Balayan's shining landmark on a hill

The steps leading to the 19th-century hilltop cemetery of Balayn, Batangas.

Balayan, Batangas is home to some of the finest ancestral houses in the country as well as a church that is now a declared national treasure. But unknown to many, it also has one of the most impressive heritage cemeteries in the Southern Tagalog region.

That's because the cemetery is built on a hill and is enclosed by walls--and mind you, not just walls, but massive walls that have been described as either "fortress-like" or "fortifications". Cladding the entire frontage of the hill, these walls are topped by grillework-type perimeter fences.

Pictures in this set can help you see the length and breadth of these walls when compared to nearby objects.

The cemetery was reportedly started in 1857, although another source sets the commencement much earlier, in 1849. Three decades later, a chapel and rows of niches were added. In 1896, the walls were further reinforced to arrest erosion.

Carved out of the hillside is an opening flanked by two pairs of unadorned piers. To those accustomed to grand portals, the entrance is a disappointment. Fortunately, the initial thrill returns when one sees the mortuary chapel, an interesting marriage of divergent architectural styles.

Unlike other ancient burial grounds, the Catholic cemetery of Balayan is still in continuous use. Niches that were built over a century ago still bear signs of recent "occupancy". Interspersed among very old lapidas are modern tombs.

In other countries, local cemeteries are considered tourist attractions on account of their historical, architectural and cultural significance; consider Pere Lachaise in Paris and La Recoleta in Buenos Aires. Although Balayan cemetery is not as magnificent as those abroad, it can still be restored and conserved in such a way that its outstanding features would make it, indeed, shine like a light on a hill--literally.