Kalunasan officials, residents seek City's intervention on cemetery

CEBU, Philippines - Residents of Barangay Kalunasan will continue to fight tooth and nail against the proposed conversion of the 4.2-hectare Osmeña Shrine in their area into a cemetery for the Evangelical Christian Coalition of Cebu.

The Cebu City Council has received four separate letters from barangay officials and residents expressing their strong opposition to the project because it allegedly pose serious risks to the health of those living near the site and the environment.

The letters were from Visayas Region of the Girl Scout of the Philippines, the Beverly Glen Homeowners Association, the residents of the Beverly Hills and Kalunasan barangay captain Nunilon Monares.

Monares, in his letter addressed to Mayor Michael Rama and furnished to the City Council, said he was so concerned about the opposition of his constituents to the proposed project and that nobody welcomes the move.

“Our constituents especially the homeowners association and the common residents on the nearby subdivision opposed the proposed project,” Monares said.

A public hearing was already conducted last May 27 and was attended by hundreds of residents, who all expressed opposition to the plan.

 The city government, during the term of former mayor and now Rep. Tomas Osmeña, donated the 42,687-square meter lot to the coalition last year to be used as cemetery. ECCCI, a coalition of 23 non-Catholic denominations with a total of 863 churches in the city, requested that they be allowed to have their own cemetery.

Girl Scout of the Philippines Regional Executive Director Aida Saromines said the cemetery is near their camp, where regional trainings in the entire Visayas region are being conducted.

Saromines said converting the shrine into a cemetery will pose real danger especially to the deep well water.

“We are opposing having a cemetery near our training center and camping site for this will not only contaminate our source of water but also will spoil the beautiful scenery of the place,” Saromines said. — (FREEMAN)