The Philippines has a long-standing fascination with ghost stories and haunted places—a cultural obsession proudly stamped by iconic horror films like the Shake, Rattle & Roll series, Dalaw, and Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara.
Photos: Jodi Sta. Maria, Netflix Philippines, Janella Salvador/Instagram
However, beyond the silver screen, the local entertainment industry is no stranger to spine-chilling tales, whether caught on camera or felt behind the scenes.
Over the years, several prominent local celebrities—including Jodi Sta. Maria, Anne Curtis, and Janella Salvador—have opened up about their most memorable paranormal encounters and unexplained experiences in interviews and television appearances.
Here are their bone-chilling stories:
1. Jodi Sta. Maria and the haunting aftermath of Clarita
Award-winning actress Jodi Sta. Maria discussed her experiences surrounding horror films during an appearance on Ang Walang Kwentang Podcast.
The actress, who starred in the hit 2019 horror film Clarita, spoke about the unsettling aftermath she faced, describing a period of psychological heaviness and spiritual fatigue following the demanding role.
“Dun sa filming namin noon, may mga lines na sinabi in Latin, in German. I had to memorize those lines and then sinasabi ko siya isa-isa while the character was possessed. Nalaman ko na lang later on na actual transcription siya nung possession kasi true story siya,” Jodi shared.
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“Pero noong naipalabas na yung movie, parang I felt weird things started to happen to me. I started having nightmares. I started hearing voices. I was doing a serye, ‘Sino ang May Sala?’, and kung ano-ano yung nakikita ko. Parang may smoke screen or smoke effect yung set. Ang hazy-hazy lagi,” she continued.
2. Anne Curtis and the unseen presence on set
Kapamilya superstar and television host Anne Curtis also recalled an unsettling moment while filming her series It’s Okay to Not Be Okay.
During an episode of It’s Showtime, she shared that while filming a scene where she brushed her hair in front of a mirror, the director abruptly called cut and asked who had walked past her. Because no one was actually there, the production team chose to skip reviewing the camera’s playback out of fear, opting instead to move forward and pray together as a cast and crew.
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3. Janella Salvador’s dark attachments and deliverance
Actress and singer Janella Salvador shared a deeply frightening experience tied to her 2015 television series Oh My G!.
While visiting a monastery during the show’s run, a religious brother recognized her and warned her that he had seen two dark, shadowy hands clinging to her shoulders in her broadcast television scenes.
To cleanse herself of the perceived attached entity, Janella underwent seven sessions of prayer and deliverance rituals at home. During one of these intense sessions, she recalled a metal cross growing intensely hot in her hands. She later learned that her mother, veteran singer-actress Jenine Desiderio, had experienced a remarkably similar spiritual attachment in the past.
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From unsettling experiences on film sets to mysterious occurrences at home, paranormal stories continue to captivate and terrify Filipino audiences.
While these personal recollections remain subjective accounts rather than scientific proof of the supernatural, they prove one thing: whether you believe in ghosts or prefer to look for logical explanations, tales of the unexplained are deeply woven into Filipino pop culture—and they are often more than enough to make anyone think twice before turning off the lights.
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