20 February 2012
City sees need to rehabilitate 9 public cemeteries
DAVAO CITY—The city government of Davao is eyeing the rehabilitation of nine more public cemeteries in the city following the completion of the first phase in the rehabilitation of the Wireless Public Cemetery.
Davao City has ten public cemeteries located in Ma-a, Panacan, Tibungco, Bunawan, Toril, Mintal, Calinan, Tugbok, and Paquibato.
Jose Elmaro P. Guintadcan, chief of the City Economic Enterprise and Economic Planning Services (CEEEPS), explained in Monday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw that all the ten public cemeteries in the city need rehabilitation similar to what the city government has done for the Wireless Cemetery.
“However, we are doing this one cemetery at a time because this needs sufficient budget,” Guintadcan said.
The Wireless Cemetery rehabilitation project has completed the first phase, which included the exhumation and the construction of ossuaries or crypts.
By March, the city plans to invite the families and relatives of those buried in the Wireless Cemetery to visit the office and apply for the annual rental of ossuaries.
“We have informed relatives present during the exhumation that we would be offering an annual rental of PhP250 per ossuary per year. This is the proposed rate to be deliberated in the Sangguniang Panlungsod,” he added.
The city government closed the cemetery in April of 2010 to pave the way from the massive exhumation, rehabilitation, and repairs.
In the exhumation process, the remains were stored in black plastic bags, sealed, labeled and deposited in identified mausoleum as temporary depository or holding area.
The city alloted PhP5.9 million for the first phase of the rehabilitation of Wireless Cemetery. Guintadcan expects an increase of 5 percent in its revenues from the rental fees of ossuaries.
Aside from the rehabilitation of public cemeteries, CEEEPS is also looking at ensuring the strict monitoring of public terminals, the Sta. Ana Wharf, the Magsaysay Park, and slaughter houses as an additional sources of revenue. (PIA)
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