PUBLISHED ONJanuary 14, 2026 10:37 AMBYKoh Xing YingA report about a woman in the Philippines who mistook a 3D-printed figurine of the cartoon character Shrek for a Buddha and worshipped it for years has made headlines recently, sparking both amusement scepticism on social media.
The woman from Manilla, who was not named, bought the statue from a local shop four years ago and had been worshipping it since, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on Monday (Jan 12).
The woman had reportedly believed the statue to be a depiction of Buddha due to its round shape and gentle expression, and treated it with reverence by placing it at a prominent spot on her home altar.
She was only made aware that she had been worshipping a model of an animated character after a friend who was visiting noticed that the colour and facial features of the statue looked different from the typical Buddha, according to SCMP.
Shrek is a well-known fictional character from the eponymous animated film series, recognised for his intimidating appearance but kind-hearted nature.
Upon learning the truth, the woman said she felt amused and speechless, noting that what truly mattered was the sincerity of her prayers rather than the figure itself, reported SCMP.
She added that faith and good intentions mattered more than outward appearances, and said she plans to continue worshipping the Shrek statue despite the revelation.
The article, which has been reposted on multiple sites since, has drawn mixed reactions from netizens online, with some noting that the story has been circulating on social media since 2022.
"Seriously though, I’ve been seeing that news everywhere for quite some time now. I’m a bit doubtful about the legitimacy of that claim," said one user on Reddit.
"Saw the same post about this several months ago, it was Thailand? Or probably other countries in Asia, but definitely not the Philippines," another Facebook user wrote in a post from 2025.
But the story has evidently brought laughter to some.
One Facebook user who found the anecdote amusing wrote: "I find this humorous as it's meant to be, without regard for logic, belief or reasoning. It's funny, deal with it."
[[nid:572616]]
