Thousands of poor live among the dead in Manila

In teeming Manila, where poverty runs deep and millions lack adequate shelter, some of the living have found refuge among the dead.

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Laileah Cuetara’s shanty sits atop a pair of raised tombs inside the Philippine capital’s Manila North Cemetery, a sprawling 54-hectare public graveyard that is home to about 6 000 informal settlers and at least a million deceased Filipinos.

The tiny wood structure where she lives with her partner and two children is filled from side to side with a foam mattress, shelves, a television and picture frames.

In the doorway, a statue of an angel stands on an infant’s crypt that doubles as a table.

The 36-year-old makes around 3 000 pesos (about R880) a month selling sweets, drinks and biscuits to cemetery visitors.