Balantang Shrine to expand with columbarium

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Balantang Memorial Cemetery National Shrine (BMCNS) in Jaro District, Iloilo City, is set to expand with the addition of a columbarium as the cemetery’s current 150-crate capacity has reached full utilization.

The development aims to accommodate future burial requests for members of the 6th Military District who served during World War II.

Glen Castañares, head of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) Iloilo field service extension office, announced the proposal during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum on August 20.

The planned columbarium, targeted for completion by 2025 or 2026, will feature 150 vaults.

Castañares highlighted the significance of the Balantang Memorial Cemetery, noting that it is the only military cemetery established outside Metro Manila, likening it to the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Manila.

He emphasized that the cemetery is reserved exclusively for the interment of 6th Military District members, a group of approximately 20,000 forces led by General Macario Peralta, who fought against the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

“Not all who served were identified,” Castañares added, mentioning that the shrine also contains a tomb for unknown soldiers, serving as a mass grave.

“We have a tomb for unknown soldiers inside the BMCNS, serving as their mass grave, and their names are also inscribed on the Wall of Memories,” he said.

Currently, Panay and Guimaras have 13 living World War II or senior veterans, while Negros Occidental has four, with ages ranging from 99 to 105 years old, according to Castañares.

In addition to the columbarium, there is also a proposal to open the shrine to post-war veterans, including retirees from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and members of the Philippine Constabulary before its dissolution and integration into the Philippine National Police.

As of June, PVAO records indicate there are 8,900 active pensioners, comprising both senior and post-war veterans, in the region.