1. History

2. Informal settlement

3. Heritage Structures
     Bautista-Nakpil Pylon    Mausoleum of the Veterans of the Revolution  

4. Notable burials
     Group plots  

5. Popular culture

6. See also

7. References

8. External links

The Manila North Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila, the Philippines. The cemetery is owned by the City of Manila, the national capital, and is one of the largest in the metropolis at 54 hectares. It is located alongside Andrés Bonifacio Avenue, bordering it are two other important cemeteries: the La Loma Cemetery and the Manila Chinese Cemetery. Numerous impoverished families notably inhabit some of the mausoleums.^[1]

History

The Manila North Cemetery was formerly part of La Loma Cemetery, but was separated as an exclusively Catholic burial ground.^[2] The cemetery formerly known as Cemeterio del Norte^[3] was laid out in 1904.^[4]

During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II the cemetery became the site of atrocities. There are accounts that Imperial Japanese forces led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita brutally killed more than 2,000 unarmed noncombatants in the cemetery from October to November 1944.^[3]

The cemetery's being one of the oldest cemeteries in the metropolis is evident on the different designs of mausoleums that reflect the prevailing architectural styles in the Philippines. The styles range from simple, plain-painted with a patch of greenery, to very complex designs that contain reliefs that are difficult to carve while also having different colors.

Informal settlement

Many people already live inside the cemetery and some of them serve as caretakers of the mausoleums where they also stay to survive. When the families or owners of the mausoleums come, especially during and after All Soul's Day, the families transfer to other places. In addition, the informal settlers often serve as informal tour guides, bringing visitors to tombs of famous people and discussing the oral history of the area.^[4] Others take advantage of the quantity of visitors during the Allhallowtide holiday, setting up stalls to sell drinks and snacks, and providing visitors other services like renting out their toilets.^[5]

The Manila city government is now trying to find solutions on the issue of squatting.

Heritage Structures

Bautista-Nakpil Pylon

The Bautista-Nakpil Pylon at the North Cemetery was designed by Juan Nakpil as a tribute to both Bautista and Nakpil families, including his uncle and benefactor, Dr. Ariston Bautista. The funerary pylon is a tall, square podium which has four human figures on the top corners that form a gesture of prayer capping off the tall columns. The frontal side is embellished by geometricized flowers, spiraling foliage, and nautilus shells in low-relief concrete panels which has a highly decorized stoup on the lower portion.^[6] An octagonal lantern-like form sits on top of the podium with miniature columns buttressing on all sides and crowned by a rigid dome.

Mausoleum of the Veterans of the Revolution

The Mausoleum of the Veterans of the Revolution is a memorial dedicated to Filipino revolutionaries of the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War.

Notable burials

The remains of key figures in Philippine history such as former Presidents Sergio Osmeña, Ramón Magsaysay and Manuel Roxas; historian Epifanio de los Santos; and celebrities as actor Fernando Poe Jr. are buried in the cemetery.^[7]

Most of the people have their tombs on the main avenue of the cemetery while other notable people are located near the main entrance.^[4]

• María Agoncillo–Aguinaldo (1882–1963), wife of Emilio Aguinaldo. Her tomb once occupied the center of the Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución, but was exhumed and reburied at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite.
• Melchora Aquino (1812–1919), also known as Tandang Sora and Mother of Katipunan. Formely buried at Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución. Whose remains were later transferred to the Tandang Sora National Shrine in Quezon City.
• Arcadio Arellano (1872–1920), architect
• Juan Arevalo, patriot, son of Bonifacio Flores Arevalo, buried at Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución, Assembly Member (Declaration of Philippine Independence, Cavite-Viejo, Province of Cavite, {{date|June 12, 1898}})
• Iggy Arroyo (1950–2012), former congressman of Negros Occidental (2004–12)
• Ladislao Bonus (1854–1908), also called "Father of the Philippine Opera."
• José Corazón de Jesús (1896–1932), poet known as Huseng Batute. Lyricist of the famed protest anthem Bayan Ko
• Tomas Cloma (1904–1996), president of the Philippine Maritime Institute (now PMI Colleges). His mausoleum is shaped like a ship, titled SS Last Voyage.
• Mariano Jesús Cuenco (1888–1964), 4th President of the Senate of the Philippines
• Doña Narcisa Buencamino vda. de León (Doña Sisang) (1877–1966), Founder and matriarch of LVN Pictures, Inc. (The "L" of LVN)
• Marcelo H. del Pilar (1850–1896), Philippine author and propagandist. Formerly buried at the Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución under the name Plaridel, was later exhumed and reburied in his house in Marcelo H. del Pilar Shrine Bulacan, Bulacan.

