Staffers and even residents of Malacañang Palace say the historic residence is more than just the seat of the President — it’s also home to supernatural activity.
One notable account comes from Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has lived in the Palace for many years. He shared that during his teenage years, while staying in a guest room near the state dining hall, he witnessed chairs in the adjoining room move on their own. “I saw the chairs suddenly moving by themselves … I screamed and ran to the security men — ‘There’s a ghost!’” Marcos recalled.
Other long-time employees share similar experiences: footsteps where no one is, cold gusts of wind in sealed rooms, doors opening unaided. One janitor reported “a headless man floating in the air” in the building at night.
Because of these stories, many staffers avoid staying late. One insider said: “Most employees at Malacañang… know not to work overtime or stay in their respective offices after regular working hours.”
How do they deal with it? Here are some practices:
- Turning on all lights, playing loud music to dispel the fear of stillness. (Marcos recalled that he and friends did exactly this.)
- Avoiding known “haunted” corridors at night or only passing through with companions.
- Respecting certain trees or areas (for example a large balete tree on the grounds) believed to be the domain of “guardian” spirits or kapres: a gardener recalled always greeting “Mr. Brown” (a mythic figure said to dwell in that tree) so plants wouldn’t die.
- Awkward as it may be for a seat of government, acknowledging the folklore helps — staffers treat the ghost stories as part of the Palace’s culture and adjust behaviours accordingly.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just fun folklore. For the thousands of people who work in the Palace and its compound, acknowledging these stories affects workplace behaviour: late shifts are less common, certain rooms remain off-limits, and staff morale/comfort can be impacted. Also, the fact that the President himself has publicly acknowledged the reports gives the stories wider visibility.
Beyond the spooky factor, these tales speak to the layered history of the building: built in the 1750s, used through Spanish colonial, American, wartime, and martial-law periods — a structure that has hosted countless events and tragedies. That makes it a fertile ground for ghost lore.