12 things you didn’t know about Metro Manila’s cemeteries

Who knew that cemeteries in Metro Manila hold such surprising secrets? Here are some that we were able to uncover in time for All Souls Day!

1. There is a ship inside the North Cemetery (see above). Actually it is a mausoleum shaped like a ship. It belongs to Admiral Tomas Cloma who founded the Philippine Maritime Institute now PMI College. The name of his ship/mausoleum, aptly enough, is SS Last Voyage.

2. There is an anti aircraft gun installed by the Japanese inside the La Loma Cemetery during World War 2. That was because the site is one of the highest spots in Manila at that time. The gun still stands and was never disassembled after the war.

3. There is an abandoned church inside La Loma Cemetery. When the cemetery first opened in 1884, the Church of San Pancracio was located inside. The church was bombed during the war and the parish moved to a new building just outside the cemetery gate. It has since been restored and is now used by the church as venue for spiritual retreats. The Old San Pancracio Church is also where Vilma Santos shot one of her Darna movies back in the 1970s.

4. South Cemetery is administered by the city of Manila and not by the city of Makati. That’s because when the American authorities opened North and South Cemetery in 1904, Makati was not even a city yet. The site was chosen because it was on the outer edge of Manila back then.

5. Remedios Circle used to be a cemetery. The original Remedios Cemetery was one of the city’s earliest municipal cemeteries alongside Paco Cemetery. It was closed down in the aftermath of World War II, when the Catholic Church made a deal with the Manila City government to turn over the cemetery in exchange for a new road that will lead to a newly established church across the Manila Zoo. 

6.  Feng shui is the reason why Manila Chinese Cemetery is located where it is. According to ancient Chinese belief, the most suitable place to bury the dead is on a hill next to a body of water. At that time, La Loma was the only area near enough to Manila that had a hill. It was also because of this hill that La Loma got its name, because the Spanish word for hill is loma

7. The city oldest temple in Manila can be found inside the Manila Chinese Cemetery. Built in the 1850s, the altar of the temple reflects the faith of the Tsinoys with the images of Chinese deities up front and a Catholic crucifix and icons at the back. You can also find the image of Tan Quien Shien, also known as Gobernadorcillio Carlos Palanca. He was the head of the Chinese community in the 1870s and helped with the establishment of the Chong Hock Tong Temple.

8. You can find a museum inside the Manila Chinese Cemetery. It is the Filipino Chinese Anti-Japanese Guerilla Museum. It focuses on the Tsinoy resistance fighters in the Philippines during World War II. It is open by appointment for most of the year except on Nov. 1 when it welcomes guests from 9am to 4pm. Entrance is free. To visit the museum for the rest of the year, please text Sally King at 09192887070 to make your appointment.

9. The most star-studded cemetery in Manila is the North Cemetery. Aside from three presidents (Sergio Osmeña, Ramon Magsaysay and Manuel Roxas), you can also find athletes (Pancho Villa, legendary boxer from the 1920s) and showbiz personalities (actor Fernando Poe Sr. and Fernando Poe Jr.) Other historical figures buried here include Gregoria de Jesus, wife of Andres Bonifacio and American governor general Francis Burton Harrison. 

10. There are subdivisions inside the North Cemetery. Inside the North Cemetery are areas dedicated to a specific group or institution like the military, police and firemen. However some of these plots are dedicated to non Filipinos such as the Jews and the Thomasites (the name for the American teachers who came on the SS Thomas in the early 1900s). 

11.  Pet cemetery. Aside from humans, one dog named Bogie is also buried inside the North Cemetery. He was the beloved pet of President Manuel Roxas’s family. He now occupies a small space by the curbside of the family plot. 

12. Actress living in a mausoleum. While there are many famous people buried at the North Cemetery, there was a time when a well known comedienne / character actress actually lived among them. Her name was Moody Diaz (real name Modesto Diaz). She chose to live in her mother’s tomb when she was still alive, even though she had inherited her family ancestral home in Bulacan and could well afford to live elsewhere. After her death in 1995, her daughter moved into the mausoleum along with her family after her husband lost his job. 

Photos: Anson Yu



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on