Rehab of wireless cemetery 30% done

THE P23.5-million rehabilitation project of Davao City Government on the 110-year old Wireless Cemetery is 30-percent done, an official of the City Economic Enterprise and Economic Planning Services (Ceeeps) said Thursday.

Jose Elmaro P. Guintadcan, chief of Ceeeps, in Thursday’s I-Speak forum held at the City Hall, said the 30 percent completion rate covers the phase one of the rehabilitation project which has started last year.

The city allocated P5 million for the project's first phase and P18.2 million for the second phase, which is eyes to be completed by next year.

Part of the major rehabilitation project of the city is the exhumation of all buried remains in the old cemetery that has been left unattended by their family for several decades.

As of Thursday, Guintadcan said they already exhumed a total of 3,179 remains of dead people. Only 628 of them h have been claimed by their relatives and transferred to memorial parks.

All of the unclaimed exhumed bones were laid to common graves inside the cemetery.

As part of the upgrading of the city’s oldest cemetery, the Ceeeps also submitted proposed amendments on the specific provision of the city's Revenue Code setting the rates at the city-owned cemetery.

The proposed amendment would translates to roughly 500 percent increase. From P2,000 rental fee on grave lots for 10 years at the adults section, the city plans to increase it to P12,000 for a period of six years. At the children section, the P1,000 rental fee for 10 years will be increased to P5,000.

"Tan-awon pa nato na kung ma aprobahan ba ni nga amendment kay naa pa man ni sa konseho (We will just wait if this proposes amendment passes the council)," Guintadcan said.

The following are the old rates for compartmentalized niches rentable for 10 years under the old Revenue Code: ground level - 8,000; second level - 7,200; third level - 6,400; fourth level - 5,600.

Should the proposed amendments get the council's nod, the following will be the new rates for compartmentalized niches that are rentable for only six years: ground level - P6,400; second level - P8,000; third level - P7,200; fourth level - P5,600.

After the six-year lease period expires, the bone remains of the dead person will be exhumed and transferred to an ossuary at a rate of P200 per year but if the family of the exhumed fails to renew the ossuary fee, they will be given a one year grace period. Otherwise, their relative's remains will be transferred to a common grave.