Aside from rich historical events happened in Magalang, the town itself had experienced several paranormal activities. There are several stories that ordinary Magaleños experienced paranormal activities. Some of these are came from our forebears who experienced also the same activities. In the latest publication of the Center of Kapampangan Studies' magazine Singsing, which they focused on paranormal activities in Pampanga, i contributed two articles that pertains to the paranormal activities in various places in Magalang. The most popular of them is the Magalang Elementary School.
We all know that Magalang Elementary School popularly known as Central, is one of the center of paranormal stories that every people told. The school itself was established in 1901 by a Thomasite, Mr. William S. Irey. The present site was acquired in 1915 and it is still occupied until present. However, when Japanese occupied Magalang in 1942. Several big houses and offices including the school was converted either military or civilian garrisons. The school was made into military garrison, hospital and later, an execution grounds. Several prisoners were executed and buried in the school premises. After the war, several paranormal stories were mushroomed about the school. Students, teachers and administrators experienced different paranormal activities especially in old school buildings like Gabaldon and Industrial Arts buildings. One account tells that a apparition of a former administrator was saw dancing in Gabaldon building premises. Another apparition of a black lady was also experienced in Industrial Arts building. The black lady was saw by the students and teachers sitting on its teacher's table. The huge narra tree on the Science garden was believed to be the house of black dwarfs; where my cousin was "played" by the black dwarfs, but later it was leaved by the black dwarfs with the help of a faith healer. The offices and classrooms are also subjected to several paranormal stories. A young girl was spotted in former district office and a young boy was roaming inside the principal's office. These are some stories that myself couldn't yet completed due to numerous claims and accounts that students, teachers, administrators and even parents that they shared to me.
In my present teaching station in Sta Cruz Elementary School, there are several paranormal accounts that some students shared to me. In Home Economics building, some students spotted a apparition of a former teacher who they saw hanged and her body was bloodied in the Home Economics comfort room! And even my classroom itself was subject to some accounts too! One of my former students spotted a black nun was seating on my teacher's table! And sometimes, that black nun was roaming around our vegetable garden just behind of my classroom! In the Industrial Arts building, an apparition of an old woman was took placed during my first teaching years in our school. It was around the afternoon and i'm finished wrote my lesson plan, suddenly an old woman appeared on the window and she even calling me! After a second, the old woman suddenly disappeared.
In the beautiful mansion of Dr. Andres J. Luciano in the town proper of Magalang, paranormal activities in that mansion was also observed. An account of Mrs. Teresita Suba, a former caretaker of the mansion revealed some of the paranormal activities in the mansion. One day, she saw the apparition of Dr. Andres J. Luciano together with his family in the mansion's windows! like Beatriz Feliciano de Luciano, his second wife; and his children, Amado Henry, Aristedes, Angeles and Maria Elvira. During the war, the mansion was robbed by the guerrillas. In the 2005 movie Nasaan Ka Man, the setting was shoot in the mansion premises, where the actress Claudine Baretto experienced paranormal activity where in a scene that the actress' hair strand was raised without any force!
Lastly, a known creature, Kalaryut was subject to different stories that even our forebears eventually passed to their grandchildren. In a sleepy sitio Mapaco in barrio San Francisco, where the kalaryut is roaming. According to some accounts, kalaryut is a tall creature but it has chain knuckles on his legs and had huge feet. Sometimes, it will transform into different animals like become a pig, duck and a chicken. In daytime, it will transform into a stranger. There are also signs that kalaryut is in your premises; one sign is that you will hear a chain knuckles that will cross your rooftop, and other one is you will hear a whisper from an unknown person. There are different stories that pertains to the kalaryut, according to my grandmother, Adoracion Mamangun Canlas, 72, when she was still young, she will go home in Mapaco together with his aunt, Eusebia Dayrit Cabrera fondly known as Apung Biang; and suddenly, she saw a huge pig trailing many ducks. She eventually asked his aunt about she spotted, but his aunt covered her eyes for not to scare and she told her that it is the kalaryut! My mom, Cecilia Lacson Bartolo, 54, experienced also the presence of kalaryut during her childhood days. One evening, she and his siblings are sleeping in the house of Apung Biang. Eventually she and his siblings were scared after a sound of chain knuckles crossed the rooftop of the house. Apung Biang, who had third eye or sixth sense scolded the creature to leave the house because her grandchildren are scared. Suddenly, the kalaryut left. A relative of my grandmother, known for his bravery challenged the kalaryut, who was transformed into a human carrying a bunch of eggplants. After he challenged a duel, the kalaryut eventually left and the bunch of eggplants fell on the ground!
There are some paranormal stories and accounts that had been subjected to every discussion, but on thing is for sure, we are still living on the earth will full of mysteries.
Photo Credits:
www.sorion-uploads.openroadmedia.com
Source:
Bartolo, Louie Aldrin L., The Haunted Elementary School in Magalang, Singsing, Paranormal Pampanga, Holy Angel University, Juan D. Nepomuceno Center of Kapampangan Studies, Angeles City, 2017, page 47.
Bartolo, Louie Aldrin L., Kalaryut in Magalang, Singsing, Paranormal Pampanga, Holy Angel University, Juan D. Nepomuceno Center of Kapampangan Studies, Angeles City, 2017, page 54.
