With spooky season currently at a halt due to the pandemic, the brave souls and the scaredy cats like me are basically on the same page.
I live in Davao and the Halloween season is normally quite lively here. But with the current health protocols, ghost hunting activities and trick-or-treating with your high school squad have become a no-no, and hosting Halloween parties might need to be postponed until the COVID-19 scare is over.
Now, you could always opt for the scary options of binge-watching The Conjuring movies with your family or pals, reading spooky conspiracy theories online, or even researching haunted hotspots in your vicinity.
If you’re deciding on option number 3, then here are 5 spooky spots you can definitely explore in Mindanao.
Sunken Cemetery — Barrio Bonbon, Catarman, Camiguin Island
Imagine snorkeling off the coast of an island when suddenly you see gravestones underwater. You’d think that this is a story straight out of a nightmare right? Wrong. This is something you can actually experience in Camiguin.
The Sunken Cemetery is one of the most famous tourist spots in the country which has catastrophic origins. Mt. Vulcan Daan erupted in 1871 which caused great damage to Camiguin, including to the island’s community cemetery. The cemetery sank 20 to 25 feet underwater and is now covered with 150 years’ worth of coral growth.
The cross we see today is a marker that was built by Camuiguin’s provincial government in 1986 to commemorate the lives of those who were buried in the community cemetery. Tourists are also welcome to snorkel around the area, allowing them to see some parts of the old cemetery like its old cross and other debris.
Durian Hotel — Bajada, Davao City
At the heart of Davao City stands an unoccupied, 12-storey hotel that has been the subject of ghost stories and rumors. The Durian Hotel ceased operations in 2001 upon facing foreclosure due to unsettled transactions; this was a time when Mindanao was facing a great economic crisis and armed conflict.
It’s an infamous rumor in Davao that the hotel might have become haunted due to its long abandonment. Eyewitnesses have shared that the hotel’s elevator—which is visible from the main highway—habitually runs on its own at dawn. Local news even featured the haunted elevator in action years back.
Moncado White Mansion — Brgy. Limao, Island Garden City of Samal
I remember visiting the abandoned white mansion when I was younger while on vacation with my family. It was in the middle of a vast land property and had a majestic view of the Davao Gulf.
The mansion was owned by late Filipino mystic and activist General Hilario Camino Moncado. It was also said to be the headquarters of the Moncadistas, a religious sect founded by the late general.
The White House village was branded as the most haunted place in the Philippines by the Davao Paranormal Society (DPS) after a paranormal investigation was conducted in the said mansion. The DPS claims that there are “active spirits” of both Filipino and foreign nationalities residing in the mansion. The mansion’s caretaker also attests to the presence of a white lady and a man dragging a ball and chain in the area.
Zamboanga Plaza Hotel & Casino — Zamboanga City
Once known as a premier 5-star hotel in all of Mindanao, the Zamboanga Plaza Hotel & Casino suddenly closed its doors to the public in 1986 after a brief 7-year stint. A-listers and prominent politicians were also regulars of the hotel.
Rumor has it that the hotel’s unforeseen shutdown was due to a murder and suicide that took place there. But no one really knows the answer to one of Zamboanga’s biggest mysteries.
Old abandoned house in Brgy. Simsimon — Brgy. Simsimon, Mati
Last on the list is not a widely known destination as the other places mentioned above, but is known to hold numerous creepy stories and encounters from locals.
A former resident of the old abandoned mansion in Brgy. Simsimon said that this house is one of the oldest abandoned houses in Brgy. Simsimon. They experienced several paranormal happenings in the house such as hearing someone walking around, stairs suddenly creaking, and children noisily playing.
Another rumor was that the home had a portrait of a mother carrying a child suddenly crying blood as the image of the child turned into a tiyanak.
The house has had different owners over time, but apparently, the reason for these supernatural occurrences was due to the fact that the original owner’s father instructed them to bring along his remains wherever they went. Since they left his remains at the house, this has caused him unrest.
