Housing in Lorega: City to waive fees for exhumation of cadavers

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu City councilors want exemption from the exhumation and reburial fees payment when the City Government starts the removal of cadavers at the Lorega Cemetery in Barangay Lorega San Miguel in preparation for the socialized housing project in the area.

There are 340 bodies that will be affected whose families have already been informed through public notices placed in conspicuous places.

The exhumation and reburial of these cadavers require payment of fees under the city's Omnibus Tax Ordinance.

The newly amended ordinance imposes an exhumation fee of P50 per cadaver and another P50 for the reburial.

The removal of cadavers is necessary for the site development of the area.

Two months ago, the Council approved an amount of P641,582 for the expenses during the clearing operation. This includes the labor fee for workers, the rent for a crawler type backhoe, dump trucks and a Payloader and the cost for the removal of cadavers and remains.

But the City may spend less if the payment for the exhumation is waived.

The clearing will be finished in a month so the Gawad Kalinga, which takes charge of the construction of the three-storey, 60-unit building, may start immediately.

The first phase of the clearing will cover only one-third of the total nine-hectare project area.

The cemetery has been closed since July as ordered by the City Council.

The socialized housing project in Lorega is funded by the P10-million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) donated by former congressman Raul del Mar and the P2 million from the Action for Nurturing Children and Environment (ANCE).

Once the project is finished, 60 legitimate urban families will benefit from the project, mostly those who are already occupying the area.

As of the last count by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, there are about 329 illegal infrastructures, mostly residential houses, in the area occupied by over 500 families. (FREEMAN)