by Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
To wish upon a star
I had my recemt visit to the cemeteries in our hometown of Baclayon where our faithful departed are buried.
As a child then, we went around these cemeteries collecting the melted candles to make into a ball game or to turn such into a floorwax. Ang tawag namo adto, espirma. The melted candles are collected and put into a container to be re-melted with a little amount of gas poured into the mixture. Mao kadto ang panahon nga wala pa ang mga floorwax nga gibaligya sa merkado. Among ibagnod sa sawog ang espirma. Our parents made sure that as soon as we were ready to get out of the cemetery, small was supposed to be built. Sa gamay nga haling, adto mi molakang aron mahanggab namo ang aso nga gisugbaan ug dahon sa boongon.
My husband is buried in the sementeryo municipal of Baclayon, just across the two cemeteries owned and managed by the Baclayon Roman Catholic Parish. The names of these cemeteries are: Kota ug Gu-od. When these cemeteries were opened in 1990, most of the people from Baclayon acquired spaces for their loved ones on a “prepaid lot” status. The lots on the 4 boundary lines were and are prepaid and permanent. Lots in the inner court are to be bought as needed. So the park is filled with green space just like the green, green grass of home.
The Kota cemetery is the second campo santo of the Roman Catholic Church. The original was located at the plaza, between the church patio and the Baclayon Central Elementary School. That was the way it was during the Spanish period. If you go to Ayala Alabang now, there are two churches there: the church of Sra. Susana and St. Jerome. In both, the campo santo is situated beside the church and a beautiful park. The scenery reminds me of the picture presented in the poem, “The Elegy Written in the Country Churchyard”.
I also had a chance to see the Paco Park in Metro Manila. The setting is just like our Kota in Baclayon. But Paco Park has retained its antiquity. It’s a park in the real sense, and the place is brightened by some music during their concert in the place.
The kota camposanto in Baclayon is complete with a chapel. Kota gayud. I can still remember the altar with a painting. It was on this altar where the priest would say mass with his back towards the church goers. Gatalikod pa sa mga tawo ang pari inig misa. It was and still is a beautiful structure now but maintenance is poor. It has become a repository of bones scattered all over the place.
The Go-od cemetery was established by Padre Juan de Villamor. He was the first Filipino parish priest after the Spaniards left the parish. I just wish the Go-od cemetery will be named after him. His tomb is in the middle of Baclayon church now. And do you know what is sad about this? Gigamit ang maong lubnganan sa hapit tanang tawo nga adto mo-ogbok ug kandila nga iyang dagway mura na gyud ug lung-agan nga itom kaayo kay napuno sa anoos. Pagkalooy gyud tan-awon.
And may I just say this? It’s not yet too late now. The chapel survived the earthquake in 2013, and it must still be that strong. So why don’t we start the good practice of maintaining the place? And my wish and the wish of the people is to have a regular maintenance of our cemetery. Make it truly a sacred place for those who have gone ahead of us and for us, the living.
Is this too much to ask for? Parish priest come and go but the cemetery commission is here to stay. And one more wish. Please do something about that rest room just heside the entrance to the cemetery. That can be enhanced by a pergola making it into a mini-garden. And please, dispose of the broken glasses coming from the dug coffins just thrown on the left corner.
