In Barangay Guba: Site development starts for new city cemetery

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City government has already started the development of a 30-hectare cemetery at Sitio Catives II in the mountain barangay of Guba to address the lack of burial sites in the city due to the unusual number of deaths amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawyer Floro Casas Jr., city administrator, said they are working closely with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) for the site development.

“This is a 30-hectare property and when this will be fully developed it can accommodate thousands,” said Casas.

Casas said they chose the area because it has an existing cemetery for Muslims.

“That is a cemetery already and we are developing this actually together with the assistance and technical expertise of the DENR and CCENRO, so we are not just doing this on our own,” said Casas.

He said the site development is expected to be completed within the week and can start accepting burials.

Guba Barangay Captain Orland Herrera and the officials of the neighboring barangays Sirao, Paril, and Agsungot reportedly did not oppose in the establishment of the cemetery in the area.

The cemetery will be officially named Cebu City Botanical Memorial Garden, said Councilor David Tumulak.

Tumulak, chairman of the committee on risk reduction and management of the Cebu City Council, said the barangay officials approved of the project after he assured them of the public health and safety.  

“I saw how they (funeral parlors) handled the dead bodies, and I am willing to stake my name that the process is very thorough to ensure safety,” Tumulak said during the dialogue with the barangay captains.

Tumulak added that the new cemetery will also open livelihood opportunities for the residents in the area.

“The opening of this facility will bring jobs to the community. People can sell goods by the roadside, for example,” he added.

Representatives from the Mayor’s Office, led by Land Management Office Head Atty. Jeneses Ponce and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Visayas visited the site yesterday to assess on-site preparations.

Johnnel Ran~eses, who represented IATF-EID deputy chief implementer Mel Feliciano, thanked the barangay officials for their support and cooperation.

 “You have shown us that we are one in this fight against COVID-19. This is what true public service looks like,” Ran~eses said.

The council earlier passed a resolution sponsored by Tumulak requesting the immediate establishment of new public cemetery. Tumulak said that mortuaries, crematoriums and public cemeteries in the city are already overwhelmed because of the unusual number of deaths.  FPL (FREEMAN)