LEVITATE

By Rin de la Pena

In the weeks leading up to the release of our 10th issue, we here at Levitate have decided to highlight our favorite pieces from past editions, starting off with E.P. Tuazon’s Duwende Challenge, published in Issue 7. You can find it on page 49 in the physical copy and on page 50 in the digital copy.

A Duwende is a dwarf-like creature from Filipino folklore. They can be helpful or mischievous depending on how you treat them. Duwende Challenge chronicles an encounter between the titular creature,  an unnamed narrator, and his coworker, Boy. 

What I enjoyed  in this story was how it was accessible to western readers while still feeling authentically Filipino, even in its non-fantastical aspects. The two main characters are workers at Happy Bee, which is a nod to the beloved JolliBee, with Tagalog phrases sprinkled alongside English. It’s not pandering to readers or exotifying Filipino culture–it just is.