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Intramuros Ghost Walk offers chance to spot spirits

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Ivy Jean Vibar, ABS-CBN News

MANILA – In the walled city of Intramuros in Manila, the forgotten past can be seen in the rubble of structures destroyed during the World War II, and in the ruined skeletons of neglected buildings gaping open to the night sky.Visitors walking or riding through it can almost see figures lurking in the shadows. Some, like paranormal investigator Jade Martin, claim they actually can.Some photos she took in Intramuros with her mobile phone allegedly show spirits, as verified by members of the Center for Paranormal Studies, who also consult historians and photography experts regarding their finds.One photo on her phone, she said, showed a shadowy figure which resembled a grim reaper. Another showed the image of what might have been an American soldier in Fort Santiago. Still another showed a face in the shadows near a wall.A trick to increase the possibility of getting a shot of a specter, she said, is to take a burst of three or more shots on your phone’s camera. If a series of photos all show a shadowy figure, it may not a so-called “anomaly,” Martin said. This is because spirits blink in and out of sight.There is an assortment of entities in Intramuros, according to Martin, because of its rich history and the depth of emotions felt by the people who lived and died there.Many entities tread the shadowy streets of Intramuros, despite there being almost no original buildings left in the walled city after American bombs leveled the place in World War II to drive out the Japanese who made it their base of operations.Strong emotional imprints and manifestations, it seems, can stand the test of time.A presence can be one of four things, according to Martin -- an imprint, a spirit, an elemental, or a demon. The entities called reapers periodically come to collect stray spirits to take them to their final rest.An imprint, Martin said, is not a real spirit; it can be seen as energy affecting a place. For example, she said urban legends about the Pasig River being haunted during Spanish times were because of negative energy from nearby prisons flowing with the current and causing trouble.“Napakaraming emotions na tinangay ng river, at nandyan pa hanggang ngayon (There are a lot of emotions in the river). [The Pasig River] needs a lot of cleansing. We are not just dealing with physical dirt—we are also dealing with agony,” she said.Imprints are the cause of poltergeist stories, she said, or hauntings where there are no actual spirits involved. A modern example is when a lone person in an office hears sounds of typing though everyone has gone home—the negative energy of a person rushing to meet a deadline, she asserted, can manifest as some kind of echo after some time has passed.That’s why it’s best to think positive, Martin said, as the emotions you impart to a place can affect its energy.Meanwhile, spirits who have not moved on can haunt a place which holds special meaning for them.Elementals frequent places where the barriers between worlds are thin, while demons are malevolent entities from another plane. Luckily, Martin said, there are no demons in Intramuros, though other investigators said there are.There are different planes of existence, she explained, with barriers in between each. Those who spot spirits and other entities are supposedly able to pull back the curtain between realms.However scary it may seem, Martin assured there have not been any negative incidents since paranormal investigators started conducting the Intramuros Ghost Walk January this year.“They know me now, and I ask them not to follow us,” Martin said of the entities in Intramuros, which range from scorned lovers to depressed college students to priests, nuns, and victims of war.Get a taste of the paranormal, and learn a bit of history through these photos.<script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1/jquery.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/assets/galleria/galleria-1.4.2.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div id="galleria"><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/01-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="Paranormal investigator Jade Martin shows a photo of a " in="" Intramuros.="" Reapers="" collect="" stray="" spirits="" and="" help="" them="" reach="" their="" final="" src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/01-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/02-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="Locals walk through one of the arches leading into Intramuros in Manila. Aside from housing schools, offices, and houses, Intramuros also allegedly has portals to other planes of existence, allowing spirits and elementals to pass through." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/02-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/03-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="If you drive through Intramuros, you should not be afraid, as ghosts do not inhabit vehicles, which are transient. They like old houses and other such structures, where it" s="" quiet.="" If="" driving="" through="" the="" province="" of="" Quezon="" be="" wary="" witches="" who="" practice="" in="" said="" paranormal="" investigator="" Jade="" src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/03-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/04-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="While exploring Intramuros on foot, be wary of your surroundings. You don" t="" know="" what="" can="" be="" lurking="" around="" the="" src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/04-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/05-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="This arch leads to a gated park near Lyceum in Intramuros, close to the Puerta del Parian. The wooded area supposedly houses a portal to the elemental plane. A nearby stairway is also a favorite spot of a beautiful female entity, who appears if she likes--or dislikes a visitor." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/05-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/06-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="The heavily-fortified walls of Intramuros near the Baluarte de San Francisco de Dilao are eerie not just because it is dark there at night--paranormal investigator Jade Martin said that ghosts of priests can sometimes be seen here. Near the wall, a woman jumped to her death due to depression when her husband was sent to Spain, and some sensitives can allegedly see piles of bodies of those killed during World War II." