ILOILO – In the municipality of Guimbal, several taglugar or spirit dwellers are believed to be inhabiting a 108-year-old acacia tree in front of Guimbal Nation al High School in Barangay Rizal-Tuguisan.
“Kapre, duwende kag white lady nagapakita. Indi lang mabal-an kon san-o,” said a 76-year-old woman who runs a sari-sari store just across the school.
There are several spooky stories about the taglugar in the tree.
“Nagapakita lang sila kon gusto nila,” said Lola Chedeng who claimed she would inexplicably get goose bumps by just looking at the tree.
She believed this to be a sign that the taglugar were close by.
One popular story about the tree came from a taxi driver who serviced some time in 2016 a beauty lady in an immaculate white dress from downtown Iloilo City to Guimbal.
According to Maria Karen Felicio, tourism officer of Guimbal, the cabbie swore he dropped the lady in a beautiful mansion.
“Nagsulod sia, daku-daku nga balay. Pero pagbalikid ‘ya, acacia tree na ang nakita ‘ya,” said Felicio.
Another story involved a man from Iloilo City driving a motorcycle. He crashed near the acacia tree and was taken to the district hospital in the town.
The man could not explain how the accident came about. It was a good thing he was travelling alone, he told the police.
However, another man driving a motorbike tailing the motorcycle claimed seeing a beautiful lady in a white dress as the motorcycle driver’s back-rider.
“According sa driver sang motorbike, ginkamusta ‘ya pa gani ang naga-angkas sa motor nga nakaputi nga babaye,” said Felicio.
Both Felicio and Lola Chedeng believed only those with a “third eye” would be able to see the acacia trees’ taglugar.
Despite the eerie stories, Lola Chedeng said the taglugar appeared to be harmless.
“Ang naga-istar dira puti-an, waay nagapanakit basta indi mo pagtandugon,” she said.
The local government of Guimbal, acknowledging the public curiosity that the acacia tree has generated, thought of an uncanny way to put a positive spin on the odd stories circulating. It developed the area into tourist attraction of sort.
Mayor Oscar Garin had the tree’s surroundings fenced. He also erected a white statue of a lady there.
The goal was to preserve the tree and make its surroundings look less eerie, said Felicio.
“It is now a landmark kon magsulod ka sa town proper,” she added, “What with many people stopping by to have their selfies or groupfies taken.”
The acacia tree has clearly outlived the woman who planted it in 1910 – Honorata Gellada of Barangay Rizal-Tuguisan./PN
