Golden Haven expansion plans underway

CEBU, Philippines - Expansion plans are currently on the works for Golden Haven Memorial Park, not only in Cebu but in other provinces in the Philippines as well, in order to cater to the increasing demand for memorial parks.

Golden Haven president Michael Regino said, during the launching of the columbary area of the memorial park in Talamban Hills called Palazzo Laterano, that in all the expansion plans that they do, they deliver excellence in order to take into action their aim in providing a “secure, peaceful, and decent resting place for your departed ones.”

Golden Haven was established in Cebu in 2003 after bringing in their themed memorial park concept that boasts as the first memorial park business and has been tagged as the Most Beautiful Park in Cebu city.

Regino said that part of their expansion plans is the construction of the columbary after seeing the growing acceptance of the concept in Cebu as it is also more affordable compared to the lawn lots.

The grand launch of the Palazzo Laterano unveiled the 350 vaults for the columbary with walls uniquely designed with sculptures and imported tiles.

Bernadette Malbas, the general manager for Golden Haven Cebu said that they introduced the project a year ago but was just completed very recently. However, Malbas added that prior to completion, almost 60 percent of the columbary, which is worth more than P10 million, has already been sold.

Malbas said that though the bulk of their sales go to the lawn lots, they see an increasing support for columbary.

Malbas explained that they offer three kinds of investments for the columbary, first is the ordinary columbary, which is priced at P58 thousand to P90 thousand. They also have the family columbary that is twice the capacity of the ordinary columbary. Prices for this start at P180 thousand to P230 thousand. Last is the Family Gallery, which is pegged at P2.5 million. The indicated prices are offered for the first 40 buyers with different payment options including monthly payments and spot cash.

Golden Haven president Regino said that after the Palazzo Laterano, they would be starting another columbary area called the “Theresium,” named after the three Theresas.

Golden Haven is also located in Las Piñas, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga with Cebu having the biggest potential land area of 44 hectares. Regin said that they are closing up a deal for another memorial park in Cavite and eyeing another one in Davao .

Regino said that they still have more plans to implement for the Cebu property since only phase one of the project has been completed or only seven hectares still of the total land area has been developed.

Golden Haven was conceptualized from the famous Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the United States, shared Regino. He said that property owner Senator Manny Villar wanted to bring the concept here and make a “national memorial park in the Philippines in the scale of the Forest Lawn.”

At present, Golden Haven Cebu offers services and other developments in the area, which Regino said is their way of “taking away the fear of people from cemeteries and changing what is already in mind about cemeteries and even death.”

Regino said that this is even the reason why they started the celebration of the Goodwill Days every All Souls and All Saints Day where they have an open park movie, free flower arrangement, candle making and yoga sessions, park adventure race, and the butterfly watching in the memorial parks’ Butterfly-Open Garden.— AJ de la Torre