Nag Car Lang to Nagcarlan

I know, it's a cheesy title! But hey, the beauty of it is... instant recall! On our roadtrip with Mabuhay Guide Yael Fernandez and her family, we motored down to this small sleepy town which is 103 km south of Manila.

Nagcarlan during its pre-colonial years was ruled by Gat Lakilaw. Fr Juan de Placencia and  Fr. Diego de Oropesa are credited for the town's conversion into Catholicism. The town, however, takes its name after a pious woman by the name of Ana Kalang whose charity was epic. She was said to have given alms to the needy out of her own personal wealth. To commemorate her passing, the town was supposed to have honored her memory by building giant effigies known as Kalang-Kalang. Eventually, the  town became known as Nagcarlan.

The town of Nagcarlan is often overlooked since it lies in close proximity to more popular towns of San Pablo and Liliw, Laguna. It's not lacking in attractions, though. Nagcarlan is blessed with waterfalls, a lake, a cool climate, nature resorts and  the magnificent St. Bartholomew church.  But its main draw is the underground cemetery.  Fr. Vicente Belloc, a Franciscan priest who served as parish priest for twenty years started the construction of the underground cemetery. Originally a final resting place for the Spanish friars, the underground cemetery served as a secret meeting place for the Filipino revolutionaries who conspired to overthrow the Spanish colonizers; among them Pedro Paterno and Gen. Severino Taino who planned the Pact of Biac na Bato within those premises.

It is said the when Gen. Emilio Jacinto was wounded in a battle in Majayjay, Laguna, he hid in the underground chambers of the cemetery and was captured there in 1898. The underground cemetery is a dimly lit chamber that is currently succumbing to the destruction borne by draft and time. Most of the frescoes have sadly been fading over the centuries.

If you're on a road trip to nearby Liliw, veer towards the Nagcarlan highway and visit the chapel. Don't forget to sign the guestbook before you descend into the depths of the chamber. Don't worry, it's not as ghoulish as you think. It actually is very welcoming...