The Story Behind the Name
Every Filipino grows up hearing about Juan Tamad — the boy who preferred waiting for the guava to fall rather than climbing the tree to pick it. On the surface, his story is about laziness. But beneath the humor lies a more complex truth about human nature: patience, contentment, and the fine line between wisdom and idleness.
JuanTamad.com takes its name from this enduring figure not to celebrate laziness, but to explore the deeper lessons hidden in our stories. Like Juan, we pause and observe. We reflect on what our ancestors told us and what those tales still mean today. This site is a place for rediscovering the imagination and moral insight that live within the Filipino mind.
Folklore: The Living Memory of a People
Before books and classrooms, there were stories told under the glow of a lampara. There were elders who passed on lessons through songs, riddles, myths, and rituals. All of this — our beliefs, customs, sayings, and traditions — is what we call folklore.
Folklore is not simply old. It is alive, carried through generations in the way we speak, celebrate, and explain the world. When we say “tabi-tabi po” before walking through the grass, or when we tell children about the kapre and the diwata, we are keeping this collective memory alive. Folklore shapes identity; it is how Filipinos understand the mysterious, the sacred, and the everyday.
Folktales: Stories That Teach and Endure
Within this larger tradition live the folktales — the narrative heart of Filipino folklore. These are the tales of tricksters, heroes, and dreamers. They are moral lessons disguised as adventures, meant to guide, entertain, and warn.
Folktales such as “Juan Tamad and the Guava,” “The Monkey and the Turtle,” and “Why the Pineapple Has Many Eyes” have endured because they speak to universal truths. They show that human cleverness can overcome power, that virtue has its rewards, and that every action carries its consequence.
At juantamad.com, we retell these stories not just as entertainment, but as reflections of Filipino character — our humor, our humility, our resilience, and our belief that even the smallest act can hold meaning.
Preserving Myths, Heroes, and Imagination
The mission of this site is to preserve and reimagine the folklore of the Philippines. We trace its roots from oral tradition to written literature, from ancient deities like Bathala and Apolaki to village spirits, and from moral tales to the myths that once shaped the islands’ spiritual life.
Here you’ll find long-form retellings, illustrated family trees of gods, and thoughtful analyses that connect the old world to the present. Whether you come seeking the story of Juan Tamad, the rage of Mayari, or the mystery of Maria Makiling, each page is an invitation to listen again—to hear what our ancestors whispered into the firelight.
Why These Stories Still Matter
In a fast-moving world, folklore reminds us to slow down. These stories endure because they are not just about the past—they help us understand ourselves now. They carry values, humor, and a sense of wonder that modern life often forgets.
JuanTamad.com stands as a living archive of that wonder. Through myths, legends, and folktales, it honors the voices of those who came before us and keeps their wisdom within reach.