LAOAG CITY - A private cemetery in Laoag City has been attracting attention because of its unique and unconventional mausoleums.

The Maharlika Memorial Gardens in Barangay 1, Laoag City features
house-like structures which do not seem like mausoleums at all.

"Hindi nila inaasahan na ang mga nasa paligid ay hindi bahay ng mga buhay kundi bahay ng mga patay", Dondee Sabios, one of the caretakers of the cemetery said.

(They did not expect that what they see are not houses of the living but houses of the dead.)

One mausoleum was inspired by the Quiapo Church in Manila.

The man buried there was a religious person so the family decided to build a church-like mausoleum for him, said Sabios.

Beside it is a castle-themed mausoleum, which was built as such because the owner's surname is Castillo.

Others, meanwhile, went with something more modern such as box-type designs.

CCTV cameras have even been installed in some of the mausoleums.

Aside from CCTV cameras, the cemetery also features a mausoleum with a crystal chandelier, bedroom, kitchen table, microwave oven, refrigerator and bathroom.

The cemetery has more than 100 mausoleums, each costing between P100,000 to P4 million.