What many locals believe to be a haunted stretch of road in Barangay Banaoaang turns out to have a very human story behind its name.

Residents said “Anyani Road,” feared by some for alleged ghost sightings, was actually named after two former landowners: Bukot and Anyani.

In Pangasinan, the word anyani means “ghost,” which led to stories about a “white lady” said to appear along the road.

Ricardo Navarro, a resident, said locals used to describe eerie encounters along the route.

“Ewan ko lang kung may nakakakita… siguro sabi nila may multo, may white lady,” Navarro said.

But Navarro said the road’s name has nothing to do with the supernatural.

“Kaya tinawag na Bukot Road iyong kalsada na iyon, at saka Anyani Road… kasi iyong may-ari ng lupa na iyan katabi niyan Bukot Road. Tapos iyong banda doon matanda na iyon nandoon sa malapit sa dulo… Anyani ang palayaw niya. Patay na sila matagal na,” he said.

Navarro said the names Bukot and Anyani referred to the two elderly landowners who once lived along the area, and over time, only “Anyani” remained familiar to residents.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church reminded the public not to let superstition prevail over faith.

Rev. Fr. Pierre Marie Tiberghien, parish director of the Pastoral Station of Beato Juan Martinez, said that encounters with ghosts or strange feelings should not cause fear.

“Hindi natin nakikita pero nandito rin ang mga anghel, mga santo, ang Diyos and so on. And syempre also mga bad spirits, they also exist here. So they try to disturb us. But we need to close our eyes and live in prayer. Because if we give too much attention to this, we miss the point — what God wants is that we look at Him. We look at the good, what we have to do,” he said.

Despite its spooky reputation, Anyani Road’s true story reveals not a tale of haunting, but one of heritage.