No rest from flooding for Calumpit's dead

Will you bury a departed loved one in a swamp?  I thought not. I don't think anyone will. Don’t we go to a funeral to “pay our last respects”, and don’t we light candles on tombs on November 1 of each year to honor their memory?

Unfortunately, such acts of devotion have been made almost impossible for the families of over 2,000 departed who are buried in San Jose Public Cemetery in Calumpit, Bulacan, as I witnessed during our remote Unang Hirit special coverage.

As recently as five years ago, people flocked to the cemetery on days like today, October 31. The stretch of road leading to the graveyards would be lined with vendors, and the cemetery, all one hectare of it, would see families gather and reunite at the tombs of their loved ones. 

But as the years passed, nearby Pampanga River seemed to have been spilling more water on the area. High tides would flood the roads, and what used to be a ricefield has turned into a lake, and the cemetery, a swamp.
 

This is an extremely sad state for many whose loved ones have been laid there as their final resting place. This year, many have resorted to just putting up photos of their departed and lighting candles outside the small part of the cemetery where dry ground remains.

Susan Landicho lamented this. “Marami na rin po dito ang hindi na nagpupunta. Pakonti na nang pakonti. Yun ang malungkot—yung sementeryo dati dinadalaw talaga,” she said.

Carmelita Alvarez donned her knee-high boots today and braved the flood leading to her relatives’ tombs. It’s the least she could do, she said, to pay her respects even just on that one day every year dedicated to honoring the dead. Unfortunately, she could not even clean the shrubs that had grown around the tombs, much less apply a fresh coat of paint on them. 

“Dati kami nakakapaglinis, nakakapag-ayos ng puntod at pintura. Ngayon halos di na namin mapuntahan,” she said.

There are mixed feelings for many. The close ties that characterize Filipino families extend to the grave—many regard it their solemn duty to honor the dead. But even the mere trip going to the cemetery entails inconvenience, if not risk to health.
 

And then there is the pain of desecration: the thought that their dead, buried under ground, are now deep in murky water, disturbed while supposedly in their final resting place.

“Napakahirap ng sitwasyon ng mga mahal namin sa buhay. Di namin alam kung safe ang tubig o hindi kaya sa aming mga kabaryo sa barangay nahihirapan kaming tanggapin na ganito ang sitwasyon sa amin,” Aling Carmelita added.

Those whose loved ones lie submerged in San Jose Public Cemetery pray for forgiveness and understanding for their failure to visit the dead. But they also pray for justice against those who allowed this to happen, or failed to do something about it.

Watch the videos here: