Baguio is one of the most famous
cities in the Philippines and has been celebrated as the Summer Capital of the
country for the past 99 years. Few of the most visited tourist attractions are
the Burnham Park, Wright Park (Horseback Area), Strawberry Farm, The Mansion
(which was owned by our former President Elpidio Quirino). They
say that behind the mist that blankets the hills and streets of the City of
Pines are countless mysteries and tales of horror. The map of Baguio, they say,
is dotted with haunted houses and cursed hotels that have sheltered restless —
and sometimes hostile — ghosts and spirits. One of them — the Laperal
White House.
THE LAPERAL HOUSE HISTORY
The
Laperal House was
built in the 1920's on a 4-hectare property that used to be owned by the
Laperal clan during the World War II.They built the house as their rest house
in Baguio. The house was made of narra and yakal, fashioned in Victorian
style with its wooden planks and gables and steep roof. The original color of
the mansion was yellow-baige and has a red roof. It was only called "White
House" on 2001 when it was repainted in white. Donya Victorina was
said to be fond of her fortune plants in the garden. When the war broke
out, the Japanese forces seized occupation of the house and used it as a
temporary garrison. In those times, there were brutal acts of tortures and
killings, and suicides going on. The time when the Japanese and the American
forces released their arms, the Japanese officials were killed inside the
mansion and few of the Laperal brothers and sisters were involved. Brutally
killed. Donya Victorina died during the years of war, but while Don
Roberto survived, he suffered an untimely death after having slipped and hit
his head in the front yard of the house. Now there were rumors spreading out
that there is always a lady standing outside the house on the third step of the
stairs. It was believed that it was Donya Victorina.
Ms.
Alma Ramos, another care-taker of the house once asked the house guard to cut
the fortune plants down ( Donya Victorina's obsession ) and that was the start
of the unexplained happenings in the said residence. It is practiced that every
time people would like to visit the mansion, there should be an
"alay" as a sign of offering and respect to the owners of the house.
According to the former housemaid of the Laperals, Ms. Catalina Ringor
confessed that there was a time when a man and a woman killed themselves
outside the house. The residence's watcher, Mr Jose Acab also shared his
experience. He said that there are times when he turn the radio on, somebody
will just change the station with or without plugging it.Once while he was
doing the rounds inside, he received a call from his wife. The call went fine
until she asked who he was with at the time. The wife apparently kept hearing a
woman’s voice. Thing is, the guard was all alone. Some have heard angry
voices and loud noises from inside the house even when it was completely empty.
Sometime when the Japanese forces were in the mansion, one of the officials
raped the housemaid in the masters bedroom and some also confessed that there
was a little girl who was accidentally hit by a car.
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| The Master's Bedroom |
Others
have claimed they had this awful feeling of being unwelcome and being
watched. The guards are also terrified to go in at night. If the
stories are true, there are plenty of reasons why the house gained its infamous
reputation. Some taxi drivers refuse to pass by this part of the Leonard Wood
Road, in fear of the apparitions. Most of them beep their car horn while
passing through as a way to excuse themselves to the restless spirits. Passing
visitors report of having seen curious figures among the windows. Guards have
reported mysterious entities of coming and going to the house, even if the
doors were locked. There are incidences where visitors report of a couple of
these mysterious entities of having followed them back home. More than just the
supposedly spiritual hauntings, there are also traces of the brutality its
occupants endured during the war. Lito Calvo, a long-time
housekeeper once found a skull cap while digging in the garden.
The house transferred ownership after the death of the head of the Laperal clan. It was adequately maintained but despite having closed its doors to most of the public over the years, it did not stop the persistent rumors of the unearthly sightings spotted near the house. The house withstood many natural and man-made qualities, such as the deadly earthquake in 1991 and many more, but its affinity for the paranormal had been cemented permanently.
The
Bamboo Exhibit
Today,
the house was bought by one of the richest businessman in the country Lucio
Tan, sometime in 2007. Since then, the house has been maintained
and restored. In 2013, it was transformed into a gallery of Filipino artworks
based on bamboo and wood. The Ifugao Bamboo Carving Gallery is a joint project
of the Tan Yan Kee Foundation and the Phillippine Bamboo Association. The
exhibit aims to “bring to the attention of the public the increasing importance
of bamboo in the preservation of arts and culture of the Cordilleras,
prevention of landslides and soil erosion, and pollution control.”
The ground floor of the
house has been converted into a gallery
For an entrance fee of Php 50.00, visitors are welcome to take a look inside the house.
It’s a must-visit for
bamboo craft enthusiasts. But despite its renovation, many people are insistent
of the gloomy atmosphere that pervades the house, especially for those attuned
to the supernatural.
What are your own
thoughts about ghost haunting?
Do you believe in ghost? Why? Why not?
