54. REMEMBERING THE SOULS OF THE BELOVED DEATH

In Magalang, there are different customs and traditions pertaining to their love ones, who are departed. In this post, it will show some photographs and print ups that reminisce and remember the death of our love ones; and even the lost traditions in regards to the departed. 

Obituario

When the departed is rich, an obituario will publish in either local or national newspapers. A very good example of an obituario is the announcement of the death of Doña Concepcion M. Luciano, first wife of historian, Don Mariano A. Henson of Angeles, Pampanga. It was published in the Spanish daily, La Vanguardia dated April 10, 1935. When the dead is poor, their relatives and friends will eventually informed and they immediately go to the wake, to pay last respects for the dead. 

Recuerdo de Patay of dead old woman from Magalang

After the announcement of the departed, if the dead is poor, his/her remains will be put on their death bed or in a mat, and it will stay their for a day until his/her burial. If the dead is rich, the family will contracted the best funeral service, and the wake will last two or three days. A lost tradition, the corpse will be pictured and they will serve as their souvenirs for their relatives and friends. These pictures called recuerdo de patay will also used during the death anniversaries of the dead. They will put the dead pictures in front of the altar and they will lit two candles in each side; and the relatives will offer prayers for the soul of the dead. During the wake, relatives of the departed are often pray pasiyam or nine days of praying for the departed soul. Young boys and girls during the wake, will play bulaklakan and talubangan, which they will ask questions using riddles and their answers have double meanings. 

Funeral of Dr. Andres J. Luciano, 1959

When the remains of the departed is set to be buried, if the dead is poor, his/her remains will put to the  wooden coffin, which his/her relatives prepared it overnight. While the rich, are prefer to pay the services of funeral parlors to make the funeral more solemn and lavish.

Necrological Service at San Bartolome Church

The remains of the departed will eventually bring to the church for a requiem mass and blessing of the corpse. A plegaria will be took place, which they announce the departed. Unfortunately, this precious tradition of the Magaleños eventually stopped; and the last plegaria took place way back 2002! The plegaria is a sign expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of the loved ones through the tolls of church bells. If the departed is man, a low but powerful toll of the largest or stationary bell you will heard; while a thin and high pitched toll is for the female. The plegaria will eventually stop, as soon as the funeral procession is out of sight. The plegaria, by rule are only reserved for the adults. If the deceased is a child, the small bell is struck three times followed by one stroke of the big bell. This is repeated three times then followed by the alternate ringing of the small and big bell. The peal is remarkably joyous, signifying the innocence of the departed and his/her sure entry into heaven.

Tombstone of Agustin family

After the mass and blessing of the corpse, the funeral procession will continue all the way to the cemetery. A solemn and lavish procession will be happen, if the dead is rich. If the dead is poor, the priest will be called, and the blessing of the corpse will took place on his house, before the burial. And their remains will brought either to cementerio catolico or in the cementerio municipal for the burial of the dead. Sometimes, the dead, especially if he/she is a rich, will also buried inside the church; thus during earlier times, the thick walls and even the base of the retablo of San Bartolome Church also filled with lapidas, written in Spanish. During the major renovation of the church in 1960s, the remains of the dead were eventually transferred to the columbarium, in the backyard of the belfry. 

Invitation for the Death Anniversary of Doña Raymunda S. Lacson

And finally, when the death anniversary of the departed came; the rich will offer mass and they will prepare a banquet for their family members and friends. The poor likewise i said, they will put the dead pictures or recuerdos de patay in front of the altar and they will lit two candles in each side; and the relatives will offer prayers for the soul of the dead. A week before the daun, mangaladua or gosu will put place; when old folks are going to every household to ask alms for the dead; and all of the proceeds will be brought to the church, as offering for the mass to the dead. During daun or All Saints' Day, the relatives of the departed will be go to the cemetery, they will clear and repaint the tombstones and mausoleums, and they will lit candles, offer flowers and prayers for the souls of their beloved death. 

Photo Credits:

The funeral photo of the dead woman, Dr. Andres J. Luciano, and the invitation of the couple Andres P. Feliciano and Maria L. Paras, courtesy of Mrs. Josefina M. Castro.

The funeral of the unidentified person in front of San Bartolome Church, courtesy of Dr. Ignacio P. Morales. 

Obituario of Doña Concepcion Luciano de Henson, La Vanguardia, April 10, 1935.

Source:

Tantingco, Robby P., Caragatan: Love in Time of Death; https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156393794963204&set=a.10152148866553204&type=3&theater, Retrieved: October 18, 2019.

