Laperal White House
The Laperal Guesthouse, popularly known as Laperal White House is an attraction in Baguio City which is listed as one of Baguio's haunted places and one of the world's most haunted locations.
History
The house was built in 1920 by one of Baguio’s oldest clans, the Laperal family, on a 4-hectare property they also own. The house is made of narra and yakal, fashioned in Victorian style with its wooden planks and gables and steep roof. The clan heads, Roberto and Victorina Laperal made the house as their vacation home.
During the days of World War II, the house was taken over by the Japanese soldiers and was used as a garrison where women were raped and suspected spies were tortured and killed. Lito Calvo, a long-time housekeeper, he was told by a previous caretaker that the house witnessed brutal acts of torture and killings while it was under the hands of the Japanese forces. Alma Ramos, another caretaker of the house, added an account of women being raped and beaten to death and men decapitated under suspicion of being spies. Victorina died during the years of war, but while Don Roberto survived, he suffered an untimely death after having slipped and hit his head in the house's front yard.
The house transferred ownership after the death of the head of the Laperal clan. It was adequately maintained but despite being closed to the public over the years, it did not stop the persistent rumors of the unearthly sightings spotted near the house. The house withstood many natural and man-made casualties, such as the deadly earthquake in 1990 and many more.
The house today
One of the famous and humble Chinese Filipino billionaire tycoons, Lucio Tan, purchased the property in 2007 but never stayed in the place during some of his trips to Baguio. He instead had it renovated and refurbished with proper maintenance then made it into a tourist attraction. From then on, the house was opened to public.
In 2013, the tycoon's Tan Yan Kee Foundation transformed the house to a Bamboo Foundation museum where Filipino artworks based on bamboo and wood. The Ifugao Bamboo Carving Gallery is a joint project of the Tan Yan Kee Foundation and the Phillippine Bamboo Association. The museum has an entrance fee of Php 50.00.
Paranormal activities
The house was listed as one of the world's most haunted places following thee war.
Some drivers refuse to pass by the house portion of the Leonard Wood Road, in fear of the apparitions. If passing is unavoidable, they blow their car horn while passing through as a way to excuse themselves to the restless spirits. Passing visitors report of having seen curious figures among the windows. Guards and caretakers, current or former, have reported mysterious entities of coming and going to the house, even if the doors were secured.
There are incidents where visitors report of a couple of these mysterious entities of having followed them back home. A couple walking their way home took a shortcut through the property and encountered a white lady standing near a mango tree adjacent to the rear of the house wherein the entity later started to follow them on their way home but stopped and vanished as they leave saying prayers. In another incident, a mother and child also walking home took a shortcut through the property when they heard a female crying voice. The child spotted the same white lady at the same location (the mango tree) but the entity did not follow them, it just sat on a large rock and looked the other way.
More than just the supposedly spiritual hauntings, traces of the brutality endured by the occupants during the war are evident. Long-time caretaker Lito Calvo discovered a skull cap while digging in the garden.
In popular culture
Due to its famous and infamous paranormal activities, the house has been a favorite spot for paranormal television. Halloween specials of Philippine networks like ABS--CBN, TV5, GMA, have used the house as one of their filming locations.
A Halloween special of former ABS-CBN television magazine news programme Magandang Gabi, Bayan, featured the house and its history. The master bedroom of the house, complete with its iconic fireplace, was used by the show as the segments' opening and narration place. The scene shows its host Noli De Castro sitting and arranging wood in the fireplace before speaking to viewers about a shot summary of Baguio City's wonders before telling of its horrors.
GMA news show i-Witness also has featured the house. The house also served as the setting for the 2010 horror movie White House.
See also
- 1990 Luzon earthquake
- Baguio
- List of reportedly haunted locations in the Philippines
- Diplomat Hotel
- Teachers' Camp