Mythical places and lost lands are not something new to us. Countless stories of these supernatural places that seem to have an invisible gateway always strike fear and doubt within us. Example of this is the famous Bermuda Triangle aka the Devil’s Triangle. This mythical place allegedly make aircraft, ships, and passengers vanish mysteriously. Without any trace or goodbye letter, they just seemed to disappear into thin air.
Such places with mysterious occurrences are usually located in the Western part of the world. But, you are about to discover a more creepy legend that no one ever told you about before. A place known to a few but feared by many – the Biringan City.
The Magnificent Hidden City
In the province of Samar, locals never rejoice or enjoy a conversation about Biringan City. These words invoke goosebumps, three knocks on wood, and numerous sign of the cross. But why such place gives this kind of impression to the people?
Biringan City is a mythical city that is located somewhere between Gandara, Tarangnan, and Pangsanghan in Northern Samar, Philippines. The place is known to exude a different kind of brilliance and magnificence. We usually associate supernatural places with modernized palaces and or fortresses. However, Biringan City is described as a black urban city with high rise cathedrals and buildings.
According to those who were able to set their eyes and feet on such place, everything about the city is captivating. They say that it looks even better than megacities such as New York or Hong Kong. It houses high rise infrastructures with bright lights. Stories entice you to take a peak at Biringan. But, this mythical city is actually not visible to the naked eye. Locals believed that only those who were invited by its residents aka engkantos can enter the black city.
The People of Biringan
Those who live in the city of Biringan are known as engkantos or enchanted creatures. These beings have always been a part of childhood tales that our grandparents and neighbors used to tell. Based on legends, engkantos are shape shifters which usually transform into human forms.
Engkantos appear like your normal girl or boy friend. Everything about their faces and bodies are, well, human like. However, these spirits usually appear as a beautiful maiden or young man with fair complexion. They are also known for having high-bridged noses, blond hair, and the lack of philtrum. Probably the only one feature that differentiates them from real people is the absence of the vertical groove between the border of the upper lip and nose.
Creepy stories say that the people of Biringan were believed to wear and eat everything that is colored black. Moreover, engkantos are characterized by old tales as manipulative and alluring beings. They seem to possess a certain aura. Something that will make you fall in love with them, follow them, or live with them. It has also been said that when a sudden death occur, it can be associated to engkantos. An engkanto may have liked that person and took their spirit to the mythical city. The person who died however, is not really dead. Rather, the lifeless body that appears to the bereaved family is actually a piece of log or banana tree stump. It was only cast by a spell to seem like a human body.
Enticement and Abductions
No one probably wants to visit Biringan City. No matter how adventurous and free spirited a person is, actually wishing to see this place is really crazy. So, you might wonder how certain individuals happen to tell and retell the legend of Biringan? Are those products of wild and creative imagination? Or maybe some really did experience setting foot physically (or spiritually) into this supernatural dimension?
Believing that engkantos can entice anyone they desire to have, those who were “abducted” somewhat experience a feeling of being possessed or lured through a trance. According to Aswang Project, bus and truck drivers travelling near the supposed location of Biringan City are the usual victims. They believed that when they lost their way, engkantos entered their minds and deviate them from their original path. By the time comes that the drivers regain their control, they will find themselves lost in a place where the dark city “exists”.
Moreover, fishermen who suddenly disappear and reported missing by their families are said to have been lured into Biringan City. When the capture is not that good, fishermen will suddenly find themselves looking at waters with abundant aquatic life. With hopes of catching more, they may not realize that instead of the sea, it’s the skies of Biringan than they are floating in.
Another narration of supernatural abductions happen to businessmen. According to locals, engkantos will pretend and transform into professionals who are interested to make partnerships and offer business deals to businessmen. But, after closing the transaction, these people will just vanish out of nowhere.
Legends of the Supernatural City
The hidden city does not only give us the creeps of abduction stories. It also scares people how such place is known to have hidden portals scattered along Samar. Moreover, stories about heavy equipment being ordered by the people of Biringan to their kingdom don’t seem to die up until this day. Let’s take a look at them one by one.
Portals To Biringan City
Harry Potter and all wizards from Hogwarts lean against or run through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 at King Cross Station to reach Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Just like Hogwarts, Biringan City is also known to have secret passages. These are usually old and large trees located in different islands of Samar. Some people without even knowing have actually entered the gates of another dimension.
The Passengers
Once, a bus travelling at night from Catbalogan City to Tacloban City experienced something unimaginable. Halfway through the trip, all traveler aboard the bus had already taken off. Then, along the way, the driver and conductor saw two young female passengers. The two asked if they could be given a ride home. Although the route is quite out of way, the driver agreed after the two ladies promised to pay triple the fare.
When the two got off the bus, and the driver is making a turn back to the main road, he can’t seem to distinguish the dirt road that they had taken just moments ago. Thinking that they got lost, they decided to stay for the night and take off first thing in the morning. However, when they woke up at dawn, they were shocked to find themselves and the bus at a deserted mountain top. The bus had to be taken by a tow truck out of the mountain and back to the city proper.
Middle of Nowhere
A bus driver seemed to have lost his way while coursing through Samar. Since it was night time, he and his passengers decided to stop at some sort of a depot and let the morning light break before travelling again. Come next morning, the driver and his passengers woke up in the middle of what seemed to be clumps of trees or bamboos. Looking around, they didn’t know how they were able to arrive at such place since no roads were around the area.
Deafening Sound
Around nine in the evening, two motorcycle riders in one bike were slowly coursing through the dark highways of Western Samar to reach the Eastern part. The night was filled with silence with only a few chirping sounds of insects. The chilly wind and headlights from the motorcycle were the only company of the two as they drive through Borongan, Western Samar.
The silence turned into a deafening sound of car horns as they made a curve on the highway. Without seeing any cars or people around, their ears were filled with noise coming all around the place. Strong gust of wind seemed to rock their motorcycle as if a huge bus or truck just passed by them. The driver tried to keep the vehicle steady until they reached another curve. It was only after they made another turn that the disturbing sound disappear. And they are back again on the road with nothing but silence.
Equipment To The Invisible City
In the sixties, Tacloban City is known to be the center of commercialization in Eastern Samar. The port was always filled with passengers and cargo shipments from Manila to Visayas. But the ordinary life of the seaport was suddenly covered with fear. This is when stories circulated about huge equipment ordered by the people of Biringan and delivered for the invisible city.
A cargo from the United States containing various heavy equipment such as bulldozers, graders, payloaders, and hauler trucks arrived at Tacloban City. After careful checking and analysis by the port officials, they found out that the documents listed the destination of all construction equipment at Biringan City.
Knowing the story of the invisible city, locals made speculations and assumptions regarding the incident. Following the port rules, the equipment were taken down to the dock. Then they were placed on a safe area that is heavily guarded. After that, stories say that a few days later, all equipment just disappeared. People believed that the people of Biringan were the one who secretly took the huge truck and bulldozer. Meanwhile, others say that the tools were taken back to the United States or sent to the junkyard.
The existence of Biringan City is something that cannot be proven only by stories and experiences of the locals. But does it really matter if this is true or not? The only thing this legend proves is that the Philippines’ folklore is rich and continuously expanding. And so, whether you got goosebumps while reading this or just pure eh, I guess there’s only one way to find out about the tales told by this hidden city. And whether you are a believer or not, we’re pretty sure you don’t want to get involved.