A late entry this week, but here’s another mystifying tidbit from far-off Philippines. This story is a long one! Please do sit down and enjoy!
Tucked away at the boundary of the provinces of Laguna and Quezon (Pronounced Ke-zon), stands two mountains side by side called Mount Banahaw and Mount San Cristobal. Spanning over 10,901 hectares of land on the island of Luzon, The Philippines, these two mountains are polar opposites.
Though Banahaw is regarded as a “sacred” mountain by locals who swear that hiking its slopes lead to miraculous and unexplained healings and blessings, it’s sister mountain, Mount San Cristobal, rising at an elevation of 1,470 meters is considered by legend as “the devil’s mountain”.
Flanked by the towns of San Pablo to the southeast and Lucban to the northwest, the two mountains have been host to tourists and locals alike since the early 1950’s after World War II. Although Mount Banahaw is an active volcano, locals and tourists seek it out as a more ideal place to hike and camp due to its reputation as the Mount Shasta of Asia. Prayer vigils and people seeking cures, blessings and a turn of fortune punctuate the mountain’s many campsites and lodges.
As much as Mount Banahaw is regarded as a sacred space and thus a place of peace and rest, Mount San Cristobal, an inactive volcano, despite its name, is shunned, avoided and for the most part regarded from afar with dread. Stories abound of strange occurrences in the form of cryptid sightings of terrifying horned beings, strange fanged animals and flying creatures that prey on lonely hikers.
Like some of the national parks in the extensive network of lands in the U.S., Mount San Cristobal is host to stories of lost and never found individuals who stray alone and in pairs, meeting with tragedy should they choose to hike in darkness or camp overnight. It is interesting to note that the extensive forest of Mount Banahaw appears bright and cheerful even as the sun has set, in contrast to Mount San Cristobal which remains dark even during the light of noon.
I first heard of Mount San Cristobal from a friend of a friend whom I met on the haunted campus of Los Banos’ University of the Philippines. The college town of which I previously wrote about in my book, “Portal: A LIfetime of Paranormal Experiences” (The second edition is available on Amazon with a link on my website here.) have experienced many sightings of both ghostly hauntings and anomalous lights in the sky. It was while I toured the campus in preparation for my book that a story came my way about what could only be described as “red orbs” or “red globes” that hover, zip or stay stationary over the skies of Mount San Cristobal. Since I chose to focus on pursuing the topic of the hauntings in the aftermath of the Japanese massacre and internment of POW’s and priests, it was not until after the book was published that I sought to interview the witnesses for the story that follows.
The area of Laguna, a province in the northern part of the Philippines which can be found on the largest island of Luzon, has an extensive network of large and small towns. Back in the early 50’s and into the 70’s, this area was replete with farms, pastoral landscapes and small villages. It remained agricultural and prosperous and became the seat of agrarian rice research with the advent of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) which still sits to the present time on the campus of the Los Banos branch of the University of the Philippines. College students majoring in agriculture, politics, economics and those seeking a medical degree in veterinary medicine find themselves in this small, tropical campus rich in biodiversity.
Although the small town is busy and culturally active by night with restaurants hosting local and foreign cuisine, concerts and art venues, during the day, students find a medley of outdoor opportunities including fishing, biking, hiking, canoeing and of course, camping on the flanks of mountains. Drawn to the outdoors, my two witnesses, Ron and Mina (pseudonyms) who met on the campus of the university decided to invite friends to discover the beauty of Mount Banahaw by renting a campsite in order to stay for a long weekend away from books. Both athletic and active outdoor types, they sought to hike, explore and photograph the flora and fauna during the day and hang out with their college dorm mates in front of a campfire at night. They chose to invite two couples who lived in the same dorm and had a natural curiosity of the tropical forests around them.
