Making Space in the Cemetery: Encroachment and Expansion in Manila North Cemetery, Philippines

• Main Author: Reyes, Carl Russel R.
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2023
• Subjects: cemeteries; cemetery dwellers; informal settlements; Manila; urban informality
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/socialtransformations/vol11/iss1/2; https://archium.ateneo.edu/context/socialtransformations/article/1167/viewcontent/2_20STJGS_2011.1_20Article_Reyes.pdf
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Although the cemetery is considered as an enclosed space with limited potential for expansion, dwelling has occurred in the Manila North Cemetery (MNC) for decades. This paper examines how its dwellers secure access and sustain life in the cemetery, despite periodic clearing operations by the government and other pressures. The persistence of cemetery dwellers despite these challenges demonstrates Bayat’s (2010) “quiet encroachment of the ordinary,” this protracted intrusion of the poor in the city. Three aspects of “quiet encroachment” proved crucial in sustaining cemetery life: First, the occupation of caretaking embedded dwellers in the space’s operation. This allowed negotiations between them and the grave owners for their sources of living and a place to live. Second, residents honed sophisticated techniques on encroachment relying on their social networks with street bureaucrats and fellow dwellers. Third, state services are also being encroached upon. Residents form connections with local government officials, creating arrangements for proof of legal residence. In turn, this allows them access to services, primarily social welfare.