Manun and Gulgul

Dear Reader,

I would like to share with you a project that is close to my heart. It is a story that I have been quietly writing and developing on the side for years, alongside my full-time work as writer and director of The Filipino Story Studio. It has been the most challenging creative endeavor I have ever undertaken, but also the most fulfilling.

And as I draw closer to completing it, I want to begin sharing it with a small circle of people I deeply trust and respect: cherished friends, inspirations, and fellow creatives and culture bearers. I share this with you as an invitation to step into this world with me and take part in its journey toward release.

Wholeheartedly,
Bani Logroño, Author
May 3, 2026

Silhouette of the Manunggul Jar, a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines, showing two figures on a burial boat atop the jar's cover.

“Who are the two people on top of the Manunggul Jar?”

This was the question that first birthed this story. In 2023, I was shooting a reality travel show in the National Museum, and it was there that I first saw the jar in person for the very first time.

The Manunggul Jar is a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines, a masterpiece that is considered one of our greatest artistic achievements in our ancient history. And in asking myself who the two figures were, a story began to reveal itself.

At first, I explored the curiosity as a short film, which later expanded into a feature-length screenplay, as I began to understand the deeper significance of the jar and felt that these figures deserved more than a five-minute telling. But as I continued writing, I found my imagination constrained by the realities of production: budget, logistics, and what would actually be possible to bring to screen.

Eventually, through the encouragement of my wife and conversations with publishers at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2025, I made a decision to shift mediums entirely, and do something I had never done before: write a novel. And thus, I found the limitations of my creativity unleashed in a way that I had never experienced before, where the limits of practicality fell away, and the full scope of my imagination could finally unfold.

Manun and Gulgul

Manun and Gulgul is a Filipino epic high fantasy novel about two friends––a chieftain's son and his servant––who embark on a quest to save a Binukot princess and, in doing so, discover the true meaning of what it means to be a Bayani. It is set in a world known as Kapuluwan, woven together by Bathala, the Creator God. In this world, there are forces who seek to tear the weave of creation apart, consumed by their selfish desires.

To fight against evil, power from Bathala is passed down through generations through a sacred ritual known as Pa-mana. The receiver says “mana po,” placing the back of the giver's hand on their forehead. Through this act, new warriors of the weave, called Bayani, are born. Bayani are marked by a small tattoo on the back of their dominant hand. When their Pa-mana is awakened, these markings spread across their body, forming patterns like a living weave.

This is the story of a friendship tested by destiny, and a world whose fate is determined by who they choose to become.

Silhouette illustration of a procession of travelers and animals journeying across the islands of Kapuluwan.

Visual Art Style

Shown as draft samples on this page, the novel will feature a rich array of illustrations that invite readers to see the world of Kapuluwan as the characters journey through it. Kapuluwan draws its spirit from the Philippine archipelago itself, a constellation of islands shaped by many cultures, each distinct, yet bound together by our maritime heritage. Its visual language follows an aesthetic inspired by traditional Filipino woodcarving. In choosing this style, the work leans into a distinctly Filipino artistic voice, standing apart from the dominant Japanese and Western traditions in today's media. It is a simple style that kids can emulate.

Illustration of a Pa-mana ritual: a figure places the back of a hand on the forehead of two kneeling figures. — Bathala created the world through weaving. All things are woven together. When Pa-mana is awakened, tattoos spread across a Bayani's body like a living weave.

Illustration of a figure weaving at a loom, part of the novel's Filipino woodcarving-inspired art style. — The power of Bathala is passed down through a sacred ritual known as Pa-mana. The receiver says “mana po,” placing the back of the giver's hand on their forehead.

Filipinos Are the Magic

Hand-drawn map outline of the Philippine archipelago, the geography that inspired Kapuluwan.

When most people think of Filipino fantasy, they imagine manananggal, tikbalang, kapre, and other mythological creatures standing in for the elves, dwarves, and other fantasy races of Western stories. They think of the vast pantheon of gods drawn from our local myths and legends. But as I began writing Manun and Gulgul, I realized that was not the story I wanted to tell.

Instead, the magic of this world is shaped not by a variety of fantasy races, but by a diverse tapestry of Filipino-inspired communities. Communities that connect to God, to nature, and to one another through craft and culture: weaving, pottery, beadwork, tattooing, music, boatbuilding, storytelling, and the countless forms of art that allowed our ancestors to flourish across the islands.

There will only be one God in Kapuluwan, and very few fantastical creatures. For Manun and Gulgul is not a celebration of mythical beasts, but of the beauty and genius of our indigenous roots. In this story, the culture itself is the magic. The people themselves are the magic. Just as they always have been in the Philippines.

Why I'm Writing This

Manun and Gulgul is a love letter to the journey that has shaped me as a Filipino American rediscovering my cultural identity through my work and my life. From conversations with historians and culture bearers, to visits with indigenous communities, and the hundreds of books and documents I've studied about our heritage and history, I've done my best to weave everything together in this cultural, relational, and spiritual adventure.

“Manunggul” means “a higher place,” and that is where I hope to take readers, both, spiritually and culturally.

As the legendary fantasy author J.R.R Tolkien once wrote, “stories are lies breathed through silver.” But for me, this story is being breathed through gold of our ancestors. And what is exhaled, is Ginhawa, that sacred breath of belonging, when a soul remembers it is home.

If this vision resonates with you, I invite you to take a part in bringing Manun and Gulgul to life!

Ways You Can Be Part of This Story

Be a Beta Reader

Help refine the story before it meets the world.

Collaborate Creatively

Let's create content together using the Manun and Gulgul world and your unique gifts.

Share the Story

Through reviews, features, and promotion when the book releases.

Open Doors

Help connect this story to venues, communities, and spaces for gatherings.

Show Up

Host, volunteer, participate, or attend future book events.

Translation

Help translate the story into the many languages of the Philippines and the world, so that every reader may encounter it in the language of their heart.

Support Financially

To help the book in its self-publishing adventure.

Thank You!

Connect with me:

banilogrono@gmail.com IG: banilogrono

Publication & Impact Plan

Project Overview

Target Word Count: ~70,000 words
Target Audience: Filipino and Filipino diaspora youth (ages 12–25)
Publishing Model: Self-publishing
Target Release Window: Q1 2027

Digital Presence

Strategic Instagram campaign utilizing short-form reels and carousel content
Content focused on Filipino identity, culture, mythology, and storytelling to engage both local and diaspora audiences
Behind-the-scenes content (writing, illustration, world-building) to build early community investment
Website

Format & Release

Simultaneous release across:
Paperback
E-book
Audiobook

Launch Strategy (United States)

Initial launch event in the U.S. targeting Filipino diaspora communities
Book tour across key cultural hubs in the West Coast: LA, OC, SD, SF, and Seattle

Launch Strategy (Philippines)

Follow-up launch event in the Philippines shortly after U.S. release
Book tour across schools, universities, libraries, and churches

Institutional Partnerships (Target)

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
National Museum of the Philippines (NMP)
National Book Development Board (NBDB)
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO)

Extended Content & Educational Materials

Cultural and historical companion book to support deeper engagement
Devotional guide exploring the story's spiritual themes
Translated versions (Filipino languages and other languages)

Contact · banilogrono@gmail.com · IG: @banilogrono