• Pío del Pilar (1865–1931), Philippine revolutionary figure. Buried at the Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución
• Manuel Earnshaw (1862–1936), former resident commissioner to the US Congress
• Isauro Gabaldon (1875–1942), former senator and resident commissioner to the US Congress
• Licerio Geronimo (1855–1924), Revolutionary general. Initially buried at the Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución, his remains were then reinterred in the base of the Licerio Geronimo Memorial located in Rodriguez, Rizal on February 20, 1993.
• Pedro Guevara (1879–1938), former senator and resident commissioner to the US Congress
• Francis Burton Harrison (1873–1957), former American governor-general
• Amado Hernández (1903–1970), Philippine literary icon and labour leader (National Artist)
• Atang de la Rama-Hernández (1905–1991), wife of Amado, kundiman singer, actress, and National Artist
• Félix Resurrección Hidalgo (1853–1913), painter
• Pilar Hidalgo-Lim (1893–1973), one of the founders of Girl Scouts of the Philippines
• Emilio Jacinto (1875–1899), patriot, the "Brains of the Katipunan". Formely Buried at the Manila North Cemetery was later exhumed and reburied in Himlayang Pilipino in 1975.
• Arsenio Lacson (1912–1962), former Manila mayor
• Benito Legarda y Tuason (1853–1915), vice-president of the Malolos Congress and first resident commissioner of the Philippines to the US Congress.
• Ramon Magsaysay (1907–1957), 7th President. His wife Luz Banzon Magsaysay is also buried with him, as are his immediate family members.
• Genaro Magsaysay (1924–1978), former Senator of the Philippines and Representative of the Zambales

• Tomas Morato (1887–1965), mayor of Calauag, Quezon, then first appointed mayor of Quezon City
• Gregoria de Jesús-Nakpil (1875–1943), wife of Andrés Bonifacio, later wife of Julio Nakpil
• Juan Nakpil (1899–1986), national artist for architecture

• Julio Nakpil (1867–1960), composer, father of Juan Nakpil.
• Mariano Noriel (1864–1915), Filipino general who fought during the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine–American War. Formerly buried at the Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución.
• Roman Ongpin (1847–1912), businessman, philanthropist, nationalist, and civic citizen
• Sergio Osmeña (1878–1961), 4th President. His wife Esperanza Limjap-Osmeña is also buried with him.
• Jose Fortich Ozamiz (1898–1944), former senator and first provincial governor of Misamis Occidental.
• Quintin B. Paredes (1884–1973), former House speaker and senator
• Pedro Paterno (1857–1911), 2nd Prime Minister of the Philippines under the First Republic. Formely Buried at the Manila North Cemetery. His Remains were transferred at San Agustin Church.
• Fernando Poe, Sr. (1916–1951), film producer, director, actor
• Fernando Poe, Jr. (Ronald Allan K. Poe) (1939–2004), movie actor, 2004 presidential candidate and National Artist

