Several supernatural entities have allegedly resided in the Malacañang Palace, at least according to stories shared by longtime staff members, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself.
In his latest vlog on Tuesday, Marcos Jr. shared spine-tingling stories of supernatural encounters within the historic Malacañang Palace – the official residence and workplace of the President of the Philippines – during his teenage years.
Built in 1750 by Spanish aristocrat Don Luis Rocha, Malacañang originally served as a private summer house. It was acquired by the state in 1825 for use as a summer residence for the governor-general during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
Over the years, it has been home to 18 governor-generals, 14 American military and civil governors, and several presidents.
The most extensive remodeling occurred during the term of his father, the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr., with his mother – then First Lady Imelda Marcos, overseeing the project.
Despite numerous renovations and refurbishments, Marcos Jr. said the Palace's supernatural history seems to persist.
Marcos Jr. admitted that he and his friends have ventured into the dark corners of the Palace, engaging in ghost-hunting expeditions during his teenage years.
"One of my friends was about to open the door. Before he could even touch the doorknob, the door opened on its own. Our screams echoed through the Palace as we raced back to my room at 2 a.m.," Marcos said.
He added that they just turned on all the lights in the Palace and played loud music to dispel the fear.
Another incident that Marcos Jr. shared occurred in a guest room near Malacañan's state dining room.
"When I was living in one of the guest rooms near the State Dining Room, where we hold cabinet meetings today, there was one night I came home. I just closed the door of my room, and when I reopened it, I saw the chairs suddenly moving on their own," Marcos Jr. said.
"So, I screamed and ran to the security and said, 'There's a ghost.' They said, 'It's probably just Father Brown,'" Marcos Jr. said.
Digging into the Palace's history, Marcos Jr. discovered that there was indeed an American named Father Brown who worked in the Palace during the American colonial period.
To this day, he said that Father Brown might still be keeping a watchful eye over Malacañang and its employees.
Furthermore, Marcos Jr. and his companions have often observed chandeliers swaying as if in response to an earthquake, even when no tremor was occurring. Inexplicably, a single chandelier sometimes moves on its own without any apparent cause.
Marcos Jr. is not the only one who has reported strange occurrences at Malacañang Palace. Several palace staff have also shared their own stories of encounters with the supernatural.
Ruel, a Malacañang employee for 16 years, said he felt like someone was following him while walking through the Palace.
"When I'm walking, it's like someone's following me from behind. When I look, there's nothing there," Ruel said.
Another Malacañang employee for 41 years, Lito, said that he had heard footsteps behind him, only to turn around and find no one there.
Rommy, another Malacañang worker for 41 years, said that he had felt a heavy presence behind him while walking through the Palace.
Chris, a younger staff member, said he once saw a headless man sitting at a table in one of the rooms.
Whether or not you believe in the existence of ghosts, these stories about otherworldly entities wandering through the corridors of Malacañan Palace will persist in leaving an eerie impression on those residing in or visiting one of the Philippines' most ancient edifices.
