MANILA, Philippines — Caretakers and family members at the Manila South Cemetery on Wednesday are making their last-minute preparations for this year’s Undas.
Thirty-nine-year-old mother Victoria Francisco cleans the door of a mausoleum under her care at the Manila South Cemetery on Wednesday, October 30. JASON SIGALES / INQUIRER.net
Victoria Francisco, a 39-year-old mother, has been cleaning tombstones and mausoleums in the cemetery for the last 23 years.
She and her husband are contracted to oversee up to 13 graves combined.
According to Victoria, their contracts go up to P100 per month for tombstones and P300 per month for mausoleums.
Victoria was once from Mandaluyong City before moving to join her husband, who has lived in the cemetery since childhood.
For her, visiting loved ones is not a problem since her mother is buried in the Manila South Cemetery itself.
“Nadadaanan at nadadaanan naman din po sa araw-araw,” Victoria said.
(We will always just pass by them every day.)
Gwen Usabal, 22, scoops out dirt and floodwater from a grave in the Manila South Cemetery on Wednesday, October 30, following heavy rains caused by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine last week. JASON SIGALES / INQUIRER.net
In another corner of the cemetery, Gwen Usabal, 22, was shoveling out mud and floodwater from a family grave.
The dirt was brought in by heavy rains in Metro Manila during the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) the week prior.
Gwen has been a caretaker in the cemetery since 2020, tending to five graves.
She was a Bulacan province resident before living with her mother and her aunt at the Manila South Cemetery, where her father is also buried.
Gwen said she earns “around P5,000” to clean tombs for the entire Undas season
She stopped schooling after her first year in high school and met her would-be husband at age 17.
Vicente Gatdula uses a brush to clean off dirt from his family’s tomb, where his father, his mother, his brother and other relatives are buried, at the Manila South Cemetery on Wednesday, October 30. JASON SIGALES / INQUIRER.net
Meanwhile, 67-year-old Vicente Gatdula was at the Manila South Cemetery on Wednesday alone to prepare their clan’s lot for relatives to visit later in the week.
His father, his mother, his brother, and 13 more relatives are all buried in the grave.
Recognizing his age, Vicente said, “Taon-taon, nililinis ko ‘to. Kahit senior na tayo, okay pa. Ganyan tayo sa mga pamilya.”
(I clean this every year. Even though I’m a senior citizen already, it’s okay. That’s how we are when it comes to family.)
Vicente hails from Pandacan and has been cleaning the family tomb since he was seven years old.
Manila South Cemetery Director Henry Dy told INQUIRER.net on Wednesday that they expect the crowd size to peak on November 1, All Saints’ Day.
He added that they were expecting 500,000 to 800,000 visitors for Undas 2024.
The Manila South Cemetery is open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Wednesday, October 30 to Sunday, November 3.