DEATH. We subconsciously hear and talk about it almost every day. What we don't commonly speak about is our own death; and it's almost the same relating to cemeteries. We customarily think about memorial parks during Halloween or when we remember the death anniversary of a departed loved one. Cemeteries are predominantly not seen on a map and never expect them to be included as tourist spots. I sometimes wonder why other capitalists resort on creating a garden of the dead as a source of living. They must be numbed with the graveyard jokes like "People must be dying to do business with you" or "I heard the business is already dead but you're killing it." I overheard one guy telling one embalmer, "I bet your costumers are chunk of stiffs but at least they don't talk back." And who could forget the in-law jokes? -- There is this guy who bought a tomb for his in-law as a Christmas present. The next year, he didn't hand another present. When his in-law asked him how come? He told her: "you haven't used my last year's gift."
On a dead serious note, have you talked about your expiration on this planet? What do you want done with your body when you die? Do you want to be six feet under the ground? Do you want to be cremated? Do you want your ashes thrown in Pinatubo's crater? Have you considered preserving yourself in a freezer? Or perhaps contemplating which organs of your system you wish to be donated? Are your loved ones aware of your plans? Do they know what type of music to play during your funeral? Have you explained those thoughts to your spouse or children? Yup, it's tough to imagine about your own death.
Here in my home city of Angeles, there are two popular private memorial parks and a used-to-be public cemetery which was later discovered as a catholic cemetery in Cut-Cut village. There is also a small mountainous boneyard in Sapangbato. And coming down the pike will be the city's first public memorial park in Sapalibutad.
On the other side, operating a cemetery has formidable amount of unrest. Necropolis around the world suffers a fair amount of practical and financial issues. A one-time sale means no recurring revenues. That's like having ordered an iced tea and getting refills for the rest of everlastingness. A customer will avail a space and the cemetery will take care of it for eternity. It's practically an unsustainable proposition from a business standpoint. And because people often disregard the thought of dying, it's typical that few have any idea about the skyrocketing costs for funeral and burial service. Consider manpower issues, fuel costs, overhead expenses it's a terrifying challenge.
Also bear in mind that technology plays a major factor in today's funeral services. Fewer and fewer burials are being observed because of the rise of cremations. In the future, first world countries might consider the use of an alkaline hydrolysis machine which basically does tissue digestion - a dead body goes inside of it, filled with 500 liters of water and alkali as the base. Pressure and heat added and it dissolves all organic matter producing a residual bio-fluid and other inorganic materials will be left like the gold fillings of the tooth. The interesting and controversial part is that the bio-fluid may then be transferred to the water recycling plant or use it as a fertilizer.
This is why many local government units aren't fans of putting up public resting place for the lifeless. And these marble towns usually get little love from public and foundations. I mean, who wants to support a cemetery? It's a dying business literally by the degrees. NGOs don't want to put their money where you're not saving lives or changing lives for the better. It's that type of institution where it sits there and expects to be there in perpetuity.
Memorial parks are regularly known for single use for the dead. But what if we look at cemeteries in a different perspective and make it a multi-use with the living? Imagine a place where you can put in a genealogical center. A cemetery trail can be interesting especially for the joggers and bikers. Community gardens always refresh the eyes and aroma. Why not build an outdoor museum and include the site in a tour itinerary? A cemetery can also be a cultural center by encouraging artists to paint in the quiet lawns while local string quartets play their music. Partnering with cultural and historical organizations may help in marketing and grants for the preservation of the cemetery. In Spain, they utilized these acres of space by placing solar panels to spawn solar energy, and that facility is now generating electricity around its community.
While we meet new challenges in a time of change, there are ways that may lead to new positive streams. Like the Ospital Ning Angeles and City College of Angeles, I have no doubt that this new charitable project will be a success under the current administration.