ExposéAs the world celebrates scares and spooks for Halloween, the Philippines also has its fair share of horror stories year-round. We may be familiar with the mananaggal and kapre, but Ateneans themselves claim to know some other eager entities. Whether from firsthand experiences or retellings, these are their tales of ghosts and ghouls that dwell in the corners of the country.
Taking classes in cemeteries
Hailing from Cagayan de Oro, Joni Ang (2 BS ME) grew up hearing about schools being former cemeteries. These places are thought to be ominous burial sites with mischievous spirits roaming the campus once the night falls. Stories of children asking for help and cold air seeping out from locked rooms are also common. “[But] I never really believed those [tales] while growing up since my father already told me the truth of the school,” Joni says.
Despite knowing the school’s true origins as an empty lot, many people still believe and pass on these creepy stories. And as rumors spread in Joni’s hometown, each version only becomes more horrid than the previous one.
Seeing the White Lady of Balete Drive
Located in the prime of Quezon City, the White Lady of Balete Drive is no longer a stranger to many. Anonymous contributors attest to how she appears during ominous hours, catching motorists’ attention with her white outfit stark against the dark night. In some cases, she appears directly in the driver’s line of sight, often by the roadside, just waiting for an unfortunate victim. When the vehicle stops for her, whom the driver assumes to be a human passenger, one is greeted with a bloodstained face and ghastly smile in the dead of the night.
Your friendly neighbor
Quezon City is home to many of us, and even spirits find comfort in its nooks and crannies–Jude Buendia’s (3 AB DS) barangay can attest to that. An urbanization program in the area had an old santol tree cut down, leading to a lengthy dispute among the villagers. While the case was ongoing, car washers on a graveyard shift shared that they would see a tall old man in white walking aimlessly around the santol tree, then disappearing behind it. Jude’s mother and aunt, being able to interact with such entities, asked for it to move to their kamias tree and promised to care for its new dwelling place.
Eventually, the barangay cut the tree down–but as they did, the tree trunk began to bleed red. Afterwards, the men who helped cut it down fell sick, and rumors went around that they all died. Until now, the kamias tree in front of Jude’s room often forms a face glaring through his window–a homely greeting from his new neighbor.
Footsteps on the roof
Aside from the company of his new neighbor, Jude also encounters a presence lurking inside his own home. Jude’s house in Quezon City was built after World War II. His house has no attic. The roof is made of galvanized iron, and there are no closed spaces for cats or rats to wander. Jude stays at the farthest corner of his second floor. And yet, every morning at around 2:00 to 3:00 AM, rustling sounds fill his room.
This early ruckus is easy to ignore until they develop into a series of thuds directly above his room: Sinister and distinct steps treading across a wooden surface. The threatening echoes persist for an hour until they eventually agitate him awake.
“Tama na (Enough), please,” he recalls pleading to the loud and aggressive sounds, and just as suddenly, everything comes to a silent pause–at least until the next dark morning greeted him with the same violent thumps.
Camping gone wrong
Cat Aquino (4 AB LIT/BFA CW) is no stranger to terrifying encounters with the unknown. She grew up with horror stories from her friends, household help, and the True Philippine Ghost Stories book series—but little did she know that she would have her own to write one day. During a camping trip to Antipolo, Cat heard a story from her camp counselor about a boy who reportedly roams the site at 2:00 AM. And later that night, Cat herself had a ghostly visitor.
“I saw a small shadow in the shape of a boy stoop down in front of my tent,” she recalls. “And I felt small hands press into the soles of my shoes.” Because this experience left Cat so shaken, she never went camping again.
Night sweepers
At the tender age of six, Cecille Lim (3 AB LIT) traveled along a secluded one-way path to Valenzuela. That night, no other cars were on the road, and as her car reached the end of the path, she saw a tall and thin woman sweeping the floor with a walis tingting (i.e., broom). The figure was wearing a white nightgown and had long black hair covering her face.
As her car drew nearer and nearer, an eerie atmosphere settled in as she noticed the walis slowly moving from left to right in idle sweeping. The moment the car passed by the woman, the figure’s head slowly rose and motioned as if to peer through the car window. In raw terror, young Cecille grabbed a car pillow and buried her face in it.
As her car drove off, she looked back and saw the woman go back to sweeping. Cecille asked her companions if they saw the woman, but neither her sister nor her driver confirmed the appearance. They were left in confusion. The next day came with the news that a girl had died in the same area moments before Cecille passed by.
School spirit
On the outskirts of Manila, Francine Campos (3 AB PSY) claims that there stands an old school built back in World War II. It is said that anyone who wishes to go inside must confirm whether he or she possesses a third eye. In past incidents, those who have a third eye were strongly enticed to enter the school and were eventually taken over by the restless spirits of old students. They are known to seize their hosts’ bodies ruthlessly. Francine even recalls how a child allegedly jumped off the building to reenact how these child-like spirits died.
Clearly, the Philippines is rich with chilling tales. Whether from Metro Manila or beyond–regardless of where these are first heard–these stories serve as a wonderfully frightful look into local lore.
Illustrations by Kaitlyn Mercado
