LEGAZPI CITY: Twelve years ago, Barangay Padang was a thriving community in the southern portion of this city. It became a ghost village after Super Typhoon ‘Reming’ battered the area on Nov. 30, 2006.
Motorists believe that a white lady reigns over the national highway that passes the village. According to those who have encountered her, the “ghost” appears between midnight and dawn.
The white lady was reported to have emerged from the destroyed village’s ground zero.
Motorist Glen Banzuela told The Manila Times that he and some of his friends have come face to face with the white lady.
“I was driving from Legazpi to Bacacay town where my parents live. Just before midnight, the white lady hovered before my eyes,” he narrated.
“It was an odd experience. Although I didn’t believe in ghosts, after super typhoon Reming, I’ve been experiencing spine-chilling moments when I drive though the Barangay Padang area. Some of my friends have narrated the same story,” he added.
Other motorists said the white lady would appear and disappear in the blink of an eye.
The specter of the white lady may have distracted motorists or made them freeze on the wheel in fright. There have been numerous vehicular accidents in the area, enough for the thoroughfare to be dubbed a “killer highway.”
More than a decade ago, close to 500 people were buried alive in Padang after 95 percent of the village was wiped out by cascading debris from Mayon Volcano. Super Typhoon Reming battered Padang on Nov. 30, 2006, triggering rampaging flashfloods.
Edgar Balictar, 58, father of 11, goes back to Padang as often as he can. He visits ground zero to light a candle for his loved ones who perished there. He tries to make it on All Souls’ Day as well as on November 30.
Three of his grandchildren were swept away by cascading floodwaters — Shery Anne, then in Grade 2; Bernadette, 7; and Cheche, 5.
Built within ground zero is the Padang Memorial Shrine to honor those who perished in the great flood.
For survivors of Reming’s wrath, this shrine is a symbol of hope, a symbol that the memories of the dead will not be forgotten.