Ilonggo teacher-turned-content creator Clint Lozada has always had a penchant for watching horror movies and Halloween specials since his youth.
“Paborito ko yung 'Shake, Rattle and Roll,' 'Oka Tokat," and mga Halloween specials ng 'Magandang Gabi Bayan,'” the 34-year-old vlogger tells ANCX.
But Lozada never imagined that one day, he would immerse himself in similar creative ventures. His hair-raising video documenting his exploration of a haunted, abandoned cruise ship in Koh Chang, an island in Thailand, has gone viral across the web, amassing 15 million views on Facebook and 1.6 million on YouTube since it was posted last July.
He has also roamed around creepy forsaken places in other parts of Thailand and Singapore — a nightclub in Pattaya, a hotel in Phuket, a palace near the Botanical Garden in Singapore, a World War II bunker in Sentosa Island — enabling him to gain a dedicated fan base on Facebook (LINK ON 'FACEBOOK' : ) and YouTube.
His videos are eerily entertaining because of the engaging storytelling, suspenseful editing, and haunting musical scoring.
What spurred him to explore haunted abandoned places and embark on horror video production?
Lozada, who graduated with a degree in Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health (MAPEH) at the University of Perpetual Help in Las Piñas, initially worked as a grade school teacher when he moved to Thailand. However, when the pandemic struck, his salary was reduced by half, prompting him to look for a way to afford a plane ticket back to the Philippines.
He achieved this by taking on the Paperclip Challenge, a social experiment that gained popularity on the internet in 2005. The concept behind the challenge was simple: he began by trading a single paperclip, with the goal of continually trading it for items of higher value until he could obtain a plane ticket to the Philippines. After doing the challenge for four months, he successfully acquired a ticket and returned home to the Philippines. He recorded the entire journey on social media.
Inspired by the success of the said video, Lozada embarked on another Paperclip Challenge which enabled him to raise P10,000. He dedicated the funds to aid the typhoon victims in Quezon province.
Lozada began to seriously entertain the prospect of making videos as a career when he connected with a group of young creatives in Manila. He shared with them about his desire to explore abandoned locations in the Philippines and produce videos based on these adventures. But the group instead suggested that he conduct the said explorations in Thailand, a place he frequently visited.
He heeded the group’s advice. “Tinry ko nga dito at nagulat ako kasi iba ang culture nila dito at nakakatakot talaga ang mga abandoned places kasi hindi nila ginagalaw,” he says. “Once abandoned na, hahayaan lang nila diyan. Unlike sa atin na ginagawa siyang private property o nilalagyan ng fence. Dito kasi sa Thailand, open lang siya. Tapos 'yung ibang abandoned places dito, ginagawa pang tourist spots.”
The first location that Lozada decided to explore was The Galaxy, a massive abandoned cruise ship located at the southern tip of Koh Chang Island. The ship, believed to be haunted, belonged to a resort that ceased operations about 20 years ago. Tourists who seek new travel experiences go there but usually during daytime.
“I was planning to visit the place ng umaga, but my friend Zarck said mas kakaiba ang experience if I do it sa gabi. E matatakutin din talaga ako e,” he recalls with a laugh. “So sabi ko, okay let’s meet halfway. We’ll explore the place in the afternoon. Ang kaso sa sobrang laki ng ship, inabot na din kami ng gabi.” The Galaxy is a seven-deck cruise liner with 70 rooms.
Lozada and his girlfriend commenced their ship exploration at approximately 4 p.m., taking advantage of the daylight that lingered until 6 p.m. He relied solely on his Android phone for filming. What intrigued him was that, the appliances inside the ship remained remarkably intact despite years of neglect. At around 6:30 p.m., he launched his drone into the sky, but unexpectedly, nightfall descended swiftly, shrouding everything in pitch darkness.
“Actually hindi namin pinlano kung ano ang gagawin namin. Kaya lahat ng nangyari nakakagulat talaga. Kaya din ganun ang reaction namin sa video,” he says. “May mga parts sa video na tumatakbo kami kasi binalaan din kami ng mga experts sa Pilipinas na pag may nararamdaman kaming mabigat sa ulo o pagkahilo, move out na agad kasi ibig sabihin nun, prone sa sapi.”
Thankfully, Lozada and his girlfriend reached home safely that night. They didn’t show something in the video though. “Meron kaming mga scratches sa paa at likod,” he says. “Ibig sabihin, merong nanghihila sa amin. Pero pag andun ka sa ship, hindi mo siya mararamdaman. Siguro dahil na rin sa adrenaline rush. Sobrang takot na takot kami noon.”
After the said exploration, they visited the temples in Thailand for cleansing, as advised by the locals. “Kasi ang paniniwala nila, 'pag pumunta ka sa isang abandoned na lugar, for sure susundan ka [ng mga elemento].”
Among the abandoned places featured in his vlogs, Lozada regarded the palace in Singapore as the eeriest. Its walls were riddled with a plethora of devil markings, and they heard inexplicable sounds, including the haunting cries of a woman. “We even heard the sound of someone walking with a cane, which is particularly baffling considering the floor was covered in mud,” he recounts.
Their experience while exploring an abandoned hotel in Phuket was equally spine-tingling. “Tumayo talaga ang balahibo ko kasi nasa gitna siya ng gubat. Madami kaming nadidinig na sutsot. Hindi lang dinig sa video kasi mumurahin lang ang mic ko,” he says.
Meanwhile, the voices and markings on the walls of the abandoned palace in Singapore were disconcerting. “Yun ang pinaka-haunted na lugar na napuntahan namin,” he says.
While these adventures have brought spine-tingling moments, they have not come without challenges. “Some of the abandoned places have unstable structures, exposed wires and sharp objects. Some places have molds, pests or other harmful substances. The other challenge is the unpredictable weather,” shares Lozada.
As a safety precaution, thorough research and meticulous planning have become integral to their explorations, making sure they understand the history and potential dangers of the locations they visit.
Lozada, a history enthusiast, says he is happy that many seem to appreciate the content that he produces. “Maraming nagre-request. Maraming nagsasabi na wala pang nakakagawa nun. Kaya din pinush kong ipagpatuloy,” says the former teacher, who just finished filming in Malaysia, and is planning to explore abandoned areas in Indonesia, Taiwan and Korea next year.
As the Filipino vlogger continues his forays into the unknown, he hopes not only to entertain and incite people’s curiosity, but he also aspires to impart in them a deeper understanding of the events and people that shaped these locales and their significance within the broader historical context.
Photos courtesy of Clint Lozada