By Ann Villamor
Inside Lumang Sementeryo
We can say that the old public cemetery or Lumang Sementeryo in Lucena City has been the silent witness of the history of Lucena. The huge acacia trees, mausoleums, and old statues in this place were once the inanimate audience of the time that elapsed on the city of Lucena.
We decided to get some information regarding the history of Lucena’s Oldest Cemetery, so that we Lucenahins could also know and trace some of our roots.
We paid a short visit to the Cemetery and conducted a little interview with the Cemetery Research Supervisors, Mrs. Myrnalyn Amparo and Mr. Rafael Panganiban.
Lucena City’s first and oldest cemetery is situated at Brgy. Ibabang Dupay, in front of San Francisco Subd., beside B & M Calibration. According to Mrs. Myrnalyn Amparo, the cemetery was said to be over a hundred years old and the first ones to be buried there were mostly Japanese and a few Spanish captors whose graves are now marked by the tall acacia trees.
The tombs near the entrance of the cemetery were literally jam packed because there were no spaces available for new ones, and even the littlest spaces were occupied by small tombs where the bodies of babies lie. Others were built in layers like the “apartment type” tombs, while others were just constructed on the top of “base” tombs.
We’ve asked them some information regarding the burial process in that cemetery and Mr. Panganiban said, “Sa City Health Office nila kailangang kumuha ng permit pag gusto nila magpalibing ng namatay na kamag-anak. Pagkakuha ng metrics, pwede na silang kumuha ng lupa na paglilibingan sa halagang Php 4,500.00, kasama na ang pagpapagawa ng nitso. Kung may kamag-anakan naman na silang nakalibing doon at gusto lang nilang isama sa nitso, 300 – 500 pesos lang ang pagpapabutas at libre naman ang pagpapalipat ng buto. At kung magpapa-patong naman sila ng nitso kailangan may permit din muna dun sa kamag-anak nung nasa ilalim.”
Adding a second layer of tomb is sometimes necessary because it is crowded already. If the relatives of the new ones who will be buried here want to have their own piece of land, the body will be located at the further back of the cemetery. It means that they have to literally cross and jump from tomb to tomb if they want to get there – which is why most of them resort to having the “layers” constructed, especially if they want the bodies to be buried nearer the entrance.
After the interview, we’ve asked permission to take some photographs of the old tombs and mausoleums there. Looking around, you can see several homes in the cemetery’s vicinity. A basketball court was also located near the area that’s why the bystanders and spectators of the game just sit at the nearby tombs. You’ll also see there the mausoleums of the prominent families in Lucena City.
Going a little further inside the cemetery, we’ve seen some ruins of old mausoleums and chapel. We’ve also spotted some residents who have grazed their goats inside. They seemed to be accustomed in living there, so out of curiosity, we’ve asked them if there are ghosts in the place or whether they have seen one. Most of them said that there are none. They even said that ghosts are mere products of the imagination.
So there fellow Lucenahins, a bit info about the Oldest Cemetery in Lucena City – the Lumang Sementeryo – perhaps we should start calling it Pinakalumang Sementeryo, no? ^_^
Philippine Peso