The Haunted Malinta Tunnel: War and Ghosts in the Philippines

Corregidor Island’s Malinta Tunnel

Corregidor Island sits off the coast of the Philippines and was a strategic place to hold during WWII. The island was seen as the key to Manila, sitting just within its bay. Resultedly it was fought over by both the US and Japanese military, who both managed to secure the island at differing times. Being a place that was so brutally ravaged by war, Corregidor Island saw mass amounts of bloodshed and death. The island is thought to be one of the most haunted places in the Philippines. Malinta Tunnel is just one of the places on this island where paranormal activity seems to occur frequently.

Malinta Tunnel was built over a ten year period from 1922. It is essentially a massive tunnel bored through a mountainside with several smaller tunnel systems spanning off of its length. During its existence, it has been utilized as a military storage hub, bomb shelter, office and living space as well as a 1000 bed hospital.

Due to the nature of the tunnel’s use and the fact it spent a great deal of time in the middle of a war zone, the space has seen a great deal of death. Many perished from war injuries within the tunnel though there was a far greater loss of life to come. As the United States fought to reclaim Corregidor Island, the Japanese faced imminent defeat. Instead of succumbing to surrender many Japanese soldiers committed suicide within the tunnel. It is said that around 3000 soldiers died in Malinta Tunnel by purposely detonating explosives within. This left many bodies entombed in the sprawling tunnel systems and extensive damage to the structure of the place. Just one reason why many believe that the tunnel may be haunted.

The Haunted Malinta Tunnel

Many visitors to the Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor Island’s mountainside have reported experiencing unexplainable phenomena. Given the tunnel’s long and dark history of death, its supposed hauntings may come as no surprise.

While there are no specific ghosts known to haunt the tunnel, many people believe that energy left there from soldiers and hospital patients still remains. This includes spirits of Japanese, Filipino and US decent.

There have been many reports of apparitions being sighted, these include that of dark shadow figures and even those dressed up as soldiers. Furthermore, many people have claimed to hear voices when no one is around. Sometimes these voices are screaming in terror as if they are trapped, leaving some to speculate these could be Japanese soldiers entombed in rubble. In addition, suddenly forming cold spots, poltergeist activity and feelings of being watched are also commonly reported in Malinta Tunnel.

Visiting Malinta Tunnel

Malinta Tunnel can only be accessed after catching a ferry over to Corregidor Island from Manila. It opens up to the public each day for a light and sound show. Here, visual and audio effects tell the story of Corregidor Island and immerse visitors in what war was like on the island. Information for reaching Corregidor Island can be found here.

If you enjoyed this article and are looking for other haunted places in the Philippines, check out Fort Santiago in Manila.

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