As Thursday drew to a close, the group of six students packed their vehicles, one an open Jeep to ascend the slopes of Mount Banahaw. Little did they know that the traffic of tourists had already began descending on the towns at the height of tourist season, which incidentally was a mid-semester for them. As the group approached the mountain in a caravan of three vehicles, the traffic became more and more pronounced. After a few hours of snail’s pace movement, the vehicle driver in the lead texted the rest of the group in a change of heart to proceed on another route up the mountain.
Dusk was falling and as mosquitoes began to invade the three couples in their vehicles, only one which had a working air conditioner, they discovered that the alternate route up the mountain was no faster than the first. Disheartened, Ron signaled the group to stop on the side of the road to regroup. It was at that juncture that they decided on the spur of the moment to call up the mountain to inform the campsite owner that they may have to turn back. Upon contacting the campsite, they were informed that the traffic was miles long and that the reservation could not be held open for them any longer.
The group, determined to make the weekend work, headed for the less popular Mount San Cristobal in the distance. The roads seemed less busy, even less stressful to drive and they were able to stop at a local restaurant en route to have dinner. Both Ron and Mina and their friends decided that the lateness of the hour dictated that they would be unable to pitch camp and have the energy left to build a campfire and prepare dinner. After what would turn out to be their last opportunity to eat at leisure and in the comfort of a real dining room where they were served, the group headed off for the sloping one-lane road up Mount San Cristobal.
The third and last vehicle in the caravan was owned by college sophomore “Jake” and his then girlfriend, “Rita”. Rita was seen as a vivacious, outgoing A student in Economics whose aspirations included studying overseas towards a degree in foreign diplomacy. A gregarious and positive person by nature, she was seen as an easygoing and humorous individual who kept the group in stitches with her jokes and sarcasm. Rita got along with everyone and anyone so that the group thought her career aspiration in diplomacy fitted her well. Mina, the more serious of the two women on the trip was quieter and can be shy at times, especially with strangers. The middle vehicle, a rental Toyota pickup was driven by a gay couple who will be named Bill and Brandon. The two loved cooking over a fire and watching the sky by night, so they were recruited to be in charge of cooking for the group.
A combination of exhaustion and engine trouble ended the group’s journey when they finally entered an open area of level land that appeared preternaturally quiet. As the old pickup began to sputter, Ron led the caravan to park facing the edge of a ridge overlooking the valley down below and an open sky. Behind them, an extensive area of wood shrouded in darkness indicated a daunting landscape which meant stretches of remote forest.
Tired and sleepy from their meal earlier at the restaurant, the group started to unpack their vehicles and hunt for lanterns in their gear. As the lanterns came on one by one, the two women began to observe an eerie silence where only the buzz of insects was present. Despite their trepidation, they remained silent and worked to help the men set up the tents which they clustered in a circle around a fire pit. Brandon, determined to make a fire, set about digging a deeper pit while his partner assisted in setting up camp.
Less than an hour and the group was finally sitting on lawn chairs around a fire, attempting to decompress before they turn in. It was during that time that Bill began to notice what he would later recall as “hovering” red globes ahead of them in the night sky. Always the jokesters, Brandon and Rita began with their horror stories which spooked Mina. She excused herself finally and retired to the tent while Rita’s boyfriend Jake began to observe and point out the “globes” that appeared to become brighter. Ron became riveted to the display and the rest of the group became silent as their attention turned to the strange lights. There were two, now there were four. All appeared “hovering” in place, about the size of dimes, but were or seemed to become brighter and then flicker. Then, one on the side, zipped away.
Bill reportedly reached for his cell phone and aimed to take a photo, but Brandon silently pushed his hand away and signaled him to be quiet. The camera in the mobile phone had a flash feature and he did not want to draw attention to their group as the flash might go off. Ron and Brandon, both similar in that they sensed a presence to the lights, felt that it was somehow watching them or the woods for something. They collectively froze for at least 10 minutes as they silently watched the display.
