By Liza Agoot | Philippine News Agency
TABUK CITY, Kalinga—A peculiar cemetery in a village here is serving two purposes—a resting place for the dead and a tourist attraction for the living.
From the usual white-rectangular tomb we see in cemeteries, colorful niches shaped like a ship, chopper, dove, cake, shoes, plane, bible, horse, a Church, van and other images are on a cemetery beside a highway here that catch the attention of the public passing by Barangay Nambaran.
“These are not displays. They are real burial grounds with corpses the families thought of making based on what their loved ones did or enjoyed when they were alive,” a resident in the area said. The images depict the wishes, dreams, aspirations, likes, profession and favorite things owned by the deceased during their lifetime, keeping their good and happy memories alive.
The latest design constructed, a guitar, is that of the tomb of Jimboy Layugan, 23, a native of the place who died in a vehicular accident in August.
His brother Jimwel said Jimboy, as a small child, loved a guitar. He used to play with the broom acting out as if he was playing a guitar. He was 23 when he got one which he saved up for years. After he had it, he played it, singing different tunes early in the morning. Their family decided to make a guitar on top of his tomb.
Jimboy’s tomb is beside his grandfather that has a horse, which Jimwel said was decided on by his family because of his liking for the “Red Horse” alcoholic drink.
The plane design is on the tomb of a 92-year-old woman who died in 2015. According to residents in the area, prior to her death, the woman wished to ride a plane that would bring her to their home village in the upland Barangay of Tulgao in Tinglayan, Kalinga. Her desire to ride an airplane came from stories of her grandchildren who were able to ride an airplane in their trips abroad. Her dream did not materialize due to financial constraints.
But her wishes did not fall on deaf ears. After she died, the family decided to have an airplane-design niche.
Mayor Ferdinand Tubban said the cemetery was established in 2016 on a government lot, a pasture land in the village, for the residents.
He said Tabuk, then still a municipality, has come up with an ordinance prohibiting the burial of the dead on their backyard, a tradition in the Cordillera.
He added that placing designs is not a violation of the culture, but gives happiness to the family for fulfilling the wishes of a departed loved one. Others use it to remember the good memories of the deceased.
Tubban said the cemetery is located about 20 minutes from Bulanao, the city’s center toward the direction of Tuguegarao from the intersection.
The first design was a van because the person buried was fond of travellng.
Kagawad Vicente, a village councilor, said the families of the first ones buried there also planned to make designs based on the wishes of their loved ones, but the cost prevented them.
“This is expensive as the cost depends on the design. The village did not plan to make the cemetery an attraction because the designs were made by the families to give happiness to their loved ones,” he said.
Also catching attention is the dove. The person buried there took care of doves. The shoe is the symbol of a precious gift received by the deceased from his grandchild.
There is also a niche with the cycle and hammer of the New People’s Army etched, the diseased being a member of the NPA.
There is also the fighting-cock mural on the niche of a person who loved to take care of fighting cocks.
There is also a niche that looks like a Church; the deceased was a catechist during his lifetime.
Another has the Volkswagen design for one who loved cars. Also, getting attention in the cemetery is the rice terraces where a farmer is buried.
There is also a rifle-shaped tomb for a former soldier.
Passersby often stop to take a selfie or simply photograph the different niche designs, providing fun and enjoyment for the living.
With Jesse Magguiya