get a high fever.

Such is vengeance in the occult world of curses and counter-curses.

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