NAGCARLAN, Laguna—The National Historical Commission of the Philippines formally opened the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery Museum here on Friday.
NHCP acting chairman and commissioner Rene Escalante, and professor Regalado Trota Jose, chief archivist of the University of Santo Tomas, led the opening ceremony.
Also present were Ludovico Badoy, MHCP acting executive director, and Nagcarlan Mayor Nelson Osuna.
Escalante said they have already opened 15 museums around the country and this is the second to the last of the museum to be opened.
He added that NHCP will also open the last museum which is the Magsaysay Museum in Zambales next week.
Escalante said they chose Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery because it is the only one of its kind in the Philippines, as it is a burial site located beneath a church.
This church was built and designed for funeral mass in 1845 by the Franciscan priest Fr. Vicente Velloc, who also directed the construction of an underground graveyard 15 feet below the church.
The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery is considered a national historical landmark because its underground crypt was used as a secret meeting place in 1896 by Filipino revolutionaries or Katipuneros.
During the Filipino-American War, Filipino patriots also used the underground cemetery to formulate their battle plans and to seek shelter. It also became a safehouse for Filipino guerillas during World War II. There is no famous hero buried here though.
At present, the church is no longer operational as regular masses are not held here anymore. But on special occasions such as the Feast of Christ the King and during Holy Week, Mass is celebrated here.
The senakulo or staged presentation of Christ’s last days during the Lenten Season is also held here.
The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums and publications, and preserve the nation’s historical heritage.
The new museum features a brief history of the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, the characteristics of heritage materials and the conservation techniques used by the NHCP to restore the chapel and perimeter walls.
In addition to original artifacts, the museum uses infographics, touchscreen terminals, and an audio-visual presentation.