Ron had stealthily crawled to the tent, unzipping it to check on Mina who was lying awake. He had motioned for her to crawl silently out and watch what they were witnessing. She peered out and then pulled back, frightened. She sensed being “watched” and wanted to leave. Ron had refused, since they had gotten this far. He crawled back to the group and asked if they wanted to leave. Jake and Rita whispered they wanted to stay the night and then leave in the morning. The rest of the group agreed. It was a decision that they would later regret.
Ron slept fitfully for the rest of the night, listening for the sounds of the night or any other campers nearby. He came to the conclusion that they were somehow alone in that particular part of the campsite. The next morning, still exhausted, he found himself alone in the tent and unzipped the tent fly to discover the rest of the group and Mina were already sitting around a fire while Bill served fried eggs, sardines and fried rice. Everyone seemed famished from the night before and was busy discussing and deliberating on whether to try moving the campsite to a less remote one within earshot of another group or to start hiking first and then moving after lunch.
This time, Mina won out. The group decided to move immediately to a more populated campsite and then after settling in, hiking to some spots to photograph. The small caravan, now repacked, made their way higher up the mountain, but not one open area seemed to have other campers or hikers. They were surprised when they did not encounter even one sole person at the height of tourist season. Jake mentioned to the group that he typically saw several groups in Mount Banahaw as he had backpacked alone there before and hard-core backpackers from Europe could be seen wending through trails and forest.
The observation still did not deter the group and they finally settled on an open area where to their delight they found a trail that led to a public restroom, showers and a small house that doubled as a restaurant. Jake, satisfied, even said “I told you so.” That sign of civilization and the convenience of a real shower and toilet nearby sold them to the spot. They didn’t even have to share the facilities with anyone, it appears.
Hiking in pairs, the group took photos of the unique tropical vegetation until they paused in an area with large rocks and boulders. The women threaded their way carefully, fearful of snakes which were many in the tropical jungle. Mina happened to look up as she found a boulder that seemed to invite her to sit. As the group sat around her, they followed her eyes to the stretch of open sky which they noted was a light blue, but was turning darker and foggy with the advent of late afternoon. That’s when Ron noticed the red orbs had returned. He pointed at the horizon where the treeline began about 500 feet from their boulder field, through the developing fog.
The group stood and began to turn towards the trail they had left when they entered the boulder-strewn area. The sense of being watched was back again. This time, Rita, usually laid-back and easygoing, started yelling for the group to run to the shelter of the trees by the trail where they were. No one questioned her and they headed back with determined steps to the campsite. It was 5:30 pm, according to Ron. The entire time they hiked, members of the group would look over their shoulder, watching to see if the orbs followed them.
Night found the group taking advantage of the showers after the long hike. Refreshed, they decided to forgo cooking in the open night, concerned the red orbs would reappear. They ate at the restaurant, where Mina felt that although the woman who served them was friendly enough, she was evasive when it came to sharing information about the mountain. Rita, the more assertive of the two women, met an older woman behind the restaurant’s counter who lived in the house. She self-reported as a “soothsayer” and “natural healer”. A native woman from a nearby province, she told the group she could tell them stories about the mountain, but that she could give the group a “special price” if they agreed to a reading or two.
Enthralled that she had found a psychic, Rita invited Brandon who was into mysticism to join her and have the native woman read their palms. Brandon finally assented and told Rita to go first. Rita went into a separate room where she found herself in a small living area with a tiny TV set and two sofas that had seen better days. The room appeared to be part of a hut made from leaves. The woman joined her and sat next to her on the sofa. She gave her a lotion for her hands and then proceeded to read her palms. Not two minutes had passed when Rita started to feel “different” in the presence of the woman. She felt like she was lighter and the room had grown darker than when she entered.
