I.

Introduction

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

After the Spanish Conquistadors have settled in Manila in 1571, their next targets of
their pacification and Christianization were the provinces surrounding the capital of the
Philippines, Manila. Located in the east of Manila and areas surrounding Laguna de Bay,
the Franciscan friars along with the Spanish civil authorities and their military protection
started the conversion of Laguna. In the year of 1578, those missionaries started their
work in Majayjay, Laguna serving as their base and spreading out to its neighboring
places, one of which was the city of Nagcarlan in Laguna.

In 1845, the town began to have some improvements under the direction of Fr.
Vicente Velloc, a Franciscan friar. The priest was able to built 1500 houses and
reconstructed a church that was burnt down years ago. Having concerns with the health of
the people, the decrees and the cannon laws of the church, he ordered to construct a large
cemetery a few kilometers from the south of poblacion or the central district area of the
city, now called as the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery. Nagcarlan Underground
Cemetery is located at Barangay Bambang in Nagcarlan, Laguna. Fr. Velloc took
advantage of the uneven or the irregular land surface in this area and included to build the
underground part of the cemetery known as "crypt" or what is known as "kripta".

Inside the crypt lies 36 niches or tombs especially built for well known friars or
priests and political figures that came from Catholic families who served during those
times. By the year 1896, the underground cemetery was used as a secret meeting place by
the revolutionary leaders in Laguna, Pedro Paterno and Gen. Severino Taino. By virtue of
the Presidential Decree No. 260 with amendments by Administrative Order 1505, the
Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery was declared as a National Historical Landmark. This
particular landmark underwent renovations before it was again opened for the public in
October 24,1981. The last burial in the landmark was on the year of 1982 and was
formally declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical
Commission of the Philippines.
II.Methodology

This paper focuses on several topics such as: (1) the views and observations of
locals in Nagcarlan, Laguna regarding the history of the historical landmark, Nagcarlan
Underground Cemetery. (2) the basis behind building such landmark and; (3) the reason/s
why the Katipunero leaders in Laguna during the Philippine Revolution chose the
landmark as their rendezvous.

An interview was conducted upon visiting the cemetery and observations were
sought or collected mostly concerning how locals has different views or beliefs regarding
the history of the cemetery . The questions in the interview conducted includes: (1) the
description of the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery. (2) how the cemetery was built (3)
reason for building such landmark (4) the awareness of locals on the subject of
Katipuneros using the underground cemetery as their secret meeting place and; (5) the
reason/s why the Katipuneros used it as a meeting place. With the help of these questions,
new data or information were gathered and were used for this history paper.
III. Significance of the Study

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, considered as one of the oldest cemetery in the

Philippines significantly and notably important on the Philippines' historical synopsis
needs the recognition that it deserves within today's modern phase.

Therefore, this study will be a significant endeavor in promoting the Nagcarlan

Underground Cemetery's history among Filipino citizens. This study will also help the
community to gain a better understanding on the specific subject of the structure of the
underground cemetery. This history paper would expectedly heighten or increase the
awareness of the community regarding local history. Furthermore, this paper would also
serve as a reference or baseline information for the future researchers with the same topic.
Through the gathering of resources by different textbooks by professionals, I had a
chance to further collect informations and facts about this topic through visiting the
community around Nagcarlan.
IV. Discussion

Upon entering the cemetery, an arched entrance with two winged iron gate grills was
firstly viewed in the underground cemetery. Opposite the gates across the width of the
grassy and gravely path both sides of which is lined with cypress trees. On the center is a
small chapel with a tower like structure with a niche as a statue and an iron cross. The
chapel is like the centerpiece or the grand niche built into a cemetery so that its facade is
aligned with the cemetery walls where the above ground niches around 240 in number,
120 on each side are located and its body extend around towards the outer lines of the
periphery of the walls.

According to Mrs. Carmina Cecilia Sumague, the curator of the cemetery, the chapel
was used as the last station for funeral rites entombing the dead. The chapel has windows
on each side covered with an iron wrought grills. Right under the floor of the chapel is
where we can find the crypt to which a passage is located at and towards the right side of
the door of the chapel. Descending to the crypt is two flight of stairs, the first nine steps
leads to a landing wherein a Spanish inscription can be found that is later translated into-
"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." Going the second
flight of the stairs is where we can find 36 niches arranged into rows in four walls. The
owner of those niches were said to be the friars and the town's political figure who served
during that time.

This underground crypt was used as a rendezvous or a meeting place for the
revolutionary leaders in Laguna in 1896. According to Mrs. Sumague ,when asked why
all of the place in Nagcarlan the leaders chose the underground cemetery, most people
thought of the cemetery at night as a scary place and she thought that this was the reason
why the revolutionary leaders in Laguna chose this place as their hideout. Moreover, a
National Historical Commission of the Philippines researcher, Ian Alfonso said that
Katipuneros often choose a meeting place that no locals or people would create
suspicions towards them. As a matter of fact, most of the hiding place of the Katipuneros
and where the initiation rites were done was located in a dark, hidden or secluded areas
such as mountains and caves.
V. Bibliography

Nagcarlan-Underground-Cemetery, viewed 13 February 2015,

<http://aboutphilippines.ph/filer/Nagcarlan-Underground-Cemetery>.

Alfonso, Ian. State of the Nation. GMA News TV: 12 June 2013. Television

Sumague, Carmina Cecilia. Personal Interview. 08, February 2015.

Sumague, Carmina Cecilia. Oldest and Only Underground Cemetery-Philippine Book of

Records. GMA News TV: 18 November 2013. Television.

Sumague, Carmina Cecilia. State of the Nation. GMA News TV: 12 June 2013.
Television.
VI. Conclusion

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery does deserves to be known as a national historical

landmark. Full of past and significant history, the underground cemetery is a part of the
nation's history that made our country gain freedom and our own deserving democratic
government. Through this paper we have seen the deeper meaning behind the story of the
revolutionary rendezvous in the cemetery and the reasons why such landmark was built.
Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery served as the rendezvous of Katipuneros was to avoid
suspicions from many people. Also, the landmark was build for the people in Nagcarlan
due to the concerns of an Augustinian friar. Overall, we uncovered the reasons and the
history of the landmark and hoping that this may allow the Filipinos to gain a better
understanding of the topic.
(Appendix)