Graveyards of the Living

Here, in the first public cemetery I have ever entered, the living may not be thriving, but definitely, they are surviving among the dead.

BY TRINA FEDERIS
Bulatlat

This boy, as well as his puppy, is among the many “residents” of the Manila North Cemetery who stand to lose their “homes” as the city government pushes for the demolition of their shanties. REUTERS PHOTO

Cemeteries are for the dead. This idea was imprinted in me early on due to our semi-annual visits to my grandfather’s grave in Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ Cemetery). The identical crosses, the trimmed grass, as well as the quiet surroundings looked so peaceful, very ideal for a resting place.

No wonder I was amazed when I first saw mausoleums. Even more amazed when I saw people living among these mausoleums. It completely shattered my young notion of cemeteries existing only for the dead. Here, in the first public cemetery I have ever entered, the living may not be thriving, but definitely, they are surviving among the dead.

For our class’ final exam, we had to make a documentary. We decided to make a documentary on the people living in public cemeteries. We were interested in why they decided to live there, as well as how they are able to survive living in such a place.

Lolo Roque: “Parang nasanay na ako rito”

We first interviewed Lolo Roque. At 58, he is one of the oldest caretakers in a public cemetery in Metro Manila. His alaga (referring to the graves he is tasked to take care of) include that of a former president of the Philippines. He is in charge of around 400 graves.

He started as the caretaker of his grandfather and grandmother's graves. He later took on other graves.

He gets paid usually at the end of the month. Others pay him at the 15^th and 30^th of the month, like a regular employee. Still others pay him whenever they come and pay their respects to the dead, usually on All Saints’ Day.

His pay is so-so, he says. “Sapat na. Pero minsan, nagkukulang din” (It’s enough. But sometimes, I run short), he says. He attributes this to the fact that the prices of goods are continually increasing. He also says that it’s a good thing he only has an adopted granddaughter to feed: they don’t need much.

His house is built on the vacated graves of the parents of a famous hero. Their bodies were exhumed, then moved to their hometown. Since then, the relatives allowed him to live there, since he also took care of their graves.

He used to rent an apartment in Caloocan with his brother before moving to the cemetery. He says that it’s more convenient for him. “E nandito rin naman trabaho ko” (My work is already here), he says.

He says he’s already content living in the cemetery. “Mag-isa ako sa buhay” (I live alone), he explains. It would be nice to live outside, he admits. But he adds: “Parang nasanay na ako rito” (I seem to have gotten used to this place). When he visits friends outside, he can’t help but miss home. “Hinahanap mo kasi y’ong katahimikan” (You miss the quiet atmosphere), he says, amused.

Aling Luz: “Kung may awa ang Diyos”

Aling Luz is another resident in the same cemetery. Her husband makes graves, and works on a contractual basis. She helps him by cleaning the graves he makes. “Katuwang ako ng asawa ko” (I help my husband) She does this to augment his income. “E magkano lang ba yang paggawa-gawa, miminsanan lang yan pag may nangongontrata” (Making graves doesn’t pay much and the work is irregular, only when someone contracts him to do it), she says.

She moved to the cemetery because of her husband’s work. She came from the province, and decided to live in Metro Manila to be closer to her husband.

They tried living in an apartment in Manila before. However, they moved into the cemetery because of her husband’s temperament. “Kasi, mainipin yung asawa ko. Yung ayaw niya sumisiksik sa traffic bago pumasok” (My husband is impatient. He doesn’t like being stuck in traffic jams in going to work), she says.

Their house is on a plot of land inside the cemetery. There are no graves on it yet. According to Aling Luz, the owner gave them permission to build their house there on the condition that when he needs it (such as a family member dies, and will be buried in that plot of land), they will have to leave. “Basta raw umalis kami. Oo naman, aalis naman talaga kami” (Just as long as we leave. Of course, we will leave), she says.

She does dream of owning a house outside the cemetery, however. “Kung may awa ang Diyos” (If God will have mercy on us), she says.

She cites her three remaining children as her main reason for wanting to have a house outside the cemetery (one of her daughters has already died, and is buried in the same cemetery they are living in). She wants them to experience living outside, she says. The two older children are already working, while the last is taking up Nursing as a second course.

They all work hard, she says. “Para bang naitanim na sa kanila ang hirap ng buhay” (It’s like it was imprinted in them how hard life is) Which is why, she said, they are all in no hurry to settle down, and marry. They want to help settle their parents in a respectable home outside the cemetery first.

Aling Chedeng: “Pinapangarap ko ‘yan, anak”

Aling Chedeng owns a sari-sari (variety) store inside the cemetery. Aside from this, she also takes care of some graves, like Lolo Roque does.

She has inherited this job from her mother. "Lehitimo na ako kasi, dinala ako dito baby pa lang ako, hanap-buhay ng mother, father ko, lolo, lola caretaker na dito, kaya nung nawala sila kami na ang caretaker sa loob..." (I’m what you call “legitimate,” because I was brought here when I was still a baby. This was the job of my mother, father, grandfather and grandmother. They were all caretakers here. Which is why when they died, I also became a caretaker), she said.

