By Ria Fernandez Basilio Patigayon, 65, lit a candle and prayed for the soul of his late wife, Warlita, at a designated mass grave at the Manila South Cemetery even if her remains have already been exhumed and transferred to the mass grave as he failed to secure a lot for her own niche. (RIA FERNANDEZ/ MANILA BULLETIN) "Namatay asawa ko sa Lebanon at dito inilibing. Ako naman nagtrabaho roon. Ngayon na lang ako nakapunta ulit dito makalipas 10 taon (My wife died in Lebanon and was buried here at the Manila South Cemetery. At that time, I continued working there. I only visited her now after 10 years)," he said. At the Manila South Cemetery, families, especially the poor, can rest the remains of their departed loved ones at temporary grave sites for only five years. Kailangan kunin na ...kailangan ko na kasi yung space para sa ibang mahihirap. (Families have to get them since I need the space for other poor constituents)," said Engr. Maribel Bueza, officer-in-charge of Manila South Cemetery. However, Bueza noted that they still give additional six months to one year to claim the abandoned remains before they finally transfer them to the mass grave. The temporary graves also serve as tombs to the relatives of individuals, such as Colano Segaranda, who could not go home to their provinces to visit their dead their family members. "Nanay ko nasa Negros nakalibing tapos nandito ako sa Maynila...kaya dito nalang ako nagsindi . (My mother was buried in Negros then I am here in Manila. That's why I opted to light a candle here)," said Segaranda. Aside from providing a temporary grave for the poor who do not have niches for their departed loved ones, Bueza said they have puntod finder accessible at www.manilasouthcemetery.com to aid people in locating the grave sites of their dead.