The woman told her she should be careful as there was a “curse” on her, but that she could give her a “tea” made from herbs in the forest to make the curse go away. Rita did not get any worthwhile information of to how she was cursed or why or by whom. Instead, the woman gave her bags of tea in a paper bag and asked her for 55 pesos. Rita took the bags, paid the woman and left, thinking that at least she got some tea out of the session. By standards, the pesos she gave her was cheap when converted to dollars and euros. Brandon came in next and shooed her out. Interestingly, the woman was not interested in reading his palms and told him to return another time as she needed to take a “nap” after her “stressful” reading with Rita. Brandon reported this to Rita who was astounded.
Back at the campsite, Rita was pouring out some of the tea the woman had given her into cups as Bill made a fire. As the teabags steeped in their tin cups, the group talked. Jake, who sat next to his girlfriend, Rita swears to this day that he saw a face looking at him intently through Rita’s long hair. Taken aback, he shot up from his tent chair, his eyes riveted to the coed’s hair. All conversation stopped as Rita looked back in consternation. Jake didn’t want to upset his girlfriend and dismissed it as a trick of the night light from the fire. Then, when he sat back down, he felt a hand tap him on the shoulder and he turned, thinking Brandon or Ron was playing a joke. There was no one there. Ron was sitting across past the firepit, sipping his tea and and Brandon was next to Ron and then Bill. Jake looked all the way around him and there was not even a tree limb near where he sat. Spooked, he pulled up a blanket and covered his shoulders with it as if a blanket would protect him.
As the group settled into their tents for the night, Jake laid down with his back to Rita and he eventually forgot about the evening’s events. Around 2:22 am, Ron awakened in his tent to find that Brandon and Bill where talking by the dead campfire, facing Jake’s tent. They were very excited and alarmed. Jake was standing by the open flap of the tent and signaled to Ron to hurry.
Jake told them he was fast asleep when he awakened to a cord around his neck. To his consternation, Rita seemed to be giggling in her sleep and had managed to tie a cord from one of the bags used to secure their tent around his neck. As he tugged, she was tugging the cord tighter so that it was a noose that began to choke him. Jake sat up, pushing the giggling Rita away who had her eyes open and her hands around the cord, pulling.
Jake had managed to pull the cord loose, unfastened it in shock and darted out of the tent. Outside, he saw Brandon and Bill standing a few feet from the tent, looking back with fear. Bill told him that they were awakened in the night by Rita’s laughter. They thought they were mistaken, but then heard her giggling and thought the couple was having an amorous evening in the privacy of their tent, but the giggling was unnerving. When they unzipped their own tent to check the source of the sound, they saw something black crawling out from under Rita and Jake’s tent and decided to investigate. That’s when Jake darted out.
Jake and Brandon looked around the tent and then went in to check on Rita. They found her lying face up, ramrod straight laughing like a maniac with her eyes open. Now terrified, they awakened Ron and Mina and Mina went in to shake Rita awake, convinced Rita was playing some sort of joke on them. Rita took one look at Mina and slapped her full force in the face. Mina bolted out and reported that Rita had gone insane. Bill started stoking the campfire and made a new fire so they could see. Ron turned on all the lanterns and surrounded the tent with light, unfastening the hooks to take it down. He told the group they should leave as soon as they have decamped, even though it was still night. Inside the tent, Rita was cackling like a witch.
Ron shone a light at Rita’s face and with Jake’s help, they sat her up as the group folded up the tents. Rita’s eyes had a faraway look and her mouth had a fixed grin. When she suddenly broke into a cold sweat, they decided to carry her to the Jeep, tie her to her seat for safety and drive down and away from Mount San Cristobal.
As the caravan wound its way down the dark narrow roads of the mountain, Ron noted that he could see the red “globes” through the trees, as if they were watching or following their small procession. Rita looked feverish and her head lolled to the side while her eyes remained fixed at something far away.
The group made it down to the mountain’s base, and as soon as they had gained some distance from the mountain, Rita awakened from her stupor and was back to her “normal” cheerful self, however perplexed as to what had happened. She recalled having moved their camp closer to the public toilets, but no memory after that. The group never returned to Mount San Cristobal.
