Every October, Filipino households gather around their screens for one thing: KMJS Gabi ng Lagim. Since 2013, Jessica Soho and her team have been serving us Jessica Soho true horror stories that hit different because they’re rooted in real Filipino experiences. These aren’t your typical jump-scare stories but the tales your lola whispers about, the urban legends your officemates swear are true, and the supernatural encounters that make you sleep with the lights on.
KMJS Gabi ng Lagim Episodes Featured:
- “Sundo” (Gabi ng Lagim VII, 2019)
- “Sanib” – The Clarita Villanueva Possession (Gabi ng Lagim IV, 2016)
- “Haunted Hospital” – Pampanga’s Abandoned Medical Facility (Gabi ng Lagim VI, 2018)
- “Maria Labo” – The Aswang Legend (Gabi ng Lagim V, 2017)
- “Diplomat Hotel” – Baguio’s Most Haunted Building (Gabi ng Lagim IV, 2016 & XI, 2023)
- “Bisita” – The Uninvited Wedding Guest (Gabi ng Lagim V, 2017)
- “Junjun” – The Call Center Ghost Child (Gabi ng Lagim V, 2017)
- “Delubyo” – Stranded During Typhoon Ondoy (Gabi ng Lagim II, 2014)
- “Iskulmeyt” – Allan the University Ghost (Gabi ng Lagim II, 2014)
- “Aparador” – The Cursed Cabinet (Gabi ng Lagim III, 2015)
Here are the best KMJS Gabi ng Lagim episodes you need to rewatch:
1. “Sundo” – (Gabi ng Lagim VII, 2019)
YouTube Views: 10 million
Let’s start with the undisputed champion. “Sundo” isn’t just the most-watched Gabi ng Lagim episode but a cultural phenomenon that dominated family group chats for months.
The story begins with a young child who took a selfie video, completely innocent and casual. When the family reviewed the footage, there she was: Lola Olympia, the child’s grandmother who had been dead for over a year, peeking over the child’s shoulder like she was checking if the angle was right.
What makes this episode absolutely required viewing? Every KMJS’ paranormal expert consulted confirmed the video was unedited and authentic, with no CGI or tricks involved. This was just a grandmother’s love transcending death to check in on her grandchild. The late director Joseph Israel Laban (who won Best Director at Cinemalaya) captured something that felt more touching than terrifying. In Filipino culture, death doesn’t end family bonds.
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Sundo, a film by Joseph Israel Laban | Gabi ng Lagim VII
2. “Sanib” – (Gabi ng Lagim IV, 2016)
YouTube Views: 19 Million
If you want to understand why Filipinos take demonic possession seriously, watch this episode. Director Derick Cabrido recreated one of the Philippines’ most documented supernatural cases. The 1953 demonic possession of Clarita Villanueva at Manila City Jail.
This was groundbreaking for KMJS Gabi ng Lagim as their first period horror story, and they went all in. The episode recounts the demonic possession of Clarita Villanueva, a young woman who was detained at Manila City Jail in 1953 when she began exhibiting signs of possession. The case was so notorious it attracted international media attention in the 1950s and even brought American pastor Lester Sumrall to attempt an exorcism.
This episode stands out because of the combination of actual testimonies from witnesses and Cabrido’s cinematic direction that brings you back to 1953 Manila. You’re not just watching a recreation but experiencing one of the most well-documented cases of possession in Philippine history. It’s the kind of episode that makes even skeptics pause and wonder, “What if?”
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Derick Cabrido’s Sanib | Gabi ng Lagim IV
3. “Haunted Hospital” – (Gabi ng Lagim VI, 2018)
YouTube Views: 22 Million
An abandoned hospital in Pampanga with children’s voices echoing through empty hallways and a dark history dating back to World War II. Director Aaron Papins Mendoza gave us everything we love about location-based horror at one of the most notorious haunted places in the Philippines.
This episode separates itself from typical “ghost hunting” content through the real-time paranormal activity caught on camera. The crew captured unexplained audio recordings and visual phenomena that were downright unsettling. The hospital’s connection to World War II adds layers of historical tragedy that make the hauntings feel earned, not exploitative.
