Philippine mortals or heroes from mythology are common across all the sub mythologies that form the overall Philippine cosmology. These heroes are both male and female and tend to exhibit heroic traits that many times take on the gods and hybrids. Epic poems form part of the oral and written traditions of these islands and many of them have managed to keep this alive despite the influence of modern Christianity and Islam.

Mortals and epic poems in general have heavy influence of Hinduism, Indian mythology and traditional indigenous religions and often have sea faring and other related professions. The mortals are also very much a part of the belief system and often have strong links to the folklore and traditions of each island.