Shoot at Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery and Taytay Falls

This was the 2nd photoshoot collaborated with my fellow enthusiast hobbyist photographer.  Since one of my classmate in photography Ronaldo Arban Paet resides in Nagcarlan he suggested that we do our photoshoot at Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery which is approximately 50 kms. from Calamba City, Laguna.  The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery is a national historical landmark and museum in Barangay Bambang, and was built in 1845 as a public burial site and its underground crypt exclusively for Spanish friars, prominent town citizens and members of elite Catholic families. It is dubbed as the only underground cemetery in the country.  It was built together with the construction of the expanded St. Bartholomew Parish Church and rectory.  The place takes the shape of a circular cemetery across a 1 hectare property.  It is surrounded by octagonal stone walls made of red tiles with iron-wrought grills. A façade or arch of about 18 feet high with two iron grill gates leads to a red tiled pathway across a green space leading to the cemetery chapel. The chapel containing a statue of Santo Sepulcro serves as a place for requiem or funeral mass.  Located 15 feet below the chapel is an underground graveyard consisting of only 36 tombs arranged in four walls.  The crypt and chapel is connected by two flight of steps. The first nine steps lead to a Spanish inscription and the last six steps lead to the underground crypt.  The cemetery has 240 apartment-type niches on the walls where each side of the chapel contains 120 niches.

After completion of shoot at Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery we proceeded to Taytay Falls.  Others call it the Majayjay Falls or even Imelda Falls, because ex-First Lady Imelda Marcos financed the promotion of tourism in this place. It is a two-storey high falls located in a remote scenery where the forestry is abundant. To reach Taytay Falls, one has to go down the stone steps leading to a kilometer-long trail.

It was really fun shooting with these guys such as Mich, Jeng, Jhayne, Julientt, Arlene, and Ronald.  By the way, this is the last time Ronald joined the group since he was always busy in their business and church work.  Hope someday we can work together Ronald.