Professional paranormal investigation techniques combined with genuinely eerie evidence make this required viewing. Have you ever wondered if abandoned buildings really are haunted? Spoiler alert: after watching this and hearing from KMJS’ paranormal expert brought in to analyze the findings, you’ll believe they are.
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Haunted Hospital, a film by Aaron Papins Mendoza | Gabi ng Lagim VI
4. “Maria Labo” – (Gabi ng Lagim V, 2017)
YouTube Views: 25 million
Every Filipino knows about aswang, but Maria Labo’s story hits different. It taps into very real fears: OFWs separated from their families, the transformation that distance can bring, and the horror of what desperation might drive someone to do.
Director Adolf Alix Jr. explored the urban legend of Maria Labo, an overseas Filipino worker who allegedly became an aswang after passing a curse onto her while she was working abroad as a caregiver or domestic worker. Upon returning home, the legend claims she ate her own children. It’s the kind of story that has multiple regional variations because it speaks to something deeply rooted in Filipino folklore and modern anxieties about the OFW experience.
The episode was so culturally significant that it inspired a 2015 horror film. That’s the power of Jessica Soho true horror stories through Gabi ng Lagim: they don’t just tell stories but shape our cultural conversation about fear, sacrifice, and the price of survival.
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Maria Labo, a film by Adolf Alix Jr. | Gabi ng Lagim V
5. “Diplomat Hotel” – (Gabi ng Lagim IV, 2016 & XI, 2023)
YouTube Views: 18 million
Some places are so haunted that Gabi ng Lagim had to feature them twice. The Diplomat Hotel KMJS episode showcases one of the most infamous haunted places in the Philippines located in Baguio.
Originally built as a vacation house for Dominican priests and nuns, it became a site of tragedy during World War II. The Diplomat Hotel episodes are compelling because of the consistency of paranormal evidence across different visits by different directors. Rember Gelera and Aaron Papins Mendoza both took their shot at documenting this place.
Even tourists have captured unexplained phenomena on their phones. The hotel’s historical significance combined with decades of paranormal reports makes it one of those rare haunted places in the Philippines where skepticism meets its match. Multiple viewings reveal new details you missed the first time, especially in the background of shots where… well, you’ll see.
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Rember Gelera’s Diplomat Hotel | Gabi ng Lagim IV
ALSO READ: The Best Halloween Events in Metro Manila 2025
6. “Bisita” – (Gabi ng Lagim V, 2017)
YouTube Views: 17 million
Your wedding day is supposed to be perfect. For one couple, it was, until they looked at their wedding photos and found an unexpected guest in a yellow gown watching their ceremony.
Director Rember Gelera masterfully tells this story because it’s so relatable. We’ve all scrolled through event photos and noticed something off in the background, but this wasn’t a photobomb or a lighting trick. Multiple family witnesses confirmed seeing the figure, and the spirit made a repeat appearance at the child’s baptism.
This episode stays with you because of the domestic setting. This isn’t some abandoned building or remote location but a family celebration, the kind we all attend. The clear photographic evidence combined with follow-up incidents makes you wonder: who else might be in your family photos?
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Bisita, a film by Rember Gelera | Gabi ng Lagim V
7. “Junjun” – (Gabi ng Lagim V, 2017)
YouTube Views: 12 million
Ask any veteran call center agent about Junjun and watch their face change. This episode, directed by Derick Cabrido, explores the most widespread urban legend in the Philippine BPO industry: a faceless ghost child in a white shirt and black shorts who haunts call centers across the country.
The most accepted origin story claims that Junjun was the son of a call center agent who brought him to the office. Left in the lobby to play with his ball, the curious child entered an elevator and died when it malfunctioned. Now he allegedly follows agents from company to company, still looking for someone to play with.
The documented phenomena are genuinely creepy. 25-year-old agent Mark Ababao described seeing Junjun running through work stations. Training sessions for 25 trainees would mysteriously count 26 people. Agents reported cold hands touching them, objects being knocked over, and even being pulled under beds. Most disturbing? Clients would sometimes ask agents about “the little one” they could hear on calls.
This episode was so culturally significant that it inspired the 2019 MMFF entry “Sunod” starring Carmina Villarroel. That’s how you know a KMJS horror story transcended television: when it makes the jump to cinema. Every call center worker knows about Junjun, and this episode finally gave the legend its definitive treatment.