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/06-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/07-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="This space in Intramuros was once a restaurant, but was abandoned supposedly due to poltergeist activity. Can you see anything in the shadows? A previous visitor said a spectre of a child was spotted seated at one of the tables." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/07-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/08-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="The Pasig River is said to be difficult to clean not only because of pollution, but also due to the negative energy that has accumulated in it, going back to the despair of prisoners in Intramuros." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/08-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/09-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="This cross is erected near the Aduana building, which is said to be haunted by spirits. The spectres of children are said to run around the Aduana building" s="" non-existent="" upper="" src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/09-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/10-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="If you capture orbs of light in your camera at the Aduana Building, paranormal investigators say that spirits may be gathering strength to enable them to manifest." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/10-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/11-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="Sightings were reported inside the Aduana Building in Intramuros. The building, which was once the Customs House, has gone to ruin. It is under the care of the National Archives." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/11-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/12-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="In Intramuros, one can almost imagine that these dogs are looking at something, or someone, that the naked eye cannot see." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/12-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/13-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="The Palacio del Gobernador is the setting for an urban legend involving a guardia civil. The guard supposedly fell asleep while on duty, leaning against the wall of the palace, and woke up in Mexico. Paranormal investigator Jade Martin said she doubts this is true, as it could have been an alibi for his disappearance during an assassination attempt on the governor." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/13-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/14-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="Fancy a wedding at the Manila Cathedral? Pay no heed to the urban legend that the first couple to get married at the cathedral killed themselves, placing bad luck on all couples joined here. As paranormal investigator Jade Martin said, marriages depend on the quality of the relationship of the couple involved." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/14-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/15-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="Is the girl in Intramuros levitating? Sometimes photos do not actually show so-called " Jade="" Martin="" but="" are="" due="" to="" coincidence="" or="" tricks="" of="" the="" light.="" Try="" burst="" shots="" three="" as="" spirits="" can="" appear="" and="" disappear="" momentarily.="" They="" should="" in="" src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/15-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/16-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="In this area going to the Puerta de Sta. Lucia, a white lady is said to manifest." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/16-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/17-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="The ruins of Cuartel de Sta. Lucia are said to house a portal to the other side, and radiates much energy due to the tears of lovers who go to the place to break up." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/17-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/18-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="In Fort Santiago, spirits are said to be able to manifest easily, due to the strong paranormal energy in the area. One theory is the abundance of granite in the fort, which allegedly attracts spirits." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/18-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/19-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="If the paranormal is to be believed, death is not a one-way street--sometimes there are detours, and " are="" tasked="" to="" lead="" you="" your="" final="" src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/19-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a><a href="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/20-ghostwalk.jpg"><img data-description="Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News" data-title="Paranormal investigator Jade Martin speaks of her experiences with the paranormal in Intramuros. The city can be a symbol for the Filipino people, she said, as it has been through a lot. “Ang tanong, bumabangon ba ang Intramuros? Ganoon ang mga Filipino. Ilang beses nang nagbago ang history, patuloy tayong bumabangon,” she said." src="http://img.abs-cbnnews.com/2016/slideshow/ghostwalk/20-ghostwalk.jpg"/> </a></div><script src="https://abscbnnewsml.blob.core.windows.net/themes/default-gallery/themes/themev2/default-engine.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Visitors walking or riding through it can almost see figures lurking in the shadows. Some, like paranormal investigator Jade Martin, claim they actually can.

Visitors walking or riding through it can almost see figures lurking in the shadows. Some, like paranormal investigator Jade Martin, claim they actually can.

Intramuros Ghost Walk offers chance to spot spirits

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Intramuros Ghost Walk offers chance to spot spirits

Ivy Jean Vibar,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 29, 2016 06:15 PM PHT

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