It feels...

Enter that century-old arched gateway, from the middle of the ancient-looking iron and cemented fence with history-blemished grayish white irregularities, and find yourself inside a vast and beautiful garden, beckoning you more to come in and follow what looks like a beautiful primrose path... to the cemetery.

Scary? Definitely not, for this beautiful resting place for the departed is an interesting, to say the very least, place to visit. What with all its history and aesthetic, ancient wonder, this is one for the eyes, but more so for the tourist fancy, and even more so a test to stretch the senses and psyche. Once you reach the middle of the place you just can’t help but look around, and just feel the garden, look around and appreciate that long wall surrounding you. Not unmindful, of course, of what the walls actually contain.

Walk even further, for there is practically just one direction once you get in, towards the only door you’ll find. That’s the entrance to the underground. A nice lady would meet you inside, let you register in this large dusty book your name (I hope it doesn’t make you feel weird) and purpose of visit. Then, when asked, she’d oblige to give you a quick background of the history of the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery. Press further for answers, she seems to know them. A small chapel is beyond that door, and another door presses its presence on you – the door downwards. She warns you not to take pictures with flashes, and with a slight voice she says “partly because many people see ‘things’ in their pictures.”
For ghost hunters and skeptics alike, this is a nice place to visit. Once down there you wouldn’t help but simply “feel” what the numerous stories about this place are talking about. Yes, there are lots of stories about this place. Who knows, once you get out you’d have a story of your own too…

Manong Philip

On our way out of the Nagcarlan underground cemetery we met Mr. Philip, or simply Philip as he insisted, or “Manong Philip” as most Filipinos would probably call him. He was a just a random but friendly stranger, who happened to have lots of stories to tell.

A son of a sepulturero for the cemetery, he had quite some knowledge about Nagcarlan’s history. He sure told us about it, and he had a little extras. He said there was once an extremely rich woman named Ana Kalang. He related to us the story from his grandfathers, saying that mass wouldn’t start unless she wasn’t there, and she was a rich and generous benefactress that people often called him “Nanang Clara”. Later translations corrupted her name into “Nang Carla” and then later to the name of this town, Nagcarlan.

He said this was the burial place of some Philippine heroes, and the meeting place of the revolutionaries of Laguna (of course, when they were alive). He let us in on a little conspiracy theory of his, which he insisted was pretty much common knowledge among the people there – that there was a secret passage way or tunnel network, that opened in one of the underground niches and led to the Nagcarlan church. He said this was used by the katipuneros many decades ago. He told us of many ghost stories about the place, and admitting that he had felt them too. He relates to us stories of pictures taken with him, and beside him were figures or silhouettes of the dead.

Once the cemetery was made public, and many people’s remains, especially during the second world war, were brought there. So many dead bodies couldn’t be identified anymore, and since nobody claimed them, they remained there in that cemetery to this day – casualties from the second world war.

History class inside the cemetery

Inside the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery’s small chapel, the Shrine guide by the name Cecile Sumague tells the story of its history. The cemetery was built during the Spanish times by a Franciscan, a certain Fr. Vicente Velloc. She said that about a hundred years before, Katipunan (a group of revolutionary Filipinos fighting against the colonial Spaniards) used the underground cemetery as a meeting place. Indeed when you go down there you could still vividly imagine the Katipuneros meeting there clandestinely, with candles lit, with oaths sworn and reports of the war given.

The cemetery was built in consideration of the people’s health and of the laws of the church, which means it should be built more or less two kilometers south of the poblacion or settlement. According to the brochure given by Ms. Sumague, the cemetery faces the road that leads to the poblacion, having an entrance of about 18 feet high and having two-winged iron gate grills. The cemetery chapel is directly opposite the gate, with a tower like structure, a niche atop, and an iron-cross. The cemetery walls holds about 240 niches, 120 on each side, surrounding the place, while a vast grassy plane occupies what is inside. Once there was a Spanish Inscription (now illegible) translated: 

Go forth, Mortal man, full of life 

Today, you visit happily this shelter,

But after you have gone out, 

Remember, you have a resting place here 

Prepared for you.

