Retelling Philippine Folktales with Wetsipon
Retelling Philippine Folktales with Wetsipon
A young storyteller from Laguna is making waves with her uniquely charming and culturally rich animated films. Jade Evangelista, also known as Wetsipon, is a 13-year-old animator, musician, and storyteller on a mission to preserve Philippine folklore through Wetsitales—retold regional folktales and stories. Jade is proving that young storytellers like her can do this great and timely initiative to preserve the historical and cultural memories of the country.
Jade’s artistic journey began with a simple love for drawing and storytelling. Inspired by Robert Alejandro of Papemelroti, video games, cartoons, and even the animated series Hungarian Folk Tales, she knew she wanted to bring stories to life. But it wasn’t just about creating for the sake of art; it was also promoting these local tales to the national consciousness of today’s generation.
“We noticed that most of the children's stories available were Disney-fied or focused on superheroes. There weren’t a lot of Philippine folktales accessible to kids,” says Nina Evangelista, Jade’s mom. Determined to change that, Jade and her mom started their own animation project, bringing forgotten Filipino folktales back into the spotlight.
Unlike the clean versions of stories that many children grow up with, Jade remains true to the original spirit of these folktales, even when they include darker themes.
“We tell the pure or original version of the story. If there’s violence, we don’t remove it—we just use black silhouettes or fading effects to keep it suitable for kids,” Jade explains.
She chooses to retell it in this way since her audience is young like her and she wants her generation to start appreciating the country’s culture. She has already made it digestible enough that even high school or college students can understand to bypass the amount of time it takes to read and the language used in its original translation. This is not to limit conversations like this in the academic community but to make them accessible to everyone.
Above: Stills from Wetsitales: The Flood Story and Wetsitales: Aponibonilayen and the Sun
Jade’s animation style is simple and bright and mostly features characters with brown skin. “The characters have brown skin because brown is beautiful, and it helps us appreciate our culture more,” she said. This is a tribute to what the Filipinos looked like in the pre-colonial times before the colonial mix-up, which is where most of the regional folktales are based.
For Jade, these stories aren’t just bedtime tales—they’re cultural treasures that are at risk of being forgotten. “We retell folktales to help the next generation know our culture better,” she shares. During the pandemic when she was homeschooled, she realized how difficult it was to find resources on Philippine folklore. So, she took matters into her own hands.
From Wetsitales—her first major project inspired by Hungarian Folk Tales—to Wetsitunes, which revives forgotten Filipino folk music, Jade’s work is a celebration of oral tradition through animation. “If we don’t retell these stories, they will disappear. Other cultures appreciate our history, and it’s about time we do, too,” says Nina.
Above: Some of Jade’s short films
Despite her impressive filmography of more than 20 short films, Jade faces an uphill battle in the festival circuit due to age restrictions. Many festivals require filmmakers to be 18 or older, making it difficult to showcase her work. Still, her persistence paid off: At an international festival in Italy, a 13-title screening was dedicated solely to Jade’s films—an achievement rarely seen, even when these screenings are done in the Philippines.
“Young as she is, she’s not just a ‘child artist’—she’s an artist, period,” says Nina. “Her work stands alongside thesis projects of college students, and she’s just getting started.”
Jade dreams of collaborating with other creatives and sharing her films on an even bigger scale. She’s also working on an original animated series based on her own experiences, proving that her passion for storytelling knows no bounds.
Her message is simple but powerful: “Appreciate the culture and enjoy the process of knowing the past through history.”
By breathing new life into regional folktales, Jade/Wetsipon is not only preserving Philippine heritage but ensuring that these stories continue to inspire generations to come. If her journey so far is any indication, she has already established herself as a credible storyteller who deserves more recognition for her contribution to the preservation of the country’s historical and cultural memories.
Here’s a curated playlist of Jade’s works. To know more about Wetsipon, check out her website.
