Campo Santo
Barrio Santa Fe
San Angel
28 May 2019
10:01 am
A vintage teal blue Vespa makes its way along the narrow cobbled path running through the center of the oldest necropolis in San Angel. As Migz drives past the tombs and grave markers with familiar family names carved upon them, he catches sight of Kuya Buding at the end of the path where the old mortuary chapel of the Campo Santo, built within a small square exactly at the center of the necropolis.
A peculiar feature of the Campo Santo's mortuary chapel is its domed roof topped with a small mound of carved skulls holding up a replica of the Poong Santa Cruz. The eight sided ivy laden adobe walls lined with arched niches sealed with marble grave markers, reflect the sunlight during the early morning hours.
By way of old cemeteries, San Angel's Campo Santo is one of the best preserved in the province. Even its layout of four quadrants around the mortuary chapel has remained intact. All those descended from the principalia and the old families of San Angel are interred in their respective monumental mausoleums located within the two quadrants behind the mortuary chapel.
Migz parks his Vespa by the left of the chapel door before alighting it.
Kuya Buding: Sir Miguel, napa-dalaw po kayo?
The graveyard's caretaker, Kuya Buding is a short middle-aged man with thinning gray hair. His face has a happy disposition for someone who works among the dead.
Migz: May titingnan lang, Kuya Buding.
He tells the caretaker as he approaches.
Migz: Ilan nga ba uli ang mausoleo namin?
He asks him.
Kuya Buding: Ang sa Familia Arrastia po? Ay tatlo na po.
The caretaker confirms.
Migz: Tatlo?
Kuya Buding: Ang sa nuno po ng mga de Arrastia yung gawa sa adobe nasa may likod —katabi ng sa mga de las Estrellas.
He points to the two mausoleums by the right of the mortuary chapel.
Kuya Buding: Hetong dalawa na magka-tabi ang ina-alagaan namin ng anak ko, yaong una ang sa nuno niyo, ang tatay ng nasirang ama ni Don Vicente; at yaon namang nasa kanan ang sa nuno ng Doña Mirza.
Migz is familiar with the two closest structures having visited them a few times. Although he never really did care for the names carved on the marble slabs. It was a usually a quick in and out for him and Don Vicente.
Migz: May kailangan lang akong malaman na kapanganakan at kamatayan ng kalolo-lolohan namin.
He says as he walks towards the Art Deco style mausoleum flanked by two pillars at the entrance with ARRASTIA embossed around the columns' capitals.
Kuya Buding: Kunin ko lang po ang susi.
_ _ _
Arrastia Family Mausoleum
Campo Santo
Barrio Santa Fe
San Angel
28 May 2019
10:18 am
Minutes later, Migz finds himself inside their family mausoleum. The familiar sight of the weeping angel statue on its knees atop a pedestal in the middle of the sizable burial hall welcomes him. He walks to the niches on the left side where Don Vicente usually lit candles for his parents.
Migz: Raymundo Llamas Arrastia —ito ang papâ ng Lolo Cente— si Viola Benitez-Arrastia naman ang asawa niya.
He says as he reads aloud the names carved onto the white and grey marble.
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