Labella tags cemetery construction as urgent

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak has proposed an ordinance in line with the city government's efforts to put up a public cemetery to address the lack of burial sites in the city due to the unusual number of deaths amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposed ordinance entitled "An Ordinance Establishing the Cebu City Botanical Memorial Garden" was certified urgent by Mayor Edgardo Labella.

It shall provide for the establishment of the cemetery, the general guidelines for its operation, and the funds needed for its establishment and start of operation.

The city government has already started the development of the cemetery at Sitio Catives in Barangay Guba.

"It is the policy of the City Government of Cebu City to endeavor to provide decent burial services to departed residents of Cebu City," read the proposed ordinance.

In the proposed ordinance, the cemetery shall be owned and managed by the city government. It shall consist of the main burial grounds and bone chambers, park, office, chapel, gazebo, parking lot, fence, and guard house.

Of the 30-hectare city government owned lot at Sitio Catives, only about three to five hectares of the total land area shall be used.

The Office of the Mayor shall oversee the development of the cemetery in accordance with the provisions of the ordinance and the approved Cebu City Botanical Memorial Garden master plan, as well as the management of the cemetery.

Section 8 of the proposed ordinance provides that only deceased bona fide residents of the city may avail of the use of the cemetery. For this purpose, a resident is one who has been residing for at least one year within the territorial jurisdiction of Cebu City upon showing sufficient proof.

The cemetery shall be free of charge for city residents.

The Office of the Mayor or the designated officer in charge of operations shall lay down the process for application for burial as well as the procedure and scheduling of actual burials, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

No disinterment will be allowed without permission of the next of kin and proper authorities.

Section 9 provides that an initial budget of P20 million shall be appropriated for the development, construction, and landscaping of the cemetery, and another P10 million payment of salaries of employees, installation and provision of electricity and water, and other necessary expenses necessary for the implementation of the ordinance.

"The health and well-being of the public is under clear and present threat if cadavers are allowed to pile up. Balancing of interest doctrine dictates addressing the danger that is clear and present must be resolved first and given priority," said Tumulak.  GAN (FREEMAN)