The White Lady of Balete Drive
On a tree-lined road in Manila, taxi drivers tell of a woman in white who appears in the back seat, or in the road ahead.
What was reported
Balete Drive, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, is named after the balete trees, a kind of fig, that once lined it; in Philippine folklore, balete trees are homes of spirits. For decades it's been known for its White Lady: a woman with long hair in a white dress, seen standing by the road or suddenly appearing in a car's back seat or mirror.
Taxi drivers are said to avoid the road at night, and different stories offer different accounts of who she was.
Explanations offered
There's no record of any event the stories describe. Folklorists see it as one of many white lady legends around the world, given extra power by old beliefs about balete trees.
- When
- Told since at least the 1950s
- Where
- Balete Drive, Quezon City, Philippines
- Witnesses
- Taxi drivers and night-time motorists
- Status
- Urban legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.