Honoring the dead in Cebu

Every 1 November in the predominantly Catholic country, the Philippines, people from all walks of life start to visit the cemeteries in anticipation of All Souls' Day (dia de los muertos/day of the dead) celebrated the following day. In Talisay City, Cebu province, people start to flock around late afternoon until deep into the night bringing flowers and candles to offer to departed family members, relatives and friends. The glow of a thousand candles can become a spectacle as people gather around their family's burial plots to pray and chat.

In this cemetery, the "dakung krus" (literally, big cross) marks the place called the "cumon," or common area where people can light their candles and offer prayers for the departed instead of going around to specific plots and niches.