Bishop of Boac Junie Maralit: Pansamantalang suspendido ang mga Misa, prusisyon at iba pang gawaing pang-Semana Santa

Bishop Junie Maralit sa social media. Screenshot mula sa video ng MNN.

Ang Obispo ng Boac, Lubhang Kagalang-galang Marcelino Antonio Maralit, Jr. ay naglabas ng mga tagubilin para gabayan ang kanyang mga nasasakupan sa Dyosesis bunsod ng kasalukuyang sitwasyon sa Marinduque dala ng COVID-19. 

Ang sakit na ito ay nadeklara na nang World Health Organization (WHO) bilang isang pandaigdigang pandemya.

Tagubilin ng Obispo ang mga sumusunod sa isang Circular Letter na may petsang Marso 15, 2020:

- Ang mga pagdiriwang ng Misa ay pansamantalang sinuspinde mula Marso 16, Lunes. Subalit tuloy pa rin ang pagdiriwang ng Eukaristiya kahit walang kongregasyon.

- Lahat ng mga recollections, pilgrimages at mga prusisyon ay pansamantalang kanselado.

- Mananatiling bukas ang simbahan para sa mga gustong manalangin.

- Patuloy ang pagsagawa ng kaparian ng Sakramento ng Pagpapahid sa mga may Sakit, ng naaayun sa kinakailangang pag-iingat na iminumungkahi ng DOH.

- Sa lahat ng natitira pang mga araw ng Biyernes ng Kuwaresma, hinihikayat ang mga mananampalataya na gawin itong mga araw ng panalangin para sa mga apektado ng COVID-19, mga namatay at para sa ating paglaya mula sa pandemyang ito.

- Bagamat bawal ang pagtitipon sa mga simbahan, pagpapapatuloy pa rin ng mga panalangin na magkakasama bilang isang pamilya.

- Araw-araw na pagdarasal ng rosaryo at pagsamo sa Mahal na Ina ng Biglang Awa para sa proteksyon ng lalawigan.

Ang kabuuhan ng pormal na pahayag ng Obispo ay ang sumusunod:

DIOCESAN CHANCERY

DIOCESE OF BOAC

Sacred Heart Pastoral Center

Boac, Marinduque

CIRCULAR LETTER NO. 2

SERIES OF 2020

March 15, 2020

To the people of God,

Re: PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY, CODE RED SUB-LEVEL TWO – COVID-19

The peace of our Lord be with you all!

With the recent developments surrounding the COVID-19 issue and the return of so many Marinduquenos from the National Capital Region, it is for the safety of the public that we have decided to issue these temporary guidelines regarding our liturgical celebrations and other related church activities:

1.       The celebration of the Mass with the congregation is temporarily suspended from March 16, Monday, until further norive depending on the developments of the situation. Nevertheless parish priests must still make sure that the daily celebration of the Eucharist is done even without congregation.

2.       All public gatherings like recollections, pilgrimages, conferences, processions are to be temporarily cancelled or postponed, pending developments of the situation in our diocese.

3.       Our churches will still be kept open so that those who need to pray and seek prayerful moments may find solace and strength in these trying moments.

4.       We will still continue to minister to the sick by offering them the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, but also in consideration of the health of our ministers, they must take the necessary precautions as proposed by the DOH.

5.       On all the remaining Fridays of Lent I encourage all the faithful, most especially the priests and religious to Fast and make them days of prayer for those infected with COVID-19, those who have died, and from our deliverance from this pandemic.

6.       Even without the gathering in our parish churches, we must still continue to pray in community. Pray together as a family. Pray together as BPKs.

7.       Pray daily the rosary and ask Our Lady of Biglang Awa to protect our province.

Our Lord is a great and loving God who will never forsake us during these trying times! Let us continue to believe in this truth even as we take these precautions for the sake of the most vulnerable in our communities.

And may our Blessed Mother keep us all under the mantle of Her Maternal Protection.

In Christ,

(Signed) Most Rev. Marcelino Antonio Maralit, Jr. D.D.