Ms. Sumague says only very important people in society were buried underground.

Liliw and Nagcarlan in Broad Strokes

The towns of Liliw and Nagcarlan are perfect weekend getaways. You can do so much for a family vacation on a Sunday: head towards Liliw or Nagcarlan Church to attend a mass, go to Arabela for a delicious lunch (or brunch), stroll down the shoes lane of Gat Tayaw Street to buy shoes and pasalubong for the family, and take a dip at the unique and peaceful Liliw resort. For some flavor of mystery or excitement, there is the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery.

For both of these towns, cost is not something to get worried about. The only things that you can splurge on are the food in Arabela and the oh-so-cheap shoes in Gat Tayaw. Liliw Resort’s entrance fee is only 50 pesos where people can swim at the very natural flowing water and cook own food for a picnic. With only 500 pesos, I was able to eat Arabela’s good food and buy all the pasalubong that I want. The rest, I just freely savoured the history, grandeur and antiquity of the centuries-old churches and houses. The best thing about this trip is on never having to worry about expenses while having the ultimate bonding experience with family or friends.

For both of these towns, cost is not something to get worried about. The only things that you can splurge on are the food in Arabela and the oh-so-cheap shoes in Gat Tayaw. Liliw Resort’s entrance fee is only 50 pesos where people can swim at the very natural flowing water and cook own food for a picnic. With only 500 pesos, I was able to eat Arabela’s good food and buy all the pasalubong that I want. The rest, I just freely savoured the history, grandeur and antiquity of the centuries-old churches and houses. The best thing about this trip is on never having to worry about expenses while having the ultimate bonding experience with family or friends.  

Here are some tips: 

1. Reserve early for a table in Arabela so that while you wait, you can go to the church or shop in Gat Tayaw Street.  

2. Bring an umbrella. This might depend on the weather, but rain or shine, the tour still takes place along the streets of Liliw and Nagcarlan.

3.Wear comfortable clothes because most of the time, you will walk. If you plan to really shop in Gat Tayaw Street, wear comfortable sandals or slippers instead of rubber shoes so that you can easily try on the shoes you want to buy.

4. If you have a car, you can park it anywhere in Gat Tayaw Street, just ask permission from the establishment. From there, you can walk around to get to Arabela and Liliw Church.

5. Don’t forget your camera. Capture memories! Just a warning, flash photography is not allowed inside the underground cemetery.

Liliw and Nagcarlan Church

As the popular tradition goes, one can make a wish when it’s your first time going to a church. In our trip, we were able to make two, that is, for Liliw Church and Nagcarlan Church.

Past the shoes lane, and upper still the path, we arrived at the red-bricked church of Liliw Laguna. Behind its gates, we were greeted by a relaxing big open space and a view of the mountains seen from the right of the church. At the front entrance lined statues of the saints, and of course, at the center was Jesus, gestured as though welcoming all the churchgoers. At the left of the church there were footprints leading to the grotto of Mother Mary. The feel of the place was very fresh; it was unlike other churches that are too populated by the vendors outside. The church itself was inviting in all its antiquity and history.

Inside was even more beautiful. The altar at the center housed 13 images, one of which was the image of Jesus. Highlighting the church’s centuries-old history was the pulpito which was located at the right side. This is something that cannot be seen on modern churches, and for me, it is a fascinating display of the Spanish influence in church design. Typically, there were the stained glass windows which show bright religious scenes and images.

And of course, one can wish/pray by lighting candles—red for strength, white for holiness, etc. This tirikan is located at the left side of the church. Beside it, there is a small and quiet prayer room where people can say their prayers before lighting a candle.

The other church that we visited was the Nagcarlan Church. Built in 1752, it was uniquely made with bricks and stone. This church was even used as a major setting for a famous local TV series. Its interior looked simpler compared to Liliw Church, but all the same quiet and solemn. Outside the church lined a couple of vendors selling pasalubong like espasol, uraro cookies, puto seko, and barquillos.