Labella: New public cemetery underway

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City government is now developing a cemetery in one of the mountain barangays that can accommodate not only COVID-19 fatalities but all other cases as well.

This after reports that the city is already running out of places to bury its dead due to the unusual number of deaths—both COVID and non-COVID related.

Mayor Edgardo Labella made the announcement yesterday during the Media briefing with the officials of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) in Cebu.

Due to the unusual number of deaths, public cemeteries in the city as well as mortuaries and crematoriums are overwhelmed.

“I understand that there are not too many spaces, at present the city is now developing the cemetery somewhere up in the mountain barangays that can accommodate not only COVID patients (sic) but all other cases,” said Labella.

Labella said he already approved the ordinance on the establishment of the cemetery.

“We are already undertaking, I already approved the ordinance, the establishment of that cemetery up there in the mountain barangay in the city of Cebu,” said Labella.

The mayor, however, did not mention what barangay the new public cemetery will be established.

On June 26, the City Council also passed a resolution requesting the Department of Health (DOH) and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) to expedite the processing of clearances and approval, if not waive altogether, except the legal requirements and safety and health standards required under the establishment of public cemetery.

The Council has directed the Department of General Services to identify from among the city-owned lots the most suitable location for a public cemetery that would comply with the requirements under the Sanitation Code and HLURB rules.

Under the interim guidelines on the management of human remains for confirmed COVID-19 cases and those under investigation (DILG memorandum circular no. 2020-063), burial or cremation should be done within 12 hours after death.

The strict 12-hour requirement after death to bury or cremate the deceased has overwhelmed the mortuaries and the public cemeteries in the city. Indigent families are also complaining of the expensive cost for cremation.

Cremation costs between P50,000 to P60,000 for COVID-19 cases while non-COVID is between P20,000 to P35,000.  FPL (FREEMAN)