Melo Villareal
The San Joaquin Cemetery in Iloilo
During the 1st run of the Philippine Tourism Influencer’s Program in the Panay Island for 2022, we visited the Campo Santo in San Joaquin Iloilo, one of the most well-preserved structures in town. It’s around 50 to 60 km from Iloilo City, and the oldest local cemetery of Panay Island lies top of the hill, offering an overlooking view of Panay gulf and Iloilo strait.
San Joaquin Cemetery photo by Joshua Chua
History of San Joaquin Campo Santo
Dating back to 1892 during the Spanish era, the cemetery where the Campo Santo lies was founded by Mariano Vamba, an Augustinian priest and now owned by the Archdiocese of Jaro. The cemetery is considered the oldest one in Panay Island and was recognized in 2015 by the National Museum of the Philippines as a National Cultural Treasure (list). And with the appeal of the public and local officials, the road widening project that was supposed to take a part of the cemetery’s land was halted in May 2015.
However, an ancient legend led to the mortuary’s chapel was excavated 60-feet by treasure hunters, which affected its structural integrity. The excavation was said to be permitted by the town’s parish priest in December 2015, and later on, the Archdiocese of Jaro took over. Under the management of the Archdiocese of Jaro, the mortuary’s chapel was restored in November 2016, filling up the excavated portion with rocks, cement, and soil.
But what makes the Campo Santo more historical is the legend that Panay’s first inhabitants, the Aeta’s, had traded presents with Bornean Datus immigrants exactly on the cemetery’s land. According to the folklore, it was buried beneath the mortuary’s chapel, leading to the excavation by treasure hunters.
Architecture
The Campo Santo, which means the “holy field”, is the Baroque mortuary chapel, featuring a hexagonal floor layout, a dome made from galvanized roofing, and walls consisting of a mixture of corals and fossils collected from the coast and red clay bricks. Its 20 steps outdoor staircase was also from the coast containing white coral stones, made by the local ladies of San Joaquin based on folklore during the Spanish colonization.
While the chapel’s interior features decorative flowers and leaves carvings adorning the doorway, rose windows, and La Pieta’s replica. Another symbolic feature of Campo Santo is Jesus Christ sculpture with arms wide open and two angels guarding the cemetery. It also has marked skulls indicating peaceful passing.
How to Get to San Joaquin, Iloilo
No matter where you’re coming from, the easiest way to reach Campo Santo de San Joaquin is to get to Iloilo by plane, which will then take around 2 hours of land travel to reach the site. If you’re coming to Metro Manila, ride a plane to Iloilo City International Airport.
You can also travel by land and sea from Luzon by riding a bus from Laguna to Batangas. Once you’re in Batangas Pier, ride a RORO going to Mindoro, and cross from Oriental to Caticlan, Aklan. When you arrive at Caticlan Jetty Port, travel by land again for around 5 hours to reach Campo Santo.
Nonetheless, if you’re in the Visayas, you can go to Cebu, and from there you can go to Iloilo City by air or sea. For travelers in Negros Occidental, you can ride a RORO from Bacolod Port to reach Iloilo city. While if you’re from Mindanao, you can ride a plane to Iloilo city at General Santos City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Davao City. When you reach Iloilo city, ride a jeepney to San Joaquin and tell the driver that you’re heading to San Joaquin Cemetery.
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