A Heroes Ghost - Fort Santiago

Constructed in the late 16th century, Fort Santiago has a long and dark history.  Located in the old walled section of Manila called Intramuros it was built by Spanish navigator and conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. The fort is named in honour of Saint James, the patron Saint of Spain. The main gate sits at the mouth of the Pasig River and historically was the main deterrent against invaders wanting to take the city from the water. Santiago was a main point of the trade of spices and other goods. Many of the Philippine’s citizens were imprisoned in the fort, the most famous of which was José Rizal. Rizal was a major inspiration for the Philippine revolution and is today considered a national hero. For his role in the revolution Rizal was imprisoned in the fort and after trial was executed by firing squad on December 30 1896.  World War 2 brought more death and torture to the site. During the occupation of the city, the Japanese tortured and murdered thousands of people.  When the fort was liberated by American forces in 1945 over 600 bodies were discovered, they had all been imprisoned in the small dungeon space and subsequently died of suffocation and heat stroke. These victims and soldiers are said to roam the fort. José Rizal’s spirit is said to also wander the building, with vistors reporting hearing his voice and seeing his apparition at times. For more information follow the links below:

Image taken from Wikipedia – Elmer B. Domingo, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecomhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intramuromons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Detailed guide to Intramuros and Fort Santiago: https://intramuros.gov.ph/fs/#:~:text=The%20stone%20fort%20was%20built,%2C%20women%2C%20children%20and%20soldiers.

https://www.kkday.com/en/blog/40769/asia-the-creepiest-and-most-haunted-spots-in-the-philippines