CEBU — In the interior portion of the Corazon Cemetery in Bogo City, Cebu, lies what seem to be tiny houses lined in an orderly manner.
Inside are bones of the departed, each belonging to a different family. Others have unique designs as well.
Lucresia Cabansag, came early on All Saints’ Day to light a candle for her mother and sibling.
“It’s okay that we can see the bones, we are sure that these are really theirs,“ said Cabansag in Cebuano.
She added that they specifically designed it as a small house so that it will not get wet when it rains.
Julito Araneta is also already used to seeing the remains of their family members every year.
“We wish we could still see them like they were alive,“ added Araneta.
The cemetery’s caretaker, Lando Bentulan, said remains are exhumed and should be transferred from the grave to the bone chamber after five years.
However, some family members could not afford the bone chamber worth P15,000.
“It is better that it’s there than it will be combined with other remains at the big cross,“ said Bentulan.
Over a thousand remains are in the area that have been there for about sixty years.
For the Roman Catholic Church, it is important that the dead should be properly buried.
“We respect the body of the person and we also the souls of our dearly beloved that already passed on,” said Rev. Fr. Ralph Argoncillo.
He is urging that cemeteries should give an exception to indigent individuals.
EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS VISITED
Meanwhile, 14 out over 80 casualties from the 6.9 magnitude earthquake are also buried here in the Corazon Cemetery.
They were visited by constituents of Bogo City.
“I wanted to see where they are laid,” said Kitchie Araneta.
Flowers were offered to the victims, as well as lighted candles.
The mass grave included 10 residents of Sitio Hacienda Filomena, Barangay Binabag, Bogo City.
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