Unmasking Marinduque

Posted February 22, 2020 by Manila Standard Lifestyle

While the moryon masks—for which Marinduque is known—hid the faces of the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus Christ, the province doesn’t have anything to conceal, but more to reveal.

The Moryonan Parade of moryons (Photo by Gerry Jamilla)

Marinduque showcased its other hidden wonders during its centennial founding anniversary last week, Feb. 16-22.

The weeklong celebration kicked off with the recent unveiling of the plaque of the historic Boac Cathedral declaring it an Important Cultural Property. Officially known as the Immaculate Conception Parish Church, and regarded as the greatest monument of local faith and history, it was given the accolade by the National Museum of the Philippines in December 2018.

Immaculate Conception Parish Church

Major events included the unveiling of the Centennial Monument and the Bantayog-Wika, an initiative of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, and the Provincial Government. This activity has been moved to April this year.

An art workshop, entitled “Sining SikLAVan sa Sentenaryo,” was led by well-known artist Maestro Fernando Sena who hails from Gasan town. While the Miss Marinduque Centennial Queen pageant selected the new ambassadors of tourism and goodwill of the province.

Celebration peaked with Araw ng Marinduque on Feb. 21 featuring the Parade of Floats of the six municipalities, the Moryonan parade of moryons, the launch of the PhilPost commemorative stamp, and the Gawad Marinduqueño Awards and Baliktanaw sa Kasaysayan at Kulturang Marinduque, capped by an evening musical show featuring Marinduqueño singers and OPM icon Ogie Alcasid.

HIDDEN TREASURES UNVEILED. The island province of Marinduque in MIMAROPA boasts a number of natural wonders, including the Marinduque Wildlife Sanctuary.

Celebrations concluded with the 4x4 Off-road Jeep Club Philippines National Jamboree opening ceremonies and the Centennial Heritage Tour which both went around the province’s tourist spots.

Considered as the “heartland of the Philippines” because of its being the geodetic center of the archipelago, Marinduque takes pride in its powdery white beaches on the islands of Tres Reyes, Maniwaya, Palad Sandbar, Sta. Cruz, and Mompong, and lush biodiversity at the Marinduque Wildlife Sanctuary and Mt. Malindig.

It also boasts butterfly farms, icy waterfalls, and cave networks, most notably Bagumbungan in Sta. Cruz town.

Marinduque kicks off weeklong centennial fete

The island province of Marinduque kicked off its weeklong celebration for its centennial founding anniversary with the unveiling of the plaque of the historic Boac Cathedral declaring it an Important Cultural Property (ICP) last Feb. 16.

Officially known as the Immaculate Conception Parish Church, and regarded as the greatest monument of faith and history, it was given the accolade by the National Museum of the Philippines in December 2018.

At the signing of the certificate of turnover and acceptance of Important Cultural Property Marker are (seated from left) Marinduque Gov. Presbitero Velasco, Jr., Raquel DC Flores of the National Museum, Immaculate Conception Church parish priest Eulogio Mangui, Boac Mayor Armi DC Carrion, Sergio Serpico Nepomuceno of the National Museum, Boac Bishop Antonio Maralit Jr., and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco.

Situated southeast of mainland Luzon, Marinduque was reestablished by the American authorities on Feb. 21, 1920, after a brief reign as a separate province in 1901, and part of Batangas and Mindoro, and a sub-province of the former Tayabas province (now Quezon).

One of the nineteen floats that paraded during the float parade from the Provincial Capitol Park to the Sports Arena in Boac on the Centennial Anniversary,
February 21, 2020

Other major events include the unveiling of the Centennial Monument and the Bantayog-Wika, an initiative of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, and the Provincial Government, in recognition of the language which are among the roots from which the modern national forms have sprung, and where remnants of archaic Tagalog forms can be found.

On Feb. 20, an art workshop titled “Sining SikLAVan sa Sentenaryo” will be led by well-known artist Maestro Fernando Sena who hails from Gasan and the Miss Marinduque Centennial Queen pageant with sentimental OPM singer Myrus.

