Chinese Cemetery residents start leaving

CEBU, Philippines — The re-development of the old Cebu Chinese Cemetery and Ludo Memorial Park is now bound to happen soon after the families living in the area have agreed to leave in exchange for financial assistance or temporary relocation.

As listed by the Cebu City Government’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), there are 205 families inside the cemetery, with 170 of them agreeing to accept the cash assistance of P20,000 to P50,000 from the Asociacion Benevola de Cebu, Inc.

The amount each of the said families would receive would depend on the number of years they have lived inside the cemetery.

Yesterday, Benevola started distributing the cash assistance, which Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia also attended. The distribution will proceed until Saturday, when the 170 families have received their money.

As agreed by them, the families have to immediately leave and are not allowed to get back in for anything, once they receive the amount.

The remaining 35 families, on the other hand, opted to avail of the temporary relocation provided by Benevola in a property it owns near the cemetery. Their stay there is temporary, or until such time that the Cebu City Government is already able to accommodate them in its socialized housing program.

Aside from the acting mayor, Benevola’s Atty. Dean Dical, Carreta Barangay Captain Marciano Ando, Assistant City Health Officer Jeffrey Ibones, and DWUP personnel were also present during the financial assistance distribution.

The Freeman learned that it is planned that three medium-rise-buildings would be built inside the property, aside from developing the area as a heritage park, in line with the plan of the Cebu City government.

While clearing is still ongoing at the relocation site, the 35 families are still allowed to stay in the cemetery.

Like the Don?a Pepang Cemetary in Barangay Lorega San Miguel, Mayor Mike Rama, who is currently serving a six-month preventive suspension, the Chinese Cemetery is envisioned to serve as a heritage park and become a tourist attraction.

For his part, Ando welcomed the plans for the cemetery for the health and safety of his constituents, among others. ---  RHM (CEBU NEWS)