Malakas at Maganda is a random piece of pre-colonial folklore my dad told me. It’s similar to the story of Adam and Eve but extremely different.

There are many adaptations throughout different regions of the Philippines so I’m going to go off of the most accepted version when  telling the myth.

In the beginning of time, the Earth was covered in darkness to the point you’d feel depressed just by being on the surface of it. The supreme god, Bathala saw the state of the Earth and brought upon it light, revealing its beauty. So, now the Earth’s been illuminated. Only problem was, there wasn’t anyone to witness this beauty. Only a few species like birds. Bathala then got the good idea to order the birds to create a tall stick of bamboo. Soon, the bamboo cracked and with a bright flash of light, came two humans, Malakas and Maganda. Maganda, a graceful and gentle young woman and Malakas, a strong and determined young man. The two then go on to be the first Filipinos, showing that despite diversity, Filipinos are one and the same, sharing the same ancestry roots. (not sure if ancestry is a good word to use in this sense)

The names, Malakas and Maganda, represent the Filipino peoples’ core values, Malakas meaning strength and Maganda meaning beauty.

Strength, although meaning physical, can also mean determination and resilience, having the ability to bounce back. Malakas, as his name implies, showed these qualities, being the embodiment of the Filipino spirit. Similarly, beauty reflects not only one’s physical appearance but it also reflects the Philippines’ hospitality and their rich cultural heritage. With this hospitality, Filipinos are usually called the friendliest people.

Similarly to Adam and Eve, the story of Malakas and Maganda is the start of humanity but without mention of original sin. This is probably because pre-colonial Philippines weren’t Christian and didn’t share the same beliefs as Christians at the time. But, unlike Adam and Eve, there isn’t any weird stuff about how Eve came from Adam when in actuality, the man is supposed to come from the woman. There also isn’t any mention of the man being superior to the woman. This is because in pre-colonial Philippines, women and men had equal status and rights. So none of that patriarchy stuff.

This story connects to sustainability because it shows that us humans were born from nature itself which means we are one with nature.