Paco Park

Paco Park was built in the early nineteenth century as a municipal cemetery for Manila's Spanish residents, laid out as two concentric circular walls with burial niches set into their thickness and a chapel dedicated to Saint Pancratius at the centre - an unusual plan that survives complete. It stopped functioning as a cemetery in the 1910s and was converted into a public park in the 1960s, so the niches are empty and the interior is lawn, old trees and cobbled paths, with the outer wall walkable in places. Two pieces of national history attach to it: José Rizal was buried here in an unmarked grave after his execution in 1896 before his remains were moved to the Luneta, and three priests executed in 1872, whose deaths sharpened the movement for reform, were interred here as well. The park hosts a long-running free classical concert series on Friday evenings, and is a popular wedding venue for the same reason it is pleasant to walk in - it is quiet, enclosed and green in a district that is none of those things.

History

An order for a cemetery was issued in 1807 because of a cholera epidemic, and the master builder Nicolás Ruiz drew up the plan, with José Coll overseeing the work; in 1859 Governor Fernando Norzagaray proposed enlarging it with a second circular outer wall. José Rizal was buried here on 30 December 1896, burials ended in 1912, and the cemetery became a national park in 1966 (Wikipedia, Paco Park).

Highlights

• The circular walls - concentric rings of empty burial niches.
• The central chapel - Saint Pancratius at the middle.
• The Rizal marker - the site of his first, unmarked grave.
• The garden interior - lawn, old trees and cobbled paths.

When to go

Mornings and late afternoon for light and cool. Friday evenings for the free concert series; weekends are often booked with weddings.

Things to know

It is small - an hour covers it. Weddings can restrict access to the chapel and parts of the grounds. There is no interpretation to speak of; the history is not signposted in much detail.

Nearby

Rizal Park and Intramuros are a short ride west; the Manila Central Post Office is across the river district.

Key facts