The season of binge watching horror flicks and outdoing one anothers’ Halloween costumes is here. Urban legends will once again be the talk of the town. In fact, Tinder members take on this season’s #ManilaEncounters is one for the books. To start with, young singles say that multo is not the only mythical creature to represent the different dating personas or experiences of today’s daters.
The world’s largest dating app spoke with its members to discover how other Pinoy mythical creatures could be seen to disguise themselves as dating behaviors. So, if you think ‘ghosting’ is the only dating tale worthy to make it to this year’s kwentong kababalaghan, think again. These mythical creatures can represent either your dating life at present or the people you will encounter. Read on and arm yourself with a new power: identifying dating personas.
Kapre
a.k.a. the umasa sa tadhana era
Known to be a harmless prankster, this dark-sinned tree giant loves to sit in tree branches, smoking and doing nothing. The passiveness of a kapre represents those who leave love to chance. They are not actively looking for a match. Their philosophy is simple: when it comes, it comes.
Santelmo
a.k.a. the flex and snatch era
Anyone who decides to take matters into their own hands is living their best santelmo era. Believed to enchant and lure humans, this fire spirit represents someone who’s confidently putting themselves out there. They know exactly what they want and how to get it. They could be busy picking the best photos to get their Tinder profile verified and making sure their bio is enticing enough to earn a Swipe Right™ .
Mangkukulam
a.k.a. the babaylan era
Know anyone who has sought the help of numerology, astrology or tarot cards? It’s a telltale sign that they are mangkukulam. They are busy playing the FLAMES game or the life path calculator to assess compatibility with their crush. They tweet 11:11 everyday without fail. As a Leo, their Tinder profile could read “I will only swipe right to Sagittarius, Aquarius, and Gemini”.
In case you didn’t know, you can add your zodiac sign to your Tinder profile! Kaway-kaway sa mga mangkukulam dyan!
Bampira
a.k.a. the lf:cuddles lang daw era
If exploring is the name of their game, they are basking in the glory of their bampira era! They are just in it for the casual, yet exhilarating experience of dating. They’re probably spending time on the Free Tonight tab on Tinder Explore. Their Tinder Anthem? No doubt 🎵dai ali diri, sabak ka diri🎵 Sabay-sabay!
Tikbalang
a.k.a. the paasa era
This refers to those who find joy in their new-found power: paasa ak.a. your tikbalang era. A tikbalang often plays with travelers’ minds (in this case hearts) by leading them to the wrong way and eventually getting them lost. They possibly found brotherhood in ghosters and zombies. To all the paasa out there, mga tikbalang kayo!
Manananggal
a.k.a. the pro-heartbreaker era
Arguably the most popular among Philippine mythical creatures, the manananggal is the final form of those who fail to find the antidote for their paasa era. Like the manananggal, they are 🎵running around leaving scars, collecting your jar of hearts🎵 as THE Christina Perri puts it. In other words, they’ve become a pro-heartbreaker.
If this represents your current dating life, understand what you truly want instead of randomly committing yourself to anyone. If you’re in it just for fun, communicate your terms right off the bat so you won’t lead your match on to anything more than what you can offer. If you’re dating just because you’re probably 🎵scared to be lonely🎵as Dua Lipa puts it, try hopping on Tinder Explore to look for new barkada who can spend time with you. Tinder is about all forms of genuine connections. If not romantic, some TInder members are down for anything platonic and pure friendship.
Diwata
a.k.a. the santo era
Anyone who managed to overcome their paasa version is enjoying their diwata era. Ascending to a diwata level means that they’ve earned the right to call themselves a dating guru. As the diwata, it is now their responsibility to pass on the dating tips and guides they’ve learned along the way–people might now start turning to them for advice (or prayers) to help them in their dating journey. Ang tugon: #SanaAll!
Whichever stage daters may be at in their journey, Tinder remains a platform where young singles can find spark and form genuine connections. The world’s number one dating app’s latest updates, including Tinder Explore and its built-in safety features, help young daters make their dating experience all treats and no tricks.