• Mariano Ponce (1863–1918), active member of the propaganda movement
• Manuel L. Quezon (1878–1944), Commonwealth President (1935-1944). Formerly buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Transferred to Quezon Memorial Circle Museum in 1979.
• Aurora Quezón (1888–1949), First Lady, consort of Manuel Quezon. Also transferred to Quezon Memorial Circle Museum in 2005.
• Claro M. Recto (1890–1960), former senator and Spanish-language author
• Isabelo delos Reyes (1864–1938), politician, labour union activist, and a founder of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente.
• Paciano Rizal (1852–1930), oldest brother of José Rizal. Remains later transferred to Los Baños, Laguna in 1985.
• Owen Robyns-Owen, Chief Officer, British Merchant Navy (died: January 9, 1945 at the age of 67), is the only British Commonwealth war grave in the cemetery.^[8]
• Manuel A. Roxas (1892–1948), 5th President.
• Gerardo "Gerry" Roxas, Sr. (1924–1982), former senator
• Gerardo A. Roxas, Jr. (1960–1993), former representative of Capiz, son of Gerry.
• Trinidad Roxas (1899–1995), wife of former President Manuel Roxas and former First Lady.
• Epifanio de los Santos (1871–1928), historian and former statesman. EDSA, is named after him.
• Hilarion "Larry" Silva (1937–2004), comedian and politician
• Andres Solomon (also known as "Tugo" or "Togo") (1905–1952), actor
• Trinidad Tecson (1848–1928), revolutionary nurse
• Lilian Velez (1924–1948), a singer-actress of the mid and late 40s and dubbed as the Singing Sweetheart of Philippines Movies, who was murdered by her co-actor, Narding Anzures in June 26, 1948
• Pancho Villa (1901–1925), a boxer, the first Asian Flyweight World Champion.
• Antonio Villegas (1928–1984), former Manila mayor. Formerly buried in Reno, Nevada
• Teodoro Yangco (1861–1939), former resident commissioner to the United States Congress and businessman for whom Yangco Market is named.
• Dick Israel (1947–2016), movie and television actor, former of ABS-CBN and Viva Films.
• Rafael "Liling" R. Roces Jr. (1912–1944), Filipino journalist, writer, patriot, World War II spy, hero, and martyr.
• Adriano Hernández (1870–1925), Brigadier General of the Philippine Revolution and Military Strategist and the local hero of Dingle, Iloilo. Buried at Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución.
• Carmen Planas (1914–1964), first elected female councilor of Manila
• 28 victims of Asociacion De Damas Filipinas fire tragedy on December 3, 1998. Buried in an unmarked graves.

Group plots

• American Association plot
• Armed Forces of the Philippines Cemetery
• Boy Scout Cenotaph (in memory of the 24 Boy Scouts who died in a plane crash en route to the 11th World Scout Jamboree)
• Firemen's plot
• Jewish Cemetery
• Masonic burial grounds
• Mausoleo de los Veteranos de la Revolución
• Military and police plot
• Thomasites' plot
• Veterans of Foreign Wars plot (now neglected, since relatives all migrated to the USA)

Popular culture

• The Museum Foundation of the Philippines and Carlos Celdran’s Walk This Way both used to hold walking tours the Chinese Cemetery, North Cemetery and La Loma Cemetery.
• Manila North Cemetery and Chinese Cemetery have a trove of funerary architecture. Mausoleums are designed to look like Chinese pagodas, Hindu Shikhara temples, Egyptian pyramids guarded by Sphinxes, Greek- and Roman-inspired temples, Romanesque-type churches, even Art Deco mausoleums.^[9]
• The cemetery was the plot setting for the episode 'Paa' of the 2010 horror film Cinco.

See also

• Marcos Museum and Mausoleum
• Quezon Memorial Circle
• La Loma Cemetery
• Manila Chinese Cemetery
• Libingan ng mga Bayani
• Manila American Cemetery and Memorial
• Manila South Cemetery
• Scouting memorials

References

External links

• Cemeteries are a time capsule of RP history, culture{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

• CWGC: Manila North Cemetery

• Nyssocarinus bondari
• Nyssocarinus humeralis
• Nyssocarinus vittatus
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• Nyssodectes dulcissimus
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• Nyssodrysina haldemani