MARAWI CITY – Every space of the world of the living, there remain the stories by those who crossed the earth who now inhabit the “other” dimension.
Their stories witnessed, told, and retold. Their stories haunted.
The Mindanao State University (MSU) hasn’t been spared of these stories. In fact, there are a lot of them.
The University here does not only provide housing for students but also to its instructors and staff. They call it the Bachelor’s Quarters, an accommodation for unmarried instructors located at the Forestry Drive. As the population of the University increased, it was opened to the students.
The walking lady
In 1983, Cesar Delfinado, an instructor of the Filipino Department who was then a student, could still vividly remember what happened that night at BQ-1.
He and his co-majors were studying for their upcoming exams and he was the last to stay awake.
While he was drinking water, he heard light footsteps circling around their living room. It was slow and light yet it was audible enough that he thought a girl sneaked in their room. When he checked it out, there was no one.
He decided to go their room. Inside the room, he again heard the steps circling the room twice. He decided to catch whoever it was. He waited, and on the third time he heard the footsteps, he opened the door and saw no one. The footsteps were like from someone taking the stairs.
He waited, the steps were slow. One, two and again, on the third and last step it stopped. He took a stick and waited again for the steps. The footsteps were again circling and on the last turn, it stopped at the front of their room’s door.
Cesar decided to open again the door and still saw no one. Then, the steps were there again circling in the living room and just right on cue on the last step, there was a knock - a different knock. Instead of the knuckles, the fingernails were lightly knocking thrice. He was so scared that he woke his classmates up.
The day after that experience, he was told that the old occupant of their room was an instructor who died there and her belongings were just stored up in the ceilings. Her stuff were then removed and delivered to her family at Linamon in Lanao del Norte.
And since then, there were no more evening walks for her.
The piano
The University Visual System (UVS) located at the 2nd street is the home of the world-class dance ensemble of the institution, the Kambayoka.
The group is known to practice in the UVS every night during weekends at 6 until 8 p.m., but on special or urgent performance they stay for overnight practices.
To prepare for a performance during one of the university’s programs, the group decided to spend the night practicing. They had been practicing all night that everybody slept tightly.
In the middle of the night, one of their freshman members got up and went to the toilet. When she was heading back to the room, she heard the old piano near the stairs playing.
She got curious and checked who was playing the instrument in that ungodly hour, so she slightly opened the door and saw an old man in barong and black pants.
She was frozen by what she saw and could not think of what to do next.
Seconds later, the man faced her. The image with that very pale skin was then coming toward her. Too scared, she shouted and shouted until all the other members were awakened from their deep slumber. She told them what she saw. The group’s trainer told everyone to just go back to sleep.
The terrified freshman student was very curious that she did not stop asking the senior members about the incident.
She was then told that many spirits linger at the UVS and that the one she saw was said to be past director who really loved the place and was fond of playing the piano.
There are also times when the piano just starts playing and lights turn on and off even if there is no one around.
Today, the piano stays where it was placed years ago and is waiting to be played again by the midnight piano man.
Eerie lobbies and lockers
Dormitories are haven for MSUans. It is their home away from home and it is where they study and rest for their brain draining exams. But just like any other old student houses, there are also hidden thrillers that lie within its hallways and closets.
It was hell week in the university. Everyone was busy studying for the midterm tests.
The Super New Girls’ Dormitory (SNGD) hallways were silent. It was late at night and all her roommates were already fast asleep when Love, a 3-year resident of the dorm heard and saw an image passed by her bed. Thinking it was just nothing she just shook off the thought and continued to study. When she finished she immediately went to bed.
After lying down, a girl whose face was covered with long black hair came near her. She was at the upper deck, so she realized that the girl was floating. She wanted to shout, but felt her throat dried up she could not make any sound. She just closed her eyes and silently prayed so hard. She was not able to sleep that night.
Later in the morning, she told her roommates what happened to her and later asked the caretakers about it. It was said that there was a former occupant in their room who took her own life due to depression.
Up until today, there are stories that that same girl knocks on CR cubicles, walks on hallways and that there are other spirits sashaying at the back garden of the dormitory.
Princess Lawanen Hall (PLH) Dormitory is another ghastly residence in the school because of ghosts’ stories. Stories about faucets and lights suddenly turned on and off and invisible children playing at hallways were told and retold.
But one of the most unforgettable of these stories would be the locker. While studying, Kris needed to go to the bathroom. Inside the CR, she heard a faint knocking on the last cubicle. But she was unsure where it came from. She assured herself that it was probably nothing.
When she was back at their room, she heard it again, this time it was becoming louder and louder. And instead of only the door banging, there was also a crying voice of a girl. She was so afraid that that moment, she decided to call and wake her roommates up, but they were not responding. She did not know what to do, confused, she decided to hide inside her locker. The crying and knocking became so lurid, this time she was certain, it was knocking at her locker.
Her heart was pounding fast and she was breathing so hard that she thought they were going to burst. Then, suddenly when she turned her face she saw the girl in white dress with long hair beside her in the locker. She was frozen and all she did was closed her eyes and prayed that everything would just end.
Kris fell asleep in the locker and woke up the next morning. Her roommates were all startled and asked her what happened. She then told them about her terrible experience. Then, she learned the story of the crying lady. This lady also took her life inside that same locker after finding out she was pregnant.
Justice seekers
Usually, people in MSU go home not later than 7 o’clock in the evening. This small community is bereft of nightlife. Rarely do people stay out late, and it only happens when there are college parties.
It was the acquaintance party of the College of Business Administration and Accountancy that Vine went home nearly midnight. There were no more available university pedicabs, so she and her gang decided to just walk to their boarding houses. Her house was on the 7th street, the farthest, and so she was left alone to walk up to there.
While walking, cold air suddenly blew. She just hurriedly walked and looked up straight. Then, she heard bells just out of nowhere. She continued walking, as she could see the gate of her dorm, an ice cream man and a little boy appeared in front of her and they stared at her. The sight of them and the continuous ringing of the bells held by the man sent chills through her spine, but she decided to walk and pass them by. When she neared the gate, she held her breath and almost flew inside. Then, she looked outside and saw no one anymore.
She later learned that it is a normal sight at midnight on 7th Street. The man and the boy always return there because their spirits are not yet in peace. They were victims of hit and run unsolved case.
In 2013, a pair of crying voices was heard from a bakery at the Fisheries.
It was discovered to be the death anniversary of a married couple that owned the bakery. They were killed by their baker. The murder case remain unsolved because the baker was also found dead days later after the killing of the couple happened.
Until today, the cries continue to be heard at midnight.