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Maria Makiling

Maria Makiling, more properly Mariang Makiling, is a diwatà (anito) in Philippine mythology, associated with Mount Makiling in Laguna, Philippines. She is the most widely known diwatà in Philippine mythology[1] and was venerated in pre-colonial Philippines as a goddess known as Dayang Masalanta or Dian Masalanta who was invoked to stop deluges, storms, and earthquakes.

Maria Makiling

Female

Philippines

Maria Makiling is the guardian spirit of the mountain, responsible for protecting its bounty and thus is also a benefactor for the townspeople who depend on the mountain's resources. In addition to being a guardian of the mountain, some legends also identify Laguna de Bay—and the fish caught from it—as part of her domain. She was sent by Bathalà to aid the people of the area in their everyday life.[2]


Mount Makiling resembles the profile of a woman, said to be Maria herself. This phenomenon is described as true from several different perspectives, so there is no single location associated with this claim. The mountain's various peaks are said to be Maria's face and two breasts, respectively, and her hair cascades downwards a gentle slope away from her body.[1]


Maria Makiling is a prominent example of the mountain goddesses motif in Philippine mythology, other prominent examples being Maria Sinukuan of Pampanga's Mount Arayat and Maria Cacao on Cebu's Mount Lantoy.

Appearance[edit]

Descriptions of Maria Makiling are fairly consistent. She is a breathtakingly beautiful[6] young woman who never ages.[1] Lanuza describes her as having "light olive skin, long shining black hair, and twinkling eyes."


It is said that the abundance and serenity of the enchanted mountain complements Maria's own persona.[1]


She is also closely associated with the white mist that often surrounds the mountain. While in just a few stories either her skin or hair is white, in most tales, it is her radiant clothing which makes people who have seen her think that perhaps they just saw a wisp of cloud through the trees and mistook it for Maria.[1]

Home on the mountain[edit]

Unlike Maria Sinukuan and Maria Cacao who live in caves in their respective mountains, Makiling is often described as living in a humble hut.[1]


In some stories, this hut is situated in the village, among the people, where Maria Makiling lived before she fled to the mountains after having been offended for some reason.[1]


In other stories, the hut is up in the mountain and can only be found if one is allowed by Maria to find it.[7]

One prominent depiction of Maria Makiling can be found on the Seal of the Municipality of . It depicts Maria makiling in the foreground with the mountain in the background and water (representing Laguna de Bay) at her feet.

Los Baños, Laguna

A statue of Maria Makiling was once put up in front of UPLB's main library. It depicts the diwata surrounded by various creatures of the forest, most noticeably a doe and some birds. The statue has since been replaced by that of the "Philippine Pegasus" or "Pegaraw". The original statue was moved to the road leading up to UPLB's College of Forestry, near the University Health Service.

Another statue of Maria Makiling was once put up at the boundary of Los Baños and , on the boundary marker that identifies Los Baños as a "Special Science and Nature City". The statue has since been removed. That specific statue had been criticized by some members of Los Baños' religious sector because they said it glorified a territorial spirit. No official remark has been made, however, as to whether this complaint had anything to do with the removal of the statue.

Calamba

The most recently unveiled statue of Maria Makiling stands in UPLB's Alumni Plaza, sculpted by Filipino artist JunYee.

At least three other statues in the UPLB campus are associated with Makiling, although not explicitly stated to be statues of the goddess herself. The oldest is the reconstructed pre-war statue referred to as "Dalambanga" (literally meaning jar bearer) near the , depicting a woman (sometimes interpreted as Makiling herself, and sometimes called "Maria Dalambanga") carrying a jar — a reference to the legend of how Calamba, Laguna got its name. Another is the "Mother Nature" statue that serves as the facade of the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau in the upper campus.[10] The other is Maria Pureza Escaño's 8-Foot Fiberglass Resin Sculpture "The Rose of Marya: Service through Excellence" intended as a "tribute to the women of UPLB who excel and serve."[11]

Molawin River

In 's graphic novel, Ang Mundo ni Andong Agimat, Maria Makiling is in love with a Katipunero (revolutionary). When her lover is killed by Zolgo, she loses her memory due to trauma. She wanders down to the city, with no clue on who she is. The graphic novel chronicles the efforts of the protagonists to find Maria and restore her memory.[12]

Arnold Arre

To celebrate the launching of the , an advocacy group formed by the UP Alumni Association to promote conservation efforts of the mountain, the Foundation held the Mariang Makiling Ecological-Cultural Festival. A highlight of that event was what UPLB Chancellor Velasco described as a relauching of the image of Maria Makiling—modelled at the event by television star and singer Karylle.[13] Says Renowned theater director and UPAA Board Public Relations Director Behn Cervantes:[9] Karylle was chosen by the organizers for her graceful demeanor and sweet image, her expressive eyes, and her luxuriant wavy hair that typifies long-held descriptions of Maria Makiling.

UPAA Maria Makiling Foundation

Maria Makiling features significantly in Karen Francisco's novel "Naermyth", a fantasy adventure novel set in a post-apocalyptic Philippines, where creatures of lore, folktales and the once-mythical waged a war that led to the human race's downfall. In the novel, the diwata are neutral in the war between men and naermyth, and Makiling is a major figure among them.

The character "Salome" (played by [14]) in Vim Yapan's 2013 film "Debosyon" incorporates the legend of Mariang Makiling, along with other prominent diwata from Philippine myths, such as Mariang Sinukuan, linking them to the legends of Daragang Magayon and to the mythos of the Virgin of Peñafrancia.[15] At one point in the script the character acknowledges herself as the personification of the mythical beings, Makiling named among them, throughout the Philippine archipelago.[16]

Mara Lopez

A fictionalized version of Makiling was portrayed in the 2018 television series by Maricar Reyes-Poon then in 2024 in the series dedicated to the goddess, Makiling, Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo portrays Maria Makiling, the story is set in the Modern Times where Maria Makiling uses her supernatural powers to help those people suffering injustice at the hands of oppressors. She helps Elle Villanueva, playing the role of Amira, a girl whose family is a Faith Healer. She was being bullied from her Schooling years up until her adulthood. Myrtle Sarrosa plays Amira's bully, Portia

Bagani

Maria Makiling is a common theme among Filipino artists, ranging from painters and sculptors to graphic novelists.

- Simon Saulog's painting of Maria Makiling.

"Master of the Filipino Madonnas in the 40s"