CEBU CITY, Philippines — Inside one of the biggest public cemeteries in Cebu City is a common grave where thousands, if not millions, of unclaimed bones are laid to rest.
Carreta Cemetery, like most other public cemeteries, has a common grave marked with a big cross, where the bones of the deceased, whose families have not returned to claim them, are placed.
The common grave can be reached with a short walk straight from the main entrance to the other side of the lot.
For many years, residents in Cebu City have been lighting candles at the main common grave inside the Carreta Cemetery, one of the biggest cemeteries in the city. CDN Digital Photo | Emmariel Ares
Underneath the area where candles are lit for prayer, thousands of remains have been buried throughout the years.
These remains are usually placed inside sacks instead of coffins and the only way to identify them is through the name of the deceased written on each bag.
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Although it is different from the traditional burial plots, common graves are not unusual in the Philippines.
At a specific area inside the Carreta Cemetery, visitors often offer a prayer for their deceased loved ones, whose graves have been dug up due to unpaid dues.
Some individuals, on the other hand, offer prayers for all souls to rest peacefully in the afterlife.
Among them is 55-year-old Evelyn Zuñega.
Zuñega, who lives along N. Escario Street near the cemetery, is one of the residents who decided to make an early visit at the cemetery a few days ahead of the celebration of All Souls’ Day.
Her first destination was the common grave, where she lit some candles for a few of her relatives who passed away.
Zuñega said that while her parents both had their own burial plots, they were unable to find where some of their uncles have been buried.
She shared her suspicions that they may have been dug out when the contract for the gravesite expired after some time.
So their family now visits the common grave to offer their prayers for them every November.
To some, having relatives buried in common graves instead of separate plots with their own gravestones is saddening. Many individuals believe that this could upset their relatives who have ascended to the afterlife.
With spades, bolos, and paint in hand, residents go to the Carreta cemetery to clean and paint the burial plots of their deceased loved ones as the day of the dead approaches. CDN Digital photo | Emmariel Ares
Sad but …
Most Filipinos, being devoted Catholics, place importance on securing a good resting place for their deceased loved ones, believing that it will help them rest peacefully after death.
“Luoy baya. Luoy paminawon. Murag luoy ba maghuna-huna ta kaluoy pa pud nga ing ana na lang murag napasagdan. Dili pud lalim. Mura pud silag mahiubos maghuna-huna nga wa na sila tagda sa ilahang mga kaliwatan,” said another visitor Lolita Villarente, 70.
(It is really a pity. It’s sad to hear about that. It is really sad to think that it seems like they sort of had been forgotten. It is not easy. It seemed that they were disappointed thinking that they were ignored by their kin,)
The sad reality, however, is that there are many individuals like Zuñega, who has grown accustomed to this system in most public cemeteries and are left with no choice but to comply.
“Okay na lang kay wa man tay mahimo ana,” said Zuñega.
(We can just say that it’s okay because there is nothing we can do about it.)
Receiving complaints about the loss of graves inside the Carreta Cemetery is a frequent occurrence, according to its caretaker Rey Mendoza.
He said that there had been countless individuals who stormed their office distraught over finding someone else’s name in a burial plot where their loved ones were initially buried.
Depository
While the workers sympathize, the only way they can help is to point these individuals to the depository where their relatives’ bones were likely kept or the common grave.
Mendoza highlighted the need for the public to be mindful of when the rent payment is due in order to avoid the hassle of having to look for the cadavers of their loved ones.
According to Mendoza, they have not been able to count exactly how many unclaimed bones have been buried at the common grave over the years.
Aside from this, there are also countless sacks containing unclaimed bones that are stored inside their large bone depository.
Mendoza explained that when the contract to rent a burial space expires after around five years, the remains are removed to make space for new occupants.
He said that several next of kin of the deceased individuals usually fail to pay on time.
Forgotten payment of rent
Mendoza shared that these individuals have usually forgotten about the rent payment, moved far away, or were unreachable as they have failed to provide contact information.
In some cases, there are also people who are left with no choice as they could not afford to pay P15,000 to rent a space at the bone chamber for 15 more years.
Because of this, several sacks of bones pile up at the depository and often remain there for quite some time.
If no one comes to claim them after more time passes, they are laid to rest along with the others at the cemetery’s common grave.
This is the unfortunate reality that many individuals with deceased loved ones are left to deal with.
Thousands of unclaimed remains are kept inside an extension of the common grave inside the Carreta Cemetery. | CDN Digital Photo/Emmariel Ares
Back in 2021, an extension of the common grave was built inside the cemetery after one of their depositories was destroyed by the wrath of Typhoon Odette.
Mendoza said that the typhoon caused many of the unclaimed bodies to be left in disarray along the corners of the cemetery, some impossible to be identified as their names were wiped off the sacks.
Moreover, the rise of the number of deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic also worsened the situation of the unclaimed bones as more space were needed for the new occupants.
Remedy
As a remedy to these problems, the cemetery built a smaller extension of the main common grave, where some employees will have to put the candles themselves as the area has been cordoned off to maintain order.
The extension, however, offers a peek at the thousands of bones all squished inside the graveyard.
Just above the area where visitors place their candles, an opening lets them see into what’s inside the common grave that holds the remains of thousands of people.
Bones of men and women of all ages, some of which were dug up decades ago, were collectively confined inside the space.
Every November, thousands of residents offer prayers wishing for a peaceful rest in the afterlife for their loved ones, as well as the remains who were left unclaimed in the cemetery for a long time.
While the problem of unclaimed bones and overcrowding in public cemeteries remain to be an issue to this day, the public’s desire to honor their lost loved ones is unwavering.
A few individuals visited the common grave and light candles days before the celebration of All Souls’ Day 2024. CDN Digital Photo | Emmariel Ares
Zuñega said that visiting the graves of deceased friends and relatives, regardless of where it is located, is important as it is the living’s way to show the love and appreciation for those who have already passed.
Villarente added that she made it a point to visit her deceased family members to remind herself of their memories that she would always cherish.
