(These stories shared with Panay News do not intend to give a negative impression of the school and the church, nor discredit the personal experiences of the interviewees. This paper is open to any reaction or clarification.)
THE SCHOOL serves as a second home for young individuals, a learning institution that helps them achieve their dreams and aspirations in life.
Pavia National High School, established in the 1960s in the small town of Pavia in Iloilo Province, has produced thousands of graduates.
But did you know that this humble school’s graduates, students, teachers, and staff have a fair share of “mysterious” stories to tell?
For two decades of being a staff here, “Manong” could attest that metaphysical creatures coexist with everyone in the school through his experiences — from hearing the voices of children playing at night to walking in the dark hallways with something seemingly dragging his feet and the eerie feeling of being watched.
Manong claims to have seen a coffin in one of the classrooms at the back portion of the school. Curiosity piqued as he tried to approach it and see who was inside.
“May dyan ako nakita nga lungon, diyan nagatindog sagwa sang room. Siling ko silawon ko abi kon sin-o sulod, pagmisok ko pa liwat nakita ko ang lamesa nga duha ka bilog naga-sampawanay,” he shared.
Whether it was an apparition or an eye trick, it sure was an odd experience.
In another experience, Manong believed some otherworldly creature had been playful with him.
Once, he went to the comfort room in one of the school buildings, and he saw from his vantage point that a classroom door on the second floor was open. When he reached the classroom, the door was closed.
However, this did not make him feel at ease. Which is why he again went down to check, and lo and behold, the door was again wide open.
“Nag-CR ko, pagsilaw ko isa ka kwarto insa abri haw. Kuon ko agtunan ko bi to kay siraduhon ko. Ginsakaan ko sa second floor, sirado ang kwarto. Daw na-challenge ako, nagbalik naman ako liwat sa CR kag silawon, bukas gid mo, siling ko bukas gid. Ti, siling ko sige lang ah, ikaw na lang dyan, bahala na kon ano dyan,” Manong recalled saying in a defeated tone, letting whatever or whoever it was play tricks with him.
But it was not just Manong.
He remembers one of the students visiting the school on a weekend, claiming to have seen a teacher in one of the buildings.
“May isa gani ka estudyante nga nagkadto kanakon kag namangkot, ‘ano nong, may tawo tuya sa babaw?’ Siling ko waay ah kay Sabado kag Domingo man to. Pag-adtu na tuya siling ya, ‘nong, nakita ko nga may maestra tuya,’” he said.
To verify this, he accompanied the student.
“Ti daw na-challenge man ako kay maagtu man lang tana to kay may bul-on sa kwarto da, nakita ya may isa ka maestra nga nagsulod sa isa ka kwarto,” Manong added.
The perplexed student insisted on looking at the teacher eye-to-eye. And so they scoured all three floors but saw no one besides the two of them.
Construction workers of the said building told Manong that they allegedly saw three figures of what seemed to be teachers in the dead of night.
He added that the school allegedly holds regular Friday masses to prevent suspected incidents of spirit possessions from recurring.
Although many unexplained stories were told, Manong reminded that at the end of the day, faith should lead the way for us living and breathing beings./PN