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Junjun, a film by Derick Cabrido | Gabi ng Lagim V
8. “Delubyo” – (Gabi ng Lagim II, 2014)
YouTube Views: 1.5 Million
Picture yourself as a nursing student taking basic life support training. Typhoon Ondoy hits, one of the Philippines’ most devastating natural disasters, and you’re trapped in an office building as flooding surrounds you. And then, as you gather around a single candle, the ghosts start appearing.
Director Topel Lee masterfully tells the true story of Martin, Bea, and their fellow nursing students who experienced something supernatural during an actual emergency. Volunteer Benjie, who claimed to have psychic abilities, saw spirits descending the stairwell, including a weeping woman who wouldn’t stop crying and a shadow child with red eyes who wanted to “play.” Invisible hands touched the terrified students.
The historical context takes this beyond typical ghost stories. Set during one of the Philippines’ worst natural disasters, with multiple witnesses corroborating the supernatural experiences, this episode juxtaposes learning to save lives with being haunted by the dead. It’s uniquely Filipino horror that resonates with healthcare workers who understand that liminal space between life and death.
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: ‘Delubyo,’ a film by Topel Lee | Gabi ng Lagim II
9. “Iskulmeyt” – (Gabi ng Lagim II, 2014)
YouTube Views: 2.5 Million
Director Aloy Adlawan explored how Allan became an accepted part of university folklore. Unlike typical ghosts who just scare people and disappear, Allan seemed aware of and responsive to living people. Students, faculty, and staff across multiple departments and academic years all knew about Allan. He was territorial, protective of certain areas, and interactive in ways that made him feel like an unofficial member of the campus community.
This episode is compelling because of the credibility of the witnesses, which include professors, students across different programs, and maintenance and security personnel. These are educated people in an academic environment, the last place you’d expect widespread belief in a resident ghost. Yet Allan’s presence spanned multiple academic years, showing a consistency that’s hard to dismiss.
The episode broke new ground by setting a ghost story in an educational environment. It made the story relatable to millions of Filipino students and educators. It’s also subtle social commentary on how supernatural beliefs persist even in spaces designed to challenge them.
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: ‘Iskulmeyt,’ a film by Aloy Adlawan | Gabi ng Lagim II
10. “Aparador” (Gabi ng Lagim III, 2015)
YouTube Views: 6.2 Million
Every Filipino family has that one piece of antique furniture with a mysterious history. Director Topel Lee’s “Aparador” taps into our deep-rooted beliefs about heirloom objects carrying spiritual attachments.
The story follows a family whose antique cabinet (aparador) brought both good fortune and supernatural terror. At first, they experienced prosperity and good luck. But gradually, the supernatural activity increased. Family members saw figures in the cabinet’s mirror that weren’t physically present, items inside would move or disappear, and cold spots appeared around it. The family experienced unexplained nightmares and mood swings.
The episode showcases brilliant psychological depth through how the family kept the cursed cabinet for the blessings it brought. Lee masterfully explores how we justify keeping dangerous things in our lives when they offer benefits. The mirror element is particularly effective, as the cabinet’s mirror seemed to serve as a portal for paranormal activity, and Lee’s use of mirrors and reflections created iconic horror imagery.
The episode pioneered the “haunted furniture” subgenre in Filipino television. It gained renewed attention with the popularity of vintage collecting. Recent episodes like “Antique Store” from Gabi ng Lagim XII (2024) show how object-based horror remains relevant in Filipino culture. After watching this, you’ll never look at your lola’s antique furniture the same way.
Watch the full episode on YouTube → Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: ‘Aparador,’ a film by Topel Lee | Gabi ng Lagim III
Who Are KMJS’ Paranormal Experts in Gabi ng Lagim?
Several paranormal experts have become trusted sources for supernatural investigations on these best KMJS Gabi ng Lagim episodes, bringing credibility and cultural insight.
