Paranormal expert Ed Caluag investigates Manila City Hall’s strange occurrences

On “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Gabi ng Lagim,” paranormal expert Ed Caluag investigated Manila City Hall and the very many strange occurrences that happen there.

A number of employees attest to experiencing unexplainable things such as books falling from shelves and always during lunch time, hearing angry footsteps in the restroom, seeing a white lady, elevators regularly stopping at a particular floor, apparitions of Japanese soldiers, and for Lorena Selmar, who works as a janitress, a violent spirit who pulled her hair and then banged her head onto a mirror.

Using a dowsing rod — a conventional mystic device that serves as an extension of the person holding it — Ed and his assistant Yuri explored the grounds of the clock tower. He first lit a candle not only to ask for permission but also to signal to the spirits that he came in peace.

Immediately, the candle flickered, which Ed said signaled the spirits’ willingness to communicate. And then his dowsing rod started pointing to an area, which according to Ed, is the direction where it is able to pick up energies.

It first detected the ghost of an old employee who had died, after which it picked up the energies of old Japanese soldiers, and then it sensed a strong powerful energy coming from a female.

“Kaso umiiyak siya. ‘Yung babaeng nakikita ko, parang ito ’yung teritoryo niya, pabalik-balik siya dito,” Ed observed, adding the dowsing rod never hasn’t stopped at a particular area: “Always siyang naka-cross kasi ito na ang mismong area.”

According to the paranormal investigator, the clock tower held enormous energy, “Mas mataas ang memories n’ung mga nangyari siguro dito during the World War kasi may mga sundalo. Tapos may isang babaeng prominent na parang doon nalagutan ng hininga kasi mabigat,” Ed said.

In the area where the books repeatedly fall, Ed said there was a female spirit that he would categorize as a poltergeist. “Kaya na niyang pagalawin ang mga libro at kaya niyang magpabalik-balik. Wala siyang pinipiling oras kasi ’yung area is domain na niya. Therefore ‘yung energy niya nandiyan na lang sa buong area na iyon.”

It is at this point that Ed, who was also accompanied by one of the building’s administrative aides Rhodora Garcia, decided to hold a séance to be able to speak to the spirit. He used Rhodora as medium, “Dahil babae siya at sa kanya nagpapakita. Therefore nakapag-establish sila ng communication. Nakita na niya ’yung babae, so nagkaroon sila ng connectivity,” Ed explained.

During the séance, he learned that the female spirit was asking for help; she had been trapped in the building for so long and had wanted to leave already and cross on the other side. Lighting another candle, and saying a prayer, Ed helped her do so.

Rhodora meanwhile, woke up from her trance, and learned that the woman had been raped and was disposed in the area where Manila City Hall now stands.

The Manila City hall was built in 1941 and barely a year later, World War 2 happened.

According to Gerard Lico, a professor of Architecture and an urban and cultural historian, the City Hall originally had an art deco design by Juan Arellano. But when he resigned and was replaced by Antonio Toledo, its style changed to neoclassical.

“As a consequence of that planning, naging trapezoidal yung lote na kinatatayuan ngayon ng City Hall ng Maynila,” he said.

Back in the day, its clock tower was the tallest structure in Manila. It found itself in the middle of battle between the Japanese and the Americans during the war, serving as a watch tower for the Japanese, making it an easy target for the Americans.

No wonder a lot of spirits roam its grounds. — LA, GMA News