Preserving Bal-bal Folklore through Graphic Narrative: A Qualitative Study of Wake Vigil Beliefs in Eastern Samar

This study documented and analyzed oral narratives and local folklore beliefs concerning the Bal-bal, a corpse-eating creature associated with wake vigil practices, in Barangay Cabalagnan, Borongan City, Eastern Samar. The study aimed to preserve these intangible cultural traditions through the development of a culturally authentic graphic narrative that serves as an educational resource. Employing a qualitative narrative research design guided by a modified ADDE (Analysis, Design, Development, and Evaluation) framework with the Implementation phase excluded to focus strictly on development and acceptability the study gathered data from five elderly community storytellers (N=5) selected through purposive sampling based on their local residence, familiarity with traditional wake customs, and cultural knowledge. The analysis accounted for regional variations in folklore descriptions, navigating slight differences in physical traits and terminology (e.g., local references to Aswang versus Bal-bal). The documented narratives informed the graphic narrative's storyline, character designs, and visual symbolism. The completed material was evaluated for literary quality and physical presentation by an independent panel of ten educators (nine elementary school teachers and one elementary school principal) using an adapted DepEd evaluation rating sheet. The evaluation yielded high overall grand mean scores (4.5 to 4.7), indicating high acceptability. Ethical considerations regarding informed consent, community representation, and cultural ownership were strictly observed, ensuring the community’s heritage was depicted respectfully. The findings demonstrate that integrating qualitative folklore documentation with visual storytelling is an effective approach to preserving local heritage and promoting cultural awareness among contemporary audiences.

ADDE Framework; Bal-bal; Folklore Preservation; Graphic Narrative; Philippine Folklore; Qualitative Research; Visual Storytelling

1. Demetrio, F. R. 1991. Encyclopedia of Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs. Cagayan de Oro City: Xavier University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Eugenio, D. L. 2001. Philippine Folk Literature: The Myths. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Jenkins, H. 2006. Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Jocano, F. L. 1969. The Traditional World of Malitbog. Quezon City: Community Development Research Council, University of the Philippines. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Pathak, V.; Jena, B. & Kalra, S. 2013. Qualitative research. Perspectives in Clinical Research 4(3): 192. https://doi.org/10.4103/2229-3485.115389 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. PhilAtlas. 2026. Cabalagnan, Borongan, Eastern Samar. Available at: https://www.philatlas.com/visayas/r08/eastern-samar/borongan/cabalagnan.html (Accessed 2026). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• What the Desert Fathers Teach Data Scientists: Ancient Ascetic Principles for Ethical Machine-Learning Practice
• Comparative Analysis of Some Machine Learning Algorithms for the Classification of Ransomware
• Comparative Performance Analysis of Some Priority Queue Variants in Dijkstra’s Algorithm
• Transfer Learning in Detecting E-Assessment Malpractice from a Proctored Video Recordings.
• Dual-Modal Detection of Parkinson’s Disease: A Clinical Framework and Deep Learning Approach Using NeuroParkNet