CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City government has abandoned its plan to build a public cemetery in the upland barangay of Guba after it was met with condemnation from several environmental advocates for supposedly violating existing laws.
Instead of Guba, the city is eyeing to move the proposed Cebu City Botanical Memorial Garden to Barangay Sapangdaku, still a mountain barangay.
Mayor Edgardo Labella disclosed that the proposed memorial garden, which is hoped to address the shortage of burial grounds in the city amid rising deaths from coronavirus and other causes, will sit on a city -owned land that covers two sitios, namely, Patayng Yuta and Baksan.
“Hopefully, if it would pass through the environmental requirements then hopefully it will serve,” said Labella.
He said it will be a two-hectare cemetery, but “can be increased depending on the need.” He said there is no public transport going to the area but, at least, the road going there is paved and concrete.
Labella said environmental concerns raised on the previous area in Guba was one of the reasons for the relocation
Labella already certified as urgent the ordinance regarding the cemetery.
“Because there is a need for an ordinance from the City Council. Before we can put up a cemetery, there has to be an ordinance that is approved by the council and approved by the mayor,” he said.
It was earlier reported that the city government may face three violations over the cutting down of more than 300 trees in Guba, an upland village within the city’s protected area, to make way for a cemetery for COVID-19 casualties.
Aside from cutting trees without a permit, the city government could face possible violations for initiating moves to develop a five-hectare property in the barangay without a Protected Area Management Plan (PAMP) and without applying for an environmental compliance certificate (ECC), said Dr. Eddie Llamedo, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Central Visayas (DENR 7) planning and management division chief.
Llamedo earlier said that they have found no records to show that the city had applied for a tree cutting permit or submitted a development plan before the DENR’s Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) that has jurisdiction in Barangay Guba, which is under the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL).
The DENR ordered a stop to the cutting of trees in the area last July 9.
Objections
Various groups have joined forces in expressing their vehement objection to the planned Guba cemetery.
“It is in the best interest of everyone, not just of those who are still living in this planet, but also for those who are yet to be born, that we take care of the environment, regardless of the circumstances of the times,” part of the groups’ position paper presented to the City Council yesterday said.
The groups were represented by lawyer Rose Liza Eismo-Osorio, managing trustee of the Philippine Earth Justice Center.
Other groups represented in the position paper are the Regional Center of Expertise on Education-Cebu, Break FRee From Plastic Philippines Project, Akbayan Women, Pagtambayayong Foundation, Lihok Pilipina Foundation, Bukluran ng Manggagagawang Pilipino, Sanlakas-Cebu, KPML-Cebu, Freedom from Debt Coalition-Cebu, Philippine Movement for Climate Justice along with lawyer Antonio Oposa and City councilor Alvin Dizon.
According to them, the development inside the CCPL is not valid under the Central Cebu Protected Landscape Act of 2007 (RA 9486), E-NIPAS (RA 11038), and other related laws, rules and regulations.
This, as Sitio Catives II in Barangay Guba is located within the Kotkot-Lusaran Watershed Forest Reserve by virtue of PD 1074, as amended. JMD (FREEMAN)