Amalanhig are the vampires of Philippine mythology. They live in the depths of forests and prey upon the blood of unsuspecting individuals who venture into their habitats. They keep their former human appearance, albeit with decaying flesh.
Amalanhig are said to originate from aswang (a generic term used for evil creatures and witches). When an aswang died without being able to relinquish their aswang powers to the next suitable successor, the deceased corpse of the aswang returns to roam the earth as an amalanhig. Murdered victims harboring deep resentment can also return as these bloodthirsty undead beings. Amalanhig originating from homicide victims, are particularly infamous for their unrelenting pursuit of those whom they perceive as having wronged them in life.
When amalanhig locate their target, they employ a rather peculiar method to carry out their revenge. Once the victim is in their grasp, the amalanhig would tickle them relentlessly until the person succumbs to laughter, essentially laughing themselves to death.