Lingad-Mayrina, Kaye and Lingat, Arwin Paul A.;Tigtig Campana: For Whom the Bells Tolled, Flores para Los Frailes: The Augustinians in Pampanga, Singsing, Juan D. Nepomuceno Center of Kapampangan Studies, Holy Angel University, Sto. Rosario St., Angeles City. 

7.MAGALANG: UNDER THE SWEET TONE OF BELLS

Año de 1886 bell

Siendo Cura Parroco de Magalang bell
c. 1887

Virgen de la Correa bell c. 1889

San Bartolome bell c. 1890

The church bells has so many contributions not only in terms in religion, but also in the different lives touched by its bell tones to the Magaleños. In my childhood days, we tend to go up in the belfry to see those large four bells; in addition of beautiful scenery of Magalang atop in the belfry. In San Bartolome Church's belfry, there are four large rotary bells hanged so many years ago. These bells are rang during before and after masses, baptisms and even for the final blessings of the dead. It also featured movie shots on these bells or its tones especially in the film Ina, Kapatid Anak; and the TV Series Pangako Sa Iyo (2000) where the love teams; Jodi Sta Maria and Patrick Garcia's love scenes were shot at the belfry. 

The church bells were made by the famous bell caster, Hilario Sunico; a Chinese mestizo and a gobernadorcillo of Binondo, Manila. His bell foundry was located in #20 Calle Jaboneros, San Nicolas, Manila. He cast four large rotary bells and its inscriptions and their pictures are indicated below:

Smallest (top right): Año de 1886- 12 (arrobas) and 6 libras (pounds)
Medium Size (top left and cracked): Siendo Cura Parocco de Magalang año de 1887- 22 and 17 lbs.
Bigger Size (below left): Dedicada de la Virgen de la Correa. La Mando Fundir El M.R.P. Fr. Fernando Vasquez En. Marzo de 1889- 38 at 2 lbs
Biggest Front (below right): Dedicado A.S. Bartolome Apostol Ymandada Fundir Por M.R.P. Fr. Fernando Vasquez Con Limosanas Recosidas En El Pueblo de Magalan en 1890-61 at 3 lbs.

All of these four bells; the star of all is the biggest San Bartolome Bell. This bell is the largest bell hanged in the front of the belfry; and it completes the grand facade of the church. This bell is subject to different gossips and urban legends pertaining to its majestic mellow tone. This bell according to the old folks, when it ranged, it will produced a crystal clear tone that will hear all over Magalang and to its farther barrios because it that time, houses were made up of light materials and few vehicles were seen in Magalang; making its loud tone heard all over the town. A gossip circulated in that time; this bell was alleged taken down by the military, an order from a former president to use in a grand wedding of his daughter. Despite to all gossips and talks of the town about this bell, this bell is still hanging on the belfry, but it was rarely used due to its bad condition; especially when its clapper was broken and was replaced by a steel clapper which is made the tone of the bell very dim. Historian, Mariano A. Henson praised this bell due to its fascinating tone with the combination with the smallest bell and the Virgen de la Correa bell during plegaria and the three bells are in extraordinarily alluring harmony. 

These bells reshaped also the history of the town; especially during war times. During Philippine-American war, it was used to give warnings to the townspeople. When the Americans invaded and captured Magalang, Americans prohibited to use these bells but they allowed for religious purposes only. During Japanese period, a Japanese soldier shot the Siendo bell to stop the guerrillas to rang the bell to give warning and signal to their comrades. But after the liberation of Magalang in 1945, the joyful folks rang the bells to give a joyful message that Magalang was liberated by the Americans. 

Today, all of this bells are silenced due to its bad conditions. The Siendo bell was already cracked and unusable and the clapper of San Bartolome bell was broken, but it was replaced by a steel clapper which makes the tone of this great bell dim. Only the Virgen de la Correa bell is rang in very rare occasions. Recently, San Bartolome Parish launched a restoration project of the bells. The parish priest, Rev. Fr. Mario Sol M. Gabriel tapped the services of the Royal Bells Philippines to do the task to restore the glory of the bells. According to the bell expert of Royal Bells, Bro. Eddie Otacan; the tones of the bells especially the San Bartolome bell, "is the treasure of the midst". He added that these bells are having "one of the best bell tones in the Philippines". Recently, the project was in fund raising stage and we will hope that this project will become successful. 

These bells are the symbols of our deep faith to God. But it is also the one of the greatest treasures that will complete the Magaleños for their religious and heritage connections.