Celebration peaks with Araw ng Marinduque on Feb. 21 featuring the Parade of Floats around the province, the Moryonan parade of moryons, the launch of the Philpost commemorative stamp, and the Gawad Marinduqueño Awards & Baliktanaw sa Kasaysayan at Kulturang Marinduque.

  

The Centennial Day will be capped by an evening show with Marinduqueño singers and pop music star Ogie Alcasid.

Unveiling of Centennial Monument. From left, VG Romulo Bacorro, Jr., Rep. Lord Allan Q. Velasco, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu and Governor Presbitero Velasco, Jr.

Fringe activities include the Barakalan sa Sentenaryo agro-trade and tourism fair of the Marinduque Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Department of Trade and Industry, and various socio-civic activities.

At the start of the Gawad Marinduqueno Awards, the awardees were feted with a Putong welcome ceremony

Supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Tourism-Mimaropa Region, PLDT-Smart, San Miguel Corp., and Petron, celebrations conclude with the Centennial Heritage Tour around the province, and the 4x4 Offroad Jeep Club Philippines National Jamboree.

Composed of six towns, the province is known for the traditional Moriones Festival every Holy Week which features the iconic wooden moryon masks and regalia of the Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus Christ.

Posted February 18, 2020 by Manila Standard

100-year old Marinduque celebrates culture and nature

THE Palad Sandbar is one of the natural attractions of Marinduque, which is most known for its Moriones Festival during the Holy Week. Photo: Marinduque Tourism Office

MARINDUQUE IS celebrating its centennial founding anniversary this week with activities highlighting the island province’s nature destinations and cultural heritage beyond its iconic masks that are featured during the annual Moriones Festival. “(T)he province is putting its best foot forward with the wide array of festivities to showcase its rich cultural heritage, native crafts, language, natural attractions, and the warm character of its people,” Governor Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr. said in a statement from the local tourism office.

The unveiling of the plaque for the Boac Cathedral as an Important Cultural Property — declared by the National Museum of the Philippines in December 2018 — kicked off the celebration on Monday. Other events lined up are: launch of the Centennial Monument and the Bantayog-Wika, an initiative of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, and the provincial government, in recognition of Marinduque’s vernacular as among the roots of the national language; an art workshop led by artist Fernando Sena, a native of Gasan town; agro-trade and tourism fair organized by the Marinduque Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Department of Trade and Industry; and the 4×4 Offroad Jeep Club Philippines National Jamboree opening and the Centennial Heritage Tour, which will both go around the province’s tourist spots.- BusinessWorld

A street-dancing contingent. Photo: Seller Nolos

Float Parade. Photo: Seller Nollos

The Mogpog Pavilion at Barakalan sa Sentenaryo

4x4 Offroad Jeep Club Philippines Jamboree, Marinduque February 22-24, 2020 

Other photos: ctto

Starhorse Shipping Lines operates several roll on-roll off ferry trips daily between the Lucena City port in Quezon and Marinduque.

Fray Diego de Saura's monumental relief in Boac Cathedral one of renowned Spanish artist's last works

Marinduqueños should truly treasure this monumental piece of art, a gift from Spain, sculpted in Mexico by Spain's foremost sculptor during his time, the award-winning Angel Tarrac.

Is it ever cleaned? Or polished for once? 

The monumental relief in bronze of Fray Diego de Saura,
launched at Boac Cathedral, 1979 with Spanish royalties gracing the occasion. Tarrac died in the same year.

The bas-relief of Fray Diego de Saura that stands in the churchyard of the Boac Cathedral was sculpted by the artist Angel Tarrac,(1898-1979). He was born in Barcelona, Spain. His mother came from an aristocratic family, the Barrabias and his father completed the sculptural works of the ‘copula’ and the two towers of the Barcelona Cathedral in 1910.

Throughout his career, Tarrac earned numerous coveted awards. He won first prize for creating a monumental fountain in Barcelona, and a gold medal in the Spanish National Exhibit. He erected the monument for the French Republic in Agde, France and was awarded first prize for his stone sculpture The Birth of Mexico, measuring 70 feet long.

