STORIES about the existence of Amomongo originated from the province of Negros Occidental.

Residents who saw the creature described it as "a hairy white ape with long, sharp nails and stands 5 feet and 4 inches tall."

It is listed as one of the 10 mythical creatures less known in Philippine folklore by a Philippine website, FilipiKnow.

SunStar Bacolod reported on June 16, 2008 that two males were attacked by the Amomongo, as well as other animals in La Castellana town in Negros Occidental.

The town's police chief, Teddy Velez, said residents of Barangay Sag-ang have reported being attacked by the "amomongo."

Salvador Aguilar and Elias Galvez told police they were attacked by the wild monkey on separate occasions. They showed authorities the scratches on their face, back and hands. They said several of their neighbors also saw the monkey attacking domesticated animals.

Then La Castellana Mayor Alberto Nicor said "amomongo: is not a witch or "aswang" but a wild animal.

He theorized it is not remote for an "amomongo" to live in Sag-ang, considering that the area is at the foot of Mt. Kanlaon.

He added the animal may have been suffering from hunger.

"This is one possibility because there may be no food now in the mountain. Or it might be that 'amomongos' habitat has been disturbed by humans, thus, it runs wild," Nicor said.

But the existence of the Amomongo is still shrouded in mystery. Some experts say that Amomongo is an albino gorilla, but with no species of ape native to the Philippines, it is harder to confirm, let alone believe the beast's real identity.

But if the folklore is true, then be careful if you're planning to go on trekking. (RSR)