02/11/2026
𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗔𝗡
As we observe All Souls’ Day, popularly known as 𝘋í𝘢 𝘥𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘴 or 𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘨𝘢 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘺, we share some fascinating old photographs of funeral processions in the old town of Catbalogan. These images reveal how elaborate, solemn, and, at times, lavish funeral traditions were in the past.
Well-to-do families and members of the upper class would typically have their deceased carried in a 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘻𝘢, adorned with flowers and Christian symbols of death, often crowned with a large cross. It is said that in the early 1900s, these carrozas were drawn by horses until automobiles were introduced in the 1920s and 1930s. By the 1950s, bicycle wheels had become part of funeral carriages, which were pulled by one or more people.
From the mid-1850s until the mid-1950s, Catbalogan’s cemetery was located in the area now occupied by Ubanon Church. According to historical accounts, Fray Martín de Yepes, OFM, transferred the cemetery from its original site in the 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘭 𝘗𝘶𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘰 of Catbalogan to Ubanon (Huerta, 1965). For many years, the antique wooden image of the Virgen del Rosario stood as the guardian of the old 𝘊𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘊𝘢𝘵ó𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘰 in Ubanon.
These photographs offer us a glimpse into Catbalogan’s rich funerary traditions and the ways our ancestors honored their departed loved ones. They remind us that even in death, our history, faith, and cultural heritage remain deeply intertwined.
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(Photos courtesy to Catbalogan Historical Society and to its owners.)
From CNCHS Museum of Local History and Heritage