Birth of Mexico by Tarrac, 70 ft. long, Mexico City 1963

Angel’s works were displayed in 29 exhibits between 1924 and 1999. In an exhibition in Barcelona in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, Tarrac presented a unique exhibition with 70 statues and portraits, sculpted while the exhibition went on before the public.

He received offers to work in many other cities in France after being set free by the French government to sculpt the Monument to the French Republic. In 1942 he set out for Mexico.

Monument to the French Republic (center), Agde, France by Tarrac, 1939

This is where Tarrac was commissioned to do monumental work such as the bust of the Spanish poet Jose Sagarra and the monumental relief for the missionary Fray Diego de Saura that stands in front of the Boac Cathedral in Marinduque. He sculpted the latter in 1978. 

Tarrac died in 1979.

Monumental portrait of José de Sagarra, bronze, 1977, Romea
Playhouse, Barcelona, Spain

Also read:

May nakakatanda pa kaya? Mga labi ng isang banal sa Boac Cathedral na hinatid ng mga pilgrims mula Espanya

Boac cathedral is ‘greatest monument’ of faith, history

REFUGE The Boac Cathedral is not only a spiritual refuge but a fortress that protects the people of Marinduque province in times of calamity. —ERWIN MONROYO PENAFIEL / CONTRIBUTOR

By: Maricar Cinco, Mayda Lagran - @inquirerdotnet

BOAC, Marinduque — The more than 200-year-old church in Marinduque’s capital town of Boac is not only a cultural artifact but a “symbol” of the province’s deep religiosity.

Built in 1792, the Immaculate Conception Parish Church, commonly referred to as the Boac Cathedral, played “silent witness” to Marinduque’s history.

“It is important, for one, because of its historical past. It is also the foundation, the greatest monument of faith [of the people of Marinduque],” said Boac Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr.

Strategic

The church stands on the hilly Barangay Mataas na Bayan, also the town’s poblacion (center), overlooking the Boac River and surrounding seas.

People held on to the belief that the church, with its walls and fortresses built and fortified with adobe, protected the island from pirate attacks in the 18th century.

“If you come today, you will see holes on [the church’s walls]. They say the holes were there for people to look into and shoot their spears [against the enemies]. Its [location] was very strategic,” said Boac tourism officer Genoveva Loto.

The cathedral now serves as the church’s center of ministry, Maralit said. In the same compound is the shrine of the Our Lady of Prompt Succor.

Thousands flock to the cathedral especially during weekends, among them tourists and historians.

National Museum declaration

The National Museum in December 2018 declared the Boac Cathedral an Important Cultural Property, with the formal proclamation held here on Tuesday.

“Our Cathedral’s walls remained untouched and the church itself stood as it has for centuries,” said parochial vicar, Christian San Juan.

In the 1980s, a strong typhoon damaged the church’s roof but its foundation remained intact, Loto said.

“It’s a source of pride [for Boac],” she said.

Loto hoped that the National Museum’s recognition would attract attention and aid from national government agencies to preserve the church.

Maralit said the Boac Cathedral was another “symbol” of the religiosity of Marinduque, known for preserving its Moriones tradition observed during the Holy Week.

“[The church] is not just a spiritual refuge of the community but also a refuge during calamities and war,” San Juan said.

A book about our religious past as Marinduqueños, "The Church on the Top of the Hill"

The only extant photo of the old Baluarte in Brgy. Laylay, Boac ca. 1900

 One of the most astonishing photos that have survived for over a century and was published in Fr. Christian V. San Juan’s book, "The Church on the Top of the Hill" is this only known extant photo of the Baluarte near the shore of Brgy. Laylay in Boac, Marinduque.

The photo was dated ca. 1900 and the Baluarte/Bantayan, watch tower, still appeared fairly intact at that time. 

This ancient fortress of bricks, corals and adobe has long been forgotten. Today's kids just refer to what's left of it as 'bahay na bato'. Vandalism and neglect have further reduced it to rubbles and ruins unfortunately beyond repair now. 

