Historical Cemeterys In Iloilo

Iloilo is a popular destination for the tourists because of its abundance of historical churches and cemeteries that were constructed during the colonization of the Spaniards. Although some churches fell into ruin because of the great Panay Earthquake in 1948, some still survived and continued to relay the stories from the time we were under the Spanish rule. A lot of notable historical landmarks in Iloilo are the cemeteries. We should give our total respect for our loved ones who had passed on and the best place to do so is in a cemetery. The cemeteries can be the sources of historical information that are really important in deciphering the history of a particular place. Sementeryo comes from the Spanish word cementerio which is synonymous

This continued until 19th century. Almost an hour ride with a jeepney from Ungka Terminal (Christ the King), you will arrive to the Municipality of Janiuay - a munipality where countless historical stories had been made, a municipality where numerous historical landmarks are standing. Janiuay which is pronounced as “ha-nee-wai” has a rich cultural history where you can see fascinating places such as the Romanesque Janiuay Church that can be dated from the Spanish years, the Japanese Watch Towers found at Suagui Bridge that was used during World War II and the Janiuay Cemetery which is the topic of this narrative. During a camping last 2012 in Lambunao when I was still in high school, I remembered to pass through the road of Janiuay where you can clearly see the majestic cemetery. My classmates were in awe and asked me what that place is since they know that I have lived in Janiuay in the past and is still coming back to visit my grandmother. When I told them that it was a cemetery, they were in shock. They thought it was a park or something similar to that but never a cemetery. I can understand them; such elaborate designs should be fitting for a park, right? And that’s why I take pride in the beautiful Janiuay

It was a splendid affair with the appearance of the guest-of-honor Msgr. Pedro Payo who was the Archbishop of Manila at that time. The Gothic Cemetery was created with big blocks of limestone that were transported from the town of Dingle to Janiuay which is about 27 kilometres away. The construction was finally done on November 5, 1884 and inaugurated on November 20, 1885. True to its description as the” most artistic cemetery in the country”, the cemetery majestically sits on the top of hill, making it the highlight of barangay Damu-ong. With the three enormous staircases that lead to its corresponding gates that are made from intricately woven metal, it is the most eye-catching structure along the road towards the town plaza. The walls that is of brick and wrought iron surrounds the one-hectare land though missing some crosses and grand stone santos that have previously adorned it. The impressive three staircases that leads to the entrance of the cemetery has 21 steps to the rightmost entrance; 23 steps to the main entrance; and 22 to the leftmost entrance. The cemetery is protected by steel fences that are supported with stone