The White Lady of Balete Drive

Balete Drive in Quezon City, Philippines, is infamous as one of the most haunted roads in Asia. Since the 1950s, motorists have reported encountering a ghostly woman dressed in white who appears suddenly in rear-view mirrors or in the middle of the road, often causing drivers to swerve and crash.

The Legend

The White Lady is described as a young woman with long black hair wearing a flowing white dress. Her face is sometimes described as beautiful, sometimes as bloody and disfigured. She appears without warning to drivers traveling the road at night.

The most common encounter involves drivers glancing in their rear-view mirror and seeing the White Lady sitting in the back seat. In other accounts, she appears standing in the middle of the road, forcing drivers to brake suddenly. Some report her walking alongside moving vehicles, keeping pace no matter how fast they drive.

Origins

Several origin stories circulate. The most common holds that the White Lady was a young woman who was raped and killed near Balete Drive during World War II. Other versions suggest she was killed in a car accident on the road and now seeks revenge on drivers.

The road itself is named for the large balete trees that line it. In Filipino folklore, balete trees are associated with supernatural entities and are believed to serve as dwellings for spirits.

Reported Incidents

Taxi drivers in Manila are particularly wary of Balete Drive. Many refuse to drive the road at night, while others report picking up a female passenger who disappears before reaching her destination.

Police have investigated numerous accidents on the road where drivers claimed to have swerved to avoid a woman in white. Property damage and injuries have resulted from these encounters.

Modern Encounters

Despite urbanization and increased traffic, reports continue. In 2008, a taxi driver claimed the White Lady appeared in his back seat and asked “Where are we going?” before vanishing. Similar accounts persist to the present day.

Assessment

The White Lady of Balete Drive represents one of the Philippines’ most enduring ghost legends. Whether she is a spirit seeking justice, a psychological phenomenon, or urban legend made real by expectation, she continues to haunt one of Manila’s most notorious roads.