Concerning her caretaker job, she says that the graves she takes care of now are much fewer compared to years ago. Some of her clients have asked her to discontinue her services, as they can take care of their own dead. “E siyempre, mahirap ang buhay” (Which is understandable because life is hard), she says.

She lives in a shack in a squatters’ area near the cemetery. She proudly claims that her mother bought the house. However, they do not own the land, as the mayor of that city owns it. Only her sister sleeps there, as she prefers to stay in the cemetery to watch her sari-sari store.

She says she dreams of having her own house outside the cemetery. “Pinapangarap ko ‘yan, anak” (Child, I have always dreamed of that), she says. If she would be given a house by the government, she would immediately move there, she says. “Kahit gaano pa kalayo” (I would not mind how far it is from here)

Otherworldly visits

Living in a cemetery also creeps the residents out. When Lolo Roque was new, he would never venture out of his house at night, even with a companion. “No’ng unang-una, hindi mo ko mapapalakad sa labas pag gabi na” (When I was new, you can’t make me walk outside when it was nighttime) He still gets visits from entities, such as white ladies, he says.

Like Lolo Roque, Aling Chedeng also saw a white lady. She got scared, and accosted her mother. “Ano ba naman itong ipinamana mo sa’kin? Ayoko na rito!” (What kind of job did you make me inherit? I want to leave!), she recounts mirthfully.

She still sees these beings, but she shrugs them off; she no longer fears them. “Ngayon hindi na. Masasanay ka ri,n e” (I’m no longer afraid. You get used to it), Aling Chedeng says.

Problems in Paradise

Though not exactly a life of luxury, the residents are already content with their lifestyle. Says Aling Luz, “Simple lang naman kami mamuhay dito” (We lead a simple life here)

However, there are threats to their tranquil existence in the land of the dead.

One of which, Aling Luz reveals, is threat of demolition inside the cemetery. "Yung mga bahay ng mga nakatira dito, dine-demolish May isang umupo dito mahigpit talaga, sinusunog lahat ng makitang mga ano. Pero pag may authorize sa may-ari, di ka maaano. Katulad sa ‘min may papel akong hawak pinirmahan. Di kami masamang tao. Nilalabas ko lang ‘yon kapag may demolition pag may mga truck ng demolition iyon inilalabas ko yun." (The houses of the people living here are being demolished. There was a Mayor who was so strict. He burned all the houses he can see in here. But if there's an authorization from the owner you won't be touched. Like our family. We have the contract with the owner to prove that we are not bad people, we are occupying his land with his consent. I bring out the paper when there are trucks that carry out the demolitions), she shares.

"Kay Mayor Atienza, kay Mayor Lim, mga mayor ng Maynila. Mga walang-hiya talaga nag-susumbong..." (During the term of Mayor [Lito] Atienza, as well as Mayor [Alfredo] Lim's, the mayors of Manila. Shame on the tattle-tales), she replied when asked when these demolitions happened.

“E kasi, tirahan talaga ito ng mga patay. Matitigas lang talaga mga ulo namin” (Because this is a home for the dead. We are just really hard-headed), explains Aling Chedeng.

They say that they have never been on the receiving end of the government’s housing program, which is why they chose to stay in the cemetery. “Kasi, walang nag-aalok” (No one has ever offered me a house), says Aling Chedeng.

“Sa dami ng nakatira rito, mahihirapan silang bigyan lahat” (With our number they will have a hard time giving all the residents here homes outside), Aling Luz exclaims.

Aling Chedeng says that former Mayor Mel Lopez gave away houses and lots to the residents there. These were all located in Cavite. "Kung sa’n-sa’ng lupalop. Nagsisibalikan yung mga binigyan, e wala naman hanapbuhay, dito rin sila nagsusumiksik" (To very remote places. Those who were given land came back here. They couldn't find jobs there, and so they went back. )

Drug addicts also abound in their area. “Lahat ng masasama, nandito na ‘ata” (It seems all kinds of bad persons live here), Aling Luz says. Which is why she never lets her children (all grown-up) wander outside their home when night falls. “Sabi ko sa kanila, ite-text nila ako pag nasa gate na sila para sunduin ko sila” (I tell them to send me a text message when they are already at the cemetery’s gate so that I can come and fetch them). Then they just watch the television inside their home.

It was, definitely, a different kind of exposure for me. Here were real people telling me that life in a cemetery is certainly no picnic. Here were faces with names, recounting their experience of getting by with so little. Here was concrete proof of the existence in the Philippines of poverty, a mere seven-letter word to most of those originating from my class.

Here were people marginalized, thought of as dead, just like their “wards.”

The experience underscored the government’s lukewarm response in ultimately solving this glaring example of a housing problem. I may be young, and I may not have majored in any course yet, but I don’t need a diploma in any course to know that something is seriously wrong with a government that thinks taking people away from their livelihood (to be relocated to one of the government’s housing program sites) is the solution to solving a serious housing problem.

And I don’t need to be a genius to know that destroying their houses will not solve the problem either. Bulatlat

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