Ing ÁRÎ ‘the king.’ The old (and the not so old) Kapampángans believed that there are two ÁRÎ ‘kings’ that rule the heavens: The Sun, i-Árîng ALDÓ a SÍNUKUAN (Ápûng Sínukuan), and the Moon, i-Árîng BÚLAN a MALIÁRI (Ápung Maliári). It is from their sash (Babat Árî) or their loincloth (Pinang Árî) that the rainbows were formed. The light of the universe radiate from their eyes and that of their children (the stars). The light of the Ápûng Maliári (Moon), is less dominant because he lost one of his eyes in a previous battle with his brother, Ápûng Sínukuan (Sun). On Yátu (Earth), Ápûng Sínukuan (Sun) lives on Bunduk Aláya (Mt. Aráyat) while Ápûng Maliári (Moon) lives on Bunduk Pinatúbû (Mt. Pinatubo).
Before day turned into night on that Saturday noon of 1991 June 15, this apparition of Ing ÁRÎ ‘the king’ was seen on the western sky above Angeles. Is this Ápûng Maliári, now Árîng Punsalang ‘the enemy king,’ come back to exact his revenge on his brother Ápûng Sínukuan?!?
Many believed that Ápûng Sínukuan sent his general Ápûng Galúrâ (Garuda), the bringer of typhoons, to protect Indûng Kapampángan from the wrath of Árîng Punsalang.
It is strange how the old stories that have mostly been ignored and almost forgotten all come back to life in times of crisis.