Dead or Alive: Photos from Mintal Cemetery
Last summer I tagged along with a classmate whose research was about cemeteries. Cemeteries? Yeah, I know it’s weird, not to mention creepy. Despite my natural fear for the dead I managed to muster enough courage to navigate the cramped but relatively clean public cemetery. And of course, photo buff that I am, I lugged around my old and beaten camera to take a few shots not only of the tombs but also of the people whose lives pretty much revolve in this place for the dead.
This was taken a few steps away from the entrance of Mintal’s public cemetery. Contrary to what most people think, this public cemetery wasn’t too bad. The place was clean and the trees lent a beautiful shade to mourners who stay here.
The acacia trees were planted by Japanese Guerillas back in the 1940s when Mintal was occuppied by the Japanese. Several tombs at the center of the cemetery hold the remains of the Japanese soldiers who died here. The locals, being a suspicious lot, have raided the tombs and the trees in the cemetery looking for buried treasures. The local baranggay have put a stop to the treasure hunting activities especially as it has angered the relatives of the Japanese people who flock here every August to pay their respects. As for the treasure, some still believe that it exists, though some have given up the search.
The cemetery, since it’s a public one, is filled to the brim. According to the sepulturero, there have been cases of sapawan or space grabbing and take overs. Space here is no longer free too. A new ordinance demands that people who want to be buried here have to pay a fee for the space. It’s not much, but some families still have a hard time coming up with the amount.
Even in the cemetery where the dead rests, the triangle still exists. The wealthier ones get to choose and buy the better spaces while the less fortunate ones will have to settle for paid public spaces. And for the poorest of the poor, a crude wooden cross with a wooden ‘lapida’ will have to suffice.
We filipinos put a lot of stock in death. The dead must be treated well and so the endless bouts of ceremonies. To honor the dead, some families will not hesitate to borrow money from loan sharks, all for the sake of giving the dead a proper burial, an honorable send off. It’s that important.
Methinks we spend too much money for our dead when we could use the money on other things. The Filipino culture dictates we honor the dead. But things are rapidly changing and space is becoming a problem. I wonder how we’ll cope when the time comes. Perhaps we’ll have a condo for the dead? or will we adopt the practice of cremation to save space?
What do you think?
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