Ed Caluag is the most regularly featured paranormal investigator on KMJS. A licensed teacher from Bulacan who experienced childhood spirit encounters due to polio, Ed uses his signature Tibetan singing bowl, EMF meter, and spiritual sensitivity to investigate haunted locations and possessions. He serves as a resource person for nearly every Gabi ng Lagim special, blending technical and psychic approaches to validate paranormal experiences. His notable investigations include Manila City Hall, Diplomat Hotel, and numerous haunted homes across the Philippines.
Ana Dela Cruz is a respected psychic medium and healer from Bulacan who frequently appears alongside Ed Caluag. Known for her capacity for mediumship and sensitivity to spiritual presence, Ana uses intuition, physical sensitivity to energy, and trance states to communicate with spirits. She often serves as the bridge between the living and the dead, facilitating peace and understanding in spirit cases at haunted historical landmarks and houses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When does KMJS Gabi ng Lagim air?
Gabi ng Lagim is an annual Halloween special airing every October since 2013, typically during the last week of October on GMA Network’s KMJS (Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho) program.
Are the Gabi ng Lagim stories true?
According to KMJS, episodes are based on true stories and testimonies from people who experienced supernatural events. The show features witness interviews and consults with KMJS’ paranormal expert to validate evidence through photographic or video documentation. While some elements may be dramatized for television, the core stories come from real accounts.
Who directs the Gabi ng Lagim episodes?
Gabi ng Lagim features award-winning Filipino directors including the late Joseph Israel Laban (Cinemalaya Best Director), Derick Cabrido, Topel Lee, Adolf Alix Jr., Aloy Adlawan, Rember Gelera, and Aaron Papins Mendoza. This cinematic approach elevates television horror quality.
Where can I watch past Gabi ng Lagim episodes?
Past episodes are available on the official KMJS YouTube channel and GMA Network platforms. “Sundo” is the most-watched at 36.4 million views across all platforms.
What is the Junjun legend in call centers?
Junjun is a faceless ghost child in white shirt and black shorts who allegedly haunts Philippine call centers. The most accepted origin claims he was a call center agent’s son who died in an elevator malfunction while at the office. Workers report headcount anomalies, cold touches, and his voice appearing on client calls.
Who are the paranormal experts featured in KMJS like Ed Caluag and Ana Dela Cruz?
KMJS’ paranormal expert team is led by Ed Caluag, a licensed teacher from Bulacan who uses his Tibetan singing bowl and EMF meter to investigate hauntings, and Ana Dela Cruz, a Bulacan-based psychic medium specializing in spirit communication. They analyze photographic and video evidence, investigate locations with professional equipment, and provide cultural context for supernatural phenomena. Other occasional experts include Father Jose Francisco “Jocis” Syquia (Manila’s chief exorcist), Alex Angeles (tarot reader), and Rob Rubin of Mysterium Philippines.
What happened to director Joseph Israel Laban?
Joseph Israel Laban, who directed the most-watched episode “Sundo,” passed away in 2021 at age 40. He was a Cinemalaya Best Director awardee, and his work on “Sundo” remains his lasting contribution to Filipino horror television.
Is the Diplomat Hotel really haunted?
The Diplomat Hotel KMJS has been featured multiple times (2016 and 2023) for consistent paranormal activity reports. Originally a Dominican priests’ vacation house, it became a World War II tragedy site. Multiple investigation teams and even tourists have captured unexplained phenomena on their devices.
Why did “Sundo” become so popular?
“Sundo” became the most-watched episode because it offered clear, unedited visual evidence of a paranormal encounter, featured an emotional story of a grandmother’s love transcending death, and was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Joseph Israel Laban. It resonated with Filipino audiences by portraying death as proof that family bonds survive beyond the physical world.
What is the significance of Maria Labo in Filipino folklore?
Maria Labo represents the convergence of traditional aswang mythology with modern OFW anxieties. The legend reflects cultural fears about family separation, the transformative effects of working abroad, and OFW sacrifices. The story exists in multiple regional variations across the Visayas with roots in pre-colonial Filipino mythology.
Has Gabi ng Lagim influenced Filipino cinema?
Yes. The “Junjun” episode inspired the 2019 MMFF entry “Sunod” starring Carmina Villarroel, while the “Maria Labo” episode was connected to a 2015 horror film. This demonstrates how KMJS horror stories transcend television to influence broader Filipino popular culture.
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