Insights on Dark Tourism in Metro Manila and South Luzon

Have you experience to visit cemeteries as an itinerary in a tour? Can you imagine that cemeteries will be considered as tourist spots? Can you find some pitch for travel writing in graveyards and burial sites?

A classic photo of my 2012-2013 tour in Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery
which captivates interesting ideas on dark tourism.

A portion of Paco Park, also known as Paco Cemetery. 

Nowadays, one interesting trend about travel writing is the "dark tourism." First, when you are typing the Google search engine on meaning of dark tourism, it refers to "tourism directed to places that are identified with death and suffering." When I read the post in the travel blog of the Pinay Solo Backpacker, Dr. Philip Stone of  the University of  Lancaster in 2005 defined dark tourism is the act of travel and visitation to sites, attractions and exhibitions which have real or recreated death, suffering or the seemingly macabre as a main theme.

At first, it sounds unusual or creepy to try the concept of "dark tourism." However, if you are thinking of some places such as the Sunken Cemetery in Camiguin, Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery in Laguna or the Hanging Coffins in Sagada, they are burial sites which are tourist attractions in their respective towns. In this post, we will be featuring sites previously featured in this blog where these places are interesting to travel within and near Metro Manila.

The facade of Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery with its bricked pavements.

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery
Nagcarlan, Laguna

Nestled in the foothills of Mount Banahaw, Nagcarlan is a rustic town located in the heart of the province of Laguna. The town is noted for its sweet delicacies, an old Spanish Baroque church and an underground cemetery.

The bricked arch of Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

It was built in 1851 and became a secret headquarters of the Katipuneros during the Revolution in 1896. The site is noted for its bricked arch and facade of the chapel will captivate your attention. There are almost one hundred forty niches in the octagonal grounds and thirty-six niches in the underground crypt. The cemetery was a burial place of Franciscan friars, former barangay leaders during the Spanish era and prominent Catholic families in Nagcarlan. When you enter the Underground Crypt, avoid taking photos with flash in your camera.

The ruined barracks in the Corregidor Island. 

Corregidor Island
Cavite City

A small island in the entrance of Manila Bay, Corregidor Island is just three miles away from the peninsular province of Bataan, but the tadpole-shaped island is part of Cavite City which is located ten miles away. The island is noted for its ruined barracks and old cannons and mortars used during the World War II, Corregidor is also a place where you need to remember the valor of Filipino and American soldiers during the Pacific War and to recall the history of our country during that period where the Filipinos defended our country against the Japanese invaders.

The Pacific War Memorial 

A marker in the Japanese Garden of Peace.

There are memorial sites in the island such as the Pacific War Memorial which featured a rotunda with a circular altar dedicated to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for their country, the Filipino Heroes Memorial which featured tableaux of different heroes and historical events in the country and the Japanese Garden of Peace for the heroic act showed by the Japanese soldiers for showing patriotism. Therefore, the island is a place where you need to commemorate the colorful history of our country as a fortress of heroic acts and patriotism.

The Saint Pancratius Chapel in Paco Park, Manila.

Paco Park and Cemetery
Paco, Manila

It was once Manila's municipal cemetery built by the Dominicans during the Spanish colonial period. It is located in General Luna Street at the end of Padre Faura Street in Paco, Manila. The construction of cemetery was issued in 1807 and it was inaugurated on 1822. The cemetery was also the place of interment of Dr. Jose Rizal after his execution in Bagumbayan in 1896. Interment at the park was ceased in 1912 and those who buried in the park were exhumed and transferred to other cemeteries in Manila. Today, it is a park which is a venue for weddings and events.

The historical marker for the the three friars, GOMBURZA, as their burial site.

Inside the Paco Cemetery is a chapel dedicated to St. Pancratius, a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity. Some of the notable interments in this former cemetery are Dr. Jose Rizal and the GOMBURZA (Father Mariano Gomez, Father Jose Burgos and Father Jacinto Zamora), the three friars who were executed because they were linked in the Cavite Mutiny.

The Chapel of Saint Pancratius in Campo Santo de La Loma.

La Loma Cemetery (Campo Santo de La Loma)
Caloocan City

Located in the southern part of Caloocan City which is adjacent to the borders of Manila, La Loma Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Manila. It was opened in 1884 and was originally known as Cementerio de Binondo (Binondo Cemetery). Campo Santo de La Loma is one of the few sites that escaped ruin during the Battle of Manila in 1945 where most of the city’s collection of architecture was destroyed.

The facade of Saint Pancratius Chapel.

Some of the notable burials in this cemetery are Filipino historical figures such as Pablo Ocampo, Cayetano Arellano, Josefa Llanes Escoda, and Tomas Mapua, to name a few. The cemetery is noted for the Chapel of Saint Pancratius which was also built in 1884 and there is a mass during All Saints Day in this church.

To end up this post, I would like to emphasize that I want to diverge from exploitation of dark tourism and promote responsibility in visiting those places in order to explore the history and culture of a town or city. There are ethical issues concerning this aspect of tourism, but if the purpose is to educate the readers and share the better understanding of our history and culture, you are on a good track. These reasons draw me to visit such morbid places. Just keep exploring on the bright side of dark tourism.