I pass by this intersection everyday for almost a year already yet I still wonder why the Familia Luzuriaga Cemetery is right smack in the middle of the street. The privately owned cemetery is actually in the Guinness Book of World Records as “the only cemetery in the world at the intersection of two highways”.
Familia Luzuriaga Cemetery
The Familia Luzuriaga Cemetary is an island of Lopez Jaena Street which intersects with Burgos Street. This intersection is locally called Bangga Patyo. The cemetery belongs to a prominent clan in Negros, the Ruiz de Luzuriaga family. The first Ruiz de Luzuriaga in Negros was Don Eusebio Ruiz de Luzuriaga who settled in Bacolod City in 1840 after he exiled himself from Spain. His son, Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga, later became an important figure in the Negros Revolution or the Al Cinco de Noviembre.
The family was also very generous to Bacolod City. In fact, the location of the Bacolod City Hall used to be the hacienda house of Don Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga and was donated to the city government. Other prominent members of the clan include movie director Peque Gallaga.
I don’t know the history of the cemetery and how it ended where it is right now. For the benefit of those who haven’t been to the place, I copied an image from Google Maps where I also placed additional labels. A closer look at the image revealed that the intersection is surrounded by graves. To the east of the Familia Luzuriaga Cemetery is the Bacood Public Cemetery. Across the public cemetery is the mausoleum of the Lopez Family. Then to the west of the Luzuriaga Cemetery is the mausoleum of Jayme-Gamboa family.
Google Map Image of Familia Luzuriaga Cemetery
These additional information led me to ask several questions. What came first, the Familia Luzuriaga Cemetery or the streets? Was the cemetery placed right in the middle of the street to give honor to the family for their generosity to Bacolod City? Or was the cemetery already there before the roads were constructed but was allowed to remain in its location in reverence to the clan?
Only a family member would probably know the history of the cemetery. The mystery just adds to its charm and people like me would always wonder how in the world a cemetery was made into an island? Indeed, the Familia Luzuriaga Cemetery is for the books.
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A note on the origin of the cemetery: I have read on a magazine years back that the street wasn’t there before. The Jayme-Gamboa Mausoleun used to be the boundary of the public cemetery. It’s not the case today as you may see on the aerial photo. I now forgot how it came to be how it is today. What I clearly remember is that the Luzuriaga family donated the very minute parcel of land around it in order to connect the what is now known as Lopez Jaena St.
thanks for putting our family’s history, thanks
Your family contributed much to Bacolod City and much has been written about it. Your family deserves such honor.
i miss my lolo
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