Hike in burial plot rental ‘reasonable’

THE proposed 500 percent increase on the rental rates of grave lots at the city-owned Wireless Cemetery is not too much as some councilors are saying, Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio said Monday.

The City Council last week deferred anew the approval of the proposed ordinance amending a portion of the city's Revenue Code that aims to raise the present P2,000 fee on grave lots to P12,000 after some councilors said this rate is "exorbitant."

But the mayor does not hold any rancor for the councilors as this is their job.

"Mao na ilang trabaho didto sa City Council. Ang trabaho nila didto is to conduct public hearing and investigate kung karapatdapat ba or dili ang mga proposed rates because they have the power to amend or to correct kung unsa man ang mga mali the proposed law (That’s the City Council job to conduct hearings and investigate whether the proposed rates are necessary and appropriate because they have the power to amend whatever is wrong in the proposal)," the mayor said.

During the council's regular session last week, some councilors questioned the excessive increase proposed by the city's executive department through the City Economic Enterprise and Economic Planning Services (Ceeeps).

The proposed ordinance amending Chapter 5, Article 7 of the Revenue Code of Davao City on charges and rates at the Wireless Cemetery was calendared for second reading today.

"Dili mana trabaho sa economic enterprise, ang buhaton lang sa city enterprise is to propose mao karon kung mo sugot lang ang mga konsehal, well and good, pag dili sila mosugot, they have to come up with a revised schedule of fees (It is not the job of the economic enterprise department to implement fees, all it can do is propose and seek the council’s approval. If the council will not approve then they should come up with a revised schedule of fees)," the mayor added.

From P2,000 rental fee on a grave lot for 10 years at the adult section, the city plans to increase it to P12,000 for a period of six years. At the children's section, the P1,000 rental fee for 10 years will be increased to 5,000.

Councilors Jimmy Dureza, Rene Elias Lopez, Bernard Al-ag, Conrado Baluran, among others, stood up to question the proposed rates.

But later, most of the councilors agreed on the proposed increase except for Councilors Dureza and Lopez who abstained from voting for the approval of the proposed ordinance.

Jose Elmaro P. Guintadcan, city enterprise chief, said the proposed rate increase of cemetery charges will enable the city to recover the P23.5 million it invested in the rehabilitation of the 110-year-old cemetery and to boost the city's coffers.

Guintadcan said the proposed rate will be more advantageous to the public since the P12,000 rate for a grave lot rentable for six years include all the services from digging to all pertinent labors.

He said with the present rate of P2,000 per grave lot, the family of a deceased has to spend around P14,000-P16,000 for other services. (JOP)