Manila North Cemetery: City of the dead and the undead

No, it’s not a zombie movie. This is a community living among the graves

In Al Qarafa in Cairo, Egypt, about a million people live inside a cemetery that has been around since the 7th century. It is so big that they have their own police station, post office, and electricity. It is a unique cultural destination and a repository of Islamic architecture and heritage, making it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

While not as big or as grand, there is a similar community living inside the Manila North Cemetery.

Roughly a million people are buried in the Manila North Cemetery, with at least 7,000 living inside as caretakers or informal settlers. They build shanties on top of the tombs. Some even live inside the mausoleums, using the grave itself as their bed.

In the face of previous raids by the government, the settlers have stayed on, despite the lack of amenities such as electricity and water.

Famous graves

The North Cemetery used to be part of La Loma Cemetery until the latter became exclusive to Catholic burials. It is the most crowded and the most diverse in terms of tomb design and profile of the deceased.

Inside, former Manila mayors Arsenio Lacson, Antonio Villegas, and Alfredo Lim lie buried, alongside former presidents Sergio Osmeña, Manuel Roxas, and Ramon Magsaysay.

Former Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison, who was granted Philippine citizenship, willed to be buried at the Manila North Cemetery. Distinguished statesman Claro M. Recto is also interred there.  

Almost across is Tondo kingpin Asiong Salonga’s grave. Numerous actors and comedians found their resting place here, with Fernando Poe Jr.’s remains the most popular. Almost forgotten is legendary boxer Pancho Villa’s tomb.

A history of memorials

What makes North Cemetery distinctive are the several memorials and group burial grounds, such as those for the Thomasites, Freemasons, military, police, and Boy Scouts. A beautiful art deco memorial is dedicated to Filipino revolutionaries of the Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War. There are mausoleums of prominent families like the Bautista-Nakpil Pylon and the Egyptian-inspired Tuason-Legarda Family Mausoleum. Slightly hidden and fenced is the Jewish Cemetery.

The North Cemetery is unlike other cemeteries. It is the final repose for many Filipinos, from the richest and most powerful to the poorest and the most powerless. Former presidents lie side by side with unmarked graves. During the Second World War, at least 2,000 were executed here. Today, there are a million buried dead and more than 7,000 undead—caretakers with their entire families and informal settlers, composing the living community. They clean the graves and sell flowers to make ends meet. Sari-sari stores are scattered throughout the property, and a basketball court welcomes you upon entering.

Sauntering through sacred ground

Tombspotting is a hushed, almost meditative business. For history buffs, it’s about digging up stories. For aesthetes, it’s to admire the patina of time. For most of us, it is respect for the departed and a reminder of our mortality. On one gravestone, the Latin phrase “Memento Mori” is inscribed, which means “Remember you must die.” It reminds us to be humble and live a meaningful life by accepting that death is inevitable.

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