Or is it?

Photos of the Simbahan ng Boac with its wooden floor in the 1900s, with women in their elegant sayas (lolas of our lolas) and men in their immaculate camisas (lolos of our lolos), and a whole lot more have been painstakingly collected by the Immaculate Conception Parish’s parochial vicar to share with us one day.

That day has come.

Fr. Christian San Juan’s recently released coffee-table book is about valuable pictures, intriguing secrets and historical vignettes of what the National Museum of the Philippines has now declared as Important Cultural Property (ICP) of the Filipino people.

Boac Cathedral’s official declaration as an ICP has been scheduled on February 12, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the centuries-old Boac Cathedral, the living monument to our cultural heritage and identity as true blue Marinduqueños.

Talk about synchronicity. Fr. ‘SJ’s’ rare book about our treasured religious past, available at the parish convent, came out unplanned at this very special period. Limited copies are actually still available for those who really care about our colorful past.

Boac Cathedral declared by the National Museum of the Philippines as Important Cultural Property

Declared as Important Cultural Properties are the cathedrals of Manila, Boac in Marinduque and San Fernando in Pampanga; the church complexes of Tondo, Pateros, San Juan Bautista in Quezon City, and Santa Ana in Taguig; and the post office, Aduana, customs and Muntinlupa penitentiary buildings

The Boac Cathedral. Declared by the National Museum of the Philippines as Important Cultural Property - Eli J. Obligacion

Important Cultural Property is a recognition given to any cultural property (objects or structure) "having exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significnce to the Philippines."

The National Museum of the Philippines has declared more than 40 sites in the country as National Cultural Treasures (NCT) and Important Cultural Properties (ICP), most of them coming from the island-province of Camiguin in northern Mindanao.

Declared national treasures are the archaeological sites in Camiguin: the Old Bonbon Church ruins in Catarman, Sunken Cemetery also in Catarman, and the Spanish-era watchtower in Guinsiliban.

The Sunken Cemetery was Catarman’s Spanish-era cemetery which sank underwater following the eruption of Mt. Vulcan in the 1870s.

Sunken Cemetery in Catarman, Samar - Roel Manipon

The image of Nuestra Señora dela Soledad de Porta Vaga in Cavite City (“including the intangible properties intrinsic to the cultural significance of the painting”), Pila Archaeological Site in Laguna, and San Pancracio chapel inside La Loma Cemetery bordering Manila and Caloocan, were also declared NCTs.

Declared ICPs are Manila’s Immaculate Conception Cathedral, El Hogar Filipino Building, Philippine Post Office, Bureau of Customs in Port Area, Aduana in Intramuros, Tondo Church complex and Tomas Pinpin Monument in Binondo.

Also declared ICPs are the centuries-old San Francisco Bautista Church complex in Quezon City, old Concepcion Mansion in Pasig (now Pasig City Museum), Pateros Church complex, Santa Ana Church complex in Taguig, Pablo S. Antonio House in Pasay, and national penitentiary main building in Muntinlupa.

Completing the Luzon ICP sites are the Pindangan Ruins in San Fernando City and San Juan Church in La Union, San Fernando Cathedral in Pampanga, Cuartel de Santo Domingo in Santa Rosa, Laguna, and Boac Cathedral in Marinduque.

In the Visayas, declared ICPs are heritage sites in Negros Occidental: the art deco Daku Balay, Negros Occidental Museum and Yulo Park in Bacolod City; Balay ni Tana Dicang and Lacson Mansion in Talisay; Ma-ao Sugar Central in Bago City; and the sugar simborios (smokestacks) of the province.

Likewise declared ICPs are the old Presidencia Building in Dumaguete City and the Santo Niño Church in Valencia, Bohol, famed for its wooden floor with herringbone design.

In Camiguin, the old Mambajao Fountain, Old Mambajao Municipal Building and the façade of the Santo Rosario Church in Sagay town have been declared ICPs together with 14 heritage houses in the province.

