CEMETERY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

Luzuriaga Family Cemetery 

Burgos-Lopez Jaena Streets, Bacolod City, Philippines.

Photo by Moi using my Fujifilm Finepix  S4400 Camera. 

The only cemetery in the middle of the road in the Philippines.

Cemetery in the middle of the road? Yes. 

Is it the ONLY cemetery in the middle of the road in the world? No. 

Is it older than the oldest cemetery in the middle of the road? No. 

Is it in the Guinness Book of World Records? No. 

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The family name Ruiz de Luzuriaga was a well-respected one during the Spanish Government in the island of Negros.  Its patriarch, Don Eusebio Ruiz de Luzuriaga came to Negros Island from Spain sometime in 1840.  He had two sons, Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga and Luis Ruiz de Luzuriaga.  The family was engaged in sugar farming and Luis was a popular figure in Negros Occidental at that time when he was appointed President of the Constituent Assembly of the short-lived Negros Republic in 1899.  Because of wealth, the family built a private cemetery beside the road now known as Burgos Street.

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As progress went on and on, the two sides of the cemetery began to be used as roads that connect Lopez-Jaena Street from the south side of the cemetery to Capitol Shopping Center on the northside of the cemetery.  When you face the gate of the cemetery, the road on your right is going to Capitol Shopping Center and the road on your left is used by cars coming from Capitol Shopping Center going to Burgos Street that leads all the way to the downtown area.

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The two roads were plain dirt or soil and so during rainy seasons, the cars had difficulty maneuvering these roads. That was late 50's and early 60's.  The cemetery however remained where it is located.  Now, the two roads are made of concrete. 

Is it the only cemetery in the middle of two roads in the world?  Not really.  The Luzuriaga Cemetery shares prestige with other cemeteries located in Europe and the United States which are also located in the middle of two roads.  Since most of these cemeteries were built on family-owned land, the governments there cannot do anything but respect the request of the family to leave their dead alone to literally, rest in peace.  In the case of the Luzuriaga Cemetery, those interred were family members who died since the 1800s.

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The Luzuriagas were actively involved during the last days of the Spanish Government in the Province of Negros Occidental.  When the Negros Revolutionary raised arms against Spain, they became special emissaries of the Spanish Government.  After a few days of "peace agreements" the Spanish officials surrendered to the local Revolutionary Movement headed by Juan Araneta of Bago City from the south of the province and Aniceto Lacson of Talisiay from the North.  Bacolod City is in the middle of these towns. 

The surrender ended the revolution in Negros which roughly began preparations from November 3, 1898 and ended on November 5, 1898, or now called, Cinco de Noviembre.  It was in the house of the Luzuriagas where the signing of surrender was held.  The land where their old house once stood is now the old Bacolod City Hall.

Today, the Luzuriaga Cemetery is a living symbol of that family's rootedness on the island of Negros. It is where several generations of the family had been laid to rest. So, whether it is or not in the list of Believe it or not, or the Guinness World Records, the fact remains that the cemetery is one of those uniquely situated that can easily catch the attention of tourists and even the locals. Who, just like me, also wondered how that happened. 

By the way, before the roads were opened on both sides of the cemetery, the latter was already existing along Burgos Street where mausoleum of prominent Negrenses were also built such as the mausoleums of the Jayme family and the Lopez family. Those mausoleums of the Kapunan-Suarez and Torres family were built at a later date. 

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Just like the cemetery of Nancy Barnett in the U.S., she died on December 1, 1831, and was buried in the middle of the road. She joined the family members, I guess six of them including babies/children, who died before her. When the Johnson County decided to move the cemetery to a new site, Nancy's grandson stood by her grave with a long gun to prevent the government workers to disturb her grandmother's grave. She remained there but the road has to be built on both sides of her grave or shall I say, the old cemetery. 

Source: Amusing Planet, article written by Kaushik Patowary

A Grave in the middle of the road. 

By the way, Nancy was married to William, the great, great, great grandson of Pocahontas. 

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Now, let us answer the questions I raised at the start of this article. 

1. Is it the only cemetery in the middle of the road, in the world? No. 

In Iowa, U.S.A. there is small city called West Des Moines where one of the cemeteries in the middle of the road can be found, it is the Huston Cemetery. Please click this link - Iowa's 6 oddest graveyards to visit before you're dead (desmoinesregister.com)

2.  Is it older than the oldest cemetery in the middle of the road? No. The Huston Cemetery in West Des Moines, Iowa, was a cemetery in the middle of the road since 1840 or about 184 years old now. If Luzuriaga Cemetery was created earlier than 1840, then it is one of the oldest in the world but, based on this report, Not the Only cemetery in the middle of the road. 

3. Is it in the Guinness Book of World Records? No. Few years ago, I sent an email to Guinness World Records office in New York City, asking or verifying if the Luzuriaga Cemetery is in their records as the only cemetery in the middle of the road, or did they bestow an award to this cemetery as the only cemetery in the middle of the road. 

Their reply through email was something like this - they do not have any record about it. Not satisfied with the answer, I sent another email within a week, asking the same question and their reply was the same. 

The 3rd inquiry occurred in 2023, when someone posted on Facebook alleging that the cemetery is the only cemetery in the world that is located in the middle of the road., 

So, I, again, sent an email to the Guinness. This time, a reply came from Guinness but this time it was referenced to Guinness U.K. and their reply was the same - something like this - they do not have any record of this award, or they cannot find any record of this award given to the cemetery. 

(Note: These Messages are kept in my email, and I also kept copies on my Facebook Page. I also sent copies of emails or replies from The Guinness to my friends - a tour-guide in Negros Occidental and a City Councilor in Negros Occidental). 

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My Comments:

To have this cemetery in the middle of the road makes Bacolod City a popular destination for those travelers who wanted to see for themselves how this cemetery looks like. It is not only a historical site but a living symbol of how a family's love of their dearly departed can be manifested by creating or building a permanent resting place. Not even a government and modern-day development can alter what has been created by the family. Thus, the roads on both sides were created, preserving the cemetery. In the early days, meaning, circa late '50s and early '60s, both roads were muddy and filled with rainwater.  Soon, the government constructed a concrete road on both sides of the cemetery. 

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There are other cemeteries or graveyards in the middle of the road that can be found in the United States and Europe. But I lost my records of these cemeteries but they are available online. Just Google it and you can find them, know their history. For sure, you will appreciate how governments and families protected these resting places, cemetery, and or graveyards in the middle of the road.

Have a great day, Ciao. 

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