Sinumang ibig magpahatid ng liham sa kaluluwa ng isang taong namatay na ay walang tanging dapat gawin kundi:Una: Lahat ng liham na ipadadala ay dapat sulatin at lagdaan sa maghapon na ika-31 na Oktubre.[Whoever wishes to send a letter to the soul of a person who has died can do the following:
Ikalawa: Bawa't liham ay kailangang isilid sa isang sobre, hiwalay sa iba.
Ikatlo: Sa hatinggabi, ganap na ika-12 oras ng bisperas ng “Todos los Santos”...First: All the letters that will be sent must be written and signed by October 31.
Second: Each letter must be put in an envelope, separate from the others.
Third: At midnight, exactly 12 on the eve of All Saints Day...]
The passage above is from Ilang Sulat sa mga Patay: Lathalang Pang "Todos los Santos" [Some Letters to the Dead: Publication for All Saints Day] by Gerardo Chanco (Manila: Libreria y Papeleria De P. Sayo Vda. De Soriano, 1914).
The executive summary provided by the relatively-new Filipiniana.net (actually, it's still in beta) indicates that the work was not necessarily written to frighten people:
Gerardo Chanco’s attempt to contact departed friends is also an avenue for his social commentaries on the Philippines during the American occupation. It covers such topics as philosophy, religion, human relations, local politics and world events.If you're looking for something scary, you may want to check out "Halloween, Libraries and the Philippines." Happy Halloween!
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