Old Mambajao Fountain, Camiguin - Revee Rapallo

The 14 ICP houses include those owned by the Borromeo, Bacut, Luspo, Neri, Nery, Nerio-Chan, Corrales, Corrales y Gamali, Francisco, Juni and Lim families, as well as the Catalino Chan and Eleuterio Chan ancestral houses.

Republic Act No. 10066, otherwise known as the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, defines NCTs as cultural properties “possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which is highly significant and important to the country and nation.”

The same law defines ICP as cultural properties “having exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significance to the Philippines.” - Contributed

Also read:

The Historic Boac Cathedral

Pagdalaw sa nalimot nang Cemeterio de Tampus, Boac 2018

Dati-rati noong panahon ng mga lolo ng mga lolo natin, tanaw ng deretsong tingin, may kalayuan mula sa pintuan ng Simbahan ng Boac,ang lumang Campo Santo ng Tampus. Iyon ang naging huling himlayan sa matagal na panahon ng ating mga ninunong Kristiyano.

Ang pinto ng Simbahan ay nakaharap sa entrada ng Campo Santo

Itinuring nila na napaka-sagrado ng lugar dahil sinadya ng mga naunang prayle na doon talaga itayo ang sementeryo. Para mula sa pinto raw ng simbahan na nakaharap sa Silangan ay diretso ang lalakaran ng mga mananampalataya patungo sa Campo Santo. Mula naman doon ay pinaniwalaang direktang aangat papuntang langit kasama ng mga anghel ang kaluluwa ng mga nangamatay. 

Iyon ang kanilang konsepto at paniniwala kung bakit naroon ang Cemeterio de Tampus.

Paglipas ng matagal panahon, nagkaroon ng unti-unting mga pagbabago. Kinailangang gumawa ng daan sa bahaging malapit sa sementeryo para makarating ng mas mabilis sa kabayanan ng Boac. Nahati ang bundok, lumalim ang daanan hanggang maging patag na sa bahaging iyon ng Tampus papuntang kabayanan. Hanggang naging may kahirapan nang akyatin ang sementeryo.

Bahagi ng Tampus paakyat sa Mataas-na-Bayan. Malapit sa Libingan

Ang buong sementeryo ay nakukulungan ng mga malalaki, mabibigat na adobe na kung saang malalayong lugar pa ang pinanggalingan. Ang entrada nito ay gawa naman sa mataas at makakapal na bakal na may disenyo. Sa kaliwang bahagi nito ay nakatayo ang isang balete na tila permanenteng bantay sa libingan.

Kinain na ng punong-balete ang bahagi ng pintuangdaan na gawa sa bakal at posteng adobe.
Ayon sa kasaysayan ng Boac, dito inilibing ang mga rebolusyonaryong minasaker noong 10 de Octubre at 1 de Noviembre 1897.

Sa may gitnang bahagi ng sementeryo ay dating nakatayo naman ang isang malaking tila-musuleo o marahil ay lugar ng huling paalaman at ritwal na mayroon ding ilang mga silid.

Sa ngayon, tila nabura na sa isipan ng mga taga-Boac at lalo na sa taga iba pang bayan ng Marinduque ang libingang ito.

“Walang sementeryo dun!”, giit ng isang tricycle driver ng minabuti kong dalawin kasama ang dalawang kabataan. 'Sementeryo' kasi ang sagot ng kasama ko ng tinanong kung pasaan kami.

Nakisagot na lamang ako na doon kami bababa sa may daan sa Tampus paakyat ng Mataas-na-Bayan. Tulad ng inaasahan, magubat ang maiksing daanan papunta sa lumang libingan. 

Pintuangdaan. May mga malalalim na hukay na sa paligid

Nandun pa rin ang puno ng balete na naging mas malaki na ang katawan ngayon at kinain na ang natitira pang bahagi ng napakataas na poste ng adobe sa kaliwang bahagi ng naglaho nang gate.

