In photos: A festival of learning

MANILA, Philippines - In one of the country's biggest cemeteries, children live with, and are even born in, the company of the dead.

The mausoleums of Manila North Cemetery have become their homes; the rest of the 54-hectare graveyard, their playground.

GRAVEYARD SHIFT. In one of the country's biggest cemetery, children play and learn. All photos by Keith Richard D. Mariano and Ces Natalie B. Crisostomo

On April 25, one of the cemetery's remaining open spaces yet again turned into a place far from what it is—a place for fun learning. All Together in Dignity (ATD) Fourth World, an international group founded in France 50 years ago, gathered a group of volunteers for a 5-day “Festival of Learning” (FoL).

The festival culminates ATD's year-long exposure and integration into the poor communities. It aims to create awareness about extreme poverty, and subsequently find solutions to eradicate it. From April 10 to 15, the festival took place in 3 locations: Lozada and Hilum; under the Quirino Avenue bridge; and in Manila North Cemetery.

“Many children who live in the cemeteries, on the streets or under the bridges stop attending school not only because of economic reasons but also because of bullying. With FoL, we want to show that learning can be interesting and may not necessarily be linked to negative experiences,” said Guy Malfait, ATD's program director for the Philippines.

SPACE TO LEARN. For children living in the North Cemetery, the graveyard is their playground. Recently, it has also been a space for learning

The slideshow below documents the second day of celebration at the North Cemetery – a day of creativity, fun and learning! - Rappler.com