Echoes of the Forest: A Narrative Study of the Aghoy

This study aimed to document the Aghoy myth in Lawaan, Eastern Samar, and develop a digital storytelling material based on the gathered cultural information. The research focused on collecting stories, accounts, and cultural knowledge about the Aghoy and transforming these into a narrative-based digital art material. The study employed a qualitative research design guided by a modified ADDIE framework, particularly the Analysis, Design, Development, and Evaluation phases. During the Analysis phase, qualitative interviews were conducted with ten respondents aged 50 years and above who were selected through criterion-based purposive sampling. An adapted researcher-developed questionnaire was used to gather information about the Aghoy's origin, physical description, supernatural abilities, behavior, cultural significance, and associated taboos. The collected data were analyzed to identify common themes and descriptions related to the myth.
The results showed that the Aghoy is commonly believed to inhabit trees and forests and is often described as a small, human-like being with supernatural abilities, such as shapeshifting, invisibility and the ability to teleport. The myth was also found to reflect cultural values related to respect for nature, traditional beliefs, and appropriate behavior in the forest. Based on these findings, a digital storytelling material titled The Whistle in the Forest was developed and evaluated using a modified evaluation tool based on the DepEd Region III guidelines for storybooks and big books. The evaluation results showed that the material met the established criteria for narrative quality, sociocultural sensitivity, visual design, creativity, and technical execution.

Aghoy. Lawaan, Eastern Samar, Multimedia Research, Qualitative Research, Philippine folklore, ADDIE Model, Digital Storytelling

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