Revisiting burial grounds

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March Fianza

As of the moment, authorities in Mindanao, particularly in the Compostela Valley in Mindanao are looking for burial sites for hundreds of victims killed by super typhoon Pablo last week. The papers bear the bad news. Even with spacious mountains and open expanses of virgin fields, relatives of the victims seek out government agencies to help them identify safe and secure burial grounds for their departed. The lack of it is due to abuse pull off by others. Forest stands were illegally felled for timbering gold mine tunnels that were, of course, operating illegally. Last year, occupants of the same mining areas in Mindanao were asked to evacuate even before typhoon Sendong struck and washed down hundreds of illegally cut logs. Hundreds were killed then as thousands were rendered homeless by a foreseen deluge that could have been easily avoided, if not because of greed for gold and defiance of orders from weathermen.

On several occasions, news reports confirmed that pocket miners would rather stick it out with the elements and die with their boots on inside their mining camps than obey a serious storm warning signal. The gods heard their wishes, so that they were unceremoniously buried where they wanted to. The mining camps have practically become burial grounds. Nature’s way is mystifying. It provides an irony of events that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Those who innocently obeyed orders to evacuate now find themselves going around in circles looking for burial sites for their loved ones, while those who were hardheaded are now peacefully buried underground.

The Ibalois in Baguio have experienced similar cases. For being law-abiding citizens, they have also gone in circles looking for burial grounds for their departed loved ones. They too could have also buried their dead where they wanted to by breaking the law. Burial grounds, both inside private or public cemeteries have become limited and expensive. In Bahong public cemetery, La Trinidad, a sign says it all. At the entrance, two simple words are written: “No vacancy!” I happened to pass by the cemetery and upon reading the sign,

I thought it was a misplaced announcement that meant “no more job opening.” Everytime I find myself in a cemetery, my memory goes back to my great-grandparents Kalomis and Inahel Lubos. I make it a point to visit the tombs of my father, lola Emily, aunt Martha, uncles Joseph and Ismael at the Baguio cemetery; and Uncle Junior or David Donaldo at the Pico cemetery in La Trinidad. My lolo David and other uncles were buried in Siay or Kabasalan, ZamboangaSibugay, Mindanao. What prompted me to talk about burial grounds is the absurdity of having lands under your name, however when you die, your surviving relatives encounter the difficulty in locating a decent burial place for you.

This is the case of Kalomis, the true landowner of a seven-hectare forested spot in Busol that has been recognized and titled under her name by virtue of an American proclamation in the early 1900s. Along with her husband Inahel Lubos who died earlier, they were buried in Busol. Their remains were later transferred to a site in Lucban that was nearer my grandparents’ old house. Years later, since Old Lucban was becoming populated with the entry of new residential houses, the burial site of the Ibalois at Lucban had to be closed. The remains of Kalomis and InahelLubos, the true owners of a seven-hectare titled lot in Busol, were eventually transferred to the Baguio public cemetery by their descendants. Now, they lie in an inconspicuous tomb that is hanging on a cliff, along with the remains of their grandchildren who are none other than my uncles Joseph and Ismael.

 I hope the lone Pine Tree on that cliff holds on to protect the soil where the tombs of my forebears are found. The first obvious difference anyone sees in Busol in comparison to the Baguio cemetery is the free or open greenery forest. On the other hand, one will find in the cemetery a cramped space overcrowded with tombs of different sizes. Secondly, one will find a Pine forest in Busol while in the Baguio cemetery, the Pine trees are missing one by one, courtesy of sepulcher makers who were obviously being tolerated by the authorities to “live” among the tombs, which brings us to a third similarity – the presence of squatters.

Kalomis and Inahel, since they were obviously one of the few souls that owned tracts of lands in the Lucban Valley, including part of Busol, it would not have been hard for their descendants to have them buried in beautiful green lawns. It seems, time and Baguio’s unstoppable commercialization has overtaken the slow and laid back mind of the Ibalois in Baguio. By the way, Kalomis is the sister of Molintas (one name) of Pacdal; Rafael (one name), the father of Mrs. Miranda Palispis; sister of Gumangan and Sinagued of Aurora Hill area. Kalomis has another property that was given to her daughter Emily. 

Except for those who have evil schemes and until the late 80s, nobody in the New Lucban neighborhood before and after the 2nd World War thought of permanently trespassing or illegally building a permanent structure inside the open and unprotected land of Emily LubosFianza. That has changed. The land was has been exposed and accessible to anyone because even while it was fenced on some sides, the frontage facing the road and our old house was open to any trespasser. My sisters Myrthena (May) and Judy Emily; my younger brother Paul and I were raised in the sleepy neighborhood of New Lucban. May, the eldest was born in 1953 while I was born in 1957. In the early 50s, my parents’ young family came to live in my grandparents’ old house at New Lucban located just a few meters below my Lola Emily’s hill. As a young boy in the early 60s, I clearly recall the time when other small boys from the Villalon and Baterina family, and I played around my Lola and mom while they tended to Pineapples they planted that were about ready for harvest. I can also patently remember that my Lola Emily in rubber garden boots comes in the afternoon and looks after her garden patches that were separated by earthen walls (baoc in Ibaloi), then leaves for her house at Old Lucban (Trancoville) before the sun sets.

My sister May recalls “we used to play on the hill with the Ferrer children (our neighbour) hiding behind the earthen walls for hide and seek, and catching dragonflies and "andodon" (grass hopper) because there were a lot of them on the hill; we would gather different leaves of the weeds and grasses, and their wild flowers and play "lako - lako". Later on, my primary school years i had new playmates on the hill, the Erece girls, Catherine and Lourdes whose family (not the Erece family who lived in our neighborhood, but the two families are related) lived as renters in one of the houses just below the upper part of the hill where Ms. Marfil, our elementary school teacher also lived – “murdongtikalsadani Pedro Carantes” (edge of the road of Pedro Carantes), since they lived there and were schooling in Magsagsay. Catherine, Lourdes and their brother Bubut would take the short cut, passing through the hill going to school. Ti malagipkoidi, about before i entered grade 1, (1960) nagmula da lolaidiay upper part tibantayti pineapple saplings, kadwanani uncle junior, isutimalagipko la unayngakadwana, and some others (I can remember that before I entered Grade 1, Lola planted Pineapple saplings together with Uncle Junior. I can clearly recall that he was the one with her, and some others).

There are patches of camote, however, sparse and also of the ivy plant. On the upper part separated by an earthen wall (baoc) that divided the area crosswise, grew turf finer grass, whereas on the lower area towards the road were white flowering cogon grass, cattle or buffalo grass, and other wild growing weeds, and sunflowers. The boundary between the road below and the hill was marked by a higher earthen wall that had an opening at the middle part as an entrance to the bantay (hill). I recall also that grass-cutters asked permission from us everytime they cut grass for their animals at the Slaughter House because wild cattle grass grew on the lower side of the hill.

This hill at New Lucban could have been preserved as a burial ground wide enough for Kalomis and Inahel, or for other uses, but it has been invaded by squatters. All these will remain only as memories, unless something is done to straighten it. –marchfianza777@yahoo.com.