Hello, my name is Kent and I was born and raised here in the Philippines.The day before I venture out to the remote area somewhere in the mountain, is that I lost my job by the end of August, 2023 it made a big impact as job opportunities here is so very high but the hiring rate is almost at the lowest, it will take time for me to find another job. As stress and depression leads me to finally plan to hike or camp to escape for awhile my problems, I quickly packed my things that was good for 3 to 5 days. This would be my first time camping/hiking alone as I have already hiked several mountains all across the Philippines with other hikers/mountaineers.
This would be my first and probably my last solo camp.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 (BETWEEN 6-7AM)
I finally arrived at a near coffee shop a 8 kilometers away from designated camp site before I go set-up my tent. As I finished drinking a good brewed coffee I bought some bread & some tea bags that I could supply during my stay at my own camp.
AROUND 1-3PM
I arrived at my camp ground and right away I set my tent and sorted everything out, I was all alone on that moment, my campsite is set near a falls in which I could have a nice bath in the morning and have a little bit of laundry if needed. I gathered some sticks, woods, stones to set my campfire when the night comes.
(During my camp I didn’t bring my smartphone because firstly I don’t have one I have only my mp3 player & some of my survival kits for camping all along. So I can’t tell what exact time it is aside from knowing if it is day time and night time.)
SEPTERMBER 5, 2023 (EVENING)
It was literally a pitch black environment and a peaceful one and I had my dinner done early. My campfire is still blazing to help me warm myself as I read a book to make me go to sleep.
I write these words not as a fiction but as a record of my harrowing experience deep within the heart of a remote mountainous region in the Philippines. This is my first and last solo hike/camp, an account of a night when folklore crossed into chilling reality of mine.
Since childhood, I’ve heard tales of the Kapre; the enigmatic tree-dwelling giant of the Philippines. My grandparents or surely says Filipino Ancestors claim it lurks in the densest of forests, hidden from the world’s prying eyes. As I stayed outside my tent, an unshakable sense of being watched engulfed me. It was a presence that felt neither benign nor indifferent, hiding within the shadows. My heart raced, my senses on high alert. It was the feeling I think of being alone.
In the distance, a faint laughter resonated it was so eerie rumbling chuckle that seemed to reverberate through the very trees. I quickly stood up and grab my flashlight and quickened my pace going back to my car, feeling the weight of isolation. The forest seemed to come alive, its ancient trees taking on grotesque forms. And then, I saw it a giant man it was very very tall, I’m 5’4” and telling it’s height it was impossibly tall I guess around 12 feet tall I guess half of the height of a palm tree, its emaciated frame melding with the very tree it leaned against. A cigar dangled from its lips, its ember glowing like malevolent eyes. Made me tremble in fear and I can’t even made a sudden move, it was like a creature waiting for its prey to make a move before it does its successful hunt. Time seemed to stand still as our gazes met.
Panic gripped me as I comprehended the gravity of my intrusion. My survival instincts screamed for me to continue on retreating, but fear froze me in place. The Kapre’s laughter grew louder, more menacing. Summoning all my willpower, I managed to break free from the creature’s sinister presence and stumbled away further into the unforgiving wilderness. Its eerie laughter pursued me through the thick undergrowth, growing fainter as I distanced myself.
Back in safety on my car, I trembled, haunted by the encounter as I drove away back to the City, leaving some of my belongings on my makeshift camp.For my experience and encounter as a word of caution to fellow adventurers who dare to explore or have a relaxing time to the remote reaches of the world please approach the wilderness with utmost caution, for within its depths, ancient terrors may yet to stir.
As this is only my testimony, it is a chilling reminder that sometimes, the line between folklore and reality blurs in the most unsettling of ways.