Buhay sa Sementeryo: An Ethnographic Study of the Community Residing in the Catholic Cemetery of Mataasnakahoy, Batangas

Abstract

In some cases, cemeteries are located near within a settlement, but what if the residential area near the cemetery was engulfed with the widening cemetery space? There is a lack of information and data that documents about families living inside the cemeteries. With the use of ethnographic study, this study aims to explore the cultural knowledge, systems, and practices about the health and nutrition of families living in the Catholic cemetery of Mataasnakahoy, Batangas. This study will tackle the residential area inside the cemetery, the family’s concerns about their health, and how the office of the barangay can help address the issues. With this research, various issues that arise are not what the researcher expected to be. But despite the struggles and challenges faced inside the community, each family was able to cope with the different health-related concerns using different methods. There are different patterns and behaviors in how they address their problems in relation to health.