Life In The Cemetery

In Manila, where housing and hope are in short supply, some people have come up with a novel alternative to their housing woes.

Manila's North Cemetery offers a respite for some, a place to rest, not just for the dead — but for about 10,000 living, breathing souls who call the cemetery home. The cemetery, covering more than 100 acres with a main street lined with shade trees and bright pink bougainvillea. The street is kept tidy by city workers who come often to sweep and cart away the trash.

Clare Ventura, a 28-year-old vendor and mother of three, has lived in the cemetery all her life.

"I've had to teach myself to like living here … because we can't afford to rent a place outside," she says. "And also this is where I have a chance to earn a little bit. You get used to it, and it's a lot safer here than most places outside."

Many families like Ventura's came as caretakers, hired by prominent families to clean the mausoleums and protect them from vandals.