The Manila North Cemetery or Cementerio del Norte is considered the biggest and oldest cemetery in Metro Manila and thus it is one of the busiest cemeteries every year during All Saints Day. Laid out in 1904, it covers an area of 54 hectares which serves as the final resting place of many famous personalities including our past presidents, politicians, heroes and celebrities. It is also located next to 2 other important cemeteries: the La Loma Cemetery and the Manila Chinese Cemetery.

Tour of Filipino Architecture
Entering the cemetery gates, I instantly noticed the numerous mausoleums and tombs on each side of the road. The large size of the cemetery is instantly apparent as rows of tombs and mausoleums stretched far away into the distance and into different avenues that we passed by as we went in further.

Although the cemetery is quite old, I was surprised that most of the structures were still standing quite solidly instead of looking fragile and almost crumbling despite the passing of more than a century. Even the statues of angels, common on many tombs were still intact and well preserved.

There were many mausoleums that caught my attention too as their designs were very elaborate and different from each other. Being the oldest cemetery in Manila, the design of these mausoleums can be considered as miniature replicas of the different architectural styles prevailing in different periods of Philippine history, providing us with a glimpse of what other buildings and structures in Manila may have looked like in the older days.

The style of architecture range from the fairly simple, decorated mainly with the bushes planted on the sides of the structures or entrance serving as decor, to elaborately decorated structures with complicated designs including intricate carvings with some even done in different colors. There were also mausoleums which were built to replicate the facades and shape of cathedrals and bell towers while some looked like actual houses and apartments. Enthusiasts of architecture can easily trace the different styles to the period where they belong just by looking at the dates on the tombs.

So if you want to take a little tour of Philippine history, especially the history of architectural styles from different periods, the Manila North Cemetery is a good place to start.

Memorabilia of Historical Figures
Aside from the different architectural styles showcased here, the cemetery also provides us with a directory of the “who’s who” in Philippine society during earlier times. Plots dedicated to prominent families are readily identifiable with the family name engraved on the entrance to the mausoleums. Family members from different generations are interred here and living members of the family need only come to one place to pay their respects.

Reading the names on the tombs feels almost like reading the names on your school’s alumni wall. As you read along, some names sound familiar and you may even remember something about the person who owns the name even if they don’t belong to your batch.

Here are just some of the notable figures laid to rest in the cemetery:

• Arcadio Arellano (1872-1920), architect
• Jose Maria Basa (1839-1907), propagandist and friend of Rizal
• Jose Corazon de Jesus (1896-1932), the poet known as Huseng Batute
• Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo (1853-1913), painter
• Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957), former Philippine president
• Juan Nakpil (1899-1986), National Artist for architecture
• Julio Nakpil (1867-1960), composer
• Sergio Osmena (1878-1961), former Philippine president
• Fernando Poe, Sr. (1916-1951), movie actor
• Fernando Poe, Jr. (1939-2004), movie actor, presidential candidate and National Artist
• Claro M. Recto (1890-1960), former senator
• Manuel A. Roxas (1892-1948), former Philippine president
• Pancho Villa (1901-1925), boxer

Most of these tombs can be found within the main avenue of the cemetery while the tombs of former presidents are located near the main entrance. There are street names inside the cemetery to guide you and if you do get lost, then you can ask the residents of the cemetery—the living ones—to help you find your way.

Community of the Living and the Dead
When I went to the cemetery it was not my first time to visit a cemetery but it was my first time to experience going to a cemetery with a lot of people going around on a regular day, not All Saints Day.

The cemetery has become home to a community of people who have learned to live their lives in this supposedly “scary” environment, as depicted in numerous horror flicks. These folks act as caretakers of the mausoleums where they live while others are living here because they have nowhere to go. Since family owners of the tombs and mausoleums visit their dead on the days before, during and after All Souls Day, these families vacate to other places during those days.

Thus, aside from the fact that we visited the cemetery when there was still daylight, the presence of a lot of people, dressed in their house clothes, and the sight of children playing in the avenues and even playing hide and seek on tombs, took away all the scary thoughts that I had associated with cemeteries.

Some of these folks even served as helpful guides pointing out where some of the more popular tombs were including the Mousoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolucion, the resting place of war veterans who fought in 1896. Other group plots include those of the Thomasites, a group of teachers sent by the US government to the Philippines in 1901 to establish a public school system and teach basic education and train Filipino teachers. There was also the Boy Scout Cenotaph in honor of the 24 scouts who died in a plane crash on their way to the 11^th World Scout Jamboree.

Thinking about it now, it is ironic how these people, driven by circumstances and poverty to live in this place, are the ones guiding us, aspiring students of history, to the most notable places in this historical site.

Apparently, the people living here were not afraid of ghosts at all since when asked, most of them would say that they have never seen one. The only ghost that haunts them is the thought of losing the place they now call home. This is an ongoing issue faced by the local government of Manila and hopefully, a resolution would be reached soon that would be best for the people forced to live here and for the preservation of this historical cemetery as well.