Noong bata pa ako ay isinama ako ng nanay ko sa libingang ito para magtirik ng kandila man lamang sa mga nakalibing dito. Kasama raw kasi sa mga nakalibing dito ang ama ng aking lolo at natatandaan pa niya kung saan bagamat wala ng natitirang dating mas maliwanag na palatandaan.

Karamihan sa mga libingan ay nabuksan na at wala nang laman

Naglaho na ang lahat ng mga adobe na dating nagsisilbing protektor sa buong sementeryo. Hindi naging hadlang marahil ang matinding kahirapan ng pagkuha, paghukay, at paghakot sa mga ito ng mga looters. 

Sa mahabang panahon. Malaki raw kasi ang halaga nito sa mercado at napakadaling ibenta sa mga maykaya.

Tombstone. Matatagpuan ito sa ibabaw ng isang puntod.
Sinong ilustrado o bayani kaya ang inilibing dito?

Ang iba raw naman ay pinahakot na lamang sa Simbahan ng Boac para magamit na lamang diumano sa mga karagdagang gusaling itinayo doon noong mga nakalipas na panahon. Di pa gaanong katagal.

Ano na lamang kaya ang makikita sa Cemeterio de Tampus ngayon? Na ayon sa pagkakaalam ng matatanda ay itinayo kasabay ng pagpapatayo sa Simbahan noong ika-18 siglo? Sacred ground ito ha.

Taong 2009 ko huli itong nabisita. Para magtirik din ng kandila sa Araw ng mga Patay. Noon ay may mga nakatayong bahay mismo sa loob ng sementeryo na mga hindi taga-rito. Ang buong libingan ay tinaniman nila ng mais at nakunan ko pa noon ng larawan.

Sa malayong silangang bahagi ng sementeryo ay marami pang chambers na tulad nito.
Tatlong bahagdan.

Bumalik nga ako kahapon para tingnan kung ano ang mga pagbabago kung mayroon man.

Wala nang nakatira dito ngayon. Napansin kong may mangilan-ngilang nakatirik na mga munting bahay sa di kalayuan, sa gilid ng burol na kinatatayuan ng libingan. May mga bagong punong niyog na may kataasan na ngayon sa bandang gitna nito. Masukal ang lugar lalo na sa tagiliran pero may mga bahaging mahawan, kung saan nakaguwardiya ang isang baka na nanginginain.

Isang baka ang nag-iisang buhay na nakabantay.

Di tulad ng dati, mas may laya na ako na tingnan ng malapitan ang iba pang bahagi ng libingan, habang kinukunan namin ng larawan ang paligid, at may labis na pagsasaalang-alang at paggalang sa mga alaala ng ating mga ninunong tila napaglimutan na. Nasa pahinang ito ang ilang mga larawan.

Bahagi ng aking naisulat noong 2009, ng ginawa itong taniman ng mais, The Forgotten Graveyard:

Here lies the remains of some of Boac’s most noble gentry who helped found the great town, celebrate it, shed blood, sweat, tears to build a God-empowered people therein, and defended it in the name of freedom in the days of old. The sacred ancient graveyard and all associated with it have all been sadly forgotten. 

Perhaps the quest for the good life for some, the focus on things considered more important than memorials and remembrances of things past, has led to its complete deletion from our collective memory.

Cemeterio de Tampus, as it was called then, has been converted into a cornfield with informal settlers from elsewhere now calling it their home. No candles burn on All Saints Day. One who lived there offered to light a taper we took out.

A few stones and empty chambers built above ground still stand here, eaten up by the elements and balete vines twining around wherever they could, to remind us what happens when mortals forget. 

An old film, "Siberiade", tells of a Russian village whose history throughout most of the 1900s mirrors that of the greater country. The first generation focused itself with building a road so they could travel to the rest of the world; the second generation worked on perfecting its own political principles; and the third became obsessed with newfound oil on the land. The quest for oil led to the destruction of an ancient cemetery, symbolizing the loss of old Russian culture and tradition for the sake of financial gain and temporal power.

Could this type of forgetfulness be symbolic of a town’s continuing loss of culture and tradition creeping through its soul without relent?