“Makapatag”: The Supreme Deity of Waray Mythology – A Multimedia Exploration of Creation, Power, and Cultural Legacy

This study aims to examine the mythology surrounding Makapatag, the supreme being in Waray mythology, who is traditionally considered the authoritative maker of the world and the sustaining force of the cosmos. The major issue this paper will tackle is that modernization and urbanization have put these native histories at risk of being forgotten due to the absence of relevant, engaging, and contemporary accounts of these myths among the Waray people. Although these myths have previously been expounded by scholars in writing, a significant gap remains in the area of multimedia adaptations that could be used as educational tools. The proposed study is expected to address that gap by documenting the Makapatag myth and converting it into a high-quality graphic narrative to structure and enhance the adaptation process. A qualitative research design was used to achieve the desired result as the Action-at-a-distance ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) framework. Facts have been collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, as well as from online sources and from local elders and community storytellers in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. The findings were used during the design stage, where digital tools such as Ibis Paint and Clip Studio Paint helped develop culturally appropriate character designs and environments, but interest is waning among younger generations. The analysis of the elaborated multimedia production yielded "Excellent" scores in storytelling, cultural sensitivity, and visual presentation. These findings indicate that a combination of traditional folklore and visual storytelling is a viable means of preserving culture. In the long run, the study will be part of the documentation of Philippine folk literature and help maintain the identity of the Waray culture.

Makapatag, Waray Mythology, Multimedia Research, Graphic Narrative, Cultural Preservation, ADDIE Model, Folklore Documentation.

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