Filipino Ghost Stories: Spine-Tingling Tales of Supernatural Encounters and Hauntings from the Philippines

by Alex G. Paman

Filipino Ghost Stories is crawling with spine-tingling tales of supernatural encounters and hauntings in the Philippines.

Ghost stories are commonplace in traditional Filipino culture. Whether they take place at a relative's funeral or at a hacienda located deep in a remote province, virtually all families have their own personal accounts of their encounters with the supernatural. Passed on from generation to generation, these tales act as a bridge to the past, to a time lost or nearly forgotten.

To write this book of ghostly encounters in the Philippines, author Alex Paman collected eerie and terrifying tales that have been told in his family for generations. Covering spooky interactions in bustling cities and in rural towns--and even a short section about hauntings on American soil-- Filipino Ghost Stories offers good, old-fashioned scary stories perfect to share around the campfire or under the blankets with a flashlight.

The 68 ghost stories

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, Paranormal

128 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2011

About the author

Freelance writer, book author, self-proclaimed foodie, and researcher of things that go bump in the night.

Reviews

[marc | bookmarcreads]

This is my first DNF ever. I’d like to think I can power through any book that interests me, but this book broke me. I made it about 50% through and this book disappointed me time and time again with its consistently flat lame ghost stories. The author didn’t know how to tell an entertaining ghost story. There’s no bite, drama, and suspense. The best thing this book had to offer was the introduction explaining the many different types of Filipino ghosts and how to combat them as well as the appendix at the end giving cool details about Filipino terminology revolving around ghosts and supernatural elements. Other than the educational aspects of this book, the ghost stories themselves were a massive let down. 😓

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

With a title like "spine-tingling tales", one would think this would be a scary book but alas, (hindi naman) it is not. These tales lacked a strong storytelling aspect which is a large reason why ghost stories are terrifying. When the story is not told well, there is no ghost story. While this book did confirm that I did see a ghost while I was living in the Philippines, (something that now terrifies me) I found Marcos' wax body in Northern Illocos (where it was held in a room with painted black walls and creepy music) far more "spine-tingling". I did appreciate the pictures as they brought back memories of when I lived there but the captions were often cheesy. I would suggest reading the book for the fact that the glossary in the back is very interesting and the terms are intriguing. I grew up hearing stories from my mother and my aunts of ghosts. Their tales were far more terrifying than any of the stories in this book.

[Marlo Paniqui · Rating 1 out of 5]

lintek isa to sa mga pinagsisihan kong nabili sa Fully Booked sa me BGC . Hwag nyo tong bilhin di to nakakatakot. Di marunong magsulat ng katatakutan to manunulat na to. eto ay para lang pagbalik tanaw sa mga kapanahunan ng sya ay bata pa at nakatira sa pilipinas . at walang ginawa kundi ipagmayabang ang estado ng kanilang pamilya.

Nasayang ang pera ko sa pagbili sa librong eto .

[Earl · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was laughably bad- but I read the whole thing because I wanted to have a Halloween read and I didn't have the energy to read all of Edgar Allan Poe's works this month.

I did like the glossary of supernatural related terms at the back of the book which only some were mentioned in the actual collection of stories. I would have preferred it more if the book just delved into these terms more.

I also like the publisher since they showcase stories from all over Asia.

[✧˚ · meda * ˚ ✦ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the book is written in an authentic voice and maintains an educational tone throughout, I found that it doesn’t quite deliver on the scare factor one might expect from this genre.

The information presented is clear and engaging, and the author’s style makes the material accessible and easy to understand. However, if you’re looking for something truly spine-chilling or suspenseful, this might not fully satisfy that craving.

Despite this, I still recommend it, especially for readers who appreciate well-researched content and a genuine narrative voice. It’s a worthwhile read for those interested in the subject, even if it doesn’t provide many thrills.

[Johan D'Haenen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Niets meer dan een verzameling klassieke verhalen over verschijningen, klopgeesten, geluiden en andere verzinsels van mensen met een al te levendige verbeelding.
Allerminst origineel en zeker niet beangstigend of griezelig.

[Dylan Rock · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection of folk tales and ghost stories that show the mixture of different cultures that make up Filipino culture is one of the most unique in the world, and so, too, are their ghost and haunting as well.

[Shed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this on a stormy, windy night. Perfect ambiance.

Review to be posted.

[Charlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This slim volume has very short stories divided up into three categories - Provincial Scares, Blackout Tales from the City, and Hauntings on American Soil. The Provincial Scares were all rather similar, and The Tales from the City section was probably the most interesting and varied but with how short the stories were, there was very little building of suspense or character backstory and the stories were mostly perfunctory and a little disappointing. Having read a few Filipino folk tales about witches and vampires, I found these ghost stories a little tame. I did appreciate the pictures of Filipino sites, and the appendix of Tagalog supernatural terms in the back. The book is more of an interesting, if cursory, look at Filipino folklore than a book of "spine-tingling" tales.

[Sasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought I'll be scared out of my mind. I realized that there is a pattern to Filipino paranormal stories because it's the same stories that my family has told me and also very similar to Filipino horror movies. Some of it was obvious that it's just guilt, manipulation, or some other psychological effect instead of actual paranormal though. It didn't have much a thriller feel to it. It was just okay to me.

[Allify · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly spine-tingling - just a bunch of stories you'd expect to hear from your relatives (that is, if you come from a Filipino family that's superstitious). I liked the glossary at the back though, that explained terms and supernatural creatures.

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spooky book of supernatural stories, mostly anecdotal, from the Philippines, where as in most Asian countries, belief in ghosts, spirits and the paranormal is widespread. The Catholicism of the Philippines lends a unique twist to traditional Asian supernatural beliefs and legends.

[Rocky Degamo]

Its good